What do you do to cut expenses down?

[Reice]

I've been cutting on my own hair since I was in junior high. Even got professional and became a licensed stylist and did hair for 9 years. Still did my own and can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've let someone else do it. This includes all the coloring and perming over the years and includes all lengths. No fear! haha The hubby shaves his off even though he has a full head of hair.

The other day I got after my lil shih Tzu with the clippers. Doggies are hard, but I'm learning. She turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself and saved us from paying for a cut. Will probably take her occasionally to get the things I have a hard time with, especially around the face, my Cookie Bear wasn't letting me near that without a fight, lol I have considered eventually getting a stand to help me hold her for this and will keep on trying. Have been paying $40 every six weeks for the past year that I've had her and they raised prices to $50, so..

Today is a new one, going to the food bank. If we were ever to qualify, it's now with zero income. Heck, we qualified before hubby quit his job but never went. This will tremendously help out right now. I've volunteered at this one last year for a college class and have seen what is on the shelves and where they came from. If you haven't considered it and qualify, look in to it.

Have so many more strategies to reduce costs which have probably already been written on here, just running out of time this morning. Just found this thread so I'll catch up on it later and hopefully can add an idea or two.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I used to trim the hair on my previous dog (a terrier) with scissors. It looked far from professional, but... I got the job done, and she was pretty cooperative. I would purposefully trim the hair on her ears horizontally, so the hair laid like a shingled roof. Hubby was appalled, embarrassed. I thought it was cute, amusing... certainly distinguished her from all other groomed dogs! We let her hair go long during the winter. She'd come in with huge snow balls dangling from her belly.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I can relate to the snowballs on the dog. Our Irish setter would come inside during the winter with snow boots on - snow on his fringes about 1" thick. He was trained to go straight to the bathtub and wait for me to melt it all off with warm water ...

 

[CrealCritter]

I sleep a lot - sleeping is pretty cheap

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I buy wine when it's 20% off!

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Yep. That and a couple other things. The government has yet to figure out how to tax them.

 

[Mini Horses]

I buy wine when it's 20% off!

And some stores have a "Senior Day" when you get a discount on anything bought, esp grocery & eateries Mostly here it's 5% but at places like Goodwill, it's 25%! Often 50 is their base age for "senior". Combine both discounts and you can enjoy that wine more!

I'll take all discounts offered on anything I'm buying

Wish I could get a sr disc at the power company ---

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Agreed, Sr. discount is a blessing for sure. Some places also offer Veteran's discount. I think Lowe's has a 10% Vet's discount.

 

[CrealCritter]

And some stores have a "Senior Day" when you get a discount on anything bought, esp grocery & eateries Mostly here it's 5% but at places like Goodwill, it's 25%! Often 50 is their base age for "senior". Combine both discounts and you can enjoy that wine more!

I'll take all discounts offered on anything I'm buying

Wish I could get a sr disc at the power company ---

More wine more better

 

[Hinotori]

We always ask for the military discount. Even our feed store offers one. It mostly covers tax, but does help.