What do you do to cut expenses down?

[baymule]

I love craigslist. I can find bargains there and have saved money on big purchases.

We haunt the cull and reject rack at Lowes. We can buy reject lumber for less than half price. We built almost our entire 36'x36' barn with used and cull lumber. It really hurt my feelings to have to buy 29 brand new 2x6x20' for barn rafters. But we sure have a nice barn now. We are building a feed and tack room now, the mantra is, "if it is straight, it ain't ours! If it is curved, warped or something nobody would have, it's ours!"

 

[Annabellam]

Annabellam, I'm a former certified master dog groomer. Award-winning competitive groomer too. If you want any tips or advice feel free to ask. I'm happy to help.

I started cutting my hair too. I was frustrated with split ends and paying for so much conditioner and product for my curly hair that I finally cut it back to a pixie / undercut bob last fall. So easy! I cut hubby and my kids' hair too.

Thank you.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have gotten some real good deals on CL & missed some. But the ones I've felt were good were actually VERY good, LOL. Like Bay, I buy for future -- good deal, discounts, bent, dented, etc. I have a stack of T111 bought for 1/2 off @ Lowe's couple months ago, & a pile of 4X4 (most 12') bought same day, gonna use next week. They were in the "adoption" stacks. Always on the "prowl" for a useable item, to save $$.
I ride by the Lowes stacks, even if I had not planned to go in the store, in case. TSC says I'm his best damaged bag buyer.
My other feed store often gives some to me, good customer.

Tomorrow I will pay for a hair cut. It's getting scraggly, couple weeks past due, & need to do or get out the horse clippers! Been years since I kept long hair, just no time for it now. I want to wash and go! Besides, it's hard to comb out hay...or whatever else.

I don't shop stores much. Most of my trips are to feed, hardware, Habitat, Goodwill, or grocery stores Closets are full of expensive work/dress clothes I just no longer wear. In & out of fashion a couple times. Classic clothes, so adaptable. I look at those spike heels & say "not again". Jeans & flannel are now my favorites (always have been really). Probably the same with many of the women on here.
When you "retire", so do your clothes.

 

[Hinotori]

The trick to amazon shopping it to put it in your wish list and wait for a sale. Ive waited over a year before. I never buy stuff quickly unless i know it is cheeper there

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well, DANG - I'm ready for my clothes to retire, lol!

 

[tortoise]

I stopped at grocery store today, discovered they started mixed produce blemish bags. 3 to 4 pound bags of random stuff for $0.99 each. I got apples, tomatoes, poblano pepper, an avocado and a couple citrus. Yum!

 

[lcertuche]

I told DH I was going to stop dyeing my hair. Proverbs it says that gray hair is a crown of glory but DH hates gray hair. He dyes his hair too. It will save a few bucks. I only do it every couple of months anyway so I usually have a huge streak of gray anyway. My hair grows really fast so I am going to get a haircut, though I have to pay to have it cut.

They don't discount culls and blemished produce enough here and you never see meat marked down. I suspect that employees get first dibs. They get such low wages I can't really begrudge that.

DH is the worst at spending money. I try to stock up on toothpaste, soaps, etc. because my husband will run out and spend 3 or 4 times what I do if we run out. He's under the impression that it must be better if it cost a lot more.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

He's under the impression that it must be better if it cost a lot more.

Mine used to think the same way. It's been a long time coming but he's starting to see things my way. I think it's because I keep telling him that if we ever expect to be able to have a decent lifestyle when we retire - that he needs to be better at saving money now!!!

 

[tortoise]

My DH overspends at the grocery store. I have to make sure to not run out of milk. Asking him to pick up milk on the way home has added as much as $200 to our grocery expense. He buys things on sale justifying it as "we will eat it". I just got our grocery expense down to $141 last month - from average $375. Now, the challenge is to keep it there!

I've been using USDA SuperTracker to check that we're getting our nutritional needs met. I've had to tweak things like use more of our dehydrated kale for vitamin K and swap brown sugar for white sugar to increase potassium.

 

[tortoise]

Mine used to think the same way. It's been a long time coming but he's starting to see things my way. I think it's because I keep telling him that if we ever expect to be able to have a decent lifestyle when we retire - that he needs to be better at saving money now!!!

I like Mr. Money Mustache financial independence / early retirement blog. It has a fun attitude of "badassity" that may appeal to resistant husbands.