Just curious who else is living super frugal

[HeatherLynn]

Ok guys I have hit a stumbling block and I just am torn on what to do. We have a van. I still owe on it and pay 200 a month. I can have it paid off before tax time. BUT it has started stalling and we worked on it and then worked on it again, and then once more and still it keeps stalling. It also will not get up the hill to our farm in bad weather. Also one side door just decides to not close at times and at times the air conditioner cannot be turned off.

So the question is do I put money into it again and get a mechanic to work on it and find the stalling problem? or do I incure more debt and buy a used vehicle that can get up the hill and is not stalling.

Its about a half mile hike up our hill if we get stuck at the bottom. This year the baby is a bit older and probably could walk for parts of it. The other kids are all old enough to walk it.

if we can make it through till tax season then i will try to buy something used on craigslist for cash.

Opinions

 

[heathersboers]

Quote:
What have you done to it so far and what kind of van is it???? My husband and I are both mechanics...maybe we can help...

 

[HeatherLynn]

Well first time it stalled a code came up. I have no idea what the code was but the guy at auto zone said water in the gas. Well no check engine light had come on but he had checked the codes anyway. I have no clue. So we buy the heet stuff and fill the tank. The van runs great. It happens again and they said it could be battery. Who knows. We have all the checked and nothing is wrong but we again treat for water in the gas. It runs fine. Then we decided the next time to go ahead and change the fuel filter and do the stupid full fuel system cleaner. It worked great for like a week. Now it stalling again.

Its a 2003 chevy venture. Right before it stalls the gas gauge will drop. We were at half a tank, all of a sudden it drops to a quarter tank, then gives a little shudder and then stalls. Usually when its bad you cannot idle or slow down at all or you will stall. It will do this for maybe 10 or 15 min and then all of a sudden gas gauge goes back up again and its running fine. Problem is I have 4 kids and I cannot afford to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere which is essentially where we live. The next things under consideration on sensors and a new fuel pump. We are simply doing what are mechanic would. He just replaces stuff till he finds the problem.

 

[heathersboers]

Im not trying to kill the topic at hand but....Sounds like the fuel sending unit is going bad....might as well change the pump while your in there....when it finally does quit...you will be stranded. I'd go ahead and try that fuel pump...clean the tank also. You can buy it online at advance auto and save about $30 versus buying in store....if there is an advanced near you....Carolina auto supply is pretty cheap too.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
When we visited Australia last year we found something very interesting. Each of the electrical outlets has an on/off switch. So rather than unplugging things they simply turn the outlet OFF. Very practical and convenient at the same time!

 

[Zonoma]

Quote:
A few tips for monthly grocery runs:

1. Always, always, always make a monthly menu! Have it written out and, if you don't make it all in order don't stress. Just "X" out the meals as you make them.

2. Coupons are your friends. When there is a good coupon combined with a good sale, stock up. I buy a six month supply because that is the 'normal' sale cycle. It is slow going at first but it really frees up your budget when you don't have to purchase ketchup, mustard, or canned tomatoes six months because you got them for 60% off two months ago!

3. After your menu is written, go through it and determine how many items are perishable (fresh fruits, veggies). Add up that cost and set it aside in an envelope (cash!). This way, you can still get your shopping 'fix', have fresh fare, and not feel completely tethered to a menu.


There are many, many good sites for responsible couponing and it DOES help with freeing up money to get out of debt faster.


PS: Doing this and a few other tricks, my family will be debt free next month. We started this 2 1/2 years ago with $52,000 of debt. It IS possible, though not easy. Good luck to you!

PPS: I still live frugally. I can just breathe now.

 

[klmclain1]

Thank you for the info!!

Quote:
You don't need the Oxyclean. Some skip it because they are hardcore, no chemical. It does seem to add a boost but not essential. I have health issues and I think it is chemical too!!!

 

[CarolynF]

This is an interesting topic, getting to see the point-of-view of people from so many walks of life. I come from a frugal family and often get teased for my frugal way of life. It's not that I try all that hard, it seems to come naturally. I've always saved-up to buy things so have never been in debt for anything other than a house and a car. But now those are paid off, too. Always used rags rather than paper products when possible. Wash and re-use plastic bags. Cook most things from scratch (and we think it tastes better any way). Always close doors, turn off lights, etc. Seldom eat out or buy specialty foods. Always shop sales, coupons, rebates, etc. Buy quality once rather than cheap many times over. It just seems normal when you've always done it that way. BUT... as Leo the Lop would say (it's a childrens story book), there's no such thing as normal!


It's hard for me to understand doing it any other way, but I know that's not how everyone is "wired". I've come to realize that what I might do well, others will find difficult. And just as importantly, what others do well, I do badly! My daughter and I are opposites. Luckily I was given a very good friend who is also an "opposite". She's a wonderful person and even though our lives are very different I see her life is very good albeit very different from mine. And thus I find it much easier to cherish my "opposite" daughter. She'll never be frugal, nor will she fall into the pitfalls I have. Frugal is good for me, but I have to be careful not to be taken over by it. Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing either. I've seen that, too.

Good luck to you all in your journey to make your life better. Go for it!

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
OxyClean is just one brand of Oxygen Bleach. Unless you need to bleach every load of clothes it's unnecessary. The sun is the best non-chlorine bleach, when it's available. Where I live it's not available much. I use OxyClean rather than chlorine bleach because it's safer on fabrics, skin, etc. (Chlorine bleach, like Clorox, is very caustic.) But I only use it to spot clean stains so a container will last me a very long time.

 

[TigerLilly]

I tried to read through all the pages to get more ideas, but only made it as far as page 3...I'll save the rest for later. For now, though, I do a lot of the things everyone else seems to be doing.
Consolidating my errands to save gas (& that saves me money on buying other stuff if I'm only out once a week);
Growing some of my own food; chickens for eggs & eventually meat. I free-range my chickens to keep the feed bill down. They also get leftovers.
Goats for milk when they have it (& maybe eventually for meat);
zebu for some extra income in a couple of years when they can be bred (maybe for meat--that was the original plan);
rabbits for meat one day--right now I have my hands full.
I make my own laundry detergent & fabric softener--that alone saves a LOT of money & I only have to do it once every 2-3 months or so;
Recycling has taken on new meaning for me--thinking about all the crap that ends up in the landfills irks me! I save my coffee containers to put pet treats in, my cat litter containers now contain my homemade soap & softner. I've really become a big fan of 'reduce, re-use, recycle.'
Always been a big fan of consignment shops, Goodwill, Salvation Army & yard sales. Big fan of craigslist if I can organize my time on 'errand day.' Cant forget the "Dollar Tree" - big fan of that store!
I'm also cutting down on 'stuff.' Sold/selling my (large) dressers in favor of a closet organizer for my walk-in; donate a LOT of misc stuff that I dont/havent used in years to Salvation Army & my church. (TAX WRITE-OFF);
I sell some things on ebay as well. The guideline there is as long as it doesnt cost a fortune to ship (trying to save others money as well), I'll sell it there.
I've never been into name brand clothing, etc. I dont tuck my shirts in, so who's going to see the label on the back anyway? I on 3 pairs of jeans, 5 or 6 prs of over-alls (bought at GW or SA),a couple of dresses & some decent dressy shirts (accessorize!). Gotta work on the shoe thing though, but I'm not giving up any of my boots!
Called the cable company last month & asked if they could suggest any way to lower my bundle pkg (internet/phone/cable) bill & they gave me the 'new customer' rate--a savings of $50 a month!
I have a cheap, throw away cell phone that I pay $100 per YEAR for my minutes. It is for emergencies or if I'm out & need to get directions or somethng. Most of the time
Given enough time, I could go on, but it's almost time for my night-shift to be over...