Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Katy]

We've always lived super frugally.

Everything we do and hope to grow depends on what the weather does and so we never know from year to year what our income will be. This year a drought has pretty much wiped out our wheat crop.....about 4 years ago a late freeze did the same....so this year our paycheck will be a small percentage of what it could have been.

In the good years we still live like we've only got a small income and put away as much as we can because we know that Mother Nature can wipe out next years work in a heartbeat and we'll need that "extra" money from the year before to survive on.

 

[redhen]

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Rabbits breed like crazy.. and quail are easy and cheap to raise......and they grow out QUICK...
Maybe try supplementing their dry food with rabbit /quail meat?
I dunno..just an idea..

 

[FarmerChick]

silly-- use coupons combined with sales.
I can get dog food dirt cheap lol
get coupons, hold them til the buy one get one free bag dog food goes on sale, use coupons and STOCK up when price is low.

I use coupons and most times my orders are about $110 at grocery---I pay about $40.

so attack the good sales with coupons and you can feed those dogs cheap.

 

[Beekissed]

Contact your local state police station and see if they have a list of people who want to be called for fresh deer road kills and ask to be added. A great source of fresh meat for your dogs and provides a valuable service as well. I've even contacted the local high school ag dept. where they teach the boys to cut up meat and have collected large bags full of beef and pork trimmings, organs and bones. A large freezer comes in handy to store individualized bags of frozen dog meals.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

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We switched our dogs food from store brand to a higher quality dog food that costs twice as much and we are spending less. Dogs don't process the cheap grain based food well, our dogs eat about a third of what they used to which in turn means less poo to clean up also. Costco if you have one has a highly rated dog food for around 25.00 a 40 lb. bag if you have a membership. Another idea is raw meat, I see ads in our local craigslist looking for freezer burned meat for free, especially when they are refilling their freezers from this years hunting.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
We switched our dogs food from store brand to a higher quality dog food that costs twice as much and we are spending less. Dogs don't process the cheap grain based food well, our dogs eat about a third of what they used to which in turn means less poo to clean up also. Costco if you have one has a highly rated dog food for around 25.00 a 40 lb. bag if you have a membership. Another idea is raw meat, I see ads in our local craigslist looking for freezer burned meat for free, especially when they are refilling their freezers from this years hunting.

I switched my dogs too and now spend less because they eat less.

 

[BarefootMom]

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we live in the country- very rural- so no one cares what we do.

 

[Wifezilla]

I agree on the pet food. The cheap corned based stuff doesn't save you money. Your animals just eat a lot trying to get enough nutrition and poop a lot. It also leads to high vet bills as your pet ages. I feed my cats taste of the wild. I grumble every time I buy a bag because it is almost thirty dollars, but I have a twenty one year old cat and a fourteen year old that are both pretty darn healthy. We also have a two year old that supplements his diet with mice and he is a solid ball of muscle.

Thrift stores can be a great place to shop, but you have to know your brands and regular prices. Sometimes they are priced more used than you could have bought new. Certain brands also last longer so know who makes what. Example...faded glory is from Walmart. South pole is from jc penny. The south pole brand clothing is sturdy as all get out and will last for years. Faded glory, not so much.

Garage sales have the best prices for used stuff. It can be harder to find good items though. Get to know where there are large community organized garage sales so you can save on driving around. There are a couple in my town organized by the HOAs and the people in those communities can only have a garage sale on that specific day. Those are great.

Flea markets used to be a good deal, but now everything seems to be cheap stuff from china and not average joes selling extra stuff. I might go once a year.

Farmers markets can be a good money saver. Again, you have to know the typical prices for different foods. Most times the farmers markets do have a better price, but not always. Out here, the price for peaches at the farmers market is always higher, but the farmers market price for peppers is way lower.

Garden if you can. Even if you don't have a lot of space, an herb garden can save you a bunch of money. thyme, chives, sage, mint, etc... Are all super easy to grow.

As for coupons, I only use then for cleaning supplies or toothpaste, etc... If you are buying food with coupons, you are most likely getting NON food disguised as food. Processed cereals are the worst. They are nothing but carbs and fillers. Eating cereal adds to weight gain and actually robs your body of nutrition. Eat eggs instead.

If you are building up a food storage stash, fill it with beans, lentils and peas. Also add dried veggies, lard, olive oil, butter, dried fruit, nuts, and very nutrient dense seeds like quinoa, amaranth, and chia. I also have a stash of spices I can't grow myself, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, and canned meats like tuna and chicken.

 

[Lydia&Andrew]

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Your handmade signs are great!! And what a find on the other furniture!

 

[karlamaria]

I buy in mass quanity,the prices are sky rocketing so do not buy weekly or bi weekly, watch for sales and triple getting that item. Stock up by buying in bulk! Instead of buying meat separately buy a hind quarter, you save hundreds this way. (I bought a hind quarter of beef yesterday that cost 400.00 saved literally hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Those cuts of meat are good to! Stock up things you see on special, toilet paper etc. And stop buying flour, get wheat, and grind your own, this way you can store it and save tons ! Buy frozen veggies and dehydrate them, put them in canning jars. We dehydrate 20 bags a week! You save a ton buy buying in bulk and dehydrating as that takes up very little space on shelves rather then in the freezer. I'm a grandmother, raising grand kids on my small income. I see what's coming and prepare! Glean, look for bargains at dollar stores .when you see cans of soup 2 for a dollar ( I got them 3 for a dollar)but cases of it! Be stocked up, before food is to hard to afford. Start canning, dehydrating, gold will s are great for getting extras like blankets and clothing. If you take on the mentality of survival and look to your future then one must conclude that times are getting real bad even thought they would tell us other wise. Stock up, prepare and do not be like those who just do not take heed !