Let's share money saving tips!

[cookinmom]

OK here it is. I gotta say though, that some of this stuff is not in many of the stores here either. This was sent to Countryside Magazine by Dorice Baty of Monett, MO

1/3 bar of Fels Naptha, 5.5 oz bar
1/2 cup washing soda, not baking soda
1/2 cup borax powder
1 Tablespoon essential oil (optional) **my note: apparently the cost of the essential oil was not figured into the 68 cent thing, because those things are STEEP!
2 gallon jugs, such as white vinegar jugs

Grate the soap and put it in a large saucepan with 6 cups of water over medium heat. Heat until the soap melts. Add the washing soda, borax, and essential oil, stirring constantly until all has dissolved. Let it sit for 5 minutes over the heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes. Using a funnel, pour half into each gallon jug. Fill each jug halfway with hot water and shake well. Continue to fill the jug to the top with hot water. Shake again, then put aside for about 24 hours. It will gel up and look like egg whites.

Use 1/2 to 2/3 cup per load. It won't suds like most detergents but the clothes smell wonderful. You can also add 1/2 cup white vinegar to each load to soften the clothes.


** my note again: They used to carry fels naptha and borax powder at Publix supermarkets, but I don't know if they still do.

 

[chickenlips]

I never buy new clothes at retail stores anymore. I have found terrific buys for always less than $5.00 each at Goodwill Thrift Stores and other thrift stores in the area. Not only have I found clothes, which are often like new, but I have found alot of antiques and furniture that may only need a little sprucing up and barely cost anything.
I work at a grocery store, so every day I go home with apple boxes full of produce that they would normally throw away. My cost? One nickel for as many boxes as I can cart home. My chickens come running when they see me coming! It's a buffet every day and virtually free!

 

[CranberryBirds]

The thing I most hate paying for is the heating bill. And I work at home, so I can't turn the heat way down at night either.

So in the winter, I pull the blinds and curtains at night, and I close the guest-room door and shut off the heat in there--that's 200 square feet LESS that I have to pay to heat (Of course I open the door a day or two before guests arrive!).

I also bought a bed-warmer (like an electric blanket only it goes on your bed like a matress pad). Let me tell you folks, if you live in a cold climate and don't have one of these items, you should really think about getting one. It is 100 times better than an electric blanket because the heat is coming from underneath you. And there is more heat down by your feet than up by your head. AND you can get them with two controls--one for each half--so if your OTHER HALF has different heating/cooling needs, no problem. This thing, which I paid about 50 bucks for, saves me in heating because I turn the thermostat down to about 58 degrees F all night and I'm still SO toasty and warm.

I also use barter whenever I can--trading eggs or my crafts for stuff I would otherwise have to pay for (other food items, free massages, etc etc). Barter is so great.

 

[CarriBrown]

Where I'm at, heat is the issue. We pay $500 A MONTH for electric during the hottest months. But you have to run your AC... If you don't, it will be 90 degrees in the house. Knowing this, we just bought curtains and drapes (which have helped a lot), two portable swamp coolers and fans so we won't have to run the AC 24/7.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

I've been wanting to post a reply to this thread for days but haven't had the time to do so. I could probably write a book on this!

1. I try to never pay more for something than I have to. I shop sales, use coupons (grocery, restaurant, etc) and never, ever leave a balance on a credit card. As for groceries, I keep myself up on the sales prices on the items I buy and try to only buy at the lowest price. I may go weeks without buying meat and then buy a bunch in a single week.

2. I also am in the process of changing my lightbulbs to the energy savings ones. So far I really like them. We're working on keeping lights off when we're not in a room, turning down the dimmers, and using natural light as much as possible.

3. I have NO long distance coverage on my land line. We use the cell phone for all long distance calls.

4. I've had the same cell phone coverage for years and refuse to sign another contract. To do so would double my monthly fees. I only have 300 minutes, but my rates are VERY low.

5. We dropped medical coverage from our car insurance. It's expensive and covers very little. We already carry medical insurance through our company.

6. I buy my gas at Costco, the least expensive place in town. I use their AX credit card and get an additional percentage back.

7. I bundle all my errands to save gas money. Last week I had 4 separate errands to make that would have been a total of close to 50 miles. I managed to get that down to just over 20 miles by lumping them together.

8. I shop "local" as much as possible. Even though it doesn't save me money, it saves the environment and lessens petroleum usage if I buy food grown locally rather than thousands of miles away.

9. I grow a veggie garden.

10. We eat out only a couple of times a week and cook healthy and low cost foods at home the other meals. Some statistics say that half of the average US household food budgets are spent on restaurant food.

There are more, but probably the biggest lesson I learned was to pay off debt and start saving for emergencies, retirement, etc. The US savings rate was MINUS 1% last year, which means that US consumers spent more than they earned. This is the lowest level since the Great Depression. Getting out of that trap was the best thing we ever did.

Good luck in your quest!

Edited to add:
Another tip: Close your curtains/blinds on warm days and open them on cool days. If you block direct sun you'll keep the house cooler. If you allow direct light on cool days, it'll warm your house a few degrees before having to turn on the heater.

Also, I'm not particular about "expensive" clothing. I learned my lesson years ago. I had a boyfriend in HS whose parents owned a line of VERY expensive shops carrying "upscale" children's clothing. They hired my sister and I one summer to remove the labels from inexpensive sweaters made in a foreign country only to replace them with the expensive looking store label. Many of the expensive clothing lines today are still made in third world sweatshops. Along those lines, a good friend recently purchased a $350.00 purse. It began unraveling two weeks after purchase. Thus, more expensive is not necessarily better. That's not to say that an item made in a foreign country is inferior, it's simply to say that an expensive item made in a foreign country may not be superior to an inexpensive item made in the same country. So, know your limits and stay within them. Don't get caught up in a "good deal" of a $350.00 purse on sale for $70.00. It may not be any better in quality than the $30 purse found at a less expensive store. I often shop the TJ Max type discount stores and have found fabulous deals. I once bought a two skirts that were nearly identical. For one I paid $54 at a department store before finding the other at TJ Max for $15. The "cheaper" one actually looked to be better quality. Of course, I returned the expensive one and kept the less expensive. I also readily take hand-me-downs for my kids and for myself. I also give away the clothing my kids outgrow.

 

[justusnak]

We too have been trying to save on the electric bill....we have a small shop with the coop attached, and the house. Both are on seperate meters. The shop/coop elec bill..averages 25.00 a month. However, the house bill was averageing $120 and up! SO, we use flouresent (sp) lighting, keep most lights off, and use a fan to circulate the air...warm or cold. Last month, our home elec bill was $36.00 WHAT A SAVEINGS! We also switched to those spirally looking bulbs....it works folks, be persistant! I also have a 55 gal plastic Barrell for catching rain water. I cover the hole when there is no rain, but when we are to get rain, I open the hole to collect. This is for watering the chickens...plants....ducks. My water bill went from 35.00 down to $12. Woohoo! Im not rich...but I have a few extra dollars in my pocket....Hmmm, maybe I will get a few more chickens? LOL

 

[dragon]

me too! laundry soap

 

[wynedot55]

lets see money saving tipps.in the winter we burn the insert wood heater.that saves $150 a month in power bills.an we dont run the central heat at all.cut an splitt our own wood.dont turn a/c on till we have to.an only run it 8 or 10hrs a day.turning it off at nite.use ceiling fans alot.only go to town every 2wks if we can get away with it.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

--- Groceries ---

I shop in cycles, along with the advertised grocery sales. Today I bought 14 bags of groceries and paid only $60.00. I saved $54.00 by shopping sales and using coupons. I can go weeks without buying meat because I only buy it when it is on sale at or below their usual lowest point. Then I'll stock up and freeze it.

I often cook extra for those nights when we're rushed and would otherwise have to eat out.

I also use the crockpot or pressure cooker to prepare meals. The first is useful when I need to roll in and have dinner on the table quickly. The second is great for making quick meals and it also uses very little energy. Dinner tonight is Tuscan Chicken with White Beans and Sundried Tomatoes. It'll take only 6 minutes of cooking time, less than 15 minutes from prep to table!

 

[CarriBrown]

Lots of great ideas!
One thing I started doing was buying meat in bulk then cooking it all at one time (for the week). That way, all I have to do is make a salad, rice or something like that at night for dinner. It keeps us from eating out and it keeps my sanity!!
I can also buy the meat at a cheaper price when it's in bulk.