Saving Money, What Have U Done Away With?

[HennysMom]

Hmmm... so.. its not a guarenteed thing then? Dont know if I like that idea..

I really only watch a few shows (LOST, Two & Half Men, DIY Channel)... but the youngest.. man if Nick isnt on.. forget it! LOL

Its outrageous that we have to pay for TV anyway... and now this "new HDTV" thing ...

 

[shelleyb1969]

We gave up most of our premium satellite channels about a year ago....haven't really missed them much. We're not going to renew our cell phone contracts...gonna just get 1 prepaid phone for my DH to use on his commute. We live in the middle of nowhere, so eating out is not an option...so no cut backs needed in that dept.

 

[Jena]

I think this is similar to a system we have here, and it is being developed further as digital is being rolled out across the country.

here it is called Freeview, and you can buy a box for about £20 ( the more you pay for the box the better the service they say - but mine is a cheapie and is fine. ) I had to buy a new ariel (antenna) which cost £20 and I put it up myself.... yikes!!!! on a ladder. But now my TV is free apart from the licence we have to pay here to the govt. £150 per year for BBC channels.

On Cable I had cut my service to only the free channels and I had the landline and I was paying about £30-40 per month. So I got the freeview, and I have 85 channels ( not great at the moment but better than I did have) and I made a deal on my pay as you go phone and I spend about £10 per month. I use a lot of texts and I have a deal for them free for 100. One thing I have hung on to is the internet. Business and social contact is important.

My mortgage is tiny as it is ex council house, and almost finished, and since I have been off ill I live on £85 per week, and keep my son as well who is not working and has no benefits due to illness.

I buy meat and cook all meals from scratch, and this year I am growing a lot more food and hoping to expand my garden farming. Increase my chickens maybe. Eggs are wonderful and so far they have just about kept themselves since they started laying. But I only have 4 and they are such good layers, Touching wood.....

I am also hoping to get a woodburning stove this year. I would love to bake my own bread and may have a go this week,and I am starting my business with crafts and doing my first craft fair next week. Several other strands of the business are being floated this week with advertising.

I never go out really, home bird, and I have parked up my car, which is easier here, and I catch buses to go to town. Not so easy for you over there, but here everything is quite close.

All Lights are CFL? is that what they are called? anyway, I save as much as I can on power and use a hot water bottle and sit with a shawl over my legs while watching TV.


Not really living more like existing right now, but managing. Hoping for more when some work comes in and looking for opportunities all the time. Today I heard from a hospital that has given me an appointment for 4 weeks time to assist with managing pain so maybe I will be able to get some full timework. In the hands of the maker at the moment.


Jena.

 

[Judymae]

I'm trying to cut back. I still have directv and internet but they are my only extras. I take the kids out to eat every Friday nite. My biggest expense right now is my son's basket ball games. I really want to go and watch him but it costs me $20 for each game and they have 2 games a week. Sometimes more!!! Plus add in gas to get there. I hide a drink in my purse to save me a little money! In 2 weeks he will be in basket ball and baseball!! The seasons run together!!

Putting in a much larger garden this year. Buying more meat chicks too. I'm learning how to can so I can make the garden last all year!! We are still eating from last year's that I froze.

I already cook from scratch. I won't even buy a cake mix! I do alot of clearance shopping. I find it cheaper than second hand shopping most of the time. Just gotta know where to look!!

I really hope this "bad" time doesn't last too long. But it will and hs taught us that we don't have to spend alot of money to live. Even when things get better I think we will still live this way.

 

[vfem]

I've done away with our $300+ grocery bill a month. I use Angel Minitries now, and clip coupons for the rest. I only spend about $120 a month to feed us. It will be even less when my veggie gets going in the spring.

We have 2 paid off vehicles, and one is now 12 years old... 2 years past when we would have bought a new 'used' vehicle that's only a couple years old. Instead, we kept up on this car very well and its got less then 150k miles on it... so we're going to run it into the ground instead!

We also have been trading things we have and don't need on craigslist for money, or things we do need. We traded some firewood we had and don't need (gas fireplace) and got a couple bags of unopened cat food!

Also traded 1 Dz eggs with my neighbor for 1/2 gallon of milk the other day because we were out.

Things are actually working nicely right now, and we haven't touched our savings!!!!

 

[BrahmaMama]

Quote:
do they still have "free internet" out there? Like years ago NetZero used to be free if you didnt go over so many hours a month...

(okay.. now I"m showing my age!)

I'm sorry you have to shut down your internet

My internet is my lifeline... I know I can live without it..but... well.. really I cant -my bank is 60 miles away and all my banking is online - I dont want to change banks either - they run credit checks to open a freaking bank account now a days *major eye roll

*.

to you

You know, I think Netzero is still around, but the last time I remember seeing something about it, it was like $9.99 a month or something like that. It's probably up to $30 by now, lol! Thanks for the idea and sympathy though,

 

[sara]

All I have left to give up is my kids, they cost a lot, always needing to eat, and be clothed, and shoes. Have to do what you have to do to survive.

 

[BrahmaMama]

Quote:

I have three of those things!

 

[wendy]

this might help some who have there satellite dish with the antenna on the dish. this is what i did , i got the DTV box hooked it up, scanned for channels. WOW! we got 6 channels (nbc, abc, cbs and 3 pbs stations) So you may want to try that DTV box, scan for channels in your area and see what you get. That is how we dropped out satellite. Because of the stations we got with the box.

just thought I would throw that in

may help some save money.

edited to add: you have to keep the satellite box hooked up, i disconnected it and could not get but 2 stations. hooked it back up and got the 6 back, all because of that antenna on the dish!

And they have smart antennas also to use with the DTV boxes. But we don't have enough big cities or stations around here to get more stations than what we get. So that won't help us, but may some of yall.

 

[Judymae]

I've been using angel food ministries too!!! I love it!! It is so awesome!