How have you cut back?

[oobiecoo]

How has your family cut back on expenses... whether it is due to the economy or not?

BOTH of our tv''s have broken recently so today I called and cancelled our cable. I also changed the data plan on my cellphone. Those changes alone will add up to a few hundred per year. It actually felt really good to do that...

I know this is going a little far for some people but I''m also planning on making our own laundry detergent when we need a new bottle. I''ve seen alot of recipes on it lately and it really intrigued me! Plus, I can make it smell like whatever I want!

 

[geckodani]

Our yearly vacation got severely curtailed this year. We normally spend a week in the Dominican Republic, but this year it looks like we''ll be going to Florida and staying in a friend''s condo this summer.

Other than that.... not really.

I''m totally intrigued by the laundry detergent recipes. Share?

 

[oobiecoo]

The laundry recipe is just soap, borax, and washing soda. You can add your choice of essential oils for scent if you want. I''ll find and post the actual recipe later... it works out to about 1 or 2 cents per load as opposed to 14 cents and up for store-bought!

The Dominican Republic sounds really great but Florida is awesome too so hopefully you won''t miss it too much!

 

[musey]

We''ve been cooking at home a lot more (a big change for 20-somethings in LA), and spending our time being active outside rather than going to movies/shopping/etc. It''s actually proved to be something of a lifestyle shift, we''re much more crunchy granola than we used to be

We''re also not doing gifts this year for the holidays, for anyone (friends and family are in agreement). It''s been a major saver.

 

[laurel25]

I''ve cancelled the data plan on my phone - I rarely used it - and we''re thinking of getting rid of cable as well, since everything we watch can be viewed online. We also have been going out to the movies less and we did small gift exchanges with both of our families this year, rather than everybody buying a gift for everyone else. It cut down our Christmas expenditures by hundreds of dollars, which was nice. We also cook one large meal per week (lasagne, pot roast, soup/stew, etc) and then we package it up into containers so that it''s ready to take to work for lunch so that we don''t have to go out to eat - this one we''ve done for a long time though and it really helps save a lot & saves time in the morning rather than trying to make lunches then.

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 12/23/2008 4:49:10 PM
Author: musey
We''ve been cooking at home a lot more (a big change for 20-somethings in LA), and spending our time being active outside rather than going to movies/shopping/etc. It''s actually proved to be something of a lifestyle shift, we''re much more crunchy granola than we used to be

We''re also not doing gifts this year for the holidays, for anyone (friends and family are in agreement). It''s been a major saver.

We try so hard to do this! It''ll work for a week or two and then we are back to eating out. School and everything just makes it easier to pick up something on the way home. Do you find it difficult to stay motivated to cook so often?

 

[Elmorton]

Oobie, the trick that I''ve finally figured out is to have two types of "cook at home groceries" - the first type is the kind where you actually have to cook something.

Second kind is go to the freezer section and get 5-minute meals that actually taste good. Pre-made noodles and chicken, pizzas, lasagna, stir-fries, pasta. These items are more expensive for sure, but way cheaper than going out. They''re full of salt and carbs, so if you''re craving those you''re set, and preparation is usually little more than turning on the oven or a burner.

I kept on nagging DH that we needed to go out because there was "nothing" at home (ie, nothing I could easily throw together and eat NOW since I was hungry), but since we''ve been getting a few meals like the above, we''ve been able to meet that eating out less goal.

We''ve cut back in a million little ways - lots more store brand (esp. for cleaning products - love your idea about making your own laundry detergent!), stricter holiday spending limits, less TV (actually, we got rid of that last year), volunteering to keep busy instead of going out and shopping/movies/etc., we don''t really buy new clothes unless something wears out and needs to be replaced, grocery shopping when we really are out of food (instead of going every week whether we need stuff or not).

 

[Aloros]

We almost always buy things on sale. Shop at Costco for frequently-used items. We also check craigslist and ebay for things before buying them from the store.

We don''t have cable, don''t go out to eat (except happy hour once in a while), and we rent movies instead of seeing them in the theater. We bought boxed sets on Black Friday for a TV fix.

We bake our own bread and are growing our own vegetables. We both always pack a lunch for work.

I take my pets to a local vet teaching hospital - the wait is longer with all the people in and out and observing, but the service is amazing and the price is excellent.

When the weather is good, we bicycle to work instead of driving.

Thrift stores are great if you have the time to sift through and find the gems.

Both FI and I cook, so when we work together, dinner''s ready pretty quickly.

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 12/23/2008 6:52:34 PM
Author: Aloros
We almost always buy things on sale. Shop at Costco for frequently-used items. We also check craigslist and ebay for things before buying them from the store.

We don''t have cable, don''t go out to eat (except happy hour once in a while), and we rent movies instead of seeing them in the theater. We bought boxed sets on Black Friday for a TV fix.

We bake our own bread and are growing our own vegetables. We both always pack a lunch for work.

I take my pets to a local vet teaching hospital - the wait is longer with all the people in and out and observing, but the service is amazing and the price is excellent.

When the weather is good, we bicycle to work instead of driving.

Thrift stores are great if you have the time to sift through and find the gems.

Both FI and I cook, so when we work together, dinner''s ready pretty quickly.

Do you find that this actually saves money? I''m making bread right now and I''m not so sure its cheaper than buying a cheap $1.00 loaf at the store.

 

[musey]

Date: 12/23/2008 5:34:08 PM
Author: oobiecoo

Date: 12/23/2008 4:49:10 PM
Author: musey
We've been cooking at home a lot more (a big change for 20-somethings in LA),

We try so hard to do this! It'll work for a week or two and then we are back to eating out. School and everything just makes it easier to pick up something on the way home. Do you find it difficult to stay motivated to cook so often?

Not really, but then we're doing very easy stuff. Grilled fish or chicken, steamed (frozen) veggies, brown rice or whole wheat pasta. That's usually it. So it's not a big time sucker and very, very healthy. We actually started doing this type of meal about a year ago in an attempt to be more healthy, and it stuck because it was so cheap & easy AND we both lost weight with practically no effort at all! Win-win... win.

When we're sick of cooking we either eat out or go halfway in-between with deli/salad bar stuff from the grocery store.


Re: bread... it depends on what ingredients you're using vs. what kind of bread you'd buy. We are picky about the quality of our food, and prices are jacked up in our city, so often it does end up being cheaper to make vs. buy. But if you just buy the cheapest there is then it'll almost always be cheaper than making your own. Kinda the way it's cheaper to eat McDonald's every day than to cook healthy meals at home.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

My DH and I moved in with his parents so we can save money to buy/build our own place. We had our first baby July 2, started having some troubles with our rental house, and I really wanted to take an extended maternity leave. It was a hard step to take but it''s worth it. I''m returning to work in January and we''ll be able to save 100% of my wages.

We cut down our cell phone plan because the service way out here is pretty bad so no point in paying $$$ per month when we can''t really use our phones. The in-laws have wireless internet that we''re tapped into so we don''t have to pay for that and we also don''t go out to eat nearly as much as we used to. Part of that is because we are too tired because of the baby though. We take turns cooking and it works out for everyone in the house.

We''ve also made it a point to stay out of debt this holiday season. DH got a pretty nice bonus at work and sold one of his cars. We set a budget for each person and stuck to it - we even have a bit of cash left over!

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 12/23/2008 10:28:21 PM
Author: DivaDiamond007
My DH and I moved in with his parents so we can save money to buy/build our own place. We had our first baby July 2, started having some troubles with our rental house, and I really wanted to take an extended maternity leave. It was a hard step to take but it''s worth it. I''m returning to work in January and we''ll be able to save 100% of my wages.

We cut down our cell phone plan because the service way out here is pretty bad so no point in paying $$$ per month when we can''t really use our phones. The in-laws have wireless internet that we''re tapped into so we don''t have to pay for that and we also don''t go out to eat nearly as much as we used to. Part of that is because we are too tired because of the baby though. We take turns cooking and it works out for everyone in the house.

We''ve also made it a point to stay out of debt this holiday season. DH got a pretty nice bonus at work and sold one of his cars. We set a budget for each person and stuck to it - we even have a bit of cash left over!

How does it work with groceries living with your in-laws... as far as what you buy and who contrubutes what amount, etc? While I don''t particularly get along with my parents, I sometimes wish they lived closer so we could do this and save some money.


Right now we just have wireless internet since I dropped the cable. The thing is that the majority of the time I end up connected to someone else''s wireless internet at our apartment complex. Hers is set up as unsecured so my computer will use that. Sometimes I want to just drop our own internet and use hers full time! I know its sort of stealing... but she''s the one who left in unsecured knowing that others could use it.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

Date: 12/23/2008 10:37:33 PM
Author: oobiecoo

Date: 12/23/2008 10:28:21 PM
Author: DivaDiamond007
My DH and I moved in with his parents so we can save money to buy/build our own place. We had our first baby July 2, started having some troubles with our rental house, and I really wanted to take an extended maternity leave. It was a hard step to take but it''s worth it. I''m returning to work in January and we''ll be able to save 100% of my wages.

We cut down our cell phone plan because the service way out here is pretty bad so no point in paying $$$ per month when we can''t really use our phones. The in-laws have wireless internet that we''re tapped into so we don''t have to pay for that and we also don''t go out to eat nearly as much as we used to. Part of that is because we are too tired because of the baby though. We take turns cooking and it works out for everyone in the house.

We''ve also made it a point to stay out of debt this holiday season. DH got a pretty nice bonus at work and sold one of his cars. We set a budget for each person and stuck to it - we even have a bit of cash left over!

How does it work with groceries living with your in-laws... as far as what you buy and who contrubutes what amount, etc? While I don''t particularly get along with my parents, I sometimes wish they lived closer so we could do this and save some money.


Right now we just have wireless internet since I dropped the cable. The thing is that the majority of the time I end up connected to someone else''s wireless internet at our apartment complex. Hers is set up as unsecured so my computer will use that. Sometimes I want to just drop our own internet and use hers full time! I know its sort of stealing... but she''s the one who left in unsecured knowing that others could use it.

My inlaws buy the groceries. They have 6 children and are used to buying lots of food. They also have 2 refrigerators so we freeze a lot of meat and bread to use later.

Living with them isn''t too bad. We basically have our own apartment within the house - we only share the kitchen and dining room so we don''t really have to see or talk to them if we don''t want to. I get along really well with my MIL and my FIL is a quiet type so he doesn''t talk much to anybody. Plus, they enjoy having their grandson here all the time. Their other 4 grandkids live in PA and we only see them a few times a year.

My inlaws had wireless internet put in last year or the year before so it was no problem getting our computer into their network.

They have our best interests in mind and pay all of the utilities and don''t ask for rent. We are really blessed in so many ways.

 

[partgypsy]

There''s a couple major things I do to save money, and lots of little things which are usually related to trying to reduce my footprint on the earth. The main things we do is have an affordable house that we fixed up ourselves, so the monthly mortgage payment is low. The second thing is be a one car family. Yes sometimes it can be inconvenient, but we also live close enough to our respective work places, daughter''s daycare and older daughter''s school to walk (and we often do).
The more you can cook and make yourself the more money you save and the better you eat. Bring your own beverage to work, pack a lunch. Make meat a smaller portion of your meal.
There are so many things that can be cleaned using dish detergent, baking soda, and vinegar.
Number one rule is keep yourself healthy. If it costs a little more money to eat real food, to work physical activity in your life, have a positive mindset, it will be worth it in the long run.

Two website/blogs that I have enjoyed are:
getrichslowly (by JD)
a simple dollar (Trent hamm)

To tell you the truth this year we have not been so good in saving money, but planning on making next year more our our typical year in our spending/saving.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The cellphone plan was a big one for us too. We changed our plan and blocked texting. We were paying $145 a month, including all the ridiculous taxes, and now are paying $85. It really bugged me when people would text me rather than just call and say their kid could come over for a play date or whatever! Also, when I had my cat for adoption on CL, someone texted me saying she was interested. Annoying!

We also got rid of our land line phone and cable box so we'd no longer be tempted to order on demand movies twice a week.

For the holidays we're only buying gifts for three kids aside from our own. There are a few relatives now 25+ and at that age, DH and I were buying gifts for the kids in the family and now I am a bit annoyed that those 20-somethinger still expect treats from us, yet aren't even considering my boys. I really do not feel like handing them each $20 when I can, instead use the money to pay my cell phone bill.

 

[iheartscience]

I''ve stopped eating out so much, for lunch and dinner. I used to get lunch and dinner out literally every day. Now I buy some easy lunch things (noodle bowls, etc.) to take to work and my fiance has been making us dinner. After the holidays are over I''m going to focus on trying to plan menus and I might even learn how to cook! We''ll see how much motivation I can manage!

I also sold a bunch of stuff on eBay recently and I always take a lot of clothes to a local consignment shops to sell when I''m done with them. That usually nets me a pretty good chunk of money each season.

What else...lately I''ve been buying books on Half.com for gifts instead of getting them at the store, and instead of paying full price for 2 books for my fiance for Christmas I found them at Costco for 40% off retail! And I bought us a Costco membership for Christmas, so I''m sure we''ll save money buying bulk stuff there, too. (If my fiance doesn''t go bonkers buying giant packages of meat, cheese and vegetables and letting them go bad, that is!

)

My biggest expense is really food, though, so making a food budget, trying to plan menus, etc. is going to be my New Year''s resolution for sure. I also need to not buy so many clothes, so that''s another goal...perhaps I''ll try to give myself a clothing budget also!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/24/2008 3:07:50 PM
Author: thing2of2
I also need to not buy so many clothes, so that''s another goal...perhaps I''ll try to give myself a clothing budget also!

For the first time in a season, I haven''t purchased a huge selection of new fall clothes. Only bought a sweatshirt, a new t-shirt and some socks. It''s embarrassing to say that I have so many clothes that I don''t even wear everything. Items like cashmere sweaters sit in my closet because I''m always afraid of staining or them becoming pilled. Big waste of money.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Date: 12/23/2008 3:36:23 PM
Author:oobiecoo

I know this is going a little far for some people but I'm also planning on making our own laundry detergent when we need a new bottle. I've seen alot of recipes on it lately and it really intrigued me! Plus, I can make it smell like whatever I want!

oobiecoo,

Thank you for such a great idea. I've been researching different laundry detergent recipes, and just ordered some pre-shredded vegan laundry soap base on Etsy (which is the only place I could find it pre-shredded!) The basic recipe seems to be soap (Fels Naptha, which some people say may be irritating for people with sensitive skin, ivory bar soap or castile soap), which you can grate yourself, borax and washing soda. I already have the borax because I often add that to my regular wash anyway.

I am so looking forward to making my own laundry soap. (I know that must sound nuts to many.) In addition to controlling the ingredients, I'll also be able to re-use existing plastic laundry detergent containers and avoid purchasing new plastic containers.

Thank you for the idea!

 

[radiantquest]

no shopping, unless it is for stuff that we really need. i used to shop every day that i was off from work. i really cant do that anymore. we eat at home, we put off putting an addition on our house, and we didnt take vacation (part of that was because i didnt have any vacation time.)

i really miss shopping.

 

[vespergirl]

We let my cleaning lady go, and I REALLY miss her

 

[diamondseeker2006]

More natural cleaning recipes:

http://tipnut.com/homekeeping-a-natural-shine-to-cleaning-recipes/

These might be a good idea even if the purpose is to just use more natural products rather than chemicals.

And here is the recipe for fabric softener sheets to go along with the laundry detergent!

Reuseable Homemade Dryer Sheets
Flannel pieces
4 TBS liquid fabric softener
10 TBS water

Cut fabric sheets from old flannel pajamas or leftover flannel fabric from sewing and cut into 3¡å x 5¡å strips (approximately). Stack flannel strips in a cleaned margarine tub (large size) or plastic container (cleaned baby wipes container works well too). Mix the liquid softener and water together, then pour evenly over top of stacked flannel strips. Seal container and shake well. You can use several dozen strips with this mixture. Leave sealed for 2 or 3 days, then use one flannel strip per load¨Csqueeze out excess if necessary (it should be just damp). Keep container sealed at all times. Wash strips after use, then use again to make another batch when needed.

Option #2:

In a pail mix 1 gallon of water and 1 cup concentrated liquid fabric softener. Dip a sponge or washcloth in the liquid, squeeze out excess and toss in the dryer with your laundry. Seal pail when not in use.

http://tipnut.com/frugral-fabric-softener-recipes-dryer-sheet-tips/

 

[Bliss]

For all you Japanese food lovers, I was shocked at how simple and nourishing soba noodles are! I just happened to notice the other day how cheap and healthy it is lately because I'm on a Japanese cooking streak.

They are very inexpensive and are made with buckwheat and yam. High fiber and protein. Just delicious. It's my "lose weight" food when I feel like I need to cut back a little.

FI loves it when I make them. You just boil the soba noodles and use soba sauce (sold in little bottles and fat free). I chop up garlic and add shrimp or scallops in a separate pan with the soba sauce... and you can just throw in salad in a bag into the resulting soup (add water to taste).

It's very pretty and yummy. Even if you don't add the seafood, just toss in scallions & mushrooms and it's better than in a restaurant. You can also add chicken or whatever you have in the fridge, too.

Soooo light and very tasty!

Most regular supermarkets now carry soba noodles and soba sauce in the Ethnic/Asian section.

 

[Bliss]

SOBA! I think noodles are like $2 a pack and it serves two several times over. The soba sauce is always around $3!

Soooo yummy! FI is a meat eater and he loves this.

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 12/23/2008 3:36:23 PM
Author:oobiecoo
How has your family cut back on expenses... whether it is due to the economy or not?

BOTH of our tv''s have broken recently so today I called and cancelled our cable. I also changed the data plan on my cellphone. Those changes alone will add up to a few hundred per year. It actually felt really good to do that...

I know this is going a little far for some people but I''m also planning on making our own laundry detergent when we need a new bottle. I''ve seen alot of recipes on it lately and it really intrigued me! Plus, I can make it smell like whatever I want!

Because i have recently been a student for 4 years ive had alot of practice at cutting back for these hard economic times and under-employment...

1-no movies or magizines(dollars movies are an exception and the library for magizines)

2-no eating out

3-no junk food..(.except for dollar store now and again)or expensive brand name foods

4-no gift giving(didnt buy one christmas gift this year)

5-no spurging on extra clothing or shoes or anything!

6-no cable

7-no expensive haircare or skin care products

8-pay cash for everthing...no credit card temptations

9-no extra traveling to save gas and wear on car

10-bus pass if possible

11-more careful about extra laundry or dry cleaning...(dont wear an item only once)

12-shorter shower time

 

[oobiecoo]

Bliss- The Soba looks really yummy! What does the sauce taste like?

Everyone's ideas are really great... I'm glad many of you are going to try the laundry soap

 

[Aloros]

Date: 12/23/2008 8:20:18 PM
Author: oobiecoo

Date: 12/23/2008 6:52:34 PM
Author: Aloros
We almost always buy things on sale. Shop at Costco for frequently-used items. We also check craigslist and ebay for things before buying them from the store.

We don''t have cable, don''t go out to eat (except happy hour once in a while), and we rent movies instead of seeing them in the theater. We bought boxed sets on Black Friday for a TV fix.

We bake our own bread and are growing our own vegetables. We both always pack a lunch for work.

I take my pets to a local vet teaching hospital - the wait is longer with all the people in and out and observing, but the service is amazing and the price is excellent.

When the weather is good, we bicycle to work instead of driving.

Thrift stores are great if you have the time to sift through and find the gems.

Both FI and I cook, so when we work together, dinner''s ready pretty quickly.

Do you find that this actually saves money? I''m making bread right now and I''m not so sure its cheaper than buying a cheap $1.00 loaf at the store.

I haven''t seen any $1.00 bread around here. Cheapest we''ve been able to buy is $1.50/loaf, though it''s usually upwards of $2.00. Plus, FI really dislikes regular ''ol wonderbread. We buy the flour and yeast in bulk from costco, so it comes out really cheap - probably less than $1.00/loaf.

In addition, fresh home-baked bread is much tastier!

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 12/29/2008 1:44:18 PM
Author: Aloros

Date: 12/23/2008 8:20:18 PM
Author: oobiecoo

Date: 12/23/2008 6:52:34 PM
Author: Aloros
We almost always buy things on sale. Shop at Costco for frequently-used items. We also check craigslist and ebay for things before buying them from the store.

We don''t have cable, don''t go out to eat (except happy hour once in a while), and we rent movies instead of seeing them in the theater. We bought boxed sets on Black Friday for a TV fix.

We bake our own bread and are growing our own vegetables. We both always pack a lunch for work.

I take my pets to a local vet teaching hospital - the wait is longer with all the people in and out and observing, but the service is amazing and the price is excellent.

When the weather is good, we bicycle to work instead of driving.

Thrift stores are great if you have the time to sift through and find the gems.

Both FI and I cook, so when we work together, dinner''s ready pretty quickly.

Do you find that this actually saves money? I''m making bread right now and I''m not so sure its cheaper than buying a cheap $1.00 loaf at the store.

I haven''t seen any $1.00 bread around here. Cheapest we''ve been able to buy is $1.50/loaf, though it''s usually upwards of $2.00. Plus, FI really dislikes regular ''ol wonderbread. We buy the flour and yeast in bulk from costco, so it comes out really cheap - probably less than $1.00/loaf.

In addition, fresh home-baked bread is much tastier!

Very interesting! You can get a couple different loaves for under $1.00 here... they are the off-brand, nothing fancy types but still do the job. I do really like homemade though. I made some mini-loaves for Christmas but they didn''t have the crispy crust that I like... do you have any recipe suggestions?

 

[MustangGal]

We''ve done a few things...

Changed the cable package down to the basic option.
We used to go out to dinner once a week, and are now either not going out or eating at less expensive places.
Take leftovers for lunch.
Netflix instead of renting movings or going to the theater.
Sold my original car (1965 Mustang), and used the money to pay off my student loan.
Using coupons when I can.
Buying less expensive meat or eating veggie meals (healthier too!)
Only paying with cash or debit card so we only spend what we have on hand.
Sold some of the jewelry I didn''t wear much.

It''s tough trying to cut back with a baby on the way, we''ve managed to hold ourselves back from buying any baby related items until after the baby shower next month, so that we only purchase what we need.

 

[LuckyTexan]

Ok, first of all... HOW do you MAKE laundry detergent??? Would it be ok in an HE machine?

*****************************

I have started saving quite a bit at the grocery store by buying as many things in the ''store brand'' as I can... and I started buying wine from the $5-$10 range instead of my favorite $40 bottle... I really like the Yellow Tail brand of Cabernet... very good for a mid range wine!

I''ve been trying to be very concious of where I go, and when I go, so that I''m not going somewhere every day when I could do everything on ONE day... it''s a little stressful, but I know it''s making a difference... I can''t remember the last time I filled up my tank!

This Christmas, we didn''t buy any ''big'' gifts for our 2 kids (they are babies)... instead we treated a family that I know who''s sole wage earner was laid off a week before thanksgiving to a few nice things, and we also didn''t gift each other at all.

I also only got each of my siblings one gift... instead of the usual shower I provide!

 

[LuckyTexan]

Date: 12/29/2008 1:03:09 AM
Author: jewelerman

Date: 12/23/2008 3:36:23 PM
Author:oobiecoo
How has your family cut back on expenses... whether it is due to the economy or not?

BOTH of our tv''s have broken recently so today I called and cancelled our cable. I also changed the data plan on my cellphone. Those changes alone will add up to a few hundred per year. It actually felt really good to do that...

I know this is going a little far for some people but I''m also planning on making our own laundry detergent when we need a new bottle. I''ve seen alot of recipes on it lately and it really intrigued me! Plus, I can make it smell like whatever I want!

Because i have recently been a student for 4 years ive had alot of practice at cutting back for these hard economic times and under-employment...

1-no movies or magizines(dollars movies are an exception and the library for magizines)

2-no eating out

3-no junk food..(.except for dollar store now and again)or expensive brand name foods

4-no gift giving(didnt buy one christmas gift this year)

5-no spurging on extra clothing or shoes or anything!

6-no cable

7-no expensive haircare or skin care products

8-pay cash for everthing...no credit card temptations

9-no extra traveling to save gas and wear on car

10-bus pass if possible

11-more careful about extra laundry or dry cleaning...(dont wear an item only once)

12-shorter shower time

Does this really make a difference?