# What else do you do to save money?



## Jack Straw (Feb 5, 2010)

I just the thread about the couple who lived with no heat. I was wondering what other members of this site did do save money. We have a clothes drying rack, my wife cuts my hair, we brown bag it for lunch at work, we grow some vegies, I repair most evrything around the house and can do some car repairs. What do you do?


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## Jags (Feb 5, 2010)

If I plan on having more than 3 beers, I go to the cheap stuff.


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## adrpga498 (Feb 5, 2010)

I spend alot of time reading things here on the forums rather then running to the mall or going out to get a few drinks,etc. Hence this web site keeps me outta trouble. Thats a savings in itself in my book.


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## Highbeam (Feb 5, 2010)

To save hot water we wash clothes with cold water, installed low flow fixtures on showers and even my newest toilet is a dual flush model which doesn't save hot water but does save water. 

We bought a huge freezer a year or more back that we have filled with "on sale" meat and produce from the garden. We are more able to buy the things that we use in bulk. 

I made a "coat hanger" style tv antenna that allows me to get all my local channels plus many more for free. All in HD when broadcast in HD of course. I haven't quite been able to cut the comcast cable cord but I know that I can. These antennas work great and all I had to buy was a single 3" adapter to go from coax to the antenna.


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## billjustbill (Feb 5, 2010)

I try to see saving money in two ways:  Daily and Long Term


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## azsteven (Feb 6, 2010)

One small thing that adds up to a lot:
I make my own coffee. I figured out I had been spending $3.35/day at the coffee shop near the office (1 large cup in the AM, 1 medium cup in the afternoon). Times 250 days a year = $837/year. I bought a mini coffee major for my office, and now coffee costs me about $50/year. 

One big thing which adds up to a lot: 
We're paying an extra $250/month on our mortgage. This extra payment will shorten our loan from 30 years down to 23 years. Not only will the house be paid off sooner, we'll save almost $100,000 in interest over the life of the loan.


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## jadm (Feb 6, 2010)

adrpga498 said:
			
		

> I spend alot of time reading things here on the forums rather then running to the mall or going out to get a few drinks,etc. Hence this web site keeps me outta trouble. Thats a savings in itself in my book.



Just had to comment on this. 

Since finding this forum I have bought:

1- a new insert
2- a moisture meter
3-an IR thermometer
4- an ash rake
5- new poker
5a- another new poker because one I ordered wasn't length I wanted and the tip kept loosening...
6- new ash shovel
7- fireproof gloves - long and short
8- small roasting pan to put hot ashes in
9- a fireproof vacuum (cougar)
10- case of SuperCedars
11- new wood storage racks - 3 built outside by a local handyman
12- sturdier tarps to cover top of wood
13- large utility type wagon to load wood in
14- bungee cords to hold tarps in place
15- an extend-a-flue to add length to my chimney when I got the new insert
16- lots of acupuncture treatments to help heal a pulled psoras muscle that got strained pulling the utility cart around loaded with wood....
17- a Fiskars super splitting axe
18- a Black and Decker mini alligator chain saw

 ;-P 

Before finding this forum, I never knew most of this stuff even existed.


 To keep with the intent of this thread...all of the above help us save on heating bills but will take several years before we break even.



I live with 2 teenagers so trying to save money is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing.  I save by buying them the 'basics'. Anything above that they have to pay for themselves.


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## Dix (Feb 6, 2010)

perplexed said:
			
		

> adrpga498 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



But Perp, you are a much more well rounded person now, with all this knowledge, etc   

LMAO !! It's like horses..you get a horse, you need a halter, a saddle, a blanket, shoes..you get the drift.


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## SolarAndWood (Feb 6, 2010)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
			
		

> It's like horses..you get a horse, you need a halter, a saddle, a blanket, shoes..you get the drift.



but they are cheaper than diesel right?  or is that just an eccentric trying to rationalize farming with horses?


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## Berone (Feb 6, 2010)

I sat on the floor, playing with my son and said "huh– where are those drafts coming from"? Today I put a sweep on the bottom of the pantry door and felt around the door stop. Also put a "draft dodger" under the basement door and the front door. When I walked into the house this evening the room was noticeably warmer. Never noticed the drafts before we had a kid!


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## TomB (Feb 6, 2010)

To save money, the wife and I car pool to work.

Have installed a tank-less water heater, my old 40 gallon heater was 16 years old and wasting propane to heat the tank all the time.

We have replaced all of our light bulbs with the compact fluroscent bulbs.

Unplug all battery chargers when not in use, have the tv and electonics plugged into a power strip and turn off the power strip.

Heat exclusively with wood

Eat out only a few times a month: pizza 

Buy side of beef from the neighbor: half the price of supermarket meat with no chemicals or drugs added

Raise our own chickens and sell the extra eggs

sharpen my own saw chains

and generally buy only quality mechandise


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## LLigetfa (Feb 6, 2010)

perplexed said:
			
		

> 16- lots of acupuncture treatments to help heal a pulled *psoras muscle *that got strained pulling the utility cart around loaded with wood....


I know why you called it the "sore as" muscle cuz it can get sore as hell.  I have arthritis in my sacro-iliac which can lead to inflamation of the psoas major.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoas_major_muscle

Ja, a lot of us spend money in an effort to save money, the ROI of which may be long term.  It's hard to show the ROI on spending $1000 on a woodshed to hold $1200 worth of firewood that was split with a hydraulic splitter which displaces relatively cheap natural gas.  I'm still trying to justify a CUT or SCUT with FEL, and a quad, and a 3/4 ton 4X4, and a trailer, and, and, and...

I do all my own wrenching on my OPE and sharpen my own chains.  I did most of the work building my house.  I clean my own chimney.  We keep a small herb and vegetable garden.  We buy some food in bulk and take advantage of sales to stock up.  We do a lot of double-up mortgage payments to save interest.

Wood heat is more of a lifesytyle thing and my exercise program than it is about saving scads of money.  The savings help to offset the cost associated with heating with wood.


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## Backwoods Savage (Feb 6, 2010)

We have attempted to live a frugal lifestyle for many years but still have managed to do many things that might not be called so frugal, such as wintering in Arizona 5 years in a motor home. But here are just a few things we do and have done over many, many moons:

Many moons ago we determined that paying interest was foolish and expensive so our goal was to live debt free and we have for over 30 years now. We have purchased several new items in that time including vehicles but have continued to pay cash and therefore have paid much less for them. Sort of like buying on closeout.

Credit cards: Here is one thing that is a sore spot for many. It seems the average credit card debt is over $10,000 now. You would think with us living debt free that we would not have credit cards....but we do! Why not? We can purchase things (almost everything) on credit cards and get money back, which makes the purchase cheaper. As long as the credit card bill is paid in full monthly there is no interest charge. 

People have asked us about buying certain things and we tell them that we won't buy it if we don't have the money for it. "But why do you have to have the money for it if you are buying it on a credit card?" they ask. Well, we do not want debt and we do not want to pay interest. The way we do things is simply to pay for our months purchase at one time rather than every time we buy something and we are rewarded with dollars returned to us.

Heat:  Naturally, we heat with wood. I cut all of our wood off of our own land. I split and stack the wood, etc. I cut the wood with our own chain saw, haul the wood with our own atv and trailer, etc. 

Food:  We do grow a vegetable garden (about 1/2 acre) and have lots of fruit trees, raspberry bushes, etc. We have 2 freezers to store the food. We hunt on our own land and put up the meat ourselves. We usually take only 1 or 2 deer per year and then can all of the meat which makes delicious tasting food which is extremely low in cholesterol producing fats (the meat is not marbled like it is in beef).  We even grow sunflowers to produce seeds for bird feeding. 

Other foods we buy in quantities when on sale. For example, I eat a lot of Yoplait yogurt. Vanilla, low-fat. I used to eat lots of ice cream but had to stop so now I freeze this Yoplait yogurt and eat it like ice cream and it is delicious. The yogurt is expensive so we buy it only when it is on sale. Then we buy several cases at a time, up to 15. 

Clothing:  We buy very little new clothing compared to the average family. We simply make clothing last as long as possible and do not worry about fashion. We are very picky in what we do buy and buy as cheaply as possible. 

Utilities:  We attempt to keep our telephone and electric bills as low as we can within reason. Although we do have Internet now we have had it only for a few years. We make very few long distance phone calls. We have one cell phone and that only because it was a gift. It is rarely used.

We heat very little water. Laundry is done using cold water and the clothes are dried either outdoors on the solar clothes drier or else on racks by the heating stove. Showers are taken with the shower running only for rinsing. Our dishwasher (the wife) uses very little hot water as there are only two of us. 

Children:  We kicked the kids out.

Family car:  We buy new cars for cash. We do not have automatic transmission because we can get better gas mileage with a standard transmission. This also saves us around $1,000 or more in the cost of the car. We drive slow (most of the time) getting better gas mileage. Our present car averages around 38 mpg and we can get well over 40 mpg during the summer months. We also cut our driving as much as possible to save on gas costs. We also have a gas credit card which returns 5% on the cost of gas. This adds up to a lot over a year's time. 


These are just a few of the things we do to cut costs. There are many, many more and once you start it starts a lifestyle and you will find yourself doing many little things to cut costs.


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## njtomatoguy (Feb 6, 2010)

I heat with wood. 
I bought a 4x6 utility trailer, out of my commission checks at work,
 which enables me to get wood and save on delivery charges on other items.

In the past few months, my toaster,microwave, and dryer all bit the dust. Have not replaced any of them.
I was horrible with the dryer, too lazy to fold, so I ran a damp towel in the dryer with that days clothes everyday.

I quit drinking. Saving a ton of money with that alone.
Installed CFL bulbs in all light fixtures I use regularly.
I am a serious shopper. I shop after I receive the next weeks sales flyers, planning my menu accordingly.
In my laundry/utility room, I have a pantry with basic staples. 
I cook almost every meal. Never have coffee out. 
I bought a refillable water bottle when my company went green last year, and have not bought bottled water since. I used to drink 2 cases a week of bottled water.
I change my own oil, cut my own grass, shovel my own snow.
I have a garden from april until nov, and usually freeze a lot.


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## northwinds (Feb 6, 2010)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> Children:  We kicked the kids out.



I tried that, but the nine-year old and the twelve-year old complained until we let them back in again.

Some great tips, especially the credit card.  Not only do you get money back for spending, but you get 
a multi-week float where you get to keep the money until it's due and you get a nice itemized list
of what you spend each month.  

We don't buy a lot of what we call "people stuff."  Our cars are not fancy.  I've got a vw diesel golf with a 
hitch and small trailer and 94k miles.  Our house cost much less than what the bankers told us we could
 afford for  monthly payments.  Because we doubled up on payments and then some, our house was paid 
off before I turned  40.  Those payments now go to the kids' college funds.  If we are fortunate, my kids
 will continue working hard and will be able to help pay for college through jobs and scholarships.  We
live without satellite tv or cable.  I can get most of the stuff I want off the internet connection.

I roast my own coffee from green coffee beans and make my own beer.


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## Bigg_Redd (Feb 6, 2010)

Jack Straw said:
			
		

> I just the thread about the couple who lived with no heat. I was wondering what other members of this site did do save money. We have a clothes drying rack, my wife cuts my hair, we brown bag it for lunch at work, we grow some vegies, I repair most evrything around the house and can do some car repairs. What do you do?



I have no cable/satellite.

I drive a 1994 Toyota Corolla (which I bought in 1999 and have never had a note on).

When I bought a truck in 2007 I bought a 1999

I spend real money for boots & shoes, but it's WalMart for all my other clothes

I drink PBR or Oly (whichever is in sale)

I drive the speed limit 

I haul my own garbage to the dump


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## Highbeam (Feb 6, 2010)

Good one red, I too haul my own garbage to the dump. I laugh at the weekly garbage truck rolling down the road that wants to charge me 40$ per month to pick up one can. Instead, I have a row of six cans and every two months I load them into the pickup and take them to the dump (a transfer station, three miles away) where I am chaged 20$ to dump the cans. This is one of those things where the only initial investment is extra cans but the savings are instant. 

Some of these things seem so obvious that I hadn't really considered them to be a decision. Like making my own coffee and packing my own lunch for work. We've just always done this becuase the alternative is ridiculously expensive. 

I drive the big noisy stinky diesel truck to work every day. This saves me money over buying a second mpg vehicle since my commute is only 8 miles. I only burn a gallon of diesel per day on the commute and cutting that in half for a gas saver car doesn't even pay for the additional insurance bill for having a second commuter vehicle even if it was free. Some things defy logic.


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## DBoon (Feb 6, 2010)

I simply try to avoid buying anything that is absolutely not necessary.  Think long and hard about it, and if you still really need it, then buy it. 

My mortgages are being paid down at an accelerated rate.  Paying someone else a 6% rate of return while earning just 2% in the stock market in the last 10 years is ridiculously dumb, I've come to conclude.  Guaranteed 6% is better than risking a lot to get 2%, and it doesn't matter what the "tax deduction" is.  

I buy few things, but when I do buy, I buy high quality.  I don't want to buy something twice.  This goes for everything.  High quality doesn't mean "luxury", it just means honest value, and definitely not Chinese made garbage.   I avoid buying anything from China whenever possible - yes, this saves money.  Everything from China breaks, then I have to buy it again.  That is not saving money.  Therefore, I avoid WalMart, Harbor Freight, etc. like the plague.  If something is only made in China, I probably won't buy it.  

If I can, I choose to buy something simple rather than something with lots of bells and whistles.  Simple lasts longer, in my experience. 

I drive simple American-made economy cars and maintain them to last.  I put 225,000 miles on a 1996 Saturn SL (manual transmission, manual steering, manual everything), then sold that to a friend for $250, and she is still driving it (now at 255,000 miles).  Now, I have a 2002 Saturn SL that I bought used for $7000 with 24,000 miles on it, and following the same routine.  I have found no quality difference in American cars vs. Japanese cars, just a lot of marketing hype and higher prices.  If you maintain it, it will last.  

For many years (10+) I rode a bicycle to work and my wife and I made do with one car.  That saves a lot of money.  

I do just about everything I can to reduce my energy bills - insulate all pipes, installed R-25 HW heater, then insulated it, insulate house all around, storm windows, low water use appliances, CFLs, etc.  We don't run AC.  My electric bills are about as low as they can go.  If I can buy something that will pay me back over 7-10 years or less, I do it.  

Clothes are dried either by the stove or on the clothesline. 

Wash my own car, change my own oil, cut my own wood, etc. 

Grow a lot of our own food - makes a huge difference + better quality. 

And most importantly, I try avoid buying anything at all unless I really need it.


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## azsteven (Feb 6, 2010)

DBoon said:
			
		

> My mortgages are being paid down at an accelerated rate.  Paying someone else a 6% rate of return while earning just 2% in the stock market in the last 10 years is ridiculously dumb, I've come to conclude.  Guaranteed 6% is better than risking a lot to get 2%, and it doesn't matter what the "tax deduction" is.



+137  -- you don't know how right you are. Investing in the stock market is a risky investment, and paying down your debt is a risk-free investment. Even if your stock investments (e.g. in a retirement plan) exceeded the 6% rate on your mortgage, it would be 6% earned while taking the risk that you might lose all your money -- or even half of it. The guaranteed rate of return you earn by paying down your mortgage is (under most conditions) the absolute best risk free investment you can make. 

As to the tax deductions for mortgage interest, this is not the real "tax advantage" of home ownership. Most homeowners with a mortgage end up taking the standard deduction, and then do not benefit from the mortgage interest tax deduction at all. There is a great tax advantage from home ownership, but it comes in the form of living rent-free in your own house. Consider: if you had to earn $12000/year ($25,000-$30,000 per year in Boston) to rent your housing, those would be after-tax dollars, and you would need to pay taxes on those earnings before you can pay your rent. By living in your own paid-off home, you need not earn those dollars and then you don't have to pay taxes on those dollars. 

OK, time to take off my finance professor hat.


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## skinnykid (Feb 6, 2010)

It is hard to save $ I have 2 small kids and me and the woman are both skinny and LOVE to eat since it doesn't affect us badly but......

She cuts my hair
I brown bag it to work
Heat with wood 90% instead of propane
We sometimes use coupons.
Cut my own fire wood instead of buy
Buy most things cash.

My biggest source of money out is our new Mortgage, once my truck is payed off (soon) and we do a couple upgrades to the house, I am gonna concentrate on paying my Mortgage off quicker, either it be bi-weekly or and extra payment here and there. OT got cut off at work so I am working with base pay right now.


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## PapaDave (Feb 6, 2010)

skinnykid said:
			
		

> It is hard to save $ I have 2 small kids and me and the woman are both skinny and LOVE to eat since it doesn't affect us badly but......
> 
> She cuts my hair
> I brown bag it to work
> ...



Not to be a pain, but this is what everyone should do. OT is not what you base ANYTHING on. It's nice when you can get it, but don't count on it.


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## Jack Straw (Feb 7, 2010)

Has anyone tried the new LED bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs. I saw some at lowes but they didn't have any clear ones. They say a 1 watt LED replaces a 45 watt bulb.


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## jebatty (Feb 7, 2010)

About 3 years ago I put together a "sustainability" life-style list for future thinking. My wife and I have made substantial progress on this list, and we remind ourselves of these goals from time to time to bring us back to reality.

move cash to invest in productive land (hard asset): improve, rent out *done*
    agriculture
    forest
    locally
    regionally
invest in forest land for fuel and lumber *done*
buy house and rent out in solid, small community (future move if needed) *current house meets many of these, but still considering*
    solar capability *current home*
    town on river for electric generation possibility
    on or near rail line
    water well available *current home*
    sewer/septic options *current home*
    with land for large garden possibility: 5 ac for garden *current home*
    wood heat option; own forest land: 10 ac minimum *current home*
    solar option: south or SW exposure *current home*
    good small business downtown *a tough one, everything comes from elsewhere*
    all needed available locally, walkable *ditto*
    not likely to be dominated by big box stores *current home*
    surrounded by agricultural land and active farms *current home*
    area of organic farming *increasing*
improve current land for agricultural use *working on this*
learn gardening; sustainability emphasis *done*
    crops (veg & fruit) for preservation: canning, drying, 
learn how to can/preserve foods
learn how to raise small animals: chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits *working on this*
learn how to care for small cow or goat
    shelter
    food and water
    birthing
    milk, cheese, meat
learn solar energy skills *working on this*
    solar space heating
    solar cooking, solar oven
    solar domestic hot water
learn how to minimize use of large electric appliances (washer, dryer, oven, hot water) *done*
maintain reasonable stored/dried food supply *done*
improve general health and fitness *done and still improving*


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## jebatty (Feb 7, 2010)

Some of these ideas may help, as my wife and I have implemented all of these.

High mileage cars since 1986 (32-35 mpg)
Used cars since 1986
Tire inflation: 40 psi
Use trailer w/car rather than pick-up or suv
Share rides (meetings) as much as possible
Reduction in vehicle travel (esp solo trips); biggest problem is meetings for community activities

Insulated all hot water pipes) these 2 together reduced hot water electric usage by 50%
Insulated hot water heater    )
Off-peak hot water
Dual heat electric - backup only ($200 total heat bill 2007-2008)
Wood heat
Passive solar
Insulation & caulking – added everywhere possible
Windows – full replacement with R8 window

Turn off computers and entertainment center with power strips (really off)
Unplug device transformers when not being used
Turn off lights when not being used
Use ceiling fans only when needed (before ran almost all the time)
Dehumidifier – reduced setting without adverse effect
Coffee to insulated pot and coffee maker off
[above actions reduced electric usage by 30%  – Jan/Jun 2008/2007] 

CFL’s and fluorescent for just about all lighting except dimming circuits and outdoors
Rechargeable batteries
Dishwasher full loads only
Dishwasher rinse cycle until full load
Don’t rinse dishes in sink
Cold water clothes washing
“Green” cleaning products, refillable, environmentally friendly
No air conditioning
LED night lights
Outdoor lights on motion detectors (no yard security light dusk/dawn)

Very low-flow shower head
Dual flush, ultra low water use toilet (2 qts)
Flow restrictors on all water faucets (except outdoor)

No grass watering
Restored 180 ft of native shoreland (>200 cleared to 20 ft now)
Rain gardens
Planted trees – several thousand
Recycle everything possible
Purchase used clothing


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## Bobbin (Feb 7, 2010)

I see many like minded people out there.  Does my heart glad, too, because it's easy to think that the world is populated with dummies if you don't seek out sites like this one.  

"Money makes a wonderful slave, but a terrible master".  I learned the lesson of paying to principal when I was paying back 2 student loans many years ago.  I simply rounded the payment up to the next even amount.  Paid the loans off over a year early, saving money in the process and have used the technique on every single installment loan I've ever taken out.  We did the same thing with respect to our mortgage, at my insistance.  When we built the barn we put down a sizeable amount of cash and used a portion of our home's value as collateral.  We round the monthly payment up and make a 13th. payment every year.  It's painless, really.  

Learning the difference between "need" and "want" is central to financial freedom, in my opinion.  Figuring out how to meet your needs while minimizing the expense of them can be fun.  We had a room-mate for many years.  We split the utilities and the room-mate's rent went straight to the principal of the mortgage.   Automatic payroll deductions are a wonderful way to take advantage of pre-tax retirement saving.  I never miss the money and it lowers the taxable gross of my earnings.  

I pay for items with bills only.  I pocket the change and put it in a jar when I come home.  At the end of the month I count it, roll it, and take it to the bank to apply it to the outstanding balance on the home equity loan for the barn.  Or I set it aside and save it to purchase some new piece of equipment for my workroom.  

We drive used cars that were purchased with cash.  We maintain them as required.  I set a goal to drive to work and accomplish all errands on the way home.  When I turn the car off for the "weekend" I strive to not turn it on again until it's time to leave for work on Monday.  I don't find "staying home" difficult.  I like being with the animals and I have all my really cool stuff right here.  

No dryer.  No microwave.  No fancy appliances.  Never had them and don't feel I need them.  

Long time gardeners who need to ratchet up the preserving of bounty for the winter months.  We cook meals at home, pack lunches, and eat leftovers.  "Going out" holds less draw for me than the husband, but once every couple of weeks is sort of fun.  We buy ingredients not packaged "convenience" foods.  We're thinking about a freezer, too.  And we're interested in CSA (community supported agriculture), esp. with respect to meat.  

All electronics are on strips and turned off when not in use.  I haven't figured out the TV antennae thing and deeply resent paying for basic cable TV so we can see the local news.  We tried the coathanger thing but we're in a tough place and it didn't work.

CFLs are beginning to replace incandescents here, but the light is really unattractive so we've been slow to this.  Would also like to replace thermostats with programmable ones for less used areas of our home.  

I shop at the thrift store.  I bought 2 pairs of very nice jeans for $7 a month ago.  I am a seamstress by trade and mend our clothes, often making several garments a year.  Quality fabric can be expensive but a properly constructed garment can be very durable.  And washing in cold water and hanging dry minimizes unnecessary wear and premature failure.

We are big on "doing for ourselves", it's fun and it's rewarding.  It often takes longer but adding skills is always useful.  We've done all the finish work in our home and in the studio over the barn.  

And I'm a big library user.  Lots of great books free for the reading.  And videos, too!


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## Regency139 (Feb 7, 2010)

All excellent ideas. When I bought my house I never had a land line phone hooked up.  My wife and I both have cell phones and have a family share plan.  In addition to that we have only basic cable without a cable box.  We get all the news channels, history channel, discovery channel etc without the movie channels.  To remedy this we subscribe to Netflix for movies, and have the ability to watch movies instantly through our blue ray player (which was a christmas gift from my father in law).  The cable company keeps sending me letters trying to coerce me with teaser rates to upgrade my cable.  I sent a few emails back to the cable company asking how much more the rate would be when the year is up and haven't gotten a clear answer. (higher rates,cable box rental fees etc)  In addition I do all of my own maintenance on our vehicles.  It really isn't hard changing motor/diff/transfer case oil and changing spark plugs out.  My truck has never been to the dealer for maintenance...until I hit 100k and need a timing belt.   
I honestly think my neighbors think I'm odd because I'm the only one in the neighborhood who doesn't have garbage pickup.  
I don't buy anything with my credit card unless I can pay it off in full at the end of the month.  The only exception is the tractor I bought from Sears last month.  Seeing that I just paid my truck off I bought a tractor with a sears card for 0% financing for 6 months.  The tractor will be paid off in 3-4 months and the Sears card isn't activated, and is locked away in the safe.


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## BucksCoBernie (Feb 7, 2010)

great topic!

The biggest saver for us is burning wood instead of oil. 150 gallons deliverd at todays price would cost us over $400 every 4-6 weeks. We did it last year and it sucked! The house was still cold and the heater was constantly running. I found a used, barely used insert on craigslist for $600. Installed it myself with a full liner and block off plate for $800. The cost of the insert and liner together is less expensive than a brand new insert the same size. So far we've only burned about 30 gallons of oil this winter.

I do many home repairs myself. I added a ton of insulation in the attic, caulked air leaks, purchased insulated curtains to keep the chill from coming through a large picture window in the living room (in addition to having plastic film). The house is a lot warmer this winter than it was last year. I also replaced old, leak prone copper plumbing with modern pex. It cost me $230 for the pex and took a weekend to install (cold water 1 day, hot water the next). I scrapped the copper and got back $105.

I have a nice size garden in the spring through fall. I grow a ton of veggies. This summer my fruits (strawberries, raspberries, grapes and peaches) should yeild a nice harvest. I plan on making a lot of jams and wine this year. Im also thinking about harvesting maple sap to make maple syrup instead of buying the crap at the super market. I also make bread about every other week. We still buy bread but not as much, plus the bread I make just taste better. 

My TV set up is on a power strip that gets turned off before bedtime. I'd love to get rid of cable but my wife wont let me  you can watch a majority of the current tv shows on websites like hulu.com. a lot of them are commercial free too!

I scrounge all of my wood in addition to bucking and splitting the occasional fallen tree in the backyard. I found a black locust tree and took a lot of the seed pods home. I plan on planting the black locust in the back corner of my lot to replace the ever falling sassafras trees. In about 7-10 years I should have a nice supply of locust firewood. The tree sprouts new saplings itself so it should be pretty hands off once it gets going.

I've built a top bar beehive in order to house some bees and harvest their honey and wax. This project will kick off this spring. my neighbor has bees and the honey is far superior than anything you find at the super market. Also the bees will help the garden. 

I cut my own grass and change my own oil (I have a BMW and the oil changing stations love to rip off people with imports...$50-60 for a standard oil change!). 

This summer I plan on installing a clothes line outside to cut down on using the electric dryer. I'd love to install a tankless water heater but I have well water and I think the water will ruin the heater in a few years. I dont want to install a softening system just to have a tankless heater.


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## billb3 (Feb 8, 2010)

0 credit card balance.
Also stopped using cards in July and it is somewhat surprising what you can go without , especially when you don't have the cash in your pocket. Saving up fr things is like S&H green stamp days.  

Garden - you'd be surprised at how small a  spot you really need.
But you do need freezer space.

I have clothes lines inside and out. Dryer gets used a LOT less often and I don't mind hanging the clothes. It only takes a minute. 

Try to use less gas by grouping errands.


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## pybyr (Feb 8, 2010)

I try to do many of the things above-

- I also have, for years, obtained a lot of my appliances, computer equipment, etc., as other peoples' discards and done my own repairs to get them/ keep them going.  When I do buy something new, I try to find a demo model, a last years' model, or a scratch and dent.  My current lawnmower is the first that I've ever bought-- every prior one was one that someone else had thought was hopelessly worn out, but usually needed only minor work.  When I bought one, I bought the best I could- and with careful maintenance, I should never need to buy another.  It's satisfying to take things destined for landfills and get a number of years additional use out of them.  I also prefer to get/ repair older items because much of the time, they seem much more repair-able/ worth repairing.  I detest the tendency with modern consumer goods that are not only "planned obsolescent" but designed and made in ways that it is foreseeable, from day one, that they will fail, and be un-repairable.


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## woodgeek (Feb 9, 2010)

Bobbin said:
			
		

> CFLs are beginning to replace incandescents here, but the light is really unattractive so we've been slow to this.  Would also like to replace thermostats with programmable ones for less used areas of our home.



CFL's come in different colors--buy the 'warm white' color to replace incandescent, I can't tell the difference. The 'daylight' ones are the sickly blue. Some of the cheapie ones tend to fail--even the good ones (i.e. GE) will save you many times the purchase price.

Jack--the cheap LED bulbs in the box stores, claiming to replace full sized bulbs for a few watts, are junk.  Might be ok for a nightlight, but most are really dark to begin with and fade rapidly over a couple thousand hours.  There are good LED bulbs online (e.g. using CREE emitters), but they are still very pricey.  And most of them don't outperform CFLs in lumens/watt, if you read the package carefully.  I got a few when I wanted to replace some little halogen spotlights.  Cost me close to $100, but will pay back over a couple years, (they are rated for <20% fade over 50k hours).


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## Socratic Monologue (Feb 14, 2010)

We bought a house with a wood furnace, so we could save money by burning wood.  Well, the furnace needed to be re-ducted -- at least $500.  And we didn't have a chain saw -- $400.  Or a pickup truck -- $3000.  

Well, so we raise chickens, too.  They just started laying eggs, about 2 dozen so far.  The day-old chicks were $25.  Brooder, feeders and waterers, materials for the coop, maybe $200.  Food for 6 months...I don't even want to think about it.  Cost per dozen -- yikes!

We grow and can vegetables, as well.  But deer like vegetables, so an electric fence around the garden -- $150.  Pressure canner -- a gift (yeah!).  Chest freezer -- $400. 

But we no longer live in the city, listening to the buses, watching the scary people walk down the alley, having our cars broken into, watching police helicopters search our neighborhood after a high-speed chase down the street we lived on (true!)...I think all the above costs are more than offset by doing things ourselves, regardless of whether these things save money (which of course they will in the long run).  Plus, you can only get a few hours of psychotherapy for the cost of a new Husqvarna!


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## azsteven (Feb 14, 2010)

Socratic Monologue said:
			
		

> Plus, you can only get a few hours of psychotherapy for the cost of a new Husqvarna!



And if you split your own/carry each piece of wood 14 times, you won't need to pay $59/month at a gym!


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## bogydave (Feb 14, 2010)

Fish. Salmon are the best. Some halibut & trout.
Garden Greenhouse
Smoke, can, freeze
Stay home & watch pictures of you all cutting wood.
My 2¢ worth of input is cheap entertainment.


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## ramonbow (Mar 2, 2010)

Lots of good responses and some things that i have not thought of and may have to try.  You folks seem like my kind of people! 

burn wood (of course!) find cut and split all my wood.
Try to do everything myself that i can.  It sometimes ends up taking me a lot of time but I gain experience with every problem.  Examples include plumbing, changing oil, working on small engines, sharpening, ect.
Try to buy quality and NEEDED stuff second hand.  Mostly clothes, tools, materials.  
Pick up and use free stuff.  Saves stuff from landfill, saves me money, and it is a nice challenge to find a home for stuff.  
Credit cards - like everyone else they are great only if you can pay them off every month.  They are demons that have to be watched closely.  
gardens and orchard that produces more than we can eat.
freezers and canning jars that allow us to eat our crop all year long.
hunting and fishing hobbies that keeps the frying pan full.  
wine making hobbie that boosts my spirits for $1-2 a bottle
I chose a vehicle based on better gas mileage.  combine errands with work commute whenever possible.  Buy used vehicles and like to negotiate a price and then watch thier expression when i tell them i will pay in full - no payment plan neccessary.  

Two things bother me - a lot of consumer products seem to be disposable - it is impossible or financially impractible to repair them or just find parts.  Money burns straight through my wife's pockets.  If she has extra cash she will look for an excuse to spend it.  We are already acting like old people arguing about the thermostat, the clothes dryer, and the hot water.  

Ramon


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## Adios Pantalones (Mar 2, 2010)

awesome topic

I do a fair bit for myself, but we eat out too much with friends etc.

I need to beef up/be serious about the garden this year.


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## jebatty (Mar 2, 2010)

For better or worse, eating out with friends is a primary form of social contact for my wife and I. We don't golf, play tennis, workout at a club, etc. Our normal life is very physically active for both of us. Life in a very rural area means intentional get-togethers, eating out with others, and meeting at the local bar in the middle of nowhere for a brewski and conviviality.


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## Jags (Mar 2, 2010)

jebatty said:
			
		

> and meeting at the local bar in the middle of nowhere for a brewski and conviviality.



I'm in!


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## mbcijim (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm the last one to talk about saving money.... BUT I just bought a 3 year old solid wood bedroom set w/dovetail drawers (Queen bed, 1 end table, 1 dresser with mirror, and 1 tall dresser) for all of $750.  

The set will last a lifetime, and new it would cost at least $3,500 and probably $4,000-$6,000.

I did have to check Craigslist/Ebay daily for 2 months, but I saved a ton of money.


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## WoodMann (Mar 4, 2010)

I drive like a grandpa, mostly...................


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## szmaine (Feb 12, 2011)

Fun thread I missed - 

Frugal but not penny wise pound foolish.

Buy good quality used whenever possible-clothes, household items etc
Recycled materials for home improvement when ever possible- husband is slowly but surely putting a corrugated metal roof on our large 40x60 gambrel  barn - bought the roofing for $300, plus screws and the Henry roof coating will probably end up costing $800 all together. Bathroom curtain made out of old lace tablecloth, window quilts made from an old quilt, stuff like that...

Do all our own repairs on car and home - except the new boiler.
Garden, bees, maple syrup making. 
Chest freezer: garden veggies and stock up on meat when on sale, like to get 3-4 turkeys when they are on sale at Thanksgiving for 50 cent lb.
Make wise investments: new efficient wood stove, 30% off with tax credit, new efficient boiler, 30% rebate from Efficiency Maine,
new Energy Star fridge (one that came with the house died last summer), $75 rebate  also from Efficiency Maine.

Insulate, insulate, insulate and then insulate some more.


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## begreen (Feb 12, 2011)

If you get one book on this topic, I highly recommend "Your Money or Your Life" by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. It's the most commonsense approach toward understanding our relationship to money that I've read. Easy reading, this is not a deep financial book. Instead, it's a commonsense understanding of the difference between making a living and making a life. 

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Money-Li...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297532985&sr=1-1


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## colebrookman (Feb 12, 2011)

Jags said:
			
		

> jebatty said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Pick me up on the way Jags.
Ed


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## webbie (Feb 12, 2011)

I drive really carefully - get the most MPG, that's for sure!
We are vegetarian, which probably makes our food cheaper than some, especially when eating out. We eat out quite often - for as little as $20 for the both of us!
Our local radio station sells 30% off coupons for many of the places we frequent, so that saves even more.

Of course, we grind our own coffee beans and make it at home.....only use Starbucks on the road or for a treat.

We just returned from a few days in Nassau - food was really high at the hotel, and not so good anyway! We found a market 1/2 mile up the road and bought all kinds of things, from yogurt to instant oatmeal to trail mix. That way, we got away with one meal (buffet or at the grill) a day at the high prices. 
Vacation was booked on cheapcarribean - $750 for two people for 4 nights including airfare from Florida where we were visiting our parents.
We didn't do any tours since they are crazy expensive and quite cheesy, rather used the free watersports, pool, ocean, etc. at the resort. We took buses into town ($1.25) instead of cabs.

I sell things I do not need - old coin collections, electronics and stuff I am not using, etc.....on ebay or craigslist and build up paypal money. We then use the money to book flights when going certain places (southwest and many others take paypal).

Of course, we also have plenty of US Airways miles from our credit cards......

I have always done most home repairs - and even additions, etc. - not handy with cars, though...new ones are too complicated anyway. 

I take care of all my computers, networks, etc. myself. 

Looking at it from the other end, I can't think of anything that we DO spend a lot of money on....except helping our our kids and stuff like that. We do have a summer cottage, which is really nice, but that is likely to hold it's value and it pretty much means we don't even have to go anywhere else for getaways or vacations. 

Mostly, we have saved.......for about 25 years.....as much as possible, while investing in the stock market via Vanguard and other stuff, so we can keep up with inflation and more. 
Oh, we keep lights off and also have three thermostats (zoned heat) and keep them down below 60 at virtually all times. 
We do all our own snow clearing and most of our own gardening, except when we get lazy we will have someone do the grass cutting. 

I often buy my computers refurb or at least with education discounts. 

We don't buy jewelry or anything much of that sort......


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## Later (Feb 15, 2011)

WoodMann said:
			
		

> I drive like a grandpa, mostly...................



+1 and my entertainment is the looks on the faces of the people I pi## off.


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## fishingpol (Feb 15, 2011)

We use a outside clothesline in the nice weather and have one of those dryer vent boxes witht he flippy lever to put heat into the basement.

Leftovers-  When making dinner, I always make extra and have enough left for my lunch the next day plus the wife for her lunch.  Some guys I work with buy lunch almost everyday anywhere from $7.00 - $10.00 for subs and a drink.

I bought a bushel of butternut squash for half the cost of supermarket prices in the fall and still have a few left.  They are in cool storage in the basement.  We freeze what isn't eaten and re-heat at another meal.


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## pyper (Feb 15, 2011)

I like to spend money, but I don't like to waste it.

* I drove each of my last two cars over 200,000 miles.

* I rarely buy coffee out, except while on business travel. And then it's usually either McD or at a truck stop.

* We have a Visa card tied to an oil company -- 5% rebate on gasoline -- that's about 15 cents a gallon, which adds up when you put 200,000 miles on a car.

* Make my own lunch for work.

* Buy things on sale at grocery store.

* Grow fruits and vegetables.

* Fix stuff myself when possible. 

Here's a counter-intuitive one: subscribe to Netflix. OK, so this is $10 a month. But my wife used to spend more than that a month on Blockbuster.

We definitely saved on our electric bill by burning wood, especially that week we were snowed in and burned 24/7. Didn't offset the cost of buying and putting in the stove though, which has only seen two seasons of use and now we've bought a new house. But at least I learned about burning wood so I will make better purchase decisions next time.


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## mayhem (Feb 16, 2011)

Things I do to save money:

- Use lights strategically in the house...and most are CFL's.
- In the winter I vent my dryer exhaust into the basement.  When we use it, it helps heat and humidify the basement, which is normally cold and dry in the winter.
- Year round we hang most of our wet clothes to dry.  The woodstove dries them nicely and the extra moisture in the air is good for us.  Ran n experiment and dried every scrap of clothing we washed for a full electric billing cycle and then hung every scrap the next full billing cycle.  For a family of 3 we use about $22 a month in electricicty to dry our clothes.
- Shut off the boiler for most of the night when all it does is maintain the hot water tank.  I can run a full load of dishes and have a quick shower on whats in the tank.  I get up 10 minutes early in the morning and turn on the switch so I there's plenty of hot water when I take my morning shower...I run the bedroom heat zones at the same time to save on the boiler cycling time and to pre-heat the bedrooms before the family gets up.
- I burn wood, lots of it.  Wood stove was about $4000 total bopught new and installed...saves me a minimum of 1000 gallons of oil per year.
- I drive my full size pickup as my daily driver.  Did the math and until gas gets closer to $5.50 a gallon, its cheaper to run my truck 15,000 miles a year than it is to carry fuel, maintenance, insurance and taxes on a third car.
- I keep my car and truck in good running order.  Tire inflation gets you the biggest bang for your buck across the short term, proper maintenance helps the most over the long term.
- I drink alot of water.  
_ I don't drink alcohol at all.
- I don't smoke.
- I plow my own driveway, saves me about $1000 a year, and thats with my neighbor doing my driveway for $25 a pass (crazy low price).
- I do my own home and auto repiars.  Most wind up being easier to do than I originally thought.


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## sesmith (Feb 17, 2011)

I try to be as frugal as possible and not waste unnecessary energy and materials.
Drive a fuel efficient car and ride a bike to work (when it's not snowy)...try to use the truck only for "truck" things like hauling firewood.
Do all my own car and home repairs.  Have beefed up the insulation levels in my house and replaced all the windows and doors.
Cut and split all my wood from our property and heat mostly with wood...use less than 20 gal of oil a year.
Bought a "Save-a-watt" meter about a year ago and used it to find spots where we were wasting electricity.  Best $20 I ever spent.
Added a solar hot air collector which is supplying about 25% of our heat (the larger of the 2 here):

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/DownSpout/DownSpout.htm

Made some changes to our horse stock tank heater here (it's saving us a lot on electricity):

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/InsulatedStockTank/InsulatedStockTank.htm

Refitted my older wood stove with secondary air tubes to get a more efficient, cleaner burn out of it instead of replacing the stove.  This is saving us about 11% on our wood use.

Solar hot water collector is in the plans for this summer.

I drink the good beer...I'm saving enough on the other stuff that I can afford it


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## dvellone (Feb 17, 2011)

Don't know if anyone else mentioned this one, but I hijack and throw out all the catalogs that fill my po box to overflowing...except for a couple tool and woodworking ones that I keep...just to look at.


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## semipro (Feb 17, 2011)

We've adopted the rule of "halves".  That is, try using half of something and see how it works. This worked well for laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo, dishwashing soap etc.  Of course you need to be smart enough not to try half the specified amount of oil in your engine ore half the dose of antibiotics, etc.  

This also works for dieting.


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## Wood Duck (Feb 17, 2011)

My wife loves yard sales and we buy a lot of things there. For example, I scoop the ashes from the wood stove with a $5 set of fireplace tools and store wood near the stove in a $1 rack. She also checks freecycle and we have gotten a lot of useful things there.

We raise chickens and grow a garden. I really don't think that has saved us any money yet, and probably never will, but the eggs, meat, and vegetables are better than store bought and we enjoy the partial self-sufficiency.


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## Thistle (Feb 17, 2011)

Stuff I've done for years actually -
roughly 98% of all my books were bought used via local flea markets,garage sales or online sellers
clip coupons
shop in bulk/Costco etc when needed
Wear shirts,jeans,boots,socks etc until they're literally worn out.Then afterwards using socks,t shirts,legs from denim jeans for rags in the shop/garage & around the home/yard.
Watch weekly sale ad at local grocery stores
grow a few veggies on my postage stamp and a bunch of herbs
Canning/Preserving/Drying/Freezing some of the same
Farmer's Markets in season for things I dont have room for or time to grow myself
Gathering Black Walnuts myself in the Fall,running them through old corn sheller to remove the husks,washing,cleaning & drying them them leaving them stored in the shell in 5 gallon buckets until I crack them for later use.Not sure there's any cost saving here,even when buying them $10/lb ready to eat.Processing them is very labor intensive,back-breaking & is time consuming.But I enjoy doing it.
Doing all my home repair/maintenance/restoration. Building most all the furniture in the house such as bookcases,bookcase/headboard bedframe combo,coffee & end tables,plant stands,few chairs,dining room table,small benches & footstools,several cabinets & tool chests etc.
Gradually better insulation/weatherproofing for this 85+ yr old stucco & brick 2 story house.
Turn off lights or A/C in summer in rooms not being used.
Not buying bottled water,using from the tap with a Brita filter.Not buying coffee out every morning except 2-3 times a month if I go for breakfast.Take my lunch to the jobsite - warm weather its  a sandwich,piece of fruit or carrots etc with milk & 1 diet coke - Cold weather its the same but thermos of hot usually homemade soup or stew instead.


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## muncybob (Feb 18, 2011)

We do a lot of what has already been mentioned. It's very mild out today and the Mrs just called me at work to let me know she shut off the boiler(water temp is at 180) and opened our kitchen door to allow the solar gain from the enclosed porch to heat the downstairs....we do this a lot in the spring and autumn.
Regarding cars...we drive them until they die, but a prerequisite to buying a car is we won't even consider any vehicle that doesn't get a minimal rated mpg. Last car bought was new in 97 and at that time our minimal standard was 30mpg....another purchase will unfortunately be probably in the next year or so and the new car will need to get minimal 35 mpg or it won't make it to our "list". I will normally set the cruise control to the speed limit  to help conserve gas on any highway driving.
We have a small aquarium and I do a 25% water change on a regular basis...we use the old water from the fish tank to water the houseplants. Staying on water, we use a downspout from the barn roof to fill the large water bucket for the horses. Once I get my woodshed built I'll use a rain barrel under a downspout to help water the flowers and veggies.
We do splurge by watching dvd movies through an energy hog full blown surround system....but we watch them in the dark so we feel a little better about it


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## begreen (Feb 18, 2011)

Good point, home entertainment systems can be big power suckers if components are not selected carefully. Big plasma screens and big inefficient amps can draw a lot of watts. Our tv and surround sound system were selected for efficiency by using an all digital, class D amp. Maximum power draw 140watts, though most of the time it's a lot less.


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## lukem (Feb 18, 2011)

I only spend money on things I can't do for myself....whether that's time or talent.

1.  I heat about 90% with wood.
2.  I cut my own wood.
3.  I do all my home improvement work.  The only thing I hire out (very rare) is what presents a safety risk (HVAC, large scale electrical).
4.  Grow a garden.
5.  Bring lunch to work...and work from home when I can (40%).
6.  Do all auto maintenance and repair including oil changes.
7.  100% CFL bulbs...and keep them off as much as possible.
8.  Don't go out to movies, rarely to dinner, never to bars (but I do enjoy the adult beverages!!)
9.  I don't pay for TV
10.  I only buys clothes at DEEP discount, but I do spend good money on boots, shoes and coats.
11.  I don't pay interest.
12.  Wife cuts hair me and kids.
13.  Cut my own grass.
14.  I don't buy "man toys"...I buy only the "tools" I need.


I'm sure there are more.


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## semipro (Feb 18, 2011)

Oh yeah.  We've used a Flowbee for haircuts for the past 20 years.   Its probably the best investment, as far as monetary savings, that I've ever made.


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## semipro (Feb 18, 2011)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> Good point, home entertainment systems can be big power suckers if components are not selected carefully. Big plasma screens and big inefficient amps can draw a lot of watts. Our tv and surround sound system were selected for efficiency by using an all digital, class D amp. Maximum power draw 140watts, though most of the time it's a lot less.



Our whole entertainment center is on one power strip that we turn off when not using being entertained.  Its pretty amazing the amount of power these devices consume when "off".


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## crossout (Feb 19, 2011)

i save a ton by having my g/f pay 1/2 of the bills around here...i like to play hyper miler with my cavalier but my regal gs not so much i can suck up 2 mpg when going wot lol gotta love that supercharger whine!


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## btuser (Feb 19, 2011)

I just rounded up all my plastic shovels and ice scrapers, then repaired/sharpened the edges with a belt sander.  Now they work like new.  It came about because after 2 trips around a room I was still getting little grooves in my drywall mud because the edge of my trowel was scored.  So I went on a grinding/sanding spree.  Its true that you can never waste time sharpening a tool.  The kids I work with are used to throwing out drill bits when they get dull, $40 uni-bits included.  

I also re-shaped my screwdrivers.


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## katwillny (Apr 20, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> We have attempted to live a frugal lifestyle for many years but still have managed to do many things that might not be called so frugal, such as wintering in Arizona 5 years in a motor home. But here are just a few things we do and have done over many, many moons:
> 
> Many moons ago we determined that paying interest was foolish and expensive so our goal was to live debt free and we have for over 30 years now. We have purchased several new items in that time including vehicles but have continued to pay cash and therefore have paid much less for them. Sort of like buying on closeout.
> 
> ...


 
As always, Dennis provides great tips. You are wise beyond your years my friend.


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## StihlHead (Apr 20, 2012)

I drink PBR. Often times for free, as others pass it up. Also the GF hates it, so I save there too. O/w she will drink the ~last~ beer in the house!

I also get free stuff on CL. Free fire wood, free plants, free pallets, free construction materials, free hair cuts, etc.

I not only shop for food at WinCo, but I shop at WinCo's bulk food area. I also grow a lot of food here.

I buy stuff that I need at the ReStore and Goodwill stores here.

Gasoline prices are a pain... as is the electric bill.

No heating bill here, I only burn wood for heat.

No water bill here, I have a well.

No sewer bill here, I have a septic system.

No garbage bill here, I haul mine to recycling or the dump, or donate it to Goodwill or ReStore.

I do all my own home and auto repairs.

Taxes are a pain; income and property taxes.

My house is paid for, which is why I am out in the boonies. But that makes gasoline prices a pain...


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## Thistle (Apr 20, 2012)

I look for all kinds of free stuff on Craigslist - can be firewood/logs,construction lumber/plywood,other building material,certain vegetables or fruit in season,a little of everything.'
Havent been to a regular barber in 11 yrs.Let my ponytail grow out & once every 6 months or so I trim the ends even with scissors.Last time I checked the barber 2 blocks from home (who I went to for years) charged $15 for a haircut,that's no matter if you wanted a trim or it all chopped off.Beard trims were $5 regardless.Screw that 
Buy my jeans,most sweatshirts/t shirts for work at DAV,Goodwill (just bought 2 pair tonight after dinner),garage sales & the occasional flea market.I cant see paying full price for new ones when they get trashed on the job in a few months anyway.
Pack my own lunch for work,only time I dont is if employer has a special 'safety lunch' the next day,with pizza or sandwiches etc brought in.
I drink water from the tap with a Brita filter,keep a gallon jug full in the fridge at all times.Rarely when eating out do I have anything but ice water to drink.Just occasionally I'll have a cup of coffee,ice tea or if its late afternoon/evening,a cold beer.
I drink PBR,Leinenkugel's Original Lager,Old Style & Grain Belt & a couple other cheaper regional domestics at home.Whatever's on sale that week/month pretty much.Once in a while I'll have a Guinness,Woodchuck Cider or Spaten Lager when I feel like splurging.Though I do like a couple different 10 & 15 yr old Single Malt Scotches(neat) & JD Black w/Coca Cola, one of those bottles will last me close to a year.
I cut probably 90% of the wood I burn off parents land - They're upper 70's to early 80's & couldnt do the work anymore nor afford to hire it done anyway.Helps keep their property looking nice,helps keep me in shape & saves on natural gas bill during the winter months.
Most all the wooden furniture in the house such as bookcases,coffee/end tables,some benches,cabinets etc I've built myself over the past 20+ yrs.All except dining room table & chairs.
Do my own tax returns,home repair/maintenance/remodeling & truck maintenance.Basic small engine stuff too like sharpening chains,mower blades,nothing real elaborate like rebuilding though.
Grow a few veggies/lots of herbs,cant do much with small lot though it helps.
Buy certain things in bulk to save on packaging & trips to the store.Walk to the mailbox down the street when I have letters to mail instead of driving to Post Office which I only do when mailing stuff I sold on Ebay.
Plus the usual stuff like combining trips the same day when running errands/doctor appointments to save on gas,shutting off lights/appliances/AC in rooms not used etc.Turning thermostat down when gone/at night.


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## katwillny (Apr 20, 2012)

Great Thread. Very informative.
One of the things we do as a family is try to limit eating out. In my teens and early 20s I used to work for a hotel chain as a kitchen helper so I enjoy cooking.
Heating costs are relatively low as we heat with wood and wood pellets and i live on  Craigslist in search of free wood.
Installed  energy efficient water heater
My commute is 50 miles each way so I try to work remote as often as possible, due to this I get my internet access paid by my company as my duties as a SA are pretty much 24x7
Both my wife and I try to mind where every dollar goes and why. We are in our mid 30s and are pumping as much into our retirement fund as we can as well as our 529  plan for our kids.
I do most home repairs and vehicle repair with the help of my old man or one of my buddies from work. I refuse to pay for something that I can do on my own, there is something inherently wrong with paying someone to do something that I can do myself so that I can sit and watch tv or lallygag. If I break it, then Ill try not to do it again, it serves as a learning experience. We are not cheap, we just work very hard and dont like to spend frivolously, my dear wife is a nurse so she is on her feet for 12 hours a day, that alone makes me feel guilty when spending on junk.


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## timfromohio (Apr 30, 2012)

Jags said:


> If I plan on having more than 3 beers, I go to the cheap stuff.


 
Enter homebrewing ...


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## Slow1 (Apr 30, 2012)

timfromohio said:


> Enter homebrewing ...


 
Yeah, sure... and burning wood saves me money too... if I ignore the truck, saw, other cutting gear....


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## btuser (Apr 30, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> We have attempted to live a frugal lifestyle for many years.....


 
When I grow up, I want to be just like you.


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## webbie (Apr 30, 2012)

We never joined a china club.....
Never paid off a credit card over time.
Never took a loan on anything other than a house or a car.

Never bought new furniture in any quantity (just a piece here and there) - mostly hand-me-down, yard sale, discount, etc.
Never lent much money or friends (or, at least, never lent to anyone who I expected to pay it back).

But probably the biggest savings have come from my DIY -  we almost never contracted out anything in the last 30+ years. 

Note: some of these things are changing now because we saved so much money from them, that we can now afford some of 'em.


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## velvetfoot (Apr 30, 2012)

Starbucks fills my 16 oz. mug for 1.29 after tax.


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## Ehouse (May 1, 2012)

Gave up the pickup for a lite trailer behind the CRV.   Necessary second car can now be more fuel efficient.

Ehouse


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## btuser (May 1, 2012)

timfromohio said:


> Enter homebrewing ...


 
A free Mr. Beer kit cost me $650 worth of kettles, bottles and some cleaner I keep in a squirt gun, a majority of which I picked up used.  You can't brew it for what it costs to buy it (even empty bottles cost more money than your average Bud longneck), but I like the good stuff and I love the lab.  I figure after propane + lost investment opportunities I need to drink a beer/day for 5 years.


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## timfromohio (May 1, 2012)

btuser said:


> A free Mr. Beer kit cost me $650 worth of kettles, bottles and some cleaner I keep in a squirt gun, a majority of which I picked up used. You can't brew it for what it costs to buy it (even empty bottles cost more money than your average Bud longneck), but I like the good stuff and I love the lab. I figure after propane + lost investment opportunities I need to drink a beer/day for 5 years.


 

For $80 I got three glass carboys, 2 buckets (one for primary, a second for bottling), siphons, tubing, a bottler, a corker, and even a bottle drying rack - Craigslist.  I saved bottles from purchased product for a while and got the guys at work to save theirs as well.  Already had a big outdoor burner and large pots from canning.  I brew Northern Brewer kits at under $30 a pop and get a little over two cases of great beer so I'm in the $0.60/beer range viewing the $80 craigslist supplies as a one time sunk cost.  Like anything else, you can certainly save money if you don't let it snowball.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 2, 2012)

Jack Straw said:


> Has anyone tried the new LED bulbs to replace incandescent bulbs. I saw some at lowes but they didn't have any clear ones. They say a 1 watt LED replaces a 45 watt bulb.


I bought  one for a dark hallway that stays on 24/7 its about 1.2 watts. It was $6 but since it stays on all the time im sure it will pay for itself.


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## Jack Straw (May 2, 2012)

Seasoned Oak said:


> I bought one for a dark hallway that stays on 24/7 its about 1.2 watts. It was $6 but since it stays on all the time im sure it will pay for itself.


 
Why not put it on a motion sensor?


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## Seasoned Oak (May 2, 2012)

One rule i have is if i save money using some of the aforementioned ways i try not to waste it on something stupid.


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## Seasoned Oak (May 2, 2012)

Jack Straw said:


> Why not put it on a motion sensor?


At this point id rather leave it on ,at 1 watt i get 1000 hours for about 10c, less that $1 a year


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## Jack Straw (May 2, 2012)

Seasoned Oak said:


> At this point id rather leave it on ,at 1 watt i get 1000 hours for about 10c, less that $1 a year


  I got thinking about it, the motion sensor may use as much power as the light!


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