Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Refresher #1 - Saving Where we Can

 I think we all need reminders now and then to get us back on track with our finances.  It is easy to get out of the habit of watching our pennies.  I have a bunch of tips written down - so this will be a 2 part refresher!  
Hope you find something to use or remember to use!

  • Freeze those charge cards - literally!  If you tend to over use - just hide in the freezer.  Make it difficult to get to and use.  Now you can be responsible with CC's - pay off each month and do not pay interest.  Have a card that gives you points for purchases and use those points to get goods or Gift Cards.  That is responsible.
  • Garden when and if you can.  Even if it is a little bit in a pot on the patio.  Everything you grow is cheaper and better for you.  Think about a fall garden as your summer garden starts to come to an end.  There are lots of cool weather crops that can be planted later on.
  • Go meatless on meals one or two days a week.  Meat is probably our most expensive grocery item.  It isn't necessary every day.  Also eat smaller portions.  Use as a side - not a main course!!!
  • Turn down the heat or turn up the AC.  Put on or wear less clothes.  Energy can be a budget buster
  • Pay ALL bills on time!!!!  Avoid extra fees at all costs
  • Ask for gifts or give gifts that are practical.  Gift cards or food.  People can buy what they need - not what you THINK they need!  I love getting cards to grocery stores or food places.  Homemade foods and goodies are great.  Everyone has to eat!  
  • Have NO SPEND weeks.  Just stay home and don't spend.  It is not mandatory that you shop weekly!
  • If you live in a dry area or drought area or just need to save on water - use bath water for the garden!  Keep a bucket in the shower and use that water that would just go down the drain.  Bath water is still water and it will work perfectly on your plants of all kinds!!!!!
  • Cook from home and eat simply and use basic ingredients.  Stop the morning coffee runs or lunches and dinners out.  You would be amazed how much you end up spending over a year.  Simple ingredients can make wonderful meals  and you don't have to be a master chef to eat good meal at home 

  • Drink water or make tea or Kool-Aid.  No need for store bought drinks
  • Don't pay full price for anything.  Go to cheaper stores like Aldi, look for clearance and markdowns, buy in season.  Barter with others.  Shop yard sales.  Look for deals wherever you can find them!!
  • Plan your trips and errands to make the most of your fuel.  Don't just go driving around all willy-nilly - PLAN
  • Do not buy on impulse!!!!  Think things over, especially before spending a lot of money or purchasing a large item.  Odds are you will talk yourself out of the purchase.  Always sleep on it!!!
  • Reduce, reuse and recycle - this is essential to saving funds.  Find new uses for things.  We all have too much and we all have things we don't need.  Many items can be used for a bunch of things - just in a different way.  GET CREATIVE
  • If out running errands - take your own drinks or snacks.  That can save a lot of funds
  • Use leftovers!!!!!!  Use for breakfast or lunch or make into something new.  Just don't waste.  Have a meal that is a 'clean out the frig' meal - use up all those bits and bobs.  Make soup with all those odds and ends or a casserole.  So many ways to extend your food.  Every time I have to throw something out - I stop and think about others who are hungry!!!!  It sure makes you re-evaluate your waste.
I will do part 2 on Thursday.  We all need to be reminded of how we waste time, money and goods from time to time.  We are ALL guilty of it!  
We all have hard earned funds or limited incomes and need to make the most of our dollars.  We need to really think before spending.

Take time to rethink your habits.  Do whatever you can to conserve.  That my friends is simply being a GOOD STEWARD of what you have.
What have you done this week to NOT waste?

24 comments:

  1. It always amazes me that people will pay for iced tea in jugs at the grocery store. It is so cheap to make at home!

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    1. It sure is. Pennies to make and it tastes so much better!!!!!

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  2. Yes, yes, and yes again! Great reminders! There are certain Aldi items that I like just as well as the brand names and they're half the price. Why wouldn't I bring my own reusable bags and pack them the way I want? Yes, there are items that I won't/can't get at Aldi, but love saving $$ when and where I can.

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    1. Absolutely! They have good items - really haven't found anything I didn't like and some I like more than other brands.
      Thanks

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  3. *I drink only water (except milk for breakfast). We have a filtering pitcher that makes even our hard water palatable.
    *After 1.2 in. of rain yesterday, my rain barrels are about half full. Free water for the gardens.
    *My rewards credit card (which I ALWAYS pay in full) normally has 1% cash back, but certain categories are 5% for the calendar quarter. Jul-Sep will be grocery stores, including Aldi, so I have already started a list of cases of canned goods I want to stock up on next month.
    *It's chilly this morning, but Husband and I have on warmer clothes instead of running the furnace. Warm the body, not the house.
    *Making Project Linus quilts from scraps left over from other PL quilts.
    *The insurance copay on one of Husband's medications went up over $20 recently. I can get it at Costco for $29 or continue at CVS for $77. Even after a $60 Costco membership, the savings is obvious, even if that is the only thing I buy there. It pays to check prices periodically.
    *My zucchini are blooming like crazy, so I will be looking for recipes. Cook with what's in season.
    *We haven't been out to eat or ordered carry-out or fast food for nearly two years. We don't miss it, either.
    *We read and talk to each other instead of watching TV. No cable or satellite means big savings each month.
    *Chose a cool day to bake a dessert and baked dinner so we don't have to run the A/C.
    *Making tuna noodle casserole to stretch the meat. It makes three meals for the two of us. Cook once, eat three times to save on using the oven.
    *Listening to free classical music on the computer
    *Lights are off and the blinds are open. The sun provides enough light to do just about everything but read.

    Living frugally is a way of life for us.

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    1. You go girl!!!! Great tips and a great way to live. I do most of those myself - fortunate enough to not have medicines.
      It truly is amazing how it just becomes our way of life - not a 'let's try' thing.
      GREAT list!!!!!!

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    2. Unless something has changed you do not need a membership to use the pharmacy at a club store per federal law. Of course they are not going to tell you that.

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    3. Thanks, Lana! That's great to know.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you so much! Glad to have you here.

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    2. I do have a question from an older post about the blender. If you put the salsa veg in the blender, won’t it come out like a salsa flavored smoothie?

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    3. My Nija can pulse - you don't have to blend like for a smoothie. Pulsing lets you get it to the texture you want. So no it have to be a salsa smoothie!
      I hope that explains it.

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  5. I think I do most of these things. I did a thrift store run this morning and bought nothing as I did not need anything.

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    1. I need to do a thrift run - haven't been in ages! Good for you not spending.

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  6. A reminder is always good. The only thing I don't do is freeze our credit cards. We have never had a problem with using them and paying them off since the 4th year of our marriage.

    God bless.

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    1. Thanks. Same here - I have always paid off in a timely fashion. But many do have a problem - so that may be a good thing for them.

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  7. Thanks for this post Cheryl. Love all these tips and especially the one about sleeping on it before making a big purchase. That really does help you put it in perspective and not make an impulse buy. I usually take iced tea in a big mason jar (with a lid and straw) when I'm out running errands, especially in the summertime! Looking forward to part 2. Have a good week!

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    1. Thank you! Impulse shopping can really break the budget - whether it is groceries or other shopping. Big ticket items should never be purchased without really thinking.
      Great idea on the tea. I have a big old insulted mug that I have something in all day every day!

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  8. No food wasting here. We eat everything I make. Even if I have to freeze it for another time. Food never gets thrown out. I would feel too guilty to do that. You're right, it is not mandatory that we shop weekly. We used to, but now it's every 2 or 3 weeks. I like it much better this way. And I've mentioned before that I'm de-cluttering so no HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Target etc. for me for awhile.

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    1. Good for you. You hit on part of list 2 - future meals!
      We most likely have plenty to keep us from needing to go to the store weekly. That is why we prepare.
      YAY - no shopping to bring in new stuff! Good for you kiddo. I have never been in 2 of those stores and not in another since the 90's!!!!! I guess I am behind the times!

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  9. Hi Hippy Chick!.Glad to see your keeping well and sharing your sound advice.It is the only way to live as far as Im concerned!I also use every bit of fresh food before any more comes into the house.Its a beautiful day here in Leicester so it will be windows wide open to let all that sun in.Hope the sun is shining for you too!.Best Wishes from the Hippy Chick in the UK.xx

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    1. Hey you - glad to hear from you!
      Yes it is lovely weather here at the moment. I opened the windows a lot yesterday and doing so again today. Nice breeze.

      Love that you use it up before getting more. It seems so natural to many of us - hard to understand why everyone isn't that way.
      Have a great week!

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  10. CCs with points. This year I am saving up all the cash rewards and will use those for Christmas shopping. Plus I have a large denomination gift card that I will use. I'm hoping to use only those funds rather than "real" money/credit. I use the 4-item plan for gifts. One they want, one they need, one to wear, one to read. I went a little over-board last year & I know they don't need that much stuff. I already got the out-of-state grands their "To Wear" gift when we took them school shopping and they all agreed to it. One down for each, 3 to go.

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