Your most radical frugal/simple living tips

[MistyMountain]

Only turn the heat or air on when needed and adapt to the conditions. If you do turn the heat on turn it on low. Wear cothes that are season appropiate and if you feel cold get a sweater. In the summer or if you live in a warm climate wait to turn the air on and use fans. Keep the thermostat above room temperature. I don't buy paper towels any more and just buy microfiber towels.

Edited January 14, 2012 by MistyMountain

[Amira]

No, that is the things I'm thinking about. Most of the basic stuff is easy enough to do but I'm looking to step things up and make some things routine to further save. I've been trying to severely limit water usage and was considering doing my handwashing in dishpans to save the water- I'm trying to just 2 small sinkfuls a day of water for all such things I need to do. I'll keep an eye out for any water that I'm using that perhaps can be reused. We're hoping to install some catchment as well when we are able to put a roof on the carport but lots of variables as to when that will happen.

 

 

Another way to save water is to turn off the water to most of your faucets. It's a lot easier to use less water if you have to work hard to get it or to get rid of it. The time we used the least water was in a house with no plumbing at all in the kitchen, and a bathroom where the shower drains didn't work. Also, if you stand in a large bucket while showering it's a lot easier to use the water on the garden. Outhouses save lots of water too, but I don't know if that's an option for you. :)

[Jayne J]

I don't know what part of the country you are in, so this might not help much right now, but we saved money this year by foraging a bit. We asked around and found people who didn't want to pick their apples, pears or elderberries. We got about 100 lb of apples, 30 lbs of pears, 12 lbs of elderberries, and several pounds of blackberries for free this year. I also made knew several gardeners who couldn't keep up with their yields and so got many pounds of tomatoes. I canned, 'jammed' and froze quarts of stuff. Also, if your family will eat game you could call around to any local meat processors and ask if they have any venison (or whatever--pheasant, bear, moose whatever folks hunt in your area) that was not picked up. Often they will let you have it for the processing fees alone which are usually cheap.

[Jennifer in MI]

Have you thought about couponing? I did the drug store coupons for a couple years and stocked my closet with shampoo, toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, etc, etc, etc for a LONG time. I even had enough to give away to friends going through hard times. I paid $0 for these things.

 

I'm just starting to get back into it again because we're nearly out of toothpaste! In the past couple weeks, I've gotten a TON of stuff (mostly food this time). We're going to use the food as snacks on our drive down to FL next month. Money saved!!!

[starwarsmomma]

Here in the part of texas I'm in, utilities are expensive. In the hottest months, my electric bill can be $600+ !!!

 

We have cut our bills by about a 1/3, WITHOUT changing our habits too much.

 

 

 

• Caulk all windows and doors.
  
• add the rubber insulation to all doors (If you can see daylight in the crack of the door, you're losing air/heat!)
  
• added attic barrier (looks like aluminum foil) in the attic ourselves. Two rolls was about $250, and we did it in one weekend while kids were sleeping. (too hot to work during the day, so we worked at night)
  
• made a "plug" for the fireplace when it's not in use. Less than $5 project. The hardware stores sell a 1" thick foam board that is for insulation. We bought a discounted scrap, cut it to fit the fireplace flu, added some duct tape handles, and put it in there when we're not using the fireplace.
  
• Made a "box" for the 2 attic entrances. In our house, we have a pull down attic ladder to give us access to the attic. One thin layer of plywood seperates the attic from our hallway, and lots of cold/hot air comes in through the "space". What I did was take the same insulation foam board as above and made a Box with top and sides only. It goes in the attic over the opening. All I have to do is push it out of my way, and set it back before I close back up the ladder. Does that make sense? It made a HUGE difference on the draftyness of the house! Super cheap, did it myself using a kitchen knife and duct tape. Lightweight but effective.
  

 

[PrincessMommy]

Here in the part of texas I'm in, utilities are expensive. In the hottest months, my electric bill can be $600+ !!!

 

We have cut our bills by about a 1/3, WITHOUT changing our habits too much.

 

 

• Caulk all windows and doors.
  
• add the rubber insulation to all doors (If you can see daylight in the crack of the door, you're losing air/heat!)
  
• added attic barrier (looks like aluminum foil) in the attic ourselves. Two rolls was about $250, and we did it in one weekend while kids were sleeping. (too hot to work during the day, so we worked at night)
  
• made a "plug" for the fireplace when it's not in use. Less than $5 project. The hardware stores sell a 1" thick foam board that is for insulation. We bought a discounted scrap, cut it to fit the fireplace flu, added some duct tape handles, and put it in there when we're not using the fireplace.
  
• Made a "box" for the 2 attic entrances. In our house, we have a pull down attic ladder to give us access to the attic. One thin layer of plywood seperates the attic from our hallway, and lots of cold/hot air comes in through the "space". What I did was take the same insulation foam board as above and made a Box with top and sides only. It goes in the attic over the opening. All I have to do is push it out of my way, and set it back before I close back up the ladder. Does that make sense? It made a HUGE difference on the draftyness of the house! Super cheap, did it myself using a kitchen knife and duct tape. Lightweight but effective.
  

 

I apologize for my ignorance. Can you tell me exactly what this is called? Did you put this on top of your existing insulation in your attic?

[starwarsmomma]

I apologize for my ignorance. Can you tell me exactly what this is called? Did you put this on top of your existing insulation in your attic?

 

 

http://www.atticfoil.com/

 

It goes UP against the roof. Easy to install. Only tools needed are a knife/scissors to cut and staplegun. Holds up great and makes a HUGE difference.

 

We found a distributor and picked it up straight from his house, gave us a discount for picking it up and paying cash.

[elfgivas]

i woke up this morning thinking about you. are you on a well? because we are, we moved everyone to 5 minute showers, every other day. mostly, it works. and the kids can have twice as long if they shower together, which leads to some fun play. (there are pollypockets in our shower now... and barbies with mermaid tails made from duct tape....). but if you all are once a day folks, then that would save half your shampoo cost right there, and some water and water heating, too.

 

shifting our schedule to sun up/sun down saves us a lot, and makes us feel better, too : ).

 

would it feel better if you gave up one big thing for Lent that could make a financial difference?

 

:grouphug:

ann

[g7s22]

Not sure if this has been mentioned.. but we turn down the water heater to the lowest setting. Still gets plenty hot enough (we like hot showers). Usually there are multiple settings so you can slowly adjust down.

 

Also, unplug all appliances! Even little ones like the coffee maker.

 

Lastly, gifts always blow the budget, we had a very handmade christmas this year (I have hidden the sewing machine because I just can't look at it for a while).

[Soror]

Another way to save water is to turn off the water to most of your faucets. It's a lot easier to use less water if you have to work hard to get it or to get rid of it.

Well, I presented the composting toilet to dh but he was against it. We used one for a bit last week while we had plumbing issues and I was super impressed with the totally lack of smell even without any dumping in 2 days time. I don't think dh would be for an outhouse either and he'd likely freak about the turning water off, especially after the cold shower incident. I have been working on strictly limiting usage and generally we are using just the kitchen sink and 1 bathroom faucet during the day.

I don't know what part of the country you are in, so this might not help much right now, but we saved money this year by foraging a bit. We asked around and found people who didn't want to pick their apples, pears or elderberries. We got about 100 lb of apples, 30 lbs of pears, 12 lbs of elderberries, and several pounds of blackberries for free this year.

I did get some this year, 90 lbs or so of pears. I do plan on doing that more this year and also wild foraging, we are working on learning different medicinal and nourishing plants. I'm hoping that the garden and orchard produce some this year.

 

Have you thought about couponing? I did the drug store coupons for a couple years and stocked my closet with shampoo, toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, etc, etc, etc for a LONG time. I even had enough to give away to friends going through hard times. I paid $0 for these things.

I could stand to do some for a few things, as of now we use so little or I make it. I have a bit of a problem though that dh has preferences for the few items he uses and when I couponed those weren't the ones that were ever free but I could get them cheaper. I'm still working through the stash of shampoo I had bought up and razors as well, I think I have enough to last a year still yet. I've got probably the same w/ toothbrushes and soap as well. I am low on dh's deodrant though I need to start getting mil's paper though and just start watching to see if there is some . I can use, if the coupons are free there is nothing to lose.

Here in the part of texas I'm in, utilities are expensive. In the hottest months, my electric bill can be $600+ !!!

 

We have cut our bills by about a 1/3, WITHOUT changing our habits too much.

 

 

• Caulk all windows and doors.
  
• add the rubber insulation to all doors (If you can see daylight in the crack of the door, you're losing air/heat!)
  
• added attic barrier (looks like aluminum foil) in the attic ourselves. Two rolls was about $250, and we did it in one weekend while kids were sleeping. (too hot to work during the day, so we worked at night)
  
• made a "plug" for the fireplace when it's not in use. Less than $5 project. The hardware stores sell a 1" thick foam board that is for insulation. We bought a discounted scrap, cut it to fit the fireplace flu, added some duct tape handles, and put it in there when we're not using the fireplace.
  
• Made a "box" for the 2 attic entrances. In our house, we have a pull down attic ladder to give us access to the attic. One thin layer of plywood seperates the attic from our hallway, and lots of cold/hot air comes in through the "space". What I did was take the same insulation foam board as above and made a Box with top and sides only. It goes in the attic over the opening. All I have to do is push it out of my way, and set it back before I close back up the ladder. Does that make sense? It made a HUGE difference on the draftyness of the house! Super cheap, did it myself using a kitchen knife and duct tape. Lightweight but effective.
  

 

Good ideas I know some of these we need to do, like sealing the doors. We were going to do it this fall as dh wants to paint the doors at the same time but we didn't get it done and he doesn't want to take them off now. I talked to dh about the attic sheets and blocking the entrance but he has said with our insulation that it is not needed. We have spray foam which is sprayed directly under the eaves and it never gets very hot or cold up there, but it seems to me it couldn't hurt. I think it would be good as well to go around with caulk and check things out, our house is only 4.5 y.o.(since the rebuild) but it is good to check out regardless.

 

i woke up this morning thinking about you. are you on a well? because we are, we moved everyone to 5 minute showers, every other day. mostly, it works. and the kids can have twice as long if they shower together, which leads to some fun play. (there are pollypockets in our shower now... and barbies with mermaid tails made from duct tape....). but if you all are once a day folks, then that would save half your shampoo cost right there, and some water and water heating, too.

 

shifting our schedule to sun up/sun down saves us a lot, and makes us feel better, too : ).

 

would it feel better if you gave up one big thing for Lent that could make a financial difference?

 

:grouphug:

ann

Thanks~ for thinking. We are doing baths every few days as it is now. Our kids usually like to bath together as well! I do use some shampoo once a week but the kids don't use any. We try to keep daylight hrs as well, we go to bed at 8:30 , all of us!

 

There is no other big thing to take out of the budget, it is pretty bare bones. We've long since cut out most things(we've been working on saving 20% of our take home for e-fund, car fund and health care fund). I don't feel bad about it though don't worry. I love the challenge! I was checking electricity bills and doing the figuring and broke goals down into daily and monthly usage. My bill this month should be $60 less than last year for this month! Unfortunately/fortunately we are on budget billing though and I won't see that much of a drop at a time.

 

Not sure if this has been mentioned.. but we turn down the water heater to the lowest setting. Still gets plenty hot enough (we like hot showers). Usually there are multiple settings so you can slowly adjust down.

 

Also, unplug all appliances! Even little ones like the coffee maker.

 

Lastly, gifts always blow the budget, we had a very handmade christmas this year (I have hidden the sewing machine because I just can't look at it for a while).

 

Our water heater is turned down, I *think* I've tracked down everything with a phantom load, I was searching again today and don't think I missed anything but I'm keeping my eye out, it is always good to remember that, thanks!

Edited January 14, 2012 by soror

[starwarsmomma]

Our electric company will do a FREE audit on how to save on electricity.

 

They have this special camcorder that shows where all the heat is escaping from. Even BRAND NEW windows and doors can leak...

[PrincessMommy]

http://www.atticfoil.com/

 

It goes UP against the roof. Easy to install. Only tools needed are a knife/scissors to cut and staplegun. Holds up great and makes a HUGE difference.

 

We found a distributor and picked it up straight from his house, gave us a discount for picking it up and paying cash.

 

Thanks! This is very helpful.

[Soror]

Our electric company will do a FREE audit on how to save on electricity.

 

They have this special camcorder that shows where all the heat is escaping from. Even BRAND NEW windows and doors can leak...

 

I'm going to call and see if they do. I know we have air leakage in the doors from bad seals and the windows aren't the best either, although I don't feel any drafts. Then perhaps if they do I can settle with dh about whether it is worth it for us to do anything in the attic.

 

I picked up 2 books at the library-

1001 Ways to Cut Expenses

America's Cheapest Family

 

Let's see if I can pick up any new tricks there!

 

Oh, and dh came home and noticed the printer off, for some reason this annoys him to no end. Even though he hardly ever uses it. Sigh. Today I'm going to look up the recipe again for dishwasher detergent and try it again- I'm almost out of commercial but the last time it didn't work the best. The heater stayed off nearly the entire day yesterday and the temp stayed up pretty good(down to 65 at the lowest) I had the curtains/shades open as the sun was shining. Today is supposed to be just as warm(50) and sunny, so that should help.

 

I've worked out an alternating bath/laundry(3day wk baths-2-3day laundry-dh takes a quick shower almost daily) schedule hoping to keep the water usage down. As of late I've been doing 3 loads of laundry a week(I do have a large capacity washer). I'm going to see if I can cut that to 2 loads. I'm trying to keep a keen eye on the kids making sure they don't put clothes in the dirty that are clean(like church clothes wore 1 hour). We had chicken last night and I have enough left to make a soup for lunch today and supper tonight. I should have enough leftovers for all of us to have lunch tomorrow as well(as well as feed the Priest which I do on Mondays).

 

I think I might invite a friend over for a playdate Fri as well since we are staying home, the kids will have fun and we can save gas!

 

I also think I'm going to talk to dh about at least cutting Netflix for Feb, we'll see how receptive he is :)

[LaxMom]

Use rope caulk for your windows an unused doors. For doors that are used, consider installing a curtain rod above the trim and a "thermal curtain" (ours is an old comforter that I covered in neutral fabric) that will cover the entire door. If you want to get fancy, you can make a swing rod out of plumbing supplies.

 

Eta: we also vent our dryer indoors so, when we use it in the winter, it helps warm an humidify the house.

Edited January 15, 2012 by MyCrazyHouse

[Xilka]

I don't buy anything homeschool-wise except ink for printing, internet time, and the obvious paper/pencils/crayons etc. I make a lot of our worksheets myself. Lentils have replaced shrimp night and steak night. We only eat out once a month.

[PrincessMommy]

When I was a teen I babysat for a family that was very frugal. One thing she did that seemed radical was she would take the bath water in buckets and fill the washer with it on the wash cycle. It was just one baby in the tub at the time so it wasn't that dirty but then again, she was washing dirty clothes with it. She rinsed with clean water, of course. I believe she told me she was at the point where the water co. was giving her money back! I don't know what else she was doing though.

 

Now that I'm no longer on well water I'm pondering this for myself, at least a couple of times to see how well it works. I love to take a nice soaking bath at night in the winter, but it does use up so much water. It'd be nice to re-use it, but it might be too sloshy from the upstairs bath to the laundry room. We'll see.

[kwickimom]

I am in the same position as you. As we got serious about paying debt and doing it on hardly anything because dh has gotten his bonuses and OT taken away and no raise in 4 years, our van broke down, I broke my root canal tooth in half and we just got a bill from JUNE when our air conditioner broke in our van and he "forgot" to charge us for something and now just figures it out (already paid the man $1000). All that and we are $400 short for reg bills. I am selling everything I have.

 

Heres a few things we have done:

 

I hung blankets over the front door we dont use and the patio door. I bought cheap curtain rods and then these rings that have clips on the bottom. I then bought those $5 blankets from Walmart (you could check the thrift stores) and hung them up. Thermal backed curtains are uber expensive.

 

Every week I have been dropping the temp 1 degree, no one has noticed yet :)

 

I bought a big pack of $4 washcloths awhile back at Walmart and now we dont use paper towels.

 

Check on Pinterest....1,000 of recipes for homemade cleaners and stuff. I make ALL of mine. Borax, baking soda, and vinegar do a lot of stuff. Tons of ideas to repurpose things and save money.

 

We rarely ever use ziploc bags or saran wrap or whatever. Reusable containers from the thrift store.

 

I joined the 52 weeks to an organized house challenge. Just in 2 weeks week I found a bunch of stuff I never would have thought of to sell because I cleaned out every cabinet. Anything you dont use, SELL.

 

I plugged in a nightlight in the hallway and bathroom (the ones that only come on when dark) and do not let the kids turn the lights on. I am also using up the candles I have at night instead of turning on lights.

 

Good Luck, I will post more as we figure them out!

[DawnM]

We have done Crown Financial and actually started teaching it as it changed our lives so drastically.

 

The best way for me to save is to set a strict budget for each category.

 

If I have $100 in cash walking in to Costco I am far less likely to buy packaged items or frivolous items. I buy what I need to feed my family.

 

Here are some things we do (and I really need to get ready for church!)

 

1. Drive older cars that run well and take care of them.

 

2. Make our own whenever possible, this includes laundry, cleaning, etc....

 

3. Fix it rather than replace it if we can.

 

4. Cut extras- cut cable TV, cut activities the kids really aren't "into"

 

5. Buy 2nd hand as much as possible. Kid's clothing, shoes, gadgets, toys

 

6. If I want it, I research the cheapest way to do it.....this includes Disney! :D

 

There are many more, but I really do need to get going this am.

 

PS: I WILL NOT do family cloth or eat roadkill......there are limits to my frugality!

[hillfarm]

As kwickimom mentioned, although you do a great job of managing the small stuff, the big stuff can creep up and wipe you out. So be sure not to be penny wise and pound foolish. Identify your largest potential expenditures and do all you can to contain them. As my Granny used to say, "Don't bother putting bandaids on scratches while bleeding to death from a stab wound."

 

Be economical with food choices, but be sure that your family is getting the proper nutrients. One run down metabolism, one nasty illness can result in huge Dr. bills and wipe out all your hard earned grocery savings in a flash.

 

If car repairs are eating a big chunk of your budget, consider trying to improve regular maintenance, decrease the number of miles/trips driven. If your vehicles are older, consider raising your insurance deductible to a larger amount and put that amount away for safekeeping. Then if you have a claim, you have enough set aside to move ahead with it quickly. But be sure to replace your "deductible coverage amount" asap.

 

You can also do the same with homeowners coverage. The key is to be sure to keep that deductible amount set aside so that you will not have a financial crisis along with an insurance one.

 

At one point when dh had just changed jobs and we had a lag in health insurance coverage, we immediately went around and did an Accident Prevention Inspection. We cleaned up and fixed as many potential accident problems as possible to cut down on the possibility of an expensive accident during those critical 3 months. We also temporarily avoided risky activities, such as ice skating and extreme sledding, until the health insurance situation was remedied.

 

Regarding husbands freaking out about the idea of not being able to afford their luxuries, perhaps if you could approach it from another angle you might have more success. For example, talk to him about cutting back on certain things for health reasons. It is much easier for him to confide to friends that he is giving up smoking or Doritos or whatever because he wants to be around to see his children's children rather than losing face and admitting that those things are out of his price range.

 

Bottom line, don't major on the minors while neglecting the majors. Working on the little things will definitely add up, but one big expense can wipe out all those small savings. So be sure to spend at least as much time focusing on containing/controlling/preventing the big hits as you do on things like reusing bath water, coupon clipping, etc. It's not as exciting and doesn't feel as rewarding, but run the numbers and you will see that it is important.

[elfgivas]

what a great thread....

 

when i said "really big" i was thinking of things like putting one car up on blocks for Lent, changing its licensing to "not operational" and its insurance to the bare minimum, saving gas money, insurance money, licensing money......

 

giving up netflix for lent might work..... i'm just thinking that it may help to have it linked to a religious event. that way, it feels more faithful than miserly if anyone is rebelling a bit....

 

fwiw,

ann

[Soror]

Use rope caulk for your windows an unused doors. For doors that are used, consider installing a curtain rod above the trim and a "thermal curtain" (ours is an old comforter that I covered in neutral fabric) that will cover the entire door.

Eta: we also vent our dryer indoors so.

Yes, I need to have some more thermal curtains I have most of the windows, but not all. I've been watching goodwill and such for some comforters to reuse but haven't came across any at a reasonable price. Right now we're using all our covers, I need to look again to see if I have any fabric I can use- I might have some old curtains that might help some.

 

I talked to dh today and we researched more into the radiant barrier. It doesn't seem to be needed for our insulation, it already blocks the heat/air transfer. However, he did say there were some spots to seal in the attic ingoing and outgoing pipes and such and we already have the material to do so and he said he'd work on making a covering for the attic hole, which we have the materials as well.

 

I talked to dh before about venting the dryer inside but I've been linedrying anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.

I don't buy anything homeschool-wise except ink for printing, internet time, and the obvious paper/pencils/crayons etc. .

I've been thinking about next year I think I can get by with only a Math program for dh. Hopefully I can find it used though, I've had pretty good luck finding most everything I want used. I bought a new spelling program that will work for all grades(HTTS) and hopefully can re-coup most of that cost from selling AAS (which I had bought used ). I think we'll be doing vintage LA as I'd been researching that anyway. Science I used free lessons online and I think I'll pull together something on history as well.

 

When I was a teen I babysat for a family that was very frugal. One thing she did that seemed radical was she would take the bath water in buckets and fill the washer with it on the wash cycle.

She must have been a well miser with the water!!!

I wonder about this as we are on well-water, so I don't pay for it, just for the electricity to pump it. I'm not up to buckets in the tub but I do need to do buckets in my kitchen sink. I was thinking of just using it for flush water though, then there isn't much water about the cleanliness. I do want to install catchment as well and was looking at that this am, perhaps we can get a small system set-up this summer and look larger scale in a few years.

I am in the same position as you. As we got serious about paying debt and doing it on hardly anything

Heres a few things we have done:

 

I hung blankets over the front door we dont use and the patio door.

 

Every week I have been dropping the temp 1 degree

I bought a big pack of $4 washcloths awhile back at Walmart and now we dont use paper towels.

 

Check on Pinterest....1,000 of recipes for homemade cleaners and stuff.

 

We rarely ever use ziploc bags or saran wrap or whatever. Reusable containers from the thrift store.

 

I joined the 52 weeks to an organized house challenge.

 

I plugged in a nightlight in the hallway and bathroom

 

I did enlist the kids and they like to police the lights and plug-ins for me!

 

Good ideas- I see one I need to work one- ziploc bags- I use cheapos from the Dollar store sometimes.

 

I like the ideal of candles at night as well- I'll tell dh that it is romantic :)

 

I don't think I have much to sell but I could stand to look again. I generally do a big declutter 2x a year and cleared out a huge amount of stuff last year. I try to keep things pretty sparse though.

 

We have done Crown Financial and actually started teaching it as it changed our lives so drastically.

 

The best way for me to save is to set a strict budget for each category.

 

If I have $100 in cash walking in to Costco I am far less likely to buy packaged items or frivolous items. I buy what I need to feed my family.

 

Here are some things we do (and I really need to get ready for church!)

 

1. Drive older cars that run well and take care of them.

 

2. Make our own whenever possible, this includes laundry, cleaning, etc....

 

3. Fix it rather than replace it if we can.

 

4. Cut extras- cut cable TV, cut activities the kids really aren't "into"

 

5. Buy 2nd hand as much as possible. Kid's clothing, shoes, gadgets, toys

 

6. If I want it, I research the cheapest way to do it.....this includes Disney! :D

 

There are many more, but I really do need to get going this am.

 

PS: I WILL NOT do family cloth or eat roadkill......there are limits to my frugality!

Ha! I would be up for family cloth but dh vetoed that :) I thought about starting it for the kids and me but now that I'm not washing cloth diapers I'm not real keen on doing those w/ the regular laundry! No roadkill here either but dh does hunt!

 

All great tips~ I think we do pretty good on those things~ but there is always room for improvement. Sometimes I give up looking for something used. We don't really have activities other than Boy Scouts which after the initial investment hasn't been much of anything.

 

As kwickimom mentioned, although you do a great job of managing the small stuff, the big stuff can creep up and wipe you out. So be sure not to be penny wise and pound foolish. Identify your largest potential expenditures and do all you can to contain them. As my Granny used to say, "Don't bother putting bandaids on scratches while bleeding to death from a stab wound."

 

Be economical with food choices, but be sure that your family is getting the proper nutrients.

If car repairs are eating a big chunk of your budget, consider trying to improve regular maintenance, decrease the number of miles/trips driven. If your vehicles are older, consider raising your insurance deductible to a larger amount and put that amount away for safekeeping.

 

At one point when dh had just changed jobs and we had a lag in health insurance coverage, we immediately went around and did an Accident Prevention Inspection.

 

Regarding husbands freaking out about the idea of not being able to afford their luxuries, perhaps if you could approach it from another angle you might have more success. For example, talk to him about cutting back on certain things for health reasons

 

Bottom line, don't major on the minors while neglecting the majors.

Dh's only vice left is occasional Mt Dew at work- I've played up the health level with him but I've decided to stop nagging, he has a small amt- like $10-20 blow a month that he can spend how he wants. I don't buy junk for the house and he goes along with that just fine. Some of the energy cutbacks he doesn't see it as worth it. I don't see it as a bother, so I think why not! He is not embarassed around friends though, all our friends are the type to drive older cars, pay cash, buy used etc. He doesn't like to be hassled though and evidently having to plug up the printer occasionally qualifies. He doesn't grip too big though and I try to do nothing that really bothers him, like turning off the hot water :)

Great ideas! We did examine deductible and coverage rates last year and we are at a good level. I'm still carrying full coverage on our vehicles until the funds are completed and we do have the deductible. Dh does all our maintenance and any repairs that he can(has the equipment to do- I cannot recall the last thing we paid for). He is pretty good about taking good care of things, he is very mechanical.

 

I'm not cutting our food quality, well not to the degree of processed food. I've been working for years to source out good food for reasonable costs. I do have room for improvement but generally we buy whole ingredients and I cook from scratch pretty much every meal. I'm very into taking good care of ourselves. Thus far we've been blessed w/ relatively little illness- 1 instance of everyone getting sick and 2 surgeries for my genetic anomaly husband. Thus why I'm saving up the full amt of our max out of pocket.

 

I've never thought about Accident Prevention- very interesting. I'll keep an eye out around here, I'm sure there are some things to consider and change!

 

what a great thread....

 

when i said "really big" i was thinking of things like putting one car up on blocks for Lent, changing its licensing to "not operational" and its insurance to the bare minimum, saving gas money, insurance money, licensing money......

 

giving up netflix for lent might work..... i'm just thinking that it may help to have it linked to a religious event. that way, it feels more faithful than miserly if anyone is rebelling a bit....

 

fwiw,

ann

Wow, now your talking hard core! We pay insurance by the year so it is already paid up. We cannot give up any vehicle because it would cost more than it save. Dh's car is far better than mine for mileage and he drives alot but we cannot all fit into it for church.

 

I could consider no trips but church in Lent but I think I'd rather keep them to a minimum. I think it might to feel more like to much deprivation but who knows that is something to consider- thanks for brainstorming with me :)

[laughing lioness]

Frugal snack: homemade microwave popcorn.

Put 1/2 cup corn in paper bag. Fold down twice. Microwave till popping is done.

it takes our microwave about 4 min and 20 sec. for 1/2 cup of popcorn. You can buy 50# bags at Sams for around $8. Healthy and cheap and if you get the timing down on your microwave, no wasted corn.

[Soror]

Frugal snack: homemade microwave popcorn.

Put 1/2 cup corn in paper bag. Fold down twice. Microwave till popping is done.

it takes our microwave about 4 min and 20 sec. for 1/2 cup of popcorn. You can buy 50# bags at Sams for around $8. Healthy and cheap and if you get the timing down on your microwave, no wasted corn.

 

Very cool! I always do mine on the stovetop and didn't really know you could do it in the microwave homemade. That would sure save on energy costs, thanks!

[BillieBoy]

Great post!

We try to live as fugally as possible not only for the savings, but for the health benefits and our lesser basic footprint.

 

WATER: We, too, are on a well; however, we use two systems. One is your standard pressure tank to the house. When you use up the pressure your well pump kicks on and refills. This sporadic surge creates wear and tear on your well pump, but we do use this system some of the time. The second system in place is a 2,000 gal cistern tank. We pump (depending on our static level) a few times a day and run a 12-volt surflo pump to the house and barn. We do have a battery charger, but you can easily charge the battery off of your car alternator while going back and forth. I also only line dry; all year. I do have a fancy dryer, but ended up asking my DH to stick it in the barn. It was collecting cobwebs. We live in NE Washington State. Right now it’s 16 degrees outside and I have a load drying on our indoor line next to our wood stove. I wash all dishes by hand. Dishwashers take electricity.

 

ELECTRICITY: We are fortunate to live in one of the lowest electrical districts in the country. However, we are still extremely frugal and aware. All lights are florescent or LED’s. Yes, initially they are more expensive, but I have yet to replace an LED light bulb, they are rated for 10,000 hours. I’ll probably pass them on to my kid. ;). One 2.5 watt LED replaces a 60watt incandescent. We have electric heaters, heat lamps, and an electric fan/propane furnace; WE DO NOT USE THEM AT ALL. TV is on only in the evenings, (no cable or sat) and we are avid library users. Yes, we are very rural, but most counties are on an interlibrary system. We also frequent pawn shops and get really great classic movies and documentaries for less than a $1. We have a point of use propane water heater and cook with propane (I cook A LOT, in fact everything) I find electric ovens and stoves extremely inefficient. Our propane usage for those two appliances is around five gallons a month (@ $2.3 a gal. bulk). Our monthly electric bill last month was $42.00 in the dead of winter.

 

HEAT: Wood stove. We live in Washington State…it’s a renewable resource. We have our own twenty acre wood lot that we replant, but we have gotten permits too. In our area the BLM, the Forest service, and big logging operations will have sales on their slash. For instance, the Forest Service gives out permits for $20 for 10 cords of wood per family. That’s a two year supply for us. We’re below freezing for five months out of the year. All you need is a truck or trailer, a chain saw and a bit of elbow grease. Besides, wood warms you twice, in the cutting and the burning. ;) I also made Warm Windows, even though our windows are double pane Energy Star. I make snakes for all outside doors. We don’t use our front door in the winter only the back door, because it opens into our mud room (where I root cellar a lot of veggies) and we don’t heat it. Then we always keep the mud room door closed with a snake. Doing this creates a wind lock and significantly decreases heat loss from going in and out.

 

FOOD: I’ve written a few posts about this already. In gist, I grow most all of our vegetable needs for the year. I can, dehydrate, freeze and root cellar to preserve and have an indoor salad garden in the winter. My yearly produce shopping list made from seed catalogues. I’m about ready to order next week. So far I’m under $100, and that only because I’m buying a few perennial vegetable plants. I also incorporate somewhat of a cook ahead plan. In the beginning of the month everything I cook is in double or triple batches then I freeze the other portions. I use almost the same energy, but it’s less work for me. We also raise our own livestock for meat and try and grow most of our own feed. I do buy other staples in bulk, store and rotate. I know you said you don’t have a cell phone, but I find my little camera an easy way of price comparison shopping, although you do kind of look like a spy.

 

I’m sorry for being wordy, I’ll shut up now. :blushing: I love this subject. I’m hoping I can glean a few more ideas from others.

[Sharon H in IL]

I read an interesting analysis once about the cost of various types of cooking. The author figured that Mexican style cooking was the least expensive of those she studied. Beans & corn made up the bulk of the protein. Ingredients were used multiple ways, so there was very little waste, and with plenty of vegetables as the core of the menu, it was extremely healthful as well.

 

I'm enjoying this thread. And may I say I am extremely impressed with the o.p.'s attitude of fun about saving money. Soror, you so remind me of our beloved Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette! ;)

[Soror]

Great post!

We try to live as fugally as possible not only for the savings, but for the health benefits and our lesser basic footprint.

 

WATER: We, too, are on a well; however, we use two systems. One is your standard pressure tank to the house. When you use up the pressure your well pump kicks on and refills. This sporadic surge creates wear and tear on your well pump, but we do use this system some of the time. The second system in place is a 2,000 gal cistern tank. We pump (depending on our static level) a few times a day and run a 12-volt surflo pump to the house and barn. We do have a battery charger, but you can easily charge the battery off of your car alternator while going back and forth. I also only line dry; all year. I do have a fancy dryer, but ended up asking my DH to stick it in the barn. It was collecting cobwebs. We live in NE Washington State. Right now it’s 16 degrees outside and I have a load drying on our indoor line next to our wood stove. I wash all dishes by hand. Dishwashers take electricity.

Thanks for telling me about your system. We've looked into various things trying to figure out what will work with our situation. I love reading more ideas. I think our first goal is building a passive solar water heater. I'm hoping the end of this year or next, depending on funds. Our water heater is nearing the end of it's life as it is, so it wouldn't be too much of an initial investment when offset by reg replacement. We looked as different tank options for storage but haven't thought of a system yet to work with our layout. I'd love to do catchment as our well is so deep I think that would be one of the more energy efficient things for us. Do you guys do any catchment?

ELECTRICITY: We are fortunate to live in one of the lowest electrical districts in the country. However, we are still extremely frugal and aware. All lights are florescent or LED’s. Yes, initially they are more expensive, but I have yet to replace an LED light bulb, they are rated for 10,000 hours. I’ll probably pass them on to my kid. ;). One 2.5 watt LED replaces a 60watt incandescent. We have electric heaters, heat lamps, and an electric fan/propane furnace; WE DO NOT USE THEM AT ALL. TV is on only in the evenings, (no cable or sat) and we are avid library users. Yes, we are very rural, but most counties are on an interlibrary system. We also frequent pawn shops and get really great classic movies and documentaries for less than a $1. We have a point of use propane water heater and cook with propane (I cook A LOT, in fact everything) I find electric ovens and stoves extremely inefficient. Our propane usage for those two appliances is around five gallons a month (@ $2.3 a gal. bulk). Our monthly electric bill last month was $42.00 in the dead of winter.

We have flourescent but haven't upgraded to LED yet. We priced them but man they are expensive!!! I'm sure a good investment but I'm hoping for the price to come down. We don't have cable either and I try to keep the tv usage to a few times a week at most. Our current avg for Electric everything- house 3000sq(upstairs and down) is $125 month. I'm working on lowering it to $100. As I said I know we have some areas that need addressed. I really want to use more alternative energy for cooking- I'd like to use solar and wood - I know that is a big energy expenditure for us. We also have a tank for our back-up heat and generator and dh and I have talked about switching to a gas stove when mine dies- I didn't have a clue as to how much they would take just to cook though. I'm going to have to do some figuring on mine to see how it compares

HEAT: Wood stove. We live in Washington State…it’s a renewable resource. We have our own twenty acre wood lot that we replant, but we have gotten permits too. In our area the BLM, the Forest service, and big logging operations will have sales on their slash. For instance, the Forest Service gives out permits for $20 for 10 cords of wood per family. That’s a two year supply for us. We’re below freezing for five months out of the year. All you need is a truck or trailer, a chain saw and a bit of elbow grease. Besides, wood warms you twice, in the cutting and the burning. ;) I also made Warm Windows, even though our windows are double pane Energy Star. I make snakes for all outside doors. We don’t use our front door in the winter only the back door, because it opens into our mud room (where I root cellar a lot of veggies) and we don’t heat it. Then we always keep the mud room door closed with a snake. Doing this creates a wind lock and significantly decreases heat loss from going in and out. Thanks for the window link I have some thermal shades but need to do the rest of the house. I like that there is explicit instructions I need to look into making some myself!

 

Dh and I have discussed the wood heat several times! At first he was so adamant against it- he had it growing up and grew sick of messing with it. He is not so opposed now but when I figured our electricity cost for heat this year it will be about $350-$400- it would take us 10 yrs+ to have any payout. So, right now we are looking at doing some other cost cutting first and making the house as energy efficient as we can.

 

FOOD: I’ve written a few posts about this already. In gist, I grow most all of our vegetable needs for the year. I can, dehydrate, freeze and root cellar to preserve and have an indoor salad garden in the winter. My yearly produce shopping list made from seed catalogues. I’m about ready to order next week. So far I’m under $100, and that only because I’m buying a few perennial vegetable plants. I also incorporate somewhat of a cook ahead plan. In the beginning of the month everything I cook is in double or triple batches then I freeze the other portions. I use almost the same energy, but it’s less work for me. We also raise our own livestock for meat and try and grow most of our own feed. I do buy other staples in bulk, store and rotate. I know you said you don’t have a cell phone, but I find my little camera an easy way of price comparison shopping, although you do kind of look like a spy.

 

I’m sorry for being wordy, I’ll shut up now. :blushing: I love this subject. I’m hoping I can glean a few more ideas from others.

I appreciate the blathering! I love hearing about others, we are on the beginning of the journey. We raise rabbits now for meat and are to add chickens and bees this year.

 

In the past I've grown some food but the last few years I haven't had good luck or planning. I'm hoping this year goes better. A root cellar is certainly on the list! Until then I buy in bulk. I need to do more bulk cooking though, to save energy and time- something to work on!!!

[Soror]

I read an interesting analysis once about the cost of various types of cooking. The author figured that Mexican style cooking was the least expensive of those she studied. Beans & corn made up the bulk of the protein. Ingredients were used multiple ways, so there was very little waste, and with plenty of vegetables as the core of the menu, it was extremely healthful as well.

 

I'm enjoying this thread. And may I say I am extremely impressed with the o.p.'s attitude of fun about saving money. Soror, you so remind me of our beloved Amy Dacyczyn of The Tightwad Gazette! ;)

 

Aw what a compliment! I've got a ways to go!!!

 

Interesting about the Mexican- I'm experimenting right now as I do better low carb but I'm trying to work with stretching meals the best- to save money- have good taste and the best nutrition possible. I'm trying to do lots of veggies- which is good as with the land we have I have more chance growing veggies than any grain.

[Laura Corin]

Is your house well insulated? More insulation in the roof could save you a lot for summer cooling and winter heating.

 

Really reviving this thread to talk about cardboard. I get cold feet at work (old stone village hall used as post office) standing on carpet laid directly onto concrete. This year I've put layers of cardboard under the carpet and it has made an enormous difference to how warm my feet can stay (with two pairs of socks and fleece-lined boots). You've have to be sure that the carpet couldn't slide and cause an accident though.

 

Laura

[ZooRho]

I started making my own laundry soap. Not only is it the best laundry detergent I have ever, ever used, it makes a HUGE batch, and it incredibly cheap. Here is the link http://feliciaawilliams.suite101.com/washing-clothes-for-pennies-a21874 and not to mention very easy. I use costco brand soap.

for christmas I made a huge batch and put it into quart jars and attached the recipe to it.

 

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/

I make my own soap too. I use the one from the above website. She has other suggestions for frugal living.

 

I also use vinegar for the rinse and for other household cleaning.

 

I line dry too.

 

I don't use shampoo any more, I've gone no poo,

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Go-No-Poo/

I still occasionally use conditioner.

 

And I'm using cloth TP= just me and only for p, I actually prefer it now.

[Soror]

We have super duper insulation, the best available locally, spray foam super thick. Dh still needs to go to the attic and spray around some outgoing pipes and vents though- thanks for the reminder!

 

We have hardwood so I know about cold feet! I always wear flip-flops or such in the house because even when it is warm I don't like walking barefeet!!! It does make a big difference in the temperature I can tolerate!