[conniel18848]

The dr is a good one. I bet i have 50 glucose moniters sealed in totes in the shed. with coupons and cbb i got paid to buy them.
But my dr. is also a friend going through some major medical problems.
So i drop hot meals here and there when i get time and send homeade baked goods when i can. I have a problem with exams knowing her so well but i self diagnose real well anyway. Anyone need moniters.

[libby2595]

i don't think i'm adding anything new, but here is my short list

* i have an SO who is handy and knows how to fix a car
* i bake our own bread
* i'm cooking a lot from scratch (hoping to continue to increase this)
* i use swagbucks to earn extra cash that will go for christmas shopping
* wash in cold water only
* drive an old(er) car until it dies
* bring my lunch to work
* no debt (besides the house)
* cut the cable
* reduced a lot of insurances that i didn't need

[Jakejake]

I forgot the TMI categories!
diva cup instead of paying for tampons
homemade gladrags instead of pads (though I still get some if they are free)
IUD instead of condoms

and someone here recently bumped a thread about removing skin tags: http://www.afullcup.com/forums/beaut...ags-warts.html
I got inspired by that and gave it a try on some I was considering having the doctor remove at my next visit. My verdict: icing the heck out of them and snipping them off was painfree and shockingly easy. The thread method is also crazy easy and painfree, good for larger ones or if you can't get up the nerve to just snip.

[Robbo]

Originally Posted by Jakejake

I forgot the TMI categories!
diva cup instead of paying for tampons
homemade gladrags instead of pads (though I still get some if they are free)
IUD instead of condoms

and someone here recently bumped a thread about removing skin tags: http://www.afullcup.com/forums/beaut...ags-warts.html
I got inspired by that and gave it a try on some I was considering having the doctor remove at my next visit. My verdict: icing the heck out of them and snipping them off was painfree and shockingly easy. The thread method is also crazy easy and painfree, good for larger ones or if you can't get up the nerve to just snip.

Ok, I'm cringing as I ask this. But I can't help it. What's a gladrag?

Also, OMG good to know about the skin tags! They seem to multiply exponentially in direct proportion to my age and the number of children I have. I hate those things!

[libby2595]

Originally Posted by Robbo

Ok, I'm cringing as I ask this. But I can't help it. What's a gladrag?

Also, OMG good to know about the skin tags! They seem to multiply exponentially in direct proportion to my age and the number of children I have. I hate those things!

glad rags are the original/old fashioned way women dealt with their menstrual cycles: rags that are used, washed, and re-used.

if you don't like the idea of a "rag", there are pretty reusable pads on the market. you can buy them or make them

hth

[Jakejake]

yep, it's just a cloth pad, nowadays usually sewn with the wings and a snap to keep it in place. It just goes into the laundry after a presoak. And there's an odd tradition of making them out of crazy patterned flannel - 60's prints, pirate themes, there's even pokeman ones: http://www.geekologie.com/2009/09/20...s-bleeding.jpg

[debihutton]

We heat with wood and cut it ourselves. I'm a retired teacher and hairdresser so I barter haircuts for help on the farm. We raise and sell eggs and beef. I plan meals according to coupons and sales. I clip our dogs myself. Barebones phone service - no caller id or anything on land line and cheap phones for cellular. When we need to buy a large item I search the Internet for the best price and reviews. We own our car and trucks and just keep liablity insurance. I plan every shopping trip, and buy towels, sheets, throw rugs, and most of our clothes and my purses and shoes at local thrift stores.

[wuschelsmom]

When showering, turn off water for soaping and rinse quickly after, over the year it will save money.
Use dishwasher instead of hand-wash. Machine is more economical and cleaner.
Also put sponges in to the dishwasher, makes them germ free, or put wet sponge in to the microwave for about one minute on high. This way sponges last long and are save to use.
Put in energy saving light bulbs everywhere.
Put a glass-jar filled with water in your toilets water tank, saves at flushing every time.
Use vinegar for your all purpose cleaner.

[matica]

great thread! very informative. I no longer fill up my soap dispenser for the bathrooms like I used to. I switched to the Dial foam pump. You only need to put 1/4 amount of liquid soap. Fill with water and shake to disolve. Hope this wasn't already posted.

[4my5kds]

Here's my list- sorry couldn't pick just three:

~ I cut everyones hair in the house also color mine

~ I buy most of our stuff at garage sales/thrift stores (No malls)

~ I line dry most of our clothes (thrifty+avoids shrinkage)

~ Get our DVD's from the library or Redbox (No movie theaters)

~ when we go on vacation, we go in my Dad's RV-( senior's camp free with pass at National Parks and $15 at state parks mon-thurs.) we also have camp membership

~Everytime I get in the car I take drinks/snacks from home-(Avoid drive thrus)

~Use my crock pot weekly-this allows me to buy cheaper cuts of meat, because slow cooking tenderizes them and dinner is done when I get home (avoid drive thrus)

~ Zoo membership-pays for itself in two visits, can bring in picnic lunches, can use at other zoos for free/cheap-my kids still love the zoo-cheap entertainment our zoo has concerts as well.

~ During summer-weekly early evening free concerts/movies in the park- free entertainment (Cleveland Ohio- Wade Oval wednesdays)

~ Got a pool off Craigslist-no more paying entry fees for 6 people to a pool + save on gas, Don't have to worry sickos around the pool (4 girls yes, I am paranoid)

~ Sold off all my gold jewelry that I had not worn since 1987 -"fly girl hoops and rope chains" think Run DMC here....

~ Print coupons at my college's computer labs-saves on paper, ink and it gives me access to many computers

~ When we go out to eat I find "Kids eat free" or BOGO or the kids share an order

~ When produce is in season- I go to the farmer direct and buy "seconds/blemished/ripes" then I either freeze, can or make low sugar jam.

~When the kids get home from school they take their school clothes off right away and put on lounge/play clothes-this keeps their school clothes from getting ruined, saves from buying clothes.

~Once or twice a year we go to a big outlet mall in PA (no sales tax on clothing) and I get all the kids stuff that I have not been able to get at garage sales that they need. I save a bundle because I use store q's, shopper card and don't pay tax. Plus things are already heavily discounted there.

~ I pay for everything, even bills with my debit card # and I get points for $1=1 point. Then I cash points in for gift cards or prizes. Last time I cashed them was in November I got $150 BP gas card.

~ I opened a savings account I tied it to my checking account I keep $100 in there and "pretend" like its not there, so I never get over-draft charges or fees anymore if I overdraw my checking account. I once had to pay $32.00 for an overdraft when I bought a soda at school -never agin!

~ When I cash in my gas discounts at the grocery store, I take plastic gas cans and get all 30 gallons that I am entitled to with the discount

[miralys]

Fun post!

1. I use MyPoints when ordering online.

2. Stopped feeding the dogs cheap food. It seems counterintuitive, but since purchasing better food at the feed store, ear infections, itchiness and vet visits have stopped (as has the need to purchase medications for said maladies).

3. Got a Netflix streaming box.

[joshmamabear]

those who love to go on road trips/nature trips,

it will come out cheaper to get the annual pass to national parks. I think we paid $80 @ Yellowstone last year and if you visit at least 3 or 4 parks when you're doing several states, you already got value of your money and the rest of your entrance fees for the year will be free. added advantage if you have the annual pass is you can breeze through express lanes instead of waiting in line.

[nowpoints]

momasully,Could you please tell us what kind of chicken you raise for meat?
What kind of feed? We are thinking of raising them as well.

mcdlady1-What is your recipe for homemade salsa?

Enjoying this thread, looking for more ideas.

[mcdlady1]

Okay for homemade salsa I don't measure but here you go
1 can of diced tomatoes..juice and all
small palmful of cumin (probably a tablespoon)
salt (same as cumin)
6-8 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 onion slice and let blender or food processor do the rest
put all ingredients in blender and pulse until desired thickness and add more of any of the above till it tastes the way you like it

you can also cut up an avacodo and add some salt to it and mash and add some of this and it makes great guacamole.

If you try it let me know if you like it

[Weatie]

Originally Posted by mommasully

i really love the idea of this thread thanks!!!


vaccinate my own animals...right now i only have one dog, but have had as many as 3 at a time, it really adds up...especially when you have a puppy...find a friend who is a nurse.... it is not hard at all...my doggy (beagle mix) hardly even notices...i also clip her nails and always bathe her myself...in the winter i use the self service section at Petsmart (about $9, but the mess in my white tub would take FOREVER before i was ok with it)...shop around for vaccine prices...they can really get you on the shipping...

I also, vaccinate my horses. Not my dog though.

[ali_mae]

wow!! Great post!!!

I know alot of this had already been said but here is ours--

unplug EVERYTHING after we are done using it. Being military we never worried about our electric bill until we rented and woweee! I managed to cut our electric bill by 60.00 in one month by unplugging--that includes the washing machine (cant reach the dryer!)

I plant a garden when I can (when I cant have a "real" garden, I do container gardens! You would be surprised at what you can grow!)

We cut off our netflix. We didnt always watch the movies and once we caught up on mad men, it went!

We play board games! It is freezing cold and I dont want to go out anyway, so about every 2 months we spend maybe 20.00 (or less depending) and we get a new boardgame. DH and I turn off the phone, TV etc and spend some time together. Our latest addiction has been scrabble and it has made me less forgetful and increased my vocabulary!!

Library. Always.

Used furniture. I wanted a mahogany end table and found a beautiful Thomasville one with dovetailed drawers in LN condition for a steal! I also haunt the thrift stores and craigslist (and bulk pickup days on post!) for items I can recondition. Found a childs table and chairs (wooden) painted it white and found Thomas the Tank wall stickers on clearance at Target for .75 and voila! New thomas table!!

We have a LandRover and a Subaru and whenever I have to go somewhere that is farther than 10 miles I wait till DH comes home and I drive the Subaru, which gets waaaaay better gas mileage. Also cuts down the wear and tear on the Rover, which is pricey to service

We change our own oil.

We use cloth napkins.

I always ask at stores if they offer a military discount.

I am not above jumping in a dumpster. I found a bunch of previously viewed DVDs in the dumpster behind a well known video chain. All in great condition. I sold them on ebay after I made sure they worked.

scratch cooking!

Powdered milk (if I am running low on "real" milk I mix up powdered and add it to the jug)

sorry so long, but I am loving hearing how everyone saves!!

[pram83]

I sun dry my laundry.
keep the heater down during daytime.
use old clothes as dusters rather than papertowels.

[libby2595]

i've just decided that i am going to re-read this thread once a week to start using the ideas listed. i'll see which ones work for my family and use them.

i know one that i have to put into practice is unplugging electronics or using more surge protectors. this will be the first one i try!

again, thanks for all the sharing!!

[Mishkia]

Some wont agree with doing this but.. I cut whole milk with water... I take out 1/3 of the gallon and replace it with water. My family goes through a gallon of milk a day easily and its not cheap, so I started doing this and have saved a lot of money! My family gets plenty of calcium from cheeses ect so there are no worries with them becoming vitamin deficient.

I can each year: Green beans, tomatoes ect ect. I made salsa, jelly, spaghetti sauce and chili seasoning among other things last year.

I turn the thermostat way down at night. You get a lot of warmth when you are under the covers.. so I set it at 66 to 68 in the day time and 60 to 62 at night.

[birdlady6262]

I love all the posts!

We haven't eaten out in a restaurant in nearly 18 months with the exception of our anniversary. Rather than eating out with friends/family, we invite them over for dinner. We don't miss it either with all the good food we get with couponing. My DH has been going with me shopping lately and gets so excited about our savings.

We plan and combine our car trips and never go to the store just for one thing.

Practice good hygiene and home remedies, i.e., gargling with salt water.

Use the library to check out DVDS.

Color my own hair.

Clip our dog's nails and bathe them ourselves.

Have a programmable thermostat to automaticaly decrease in the evening. Wear sweatshirts, sweaters, or layers in the house in the winter, along with houseshoes to keep feet warm.

Remove shoes when entering house to keep carpet clean longer.

Cancelled our cell phones and bought trac phones. Saves us $600+ per year over the cell plan we had.

Not a frugal tip but good advice: We give to others and share the many blessings we have received.

[matica]

Going to a Vet for your dog/cat annual vaccinations cost a bundle. If you're like me and can't do it yourself the cheapest way is thru Petco. A company called LuvMyPet.com is at Petco on weekends. You have to wait in line but I saved a fortune because I have 2 dogs. I think the package was $65 and included Rabies, 6 in 1, Corona, Bordetella and a Heartworm Test. plus 3.00 for medical waste and if you want 16.00 for a Fecal Test. I got all of the above for 2 dogs paid $152.00 total. The year before I paid hundreds of dollars. Never again.

[birdlady6262]

Originally Posted by olivas.sandra

The ways I cut cost other than Qs are

1. I turn off all lights and unplug anything not in use...

2. When gas got up to over 4.00 a gallon I learned to plan trips... So that I went in a circle and not from one end of town to the other and back again..

3. I barter... From everything to vet visits to doctor visits... Those glucose monitors come in handy for that... Vet visits... If I get free cat food, cleaning supplies and newspapers go to my vet.. He then puts a credit in my dogs folder for the next visit... I have also used extra food to get furniture redone..

Love the tip on batering. I will try this with our vet.

[Weatie]

Originally Posted by matica

Going to a Vet for your dog/cat annual vaccinations cost a bundle. If you're like me and can't do it yourself the cheapest way is thru Petco. A company called LuvMyPet.com is at Petco on weekends. You have to wait in line but I saved a fortune because I have 2 dogs. I think the package was $65 and included Rabies, 6 in 1, Corona, Bordetella and a Heartworm Test. plus 3.00 for medical waste and if you want 16.00 for a Fecal Test. I got all of the above for 2 dogs paid $152.00 total. The year before I paid hundreds of dollars. Never again.

Thank you for this info. Someting I will for sure look into.

[mommasully]

@ now points...

we got whatever the food and grain store was selling the first time around for meaters, it was a slower growing(about 12 weeks) hybrid...we wanted to try with a smaller flock 1st. i think we've been using Blue Seal Broiler Crumbles...not organic/but vegetarian and hormone free...it's around 21% protein...they were really good

our second batch we had fewer choices because of timing/stock available...we went with Jumbo Cornish Crosses...i had many reservations as they dress out in 6-8weeks and have HUGE breasts...but are known for heart and leg issues due to the quick growth...well we watched them closely...if they seemed to be getting bigger by the second we would pull the food out at night...we processed in 3 batches...10 each time...7.5-8.5 weeks...they were giant...but no breathing or leg problems...i will probably go for 2 batches...7-8 weeks along...very easy...but i would not reccomend raising the Jumbo in warm weather...i think the heat would make a huge difference on the amount of stress

[nowpoints]

thanks mommasully, that really helps a former city-girl to learn.

I started reading EVERYTHING about chickens at the "McMurray Hatchery" website, but it isn't enough info there to properly plan fully, without spending $$.