The topic from Essie this week is how cheap are you??
My oh my....
We are pretty cheap. (I have to say we-as James is probably more frugal than I.)
First off we don't have cable TV. Don't want the smut and the bonus is a savings of $58 a month. In fact besides the paper (which I have FOUR Sunday papers for the coupons) there is nothing in our budget that is optional. (Well, unless you count piano and voice lessons.) We don't use credit cards, we don't have payments on "toys" and although I have one car payment-I wouldn't if I didn't have to have one presentable enough to put clients in. Our other three vehicles-although not new and cool-are paid for and running!
My husband does all our car repairs and services. ALL of them. He's pulled engines out to change out things, rotates our tires, oil changes the works.
He also does all the repairs and remodels on our house. He's taught himself everything, from electrical to painting. He will pull things apart and figure it out even if it means hours of work.
Hubby and I always (or almost always) use "buy one get one" coupons when we eat out. Even if it's just a quick burger. I carry a bag in my gigantic purse of just coupons and a Happenings Book. Saves us tons of $$.
We also rarely buy drinks and if we do, we buy one and share it.
I make lunches for my kids everyday as the cost of school lunch is upwards of $150 a month. I figure I make lunches for around $20 a week. (And my kids like it better than school lunch and chances are, I pack a healthier lunch then they serve in schools these days!)
I stock up when things are on sale and refuse to buy them when they're not!
I reuse gift bags until they no longer can function for their intended purpose....like the seams split, a handle is missing etc.
I cook meals....every night! This is so much cheaper (and healthier) than eating out.
I'm a brand snob about a few things, peanut butter, shortening, bleach and laundry detergent. Besides that I buy whatever is on sale!
I have a gift closet. I stock up on birthday presents, candles, lotions etc. when I find fabulous deals. This way when we need a birthday, get well, whatever gift...we just go to the gift closet.
I found out this morning that Alex is a school lunch worker and gets free school lunch so despite the fact he's unhappy about it....he's eating school lunch this week!
I don't shop second hand stores (hubby does though-he'd rather buy pants at the DI that have been washed and worn then risk buying pants that shrink after washing.) but I DO find deals equal too or better than DI prices. I buy clothes off season for everyone. Coats in the spring, shorts in the fall. I hit the clearance rack EVERY TIME I go in a store. It's not a deal if its not 80-90% off. (This doesn't always work with teenagers!)
I buy in bulk.
I love hand me downs and in return I give away hand me downs. Lately I've started wearing hand me downs from my daughters. I have one dress I wear and always get compliments on and I proudly explain that this was Kambree's last years Easter dress!
I save all the heels of my whole wheat bread, dry and grind into bread crumbs.
I grind my own wheat flour and make my own pancake mix.
My husband conserves gas when driving. He has all these tricks like not accelerating fast, coasting down hills, letting a larger car break the wind etc. Too complicated for me as I'm always in a hurry and just needing to get somewhere.
I honestly prefer to rent Redbox and watch movies on our big screen with surround sound and pop my own popcorn, wear my pajamas, wrap up in a blanket, and pause for bathroom breaks than to see new releases in a dark theater. No matter how great the sound is, how big the screen is or whatever....Redbox rocks and it's cheap!
James makes his own weed killer concoction. It involves beer and Dawn dish detergent.
There are things I don't do that previous generations before me have done:
I don't wash tin foil and save it for the next use.
I don't wash paper towels out and hang dry to get a second use.
I don't fill up the milk jug with milk made from powdered milk (yuck!)
I don't save used wrapping paper
I don't make one HUGE pot of something and expect my family to eat it all week.
I don't save crap! I don't care if I do find a use for it in ten years. I hate clutter and crap!
So now how cheap are you? If you don't want to post, just comment! I could use some new ideas!
My oh my....
We are pretty cheap. (I have to say we-as James is probably more frugal than I.)
First off we don't have cable TV. Don't want the smut and the bonus is a savings of $58 a month. In fact besides the paper (which I have FOUR Sunday papers for the coupons) there is nothing in our budget that is optional. (Well, unless you count piano and voice lessons.) We don't use credit cards, we don't have payments on "toys" and although I have one car payment-I wouldn't if I didn't have to have one presentable enough to put clients in. Our other three vehicles-although not new and cool-are paid for and running!
My husband does all our car repairs and services. ALL of them. He's pulled engines out to change out things, rotates our tires, oil changes the works.
He also does all the repairs and remodels on our house. He's taught himself everything, from electrical to painting. He will pull things apart and figure it out even if it means hours of work.
Hubby and I always (or almost always) use "buy one get one" coupons when we eat out. Even if it's just a quick burger. I carry a bag in my gigantic purse of just coupons and a Happenings Book. Saves us tons of $$.
We also rarely buy drinks and if we do, we buy one and share it.
I make lunches for my kids everyday as the cost of school lunch is upwards of $150 a month. I figure I make lunches for around $20 a week. (And my kids like it better than school lunch and chances are, I pack a healthier lunch then they serve in schools these days!)
I stock up when things are on sale and refuse to buy them when they're not!
I reuse gift bags until they no longer can function for their intended purpose....like the seams split, a handle is missing etc.
I cook meals....every night! This is so much cheaper (and healthier) than eating out.
I'm a brand snob about a few things, peanut butter, shortening, bleach and laundry detergent. Besides that I buy whatever is on sale!
I have a gift closet. I stock up on birthday presents, candles, lotions etc. when I find fabulous deals. This way when we need a birthday, get well, whatever gift...we just go to the gift closet.
I found out this morning that Alex is a school lunch worker and gets free school lunch so despite the fact he's unhappy about it....he's eating school lunch this week!
I don't shop second hand stores (hubby does though-he'd rather buy pants at the DI that have been washed and worn then risk buying pants that shrink after washing.) but I DO find deals equal too or better than DI prices. I buy clothes off season for everyone. Coats in the spring, shorts in the fall. I hit the clearance rack EVERY TIME I go in a store. It's not a deal if its not 80-90% off. (This doesn't always work with teenagers!)
I buy in bulk.
I love hand me downs and in return I give away hand me downs. Lately I've started wearing hand me downs from my daughters. I have one dress I wear and always get compliments on and I proudly explain that this was Kambree's last years Easter dress!
I save all the heels of my whole wheat bread, dry and grind into bread crumbs.
I grind my own wheat flour and make my own pancake mix.
My husband conserves gas when driving. He has all these tricks like not accelerating fast, coasting down hills, letting a larger car break the wind etc. Too complicated for me as I'm always in a hurry and just needing to get somewhere.
I honestly prefer to rent Redbox and watch movies on our big screen with surround sound and pop my own popcorn, wear my pajamas, wrap up in a blanket, and pause for bathroom breaks than to see new releases in a dark theater. No matter how great the sound is, how big the screen is or whatever....Redbox rocks and it's cheap!
James makes his own weed killer concoction. It involves beer and Dawn dish detergent.
There are things I don't do that previous generations before me have done:
I don't wash tin foil and save it for the next use.
I don't wash paper towels out and hang dry to get a second use.
I don't fill up the milk jug with milk made from powdered milk (yuck!)
I don't save used wrapping paper
I don't make one HUGE pot of something and expect my family to eat it all week.
I don't save crap! I don't care if I do find a use for it in ten years. I hate clutter and crap!
So now how cheap are you? If you don't want to post, just comment! I could use some new ideas!
7 of my blog friends said something...:
I SOOOOOOOOOO wish my husband was handy fixing things too! I fix it or we hire out in my house. He also gets his cheap on in the wrong places, like on toilet paper!
Using the bread butts to make bread crumbs, that's a great one. Grinding your own wheat flour to make pancake mix, now that just might be the best of all!
You and I were cut from the same cloth! I love saving money and getting deals. I DO use my dry pack powdered milk. I turn three gallons of milk into four every week. I've gone through 36 cans of powdered milk that I thought I would never use, and my family can't tell! I even turn the heat down when I'm going to be home all day by myself. Now that's CHEAP!
By the way, Happy Belated Birthday. I just went back through and caught up. That picture with David Archuletta is too cute.
We have a lot in common! My kitchen is even the same color as yours. I grind my own wheat too. Make my own bisquit mix. I'm not paying that huge mark up for a couple minutes of work!
I'm looking foward to reading the rest of your blog. I see you have a Ukrainian! Aren't they wonderful? :) Mine is from Kherson.
I only use powdered milk for cooking. They can never tell the difference.
Nice to *meet* you!
Be still my heart...! It does my heart so much good to find someone just like me! (And I mean almost everything you mentioned - "ditto"!) Thank you for sharing and making my day knowing I do not stand alone!
Fun post. I do pretty much everything you do. Other things I do, is I make my kids use their ziplocs from school lunch 2-3 times before they throw them away. I collect all of their scratch paper that comes home from school (not colored or typed on on one side) and use this for scrap paper, homework, etc., when the kids need paper at home. I also am the light nazi in my house. I make my own cards and I map out which stores have the best prices at a case lot sale. I only get what is cheapest at that store, nothing more, nothing less!!!
How cheap am I? After reading this I realized, not cheap enough. Loved the ideas :)
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