Money Savings Tips

[Lynn K.]

Hello all, along with the recyling. I've been brown bagging it to work. Stopped using the drive thru as a meal option, and freecyling everything I have multiples of.

At the same rate we're in the middle of a kitchen reno and the cabinetry that is still in good order I gifted to various family members- those were installed in the laundry areas of their homes. The cabinets that didn't find a home I plan to expand my storage in my sewing room. When we were planning for the reno, we decided on a kitchen pakg that included energy star appliances- and were self installing the kitchen.

Regarding doing the laundry in cold water, Tide cold water has been a staple in my house for the last year and a half. We saved about $300 over the past year, and look forward to saving more.

[Lynn K.]

Just to throw this out there you should look at your windows. We are, my sister who has a newer home replaced hers last year. We all thought she was nuts. Her home is only about 10 years old. Anyway, her heating bills were cut in half. I was amazed. She told me that the windows were paying for themselves in less then a year. Also go around your home and change all light bulbs to 40 or 60 watts chances are you will not even notice the differences. On a side note DH did this to our chandelier which holds 8 bulbs he repalced them with 40 watt bulbs (I had 15 watt bulbs in it). I came in at the end and while he in the process of flipping the switch. BAM 320 WATTS OF LIGHT ALL AT ONCE it was the second coming :shock: :lol: I was laughing like crazy. We went back to the 15 watts. :wink: Rachel

[Eileen K.]

Okay, I have to cut down the soda. But I had to admit to hubby today that I've been watering down the mouthwash! Oops!
Do you know how expensive listerine is?

Marsha,
Try the ShopRite brand. I swear it's just as good and a few bucks cheaper!!
eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

We've switched to compact flourescent bulbs in many of our lights. They cost more up front but you save on electricity and they last forever!!! Depending on the wattage, they're just as bright as incandescents.

FW, thanks for the coupon links! I've already printed off a bunch for my food shopping this week.

eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

Just to throw this out there you should look at your windows. We are, my sister who has a newer home replaced hers last year. We all thought she was nuts. Her home is only about 10 years old. Anyway, her heating bills were cut in half. I was amazed. She told me that the windows were paying for themselves in less then a year. Also go around your home and change all light bulbs to 40 or 60 watts chances are you will not even notice the differences. On a side note DH did this to our chandelier which holds 8 bulbs he repalced them with 40 watt bulbs (I had 15 watt bulbs in it). I came in at the end and while he in the process of flipping the switch. BAM 320 WATTS OF LIGHT ALL AT ONCE it was the second coming :shock: :lol: I was laughing like crazy. We went back to the 15 watts. :wink: Rachel

ROFL, Bless his heart :lol: 8) . We finally had the last of the old stlye bulbs burn out and now have the new EF ones throughout the house. The only thing left is to replace the side lights on the garage to motion sensor lights. We re-sided the house last yr and decided not to put the motion light back on the house right next to the door because of bugs. The walk in doors for the garage are placed perfect to give us enough light when we need it. I just hate having to walk out and turn them on and off all the time. Today is my day to go to town and stock up for the next week, then back home to the farm to quilt by the light of the beautiful sunshine we are spose to be seeing this afternoon. I LUV this time of yr when we are blessed with additional hours of natural light to work by.

TTFN & Happy Quilting & Gardening,
Linda

[Eileen K.]

Linda,
I agree with you about the extra hours of light. The "working" side of the house-kitchen, dining, tv-all face south and west so we don't turn on lights this time of year until we absolutely have to.
eileenkny
PS-I went to your webshots. Your sewing room is great!

[Eileen K.]

Today we had to buy a new frig. we got 15 years out of it. DH and SIL went to get one and it was priced at 1,600 but they got it for 997 a wirlpool/black now did you know you have to "bargain" with the big shops too,yeah they have a big mark up it seems. Most people go into the stores to pay the price tag marked. I'm not crazy over black appliances because of the fingure prints,though they look nice. SIL bargains for deals,its nice he went along. He is a big coupon shopper.They never seem to carry coupons I need!LOL! I have always bought my summer cloths at the end of summer-I get summer sales and my winter cloths at the end of winter for winter sales. Always check for sales first when you go to shop. Our Macys dept store at the mall has huge sales at the end of each season, I love it. Old navy does the same here. We always buy meets that are on sale for the week,we have a deep freezer. I also khann in the summer and freeze. We do drink alot of pepsi and tea,and we could save big bucks on the smokes,yeah we both have the nasty bad habit but were gonna try to quit soon,we tried the patches/pills and now were going to try the newest med on the market soon,I think its the will power were lacking, and Its more an addiction than habit,a drug. I'm a drug addict in a sense,"thats horrifically stupid on our parts". I'm sorry I ever started but sad thing is I enjoy it some what, its Just Crazy. ops: ashamed,Please be easy on me with this one I'm hard enough on myself as it is, I respect all non smokers, It's really tuff when youre a drug addict,"just cigeretts". That a side,Theyre are some luxurys not worth giving up so we all "try to balance" out what we can afford at the time.

[Eileen K.]

We began replacing all the light bulbs in our house with the compact flourecents a couple of years ago - every time an old one burns out we put in a flourecent in its place. Since we are doing it slowly the cost is not killing us and now that almost all the bulbs in the house are flourecents we are seeing a difference in the power bill. The bulbs really do pay for themselves over their life cycle. And they do have a very long life too - we have a light over our old cooktop with a broken switch. We can't turn it off!!! Unfortunately I have poor lighting in that part of the kitchen, so I really need this light. Before I was replacing the bulb about once every 2 or 3 weeks. When we started the flourecents it was the first bulb we replaced. That was about 6 years ago or so and the same bulb is still burning!!!

[Eileen K.]

Kathy,
As a former smoker, I know exactly where you're coming from. My biggest fear was the weight gain after quitting. Then my FIL died of oral cancer-not a good way to go at all.
There's a new med out for quitting-I can find out the name if you want me to.
We're going to go to our local supermarket tonight for our biweekly food shopping. Usually we go over the mountain to the West Point commissary. We save some on the groceries-not as much as we used to-but we probably lose the savings with the gas we use to get there.
I'm going to cut down on the soda. DD works part time at another supermarket(yes, she's working 2 jobs)so she picks up the 12 packs when they're on sale at 5 for $10.00. I love the Wyler's Mango Iced Tea. It really is addictive, and it is cheaper than the soda, so I'll wean myself by alternating.
eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

Hit Kathy I quit many years ago and I used wellbutrin I think its a anti depressant. It failed for my DH but he used Chantix that worked somewhat and he backed it up with being hypnotized that did the trick. My insurance paid for the wellbutrin but they wouldn't pay for the medicines designed to help you quit. Go figure I guess they would rather pay for the iron lung machine! I guess my dr told them I was depressed. I was, about the price of cigs. Of course now they are twice the price.
Wendy in Texas

[Margo C.]

My husband smoked for almost 50 years, and with the diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer, which the oncologist said was CAUSED BY SMOKING, he stopped smoking with the help of Chantix.
We are still dealing with the effects of surgery to remove 1/2 of his stomach and 2/3 of his esophagus. He still has difficulty swallowing, is still loosing weight, and the surgeon is talking about putting him back on the feeding tube. :cry:
Please stop smoking if you can. It will save you more than just money for the cigarettes.

[Eileen K.]

Margo,
You're walking a tough road right now. May God take care of your husband and you both.
The fiance of a girl that works with my DH was just diagnosed. They're supposed to get married on the 4th of July. He's older, was in VietNam, the 1st Gulf War, the Pile after 9/11. No history of smoking or cancer in his family. So it's got to be environmental. Regardless, he's getting more opinions before he agrees to surgery.
It's hard. So hard.
eileenkny

[Eileen K.]

Another good selling point for quitting smoking, besides saving a lot of money and perhaps fending off several kinds of cancer, is to avoid emphysema and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and having to be on oxygen. That's a dreadful way to die, gasping for air and unable to get it because your lungs are shot. I do hope those in the group that smoke will be able to quit, I would miss you.

DH is going to use our economic stimulus check to get a motorbike to go back and forth to the store and run other errands, to save on gas and wear and tear on our van.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[Eileen K.]

((Thanks everyone))

Margo
I'm so sorry to hear about your DH Esophageal Cancer, I hate to hear that he is suffering due to his pass smoking.
We do have a perscription that we are going to fill.
My heart goes out to each and everyone that has this nasty addiction. "I really wish they would just completely wipe out the tobbaco industry",farmers can raise wheat/corn/soy bean,some thing healthy. I pray every day for strength and God has met me more than half way but in shame I have failed, so I try try again.
When a person starts at a young age "like myself and many others" they don't think of the consequences that come with this and later they will suffer and its a shame. its has been 20 years of destroying my health,damn this addiction.
((Im so sorry Mr. Margo))
God Blessyou everyone,Kathy

[Eileen K.]

This discussion so reminds me of DM and DIL. My mother had a very large family and they were poor as churchmice especially during the Depression. She was strapped for money her entire life and she pinched every penny. I certainly never thought the day would come when I might have to use some of her methods--like hanging clothes out to dry or use up every morsel. I wonder what the younger generation is going to do. So, so many don't cook nor sew nor pinch pennies.