I thought maybe with all of the financial problems I've seen posted about lately, and we have some of our own, that it would be a great idea to see some tips and tricks for saving money.

We are making use of the stores that offer discount prices. We have both the freezer that's on the fridge, and a small upright freezer.
Not only do we go to Grocery Outlet and Food4Less, but also to Cash and Carry....which is a resturaunt supply store that is open to the public. We have to watch ourselves closely tho, with just the two of us, it's easy to buy more than what we can use before it goes to waste. (especially with fresh vegies and fruits)

Today, at Cash and Carry, we purchased a 13lb package of beef...looked like skirt steaks, for $1.85 per pound. That's almost $1.5 a pound less than extra lean hamburger. A couple of years ago, we purchased a grinder like this one:
http://www.google.com/products/catal...=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGLL_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=16261705129024493142&ei=6DZyS8PyHJGYsgO-xbHLAQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=image&res num=4&ved=0CDIQ8gIwAw#

So...for about 1.87 per pound (gotta count the plastic wrap) we have SUPER lean hamburger. We also make our own lean pork breakfast sausage, Italian sausage snack sausages and pepperoni. We just get pork butt at Cash and Carry for .89 to 1.19 a pound. Or at the grocery store on sale... Compared to say, Jimmy Dean sausage? Much better and much cheaper!

I intend to start making use of my bread machine...and using more dried beans, long cooking rice, etc.

So what are your money saving tips?

I love this thread! I want your recipe for pork sausage. We have a local meat market that would grind pork for us. I usually cook a meatless soup on Saturdays and serve with cornbread or batterbread. Sunday after church we have the last bowl. During the week we eat oatmeal or grits for breakfast every day.We combine all trips in the car. I have days I "spend nothing." I cook as much from scratch that I can. I don't buy any snack foods. I buy all my new clothes from ebay, except underwear. I buy that from Wmt. I buy my dog food from Tractor Supply, their store brand is good food. We go to a vet that is discount and he gives us an extra 15% discount for having 3 dogs. I call all pharmacies before filling a prescription to determine the cheapest one. Sometimes the difference can be over $50.

I make our own bread and noodles. I dont really like meat, but cook it for my husband. I have been getting him to eat more meatless meals. I love rice and beans with veggies in it. Love coupons and only buy on sale unless it is something we absolutely need.

Margie

The name of my game is coupons...coupons and sale items...

I posted my favorite one in another thread, but I'll repost it here: Check your receipt before leaving the store. If there's an overring, it'll be that much easier to get it corrected. Plus, many supermarkets will give you the item for free, refunding all of what you paid for it. This can be because a sale item rang up at the regular price, or because the shelf price was incorrect, etc.

I found a couple of good tips in this month's Good Housekeeping Magazine:

1. If your income is low (the magazine example is less than $44,000 for a family of four, but it may vary by region), you may qualify for a free mammogram/pap smear. More info at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/
2. You can get rebates on OTC pain relievers, vitamins, skin-care products, etc. at http://www.caregiversmarketplace.com/FrameSetup.asp

Don't forget to use your AAA, AARP and other club discounts.

We are tipped to have another power bill rise in July, so we are getting very frugal with power. Here's my tips for energy saving:

We are fortunate to have a solar hot water system, so hot water in summer is free, we switch to a manual booster on overcast/winter days, just an hour or so to heat the tank water, then switch off. We have a wood fire in our winter living room, use draft stoppers and heavy curtains and use our own trees or found and scavenged wood for fuel. We try and turn everything off at the mains if we are not using an appliance (amazing how much the "trickle" adds up). Limit use of dryer (easier said than done for you chaps in the northern hemisphere). Wait 'til a full load before washing in the machine. We have forgone the luxury of airconditioning and have ceiling fans and in winter, when really cold we pile on more quilts or use very sparingly portable oil filled electric heaters.

We also have to pay quite a bit for water (we live in a very dry climate), so as much waste water as I can manage gets put on the gardens and around the fruit trees. We also installed dual-flush cisterns (so you can elect half or full flush).

Food wise, we bulk buy where possible, and also grow a fair bit. We are both good cooks so eating out is not our bag. Clothes are bought on sale or for me 'op-shop' and re-cycling boutiques are the go ('cept underwear, that's usually from Target or Kmart).

I rarely buy books or magazines, if I do they are usually from second hand dealers or charity shops. I also use our local library, which offers a free internet service if you need it. We don't go to movies, it is cheaper and more comfortable to buy or borrow a dvd and sit at home with a glass of wine and some home-made popcorn (cleanskins are good value or buy in bulk).

Also regularly review insurance policies or bank accounts, watch out for better deals, term deposits with decent interest and low or no account fees for your general accounts. Use credit cards infrequently (emergencies) or not at all.

Lastly, make frugal "fun" turn it into a game, rather than a "poverty trip". Stress (particularly over finances) is one of the biggest causes of illness or relationship breakdowns. Happy savings everyone. Sorry for the rant-fest.

I love finding new ways to live frugally!
I do a LOT of coupons and especially when I can combine them with store sales! For instance...buy one get one free at a store, plus I have a coupon! score!!
I do make most my meals from scratch. Not only is it cheaper, it's much yummier! and a lot better for you than all those preservatives! I also compare the price at Walmart to the bargain price at grocery stores. A lot of times, it's actually cheaper there and I can still use my coupons.
Many places offer free haircuts throughout the month.
I am leinant on what type of shampoo, laundry soap, dish detergent, etc I use...whatever is on sale &/or I have a coupon for works for me!
Also at night I turn the heat down. I lay on top of an electric blanket instead of running the heat. I am a Florida girl and this is my first full winter living in NV...so I am FREEZING! During the day I do turn the heat up and I also use afghans and quilts to keep warm. I could seriously turn the heat to 80 and be perfectly comfortable...so keeping it at 70 or 71 is about my limit suring the day when I'm up and about. When the sun is out I def warm my home by opening blinds on the side of the house that the sun is shining on.
Also when I bake or cook in the oven...once I'm done and shut the oven off...I keep the oven door cracked to let it heat up the kitchen.
I am thinking of investing in a wood burning stove before next winter.........
Also...just a little side note...you CAN use a store coupon WITH a manufacturers coupon on the same item!! AND....if you do a buy one get one deal...you can use a coupon for the item you are paying for AND the free item!! seriously!
Happy savings ladies!!

Frugal and you turn the heat to 70? GIRL that is what layering your clothes is all about. I live on SSI which is about as frugal as you can get without asking for it. I lived for several years in a cottage that was .. owned by family. One year my dear sis told me they couldnt rent to me any longer at the rate I was at so the rent went up $300 with a whole two days notice. I did not turn on the heater once that year. I used an electric blanket on the bed and on the couch where I sat. It cost about .25c a day to use one vs the heater .. when it was 30 outside the old cottage was 30 inside. My daughter used to laugh at how we could see our breath when we chat. It was what it was. I do now have a tremendous appreciation for little things like.. heat and fans in the summer. We had a fire in my new home last night. It was heaven. The pay is horrible at my husbands new job but it came with free housing which is VERY nice and free utilities and I can tell you.. the heater is one this morning. I set it at 65 and it never has to get to 30 again. Phew! BUT LAYER LAYER LAYER.. you will be amazed at how much a difference it makes.

We have a fire place and use it every day. I like to buy the wood ahead of time by the quart and not having to guess how much the electric bill is going to be if I use the heaters. We put one fire in the morning and that kepps the house warm all day and a fire in the evening and it keeps us warm all night. Also quilts, quilts, quilts. I make them, so use them. No complaints about being cold at night when we have quilts around.

Also we have switched to generic brands on maany of our products. Most of them are actual brands that sell their left overs to generics. Same quality. My husband like shopping at Aldis's They have lesser known brands and no bags, but they prices are really low.

Also jorge is on quite a few medications. Many pharmaceutical give away discount cards that cover the deductibles. He gets insulin from our local diabetic center and the company that makes the insulin in pens gives us the needles for free. Very few pharmaceuticals don't have programs to help.

When William and I were trucking, we went to a plant to deliver...as we walked back to the break room to get a soda and use the potty, we passed tables of employees of the plant ripping off DelMonte labels and others applying generic labels...
Was good enough to change my mind about generics!