Were getting older and we still live like we did in the earlier years. Had we not watched every dime over the years we would not have what we have now. Like some of the others here I could not accept help from my family or from the system, I did try to get food stamps one time and I was denied, I was so frustrated that I have made sure that I have never had to be in the position to have to apply again.
Even when things got better financially and hubby and I both had really good jobs people knew what we were making, because they were making the same kind of money. They would ask us why we shopped second hand, and why we shopped in bulk, why we used coupons. Financially we did not need to, but every dime that we saved helped us to get ahead. We did then and still do now figure up what we saved and put the saved amount towards our house payment. A lot of people do not realize that even a few extra dollars a month towards the principal will shorten the loan and knock a lot off the interest.
I get coupons in the mail, online and in the newspaper and magazines. We only get what we have coupons for or what is on sale. Becuase I do not work outside the home anymore I only leave my house once a week and that is to go to a meeting at the church, the day I have to go to it I do whatever else needs done like banking, dollar store grabs, post office, whatever it may be, so I only have one trip out a week.
We do not buy very many meats at all in the stores unless I want to make something with a specialty meat. We buy a half a beef or half a hog from the local butcher at a time, and he delivers it to me so I do not evn have to leave to get the meats. We grow, can and freeze a lot of veggies in the gardening months. It is an hour to the nearest Wal Mart or Sam's so we only go once a month and we make a day of it and get everything we need for a month at a time.
When I buy online I look for free shipping, coupon codes, and places that will match someone elses prices if they are lower.
My husband drives a truck and he loads a lot of things like potato's and onions and beans, when he is at a produce shed he has the opportunity to buy things by the case or sack and does so at a much lower price than the stores charge. Sometimes they even give him the stuff for free.