ncredbird

Also, see if you have a local Freecycle and Craigslist on the internet join and watch for things posted that you can use. If you have things you no longer use you can post them for someone else to come pick up or meet them somewhere close if you don't want them at your home. Do you have a local grocery clearance? Use coupons and try to shop with them for featured ad items which are loss leaders to begin with.
Local libraries usually have movies, CD's, and books on tape for you to borrow as well as books. Perhaps you could trade with someone - each of you cook something and then divide and trade. That way you have more variety for your effort. Ann in TN

Jo Mama

I like to check thrift stores for fab.

drw1mjw2

Goodwill is a great place to purchase fabric. Look at the clothing, especially now that it is summer, in a new way. How would that fabric look in a quilt. You can get a lot of fabric for a couple of dollars if you are willing to 'cut it up'. And a bonus, it is already color safe, it won't fade or run!

kaykwilts

ya know, my daughters got the idea to start making our own bread...Now before you say "NO WAY..TAKES TOO LONG...TOO HARD....ETC"....hear me out. I used to bake our own a long, long time ago, but as kids came along and all, I stopped. But I took the girls up on their idea, as I think knowing how to bake your own is an important skill. So we started.....and found that it takes us only 15 minutes to mix up and knead the bread. Let it rise for 45 mins...a good time to go do a chore or two (or forget the housework and go piece a block or two!!) Punch it down, cut it in half and put it in the loaf pans....that takes about 5 min (so now we are up to 20 min) let it rise 45 min...the bake for 25 to 30.....and done...Now if you get your flour on sale and store it in the refrigerator, it will keep for a long time. (we are a little picky about what flour we buy, but most all-purpose flours make a very decent bread)....And guess what the side benefit of making our own bread is??

1. We eat less bread...NOT because it's "hard to make" but because it is much more satisfying than store bought...so we don't need/desire as much. And by knowing just what's in my bread, I get a healthy loaf at a fraction of the cost (even being picky about what flour I buy) of other "healthy" brandname breads.....

2. We reserve one loaf for that "just out of the oven" yummi-ness....in other words we eat it hot...and it makes for a fun family time....and that's cheap entertainment!!

3. And with 6 of us in the house...believe it or not, I only bake bread two times a week.....When we were eating store bought bread, we ate close to double that amount!!!

4. From one 5 lb bag of flour, we usually get ten to twelve loaves of bread, depending how humid it is on the day I bake (humidity in the air changes how much flour the loaves need kneaded into them)

5. In all, hands on time to bake my own....20 to 25 mins tops, not including rising/baking time....which of course is NOT hands on time

:wink:

Joyce DeBacco

We've cut down on everything. We have just the basic cable, lowest speed internet and phone service, cancelled newspaper subscription, no cell phone at all, no fancy electronic gadgets that I wouldn't know how to operate anyway, keep the thermostat low in winter and high in summer, and don't let the water run down the drain in the shower when we're waiting for it to get hot; we collect in a bucket to use for plants.

We also eat a lot of meals made with hamburger and chicken, buying only when it's on sale.

SoozeeDoozee

With parents and grandparents coming out of the depression plus being a single mom, I've always been frugal. My sister and I dressed our Barbies with all handmades. The lids to a can of spray starch covered with scraps of fabric and trim made great pill box hats :) My husband thinks it's silly that I cut lotion bottles in half to get every last bit. Same with toothpaste. I can brush my teeth for a week after he thinks the tube is empty. A dollar bottle of shampoo will get your hair just as clean. When ketchup and mustard bottles get low they stand upside down in the fridge. I've been known to pull them out of the trash after he throws them away. He is a sports fanatic so we are stuck with the cable tv bill. I listen to music a lot. It's way calmer than tv anyway. Only one quilting magazine subscription. The library is a once a week stop. I print postage and leave pkgs at the mailbox to save a trip to the post office. I do almost every "handyman" thing I can around the house. If we need something I can't dream up a substitute for, I look at the thrift store first.

Miss Priss

How can you get rid of the land line when the computer is connected tothe phone line?

Judy McCrary

I didn't see this idea, but have been doing it for years. When you pull your watch off, pull the stem out to stop the watch until putting it back on. Saves on buying watch batteries. I have several watches and it really works. My kids think I'm crazy and stingy for doing this, but I read the hint somewhere a long time ago and it really works.

amandasgramma

We kept our land line (any long distance over $10.00 a month is free) and got rid of our cell phones. We use Trackfone instead....no monthly fees.

We eat all leftovers --- don't throw any food away.

We go to the grocery store 2 times a month --- the best stores are 30-35 miles away so that saves on tons of gas.

We've cut back on our jaunts over to see family. :(

Combine trips to town.........get all errands done at one time

boysmomoflabs

Turn on your dryer, go outside and watch the wheel turn on the meter.

I've learned what appliances use the most simply by turning off everything, then turning on the one appliance I want to check and watching the meter.

Stove is second.