Pull every cent you have in your 401 k out of the market- take your lumps- pay the taxes and penalties and put the CASH into Mason jars into a 800# gun safe in your garage.
Buy a couple of upright freezers—Fridgerdaie at Loes’a -simple- dial-no computer stuff- $398 plus tax.
Fill above freezer and stock up on non-perishables. ( I have more peanut butter & jelly on hand than I have consumed in the last 30 years.)
Find every single penny that you can cut from your living costs. Pay down to the bone your credit cards. Pay extra principal on your mortgage every month you can.
Look hard at joining Netflix instead of going to the local theatre for movies. You cannot get out of there for less than $25-30 bucks for only 2 people, unless you ate plenty before you got there. Netflix is $8.95 a month- and it goes in and out of your mailbox. No last minute trips to Blockbuster.
Don’t even think about buying a new car. Find a competent machanic and have him do the repairs and maintenance you cannot do yourself. You will save money in the long run. Insurance, license fees will also drop as vehicle gets older. More $$$ saved.
Look hard at the clothes your kids have outgrown. If you are done having babies- donate clothes & toys to a local organization and GET THE RECEIPT for your tax return.
Remember the local women’s shelter can use both clothes and toys. They are very grateful, also.
Get off the bandwagon that says you just have to have the biggest, newest, flashiest piece of “home entertainment” or vehicle or jewelry, etc.
Put your whole family onto a budget and have the kids understand why. Starbucks only became famous because they did a good job of selling the idea to America that a $$ cup of coffee was ever so much more important than the stuff you make at home or get at McDonalds.
If you have kids who light up the house like an airport runway- fine them from their ‘allowance’ for every time they walk out of a room and leave the lights on. That got drilled into us kids years ago, and we still do it.
Don’t leave the doors open with heat or A/C on, and the refrigerator is a place of storage——NOT A LIBRARY SHELF MEANT FOR BROWSING!!!!
And, that will help stop global warming too! ;-)
Pearls of wisdom. Finally, maintain your business and household as a stimulus free zone. Do not buy into government entitlement pathology. You are the solution. Government is the problem.
Great Ideas to conserve.
Here’s a few more that work very well.
HOW TO CONSERVE POWER USAGE.....
IF you are “all electric home” put a timer on your hot water heater.
Set it to turn off 2 times per 24hr period. Once while your are sleeping (avg. from 10-5am) AND again while you are all at work, school or while the house is empty for several hours during the day.
30-50 gals of hot water will retain it’s heat for quite a long time. The temperature drop is very small over a few hours and the tank can quickly ‘recover’ in usually no longer than one hour. Everyone can still have a good shower, wash dishes etc. with NO effect to your lifestyle.
In the case of 220 volt HWH a commercial “Intermatic Timer” (brand name) will be required. You may have to consult an electrician to put one in. IT”S WORTH EVERY PENNY YOU INVEST. I watched my power bill drop 30% the first month.
STOP using HOT WATER in your WASHING MACHINE. There are now plenty of cold water detergents that do as good a job on your laundry.
ALSO....STOP USING THE CLOTHES DRYER....gas or electric. Hang the clothes on a line like your grandmother did. They’ll smell fresher and you’ll have a few extra coins to boot. Raining outside? Hang them inside in the laundry room!!
Yes, I am an electrician in the Solar business. These are simple, low cost, solutions to usage that I recommend to my customers BEFORE putting in P.V. Panels to further reduce to cost of the solar array installation.
ENJOY!