Posted on 06/24/2005 6:35:23 AM PDT by Gabz
I was participating in a thread the other day started by a FReeper who has started to grow his own tobacco because of the ever escalating increases in tobacco taxes.
The fact his "crop" is tobacco is neither here nor there and I only mention it as way of introduction to the idea for the title of today's thread theme.
We all got talking about the benefits of making and or growing our own things as a means of saving money and were called on the carpet by a bean counter who claims that when one adds in the time it takes to prepare the things we grow or make we are not saving any money and in fact are losing money because the time could better be spent doing soemthing that actually pays money.
I disagree and would like all of your opinions.
You probably know most of these already, but:
1. If you like to go to movies in the theater, go to a matinee instead of evening show, for a good discount.
2. Enter the local poetry/comedy/recipe contests in your newspaper. Sell something that you create yourself. You can save a HUGE amount just making the cards you send people instead of buying them.
3. Shop thrift stores. They have EVERYTHING, from clothes to kitchen stuff, books and ancient records (usually in luridly-colored jackets, LOL!), end tables and exercise equipment. Some even have free boxes of stuff that they don't want to throw away, old stuffed animals that make good dog toys.
4. Talk to some non-profit groups in your area. They often get donations of stuff they can't use, and are usually willing to part with it for a small amount, (fabric, usually) since they usually don't have much storage.
5. Mostly, though, it's a matter of just doing for yourself what you would pay someone else to do or make for you. You get something that you KNOW is done right, and the satisfaction of saving money and feeling self-reliant.
Happy saving!
When travelling to the Caribbean, rum is VERY CHEAP. Stock up on rum when in the Caribbean and save BIG.
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm going to post this again in case some of you missed it because it is truly a wonderful way to save money and help others in the process.
www.freecycle.org
Find your local area and sign up. EVERYTHING LISTED IS FREE. Last 'Wanted Wednesday' we requested and old shed/storage building. Within minutes someone replied that they were getting ready to purchase a new, smaller one and we were welcome to come haul theirs off for them. It was actually too large for our yard, too, but could have saved us a bundle!!! I'll try again next week. The whole trash to treasure thing! I gave away craft items and some old camping gear and received 3-ring binders so I could get organized.
Check it out! Warning...can be very addicting!
Growing my own tobacco -I've had it with these prices! (A journal)
Yup! Already do that plus I like the fact that such shows have low attendance are are QUIET.
2. Enter the local poetry/comedy/recipe contests in your newspaper. Sell something that you create yourself. You can save a HUGE amount just making the cards you send people instead of buying them.
Eh! I can buy cards at just two for a buck at the dollar store and save myself the aggravation. Plus one can always send FREE e-cards on the web.
Thank you all for your suggestions! I would love to reply individually but my kids actually want me to pay attention to them and feed them lunch. Darn rugrats anyway!!! ;-)
We get a season pass to one indoor activity during the winter (this year The Tech Museum), and one outdoor activity in the summer (this year Great America). When we go to these places, we usually only go for a couple of hours, and we don't buy suvernirs or food.
The Tech Museum was really fun this year because we had lots of rain. We went lots of afternoons during Christmas and winter break (a week off in February), plus we went on weekends. The pass pays for itself after 2 visits.
Our Great America pass is also good because it is good for 3 local amusement parks, and one of them is a water park. My kids don't do well going all day to the amusement parks. We have more fun going for a few hours in the late afternoon when it is starting to cool down. In our part of California, it ususally cools down around 4 and gets a nice breeze off the San Francisco bay.
Tips: Best tip is to make a budget and stick to it. Buy on sale. Don't use charge cards (except for emergencies), use lay-away whenever able. Save for vacations like Grandma and Grandpa did and I still do. Find uses for older things, and don't throw away so much. Have a yard sale once a year...brings in lots of "found money." Learn to barter, and buy in bulk with a relative, neighbor, friend. Keep AC set at 74 degrees and heat set at 69 degrees. Keep your car gas tank clean, air and oil filters changed for better gas mileage. Hang clothes outside when and if you can. Take showers not baths. Use water drained from potatoes, veggies to water indoor plants (after it has cooled - amazing how good it is for your plants). Enough?
We bought our house from the son of the man who had built it. According to the son, his dad had a produce stand every year (we are on a busy road) - a few weeks ago an older man stopped to speak to my husband when he was putting up a badminton net and proceeded to inform my husband that the best lima beans in the county used to be grown right where that net was being installed.
Hubby told him that I was growing limas and he said if I was willing he would be more than happy to buy some from me and let me know if they were any good.
I figure I've got nothing to lose converting the land back to what it was originally used for.
With the price of gasoline, buy a sailboat instead of a motorboat
Very true, Gabz. My family knows what's in the food they're eating. Our raised beds are producing zukes, cukes, 2 kinds of tomatoes, garlic chives, lemon cukes, bell peppers currently. Nothing like fresh vegies from your garden.
Family time in preparing and tending a garden then together preparing the food...priceless.
We're drawing up plans to build a small guest cottage on our property. We'll be doing most of the work and alot of the materials are being donated - it's good to have a contractor and electrician as friends. It'll be hard work on our parts but well worth the finished structure and family togetherness. :o)
That too. If you are so inclined. Sailing makes me nervous. LOL
You're kidding? Floridaa was the first place I ever even heard of coupon doubling. Of course that was more than 20 years ago..........I'm getting old.
The supermarkets here double coupons everyday and every once in a while have a triple day or week.
I don't use coupons as much as I used to because I do buy more store brand stuff, and do a lot of my shopping at a restaurant supply place's retail outlet.
Some of the schools around us sell these Entertainment books that have lots of coupons in them. They were really great before kids because hubby and I ate out a lot. (We worked for the same company, so we could eat out at lunch and/or dinner.) When we wanted to go out, we would pick a restaraunt based on the coupons we had. It even had coupons for hotels, and we used it when we went to Hawaii. Got a decent hotel for $50/night ten years ago.
Those are GREAT! Our rule on charge cards is not to charge anything that we couldn't pay cash for, and then pay it off every month, so we've used their money for a month for free. The only one I disagree with is that I love baths (and they're cheaper than a spa, therapy, or even good liquor after a hard day, LOL!), although showers ARE cheaper.
We floor-tiled half our house for $800. Found the high end tile greatly discounted and did the work ourselves. Saved about $7000. :o)
These have worked for us: Flea Markets, estate sales, Ebay (for nearly everything including shoes, clothing, carpeting), buy livestock from a farmer and have it butchered, hunting hubbies, barter, think "Can I do that myself?" before picking up the telephone, wood stoves, shopping lists when going to the store, bicycle or walk instead of drive, legumes for protein, start your high schooler in community college summers before graduation to get out of college quicker, inventory what you already have before buying new, videos and books on tape free from the library, be a good neighbor (It comes back and lots of doors open that way!)
And for "cheaper" advice - I take handouts. If other people want to give us food, clothes, toys, furniture ... I'm not offended. I just say, "Thank you for thinking of us." If we can't use whatever it is (or if we're moving) we'll give it away to someone else :-).
****
Me too. I never turn down a handout. We have gotten a lot of nice things, and food, this way!
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