Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't go out to eat except on very rare occasions. Buy my gas with rewards cards, so it's cheaper. Bought a little portable washing machine with a tiny spinner in it, and wash my clothes at home. Laundromats are expensive! I shop sales and the clearance sections for meat or other groceries. Price shop for things I need to buy new. Use rewards programs.
Oh, and I stopped Netflix and Amazon prime, etc., after I discovered you can watch full length movies on Youtube for free. And that Amazon jacks up the prices for things with "free" shipping. I can get better deals on Walmart.com and have them shipped to the local store for free. Plus, I can click through to Walmart.com from another site that will give me cash back for clicking through their site to Walmart. So, I can get a percentage off from the site in cash back, use a credit card to buy it with cash back, and get free shipping.
Basically, I work all the deals :-)
The only thing I haven't figured out how to get a good deal on, is high speed internet. There isn't enough competition in the boonies where I live. And I can't stand slow internet. So, I save on other things to pay the - choke - nearly $60/month I pay on high speed internet.
We have found some major ways to reduce costs. They don't involve spending time washing baggies or anything else that would save a few pennies. Here are a few of the big ones:
We share a house with my older daughter, SIL and grandkids. They pay a substantial portion of the mortgage, utilities, cellphone and cable bills. We each have separate kitchen and even laundry facilities and as much privacy as we need. My wife and I have less space than if we owned a separate house but we still have way, way more space than if we rented a condo or apartment. Of course, we also pay much less than we would. Our shared living is saving us many hundreds of dollars per month....a lifetime of baggies everyday.
We buy all our food and household items at Costco. We don't use many baggies but they are dirt cheap and we have a stash of them in the basement along with extra paper towels and toilet paper. We don't try to stretch the baggies or the toilet paper.
I have virtually no clothing costs and my wife spends very little. I look at clothing mainly from a utilitarian point of view. I don't buy for trends, fashion or to show off. My standard clothing begins with dockers or equivalent pants that I get for about $15/pair. Two pair will last at least a year or more. Shirts are typically colored, pocket Ts. They cost $4 each or $6 each with collars. They never wear out but I replace them when they start looking old or stained. At most replacements cost me $20/year. I still have a pile of old office clothing from when I worked, including dress shirts, sport coats, winter coats, etc. After 6 years in retirement I have not needed any replacements. My big expense is new shoes every 6-12 months at $100. My wife is less utilitarian, but she can buy piles of stuff at the thrift stores for virtually nothing. In fact the costs are so low it is an issue. She already has already accumulated a lifetime worth of stuff.
The next big expense is transportation. We bought a used 1999 Buick Regal for $3000 five years ago. We finally replaced it with a new Honda CRV. We plan on keeping that for at least 10-15 years and by then it will probably go to one of the grandkids. We still have the Buick for short trips and errands.
My wife and I have established a very comfortable, low cost lifestyle. The basic costs are low and we never feel pressured to maintain a budget or cut corners.
We have found some major ways to reduce costs. They don't involve spending time washing baggies or anything else that would save a few pennies.
Agree. First of all I don't use baggies, they are plastics with BPA, don't want that touching my food, and somewhere I read that the more you wash out baggies and plastic spoons/forks, that plastic breaks down and the toxins are worse. I buy wax paper and wax paper bags and do not reuse them.
Agree. First of all I don't use baggies, they are plastics with BPA, don't want that touching my food, and somewhere I read that the more you wash out baggies and plastic spoons/forks, that plastic breaks down and the toxins are worse. I buy wax paper and wax paper bags and do not reuse them.
So true about spending too much money at the fabric store. I'm only saved by the fact there aren't any where I live now.
But, I'm getting much better at repairing things myself. However, along those same lines, I now understand why the men in my life always wanted to buy another tool. Every time I want to repair something myself to save money - I need another tool to do the job, which of course, makes it more expensive than just buying a new whatever.... LOL.
I was in the local hardware store recently, where I regularly accost unsuspecting men to help me with my latest hardware/project challenge, and I told a guy that I finally "get it" as far as men always wanting a new tool. He told me that's so true, and that you're better off just never starting on that new project, etc.
But, I do love it when that new tool proves to be handy on another new project - so I don't feel so guilty buying it LOL.
My point being, I'm not so sure repairing things ourselves is always as cost-effective as we'd like to think (or justify).
Agree. First of all I don't use baggies, they are plastics with BPA, don't want that touching my food, and somewhere I read that the more you wash out baggies and plastic spoons/forks, that plastic breaks down and the toxins are worse. I buy wax paper and wax paper bags and do not reuse them.
I like patterned cotton sheets...just patched one with non matching fabric. No one will see it and I got another year out of it. I can remember percale lasting forever. Now if I get five years I'm thrilled.
holes or rips in sheets? how are you people getting holes or rips in your sheets? LOL
are you doing something rough..... I've never had a hole or rip in a sheet in my life!
And holes or tears in tee-shirts & jeans? what? never had a hole or rip in those either!
I must live a gentle life or something, ha!
and fabric stores, I honest to god thought those barely exist these days. I haven't seen one in over 45 years since about 1970!!
I do think maybe the chain store JoAnn Fabrics or just JoAnn might possibly still exist, not sure. (have to google)
I don't think Michael's (the crafts chain) has fabric, or does it?
I thought mostly just extremely high end fabrics in mostly urban areas where people buy fabric for interior design of drapes & furniture etc mostly exist these days....
I just remembered quilting - making quilts is still popular - and people needs lots of different fabrics for making quilts - so they are buying the fabric somewhere.
Last edited by matisse12; 09-17-2016 at 03:09 AM..
IKEA cotton sheets have to be the thinnest sheets I've ever owned, but I like the feel and lightness of them. I repaired a hole in the contoured sheet with my sewing machine, it has a free wheeling function where I can put the needle anywhere and is good for repairing tears. Claiming wild, crazy sex is the reason for sheet tears would be fun, but the pets are the usual culprits.
I still sew occasionally, I'm working on a flannel rag quilt at the moment. JoAnns is fine for some materials and supplies, but quilting shops carry higher quality fabrics. There is an online store, Spoonflower, where you can design your own fabric if you have the imagination and money for it.
There are online communities for many niche hobbies/activities which has helped many of these gain more enthusiasts and grow. We are spending a long weekend in October in NY to take care of some things there. The New York Sheep and Wool Festival is going on that weekend. Sheep for wool, angora rabbits, alpacas and vendors for fleece, wool, rare fibers, yarn, spinning wheels, looms, fiber tools; everything to make a fiber art enthusiasts heart sing. People come from all over and even overseas to attend, it's that big of a deal. Attendance is around 60,000-80,000.
There are other annual wool fests like this throughout the country of varying sizes. There is a knitting/crochet online community, Ravelry, with a worldwide membership of 4 million that has helped people connect and these festivals to grow larger over the years.
These days, quilting, spinning and weaving are not usually ways to save money.
For most of us on the Retirement Forum, that ship sailed 20 or more years ago.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
