Know about any little 'deals' to save money? (weather, relocating, community)

[bluecrab]

I'm always looking for ways to save money, no matter how small. And since I'll be retiring soon every little bit helps.
I'll start:

Coffee- If you bring in your own cup/mug(or the used paper cup from a previous visit) to 7-11 you get a refill of up to 24 oz. for $.99. Reg. price is $1.39
McDonald's has senior coffee for 45 cents for a 12 oz. cup.

I know I could save more by making my own coffee but I can't make decent tasting coffee at home.

McDonald's(I love their $ menu!)- On the occasion I 'splurge' and get a hot fudge sundae, I always ask fot the peanuts. They come in a bag. I use the peanuts on a tossed salad for dinner.

Who's next??

[Tesaje]

Making your own meals and not eating out is a big saver. Shopping from only the perimeter of the grocery store is not only healthier but cheaper too. Processed, prepackaged foods are very expensive.
Wash clothes in cold water. Turn on only cold water for all those half a second rinses unless you really need it hot.

Funny about the coffee. I have trouble finding it at shops as good as I make it.

[StealthRabbit]

Since I already live-on-the-cheap <$200/month for all discretionary and food spending, and drive a $35 car that gets 50 mpg on used cooking oil....

I'll comment on the FREE theme...

1. volunteer ushering for concerts / plays
2. volunteer gardening / security / tour guide to get free admission to other venues (National historic sites, themed parks and gardens, science museums, sporting events, concerts).
3. Relocating cars / motorhomes / buses / boats for free travel. - (Keep your commercial driver's license and passport current)
4. Volunteer cooking for free food - (senior dinners / fund raising benefit cooking / soup kitchen / hosted receptions... Keep your health card current)
5. Work for 'barter', especially for farmers who have meat, produce, and milk. (I need to talk to my insurance agent about this.... and the tax assessor, maybe cleaning parks and public toilets? and my ISP )
   
6. Enjoy 'free' days at museums, rehearsals, the city dump

Surely I missed some!, Let me know, I have cabin fever and need to get out

[livecontent]

My beverage of choice is tea--hot tea, cold tea, generally black tea but green tea is nice sometimes. I do not buy any pre-made teas drinks and I do not buy any expensive flavored tea bags. I buy black tea and green tea. I do buy bulk loose tea and the less expensive tea bags; preferably with no tags.

I make plain tea but sometimes I like a flavored tea. What I do is buy, a variety of preserves, when I make a flavored tea I steep some of the preserves with the tea. Red Raspberry is my one of my favored. Black Raspberry is nice. Apricot is interesting. Strawberry has a nice tart taste. Orange Marmalade is wonderful. Any fruit preserve will work. Apple jelly with a little cinnamon can make a very nice apple tea for a cold day and you do not have to strain fruit jellies.

What I do is pour some hot water from the tea into a cup and add the preserves and then stir to break it up. I then add it back to the steeping tea pot. I then strain the tea, it will remove the larger fruit pieces and the seeds from the raspberries. Add a little sugar or honey, as desired, and you have the best flavored teas and it is much cheaper than buying the expensive bags. When you make the flavored teas, use the less expensive tea bags because the fine taste of bulk good tea will not be noticed. It works very nice with green tea or a mixture of green and black tea.

Generally I make a pot because I start the day with hot tea and the chilled leftover flavored tea is wonderful over ice with lemon. It is a good idea to put the tea in a mason jar, leave a little room for ice and refrigerate. When you are ready, you have the tea in a great container with the mason lid, which works great when you take the tea outside, or when you drink at your computer--just like a store bought container.

I have even tried to make tea with orange rind and lemon rind and steep it with the tea. That works good with the leftover rinds from eating the fruit. It is not quite as good a Earl Grey which of course is made with the oil of Bergamot, an oil from a very astringent orange variety--but it can come close, if you peel the rind without the white.

We tend to think of lemon with tea but I have used limes, when they are cheap and lemons expensive--great for a cold tea. Also, why not a cut of a nice juicy orange, it works nice and looks great as a garnish on the glass.

The idea of adding preserves to tea is very common in Eastern Europe and Russia, so it is really is not an original idea. Of course any tea can be flavored any way and you can easily make your own spiced Chai tea by experimenting with the spices that please you.

You can also use any of the flavored syrups you would use in a bar for coffees or drinks, if you have that available. I would not buy it specifically for tea because of the expense but if you have it, why not. In addition, any cooking extracts, oil of lemon, orange, anise, vanilla etc. can be an interesting combination for any flavored tea.

Why not??? That is exactly how these flavored teas are made--steep some flavor in a big vat with tea, bottle it and sell it for an overpriced amount.

Livecontent
CIA Graduate, long ago and far away--another time in my life

[ConeyIsBabe]

Here are my personal budget-cutting tips - maybe not acceptable by everyone, but it works for me and I save lots of $$$$$ !!

I absolutely DO NOT eat out at fast food restaurants. I DO NOT SMOKE. I do not buy or consume soda pop or bottled juice. I don't buy prepared deli-food. I don't purchase any junk - like chips, donuts, processed food, etc. I don't drink beer or wine or other alchoholic beverages. I save lots of $$ by shopping at Walmart.

I shop for all my clothing at local thrift shops (except shoes & underwear). I don't buy fancy electronic equipment, large screen TV, jewelry.

With all the $$$$ I save on a daily basis, I don't mind spending on my own personal luxuries: membership in the best Fitness Center in town, eating out at my favorite Thai restaurant twice a week, staying at upscale lodging when I travel.

[knoxgarden]

I eat more tofu, rice, veggies. I shop more at the new Asian supermarket in town. Much better prices and lots of stuff to stir fry cheap. Ethnic food in general is much cheaper than the typical American diet.
I shop bargains, especially meat that's reduced because it's at or near expiration date. That gets plastic bagged and thrown in the freezer.
I shop online for deals and freecycle.org. I shop online outlets. Landsend.com and eddiebauer.com have some of the best deals.
I bake my own artisan bread. I love ciabatti but it's pricey. I can whip up a couple of loaves for a lot less. Same with focaccia and home made pizza dough. Then I can splurge on good cheeses and olives and fresh mozarella.
I buy a lot less books and spend more time at the library. I've discovered I don't need to join a gym to workout, that the city and county offer excellent facilities for free.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by knoxgarden

I eat more tofu, rice, veggies. I shop more at the new Asian supermarket in town. Much better prices and lots of stuff to stir fry cheap. Ethnic food in general is much cheaper than the typical American diet.
I shop bargains, especially meat that's reduced because it's at or near expiration date. That gets plastic bagged and thrown in the freezer.
I shop online for deals and freecycle.org. I shop online outlets. Landsend.com and eddiebauer.com have some of the best deals.
I bake my own artisan bread. I love ciabatti but it's pricey. I can whip up a couple of loaves for a lot less. Same with focaccia and home made pizza dough. Then I can splurge on good cheeses and olives and fresh mozarella.
I buy a lot less books and spend more time at the library. I've discovered I don't need to join a gym to workout, that the city and county offer excellent facilities for free.

Excellent Ideas about ethnic markets. I avoid Whole Foods and all the expensive gourmet shops that carry overpriced foods. I shop at the ethnic markets in the poorer neighborhoods vs. the shops in the upscale neighborhoods.

Here, in Denver, there is a large Hispanic, Mexican and, South American Culture. There foods are less expensive in their ethnic stores. I am able to use these foods to create good Southwestern and Hispanic dishes. It is nice because this culture likes many different types of fresh vegetables and fruit and is widely available from their warm weather countries. This combined with the less expensive beans of the southwest can provide an economical and healthy diet.

The Mexican business community also has good contacts and sources in Mexico, South America, Central America, California and the Southwest for premium produce. These excellent products and reduced costs they pass on to their ethnic retail markets.

The Asian influence is growing rapidly in Denver and their are a number of Vietnamese, Korean, Laotian and Chinese Markets that I frequent. I find I can create a good fusion cuisine with all the cultures for less expensive and healthy meals.

However, you have to be willing to try different foods and experiment. Unfortunately, many people are just tied to a meat and potato diet and will never shop in an ethnic market.

Livecontent

[mathjak107]

Cheapskate has tips for saving $20,000 a year - CNN.com

[pont neuf]

I have enough dishes to last a year, so once a year I put all my dirty dishes in the back of my pick-up truck and go to the car wash. I have to work fast, but for 25 cents I can get my truck and dishes washed. I then leave my truck parked in the driveway and wait for the rain to rinse everything off. Okay, I made this one up, but I would do it if I had a pick-up truck.

[pont neuf]

Some people use toilet tissue for Kleenex. I use paper towels for both, and wash them and re-use them. I have been using the same roll of paper towels for 12 years. My neighbor said that she didn't know you could buy them in yellow.