[Duff in VT]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

Vermonter2--
What program (if any) do you use to watch internet tv? Or do you just google free shows/whatever.

I dropped out of our local freecycle because we kept getting a ton of spam and people asked for RIDICULOUS stuff (electronics, applicances, whatever) and rarely gave anything away.

Still, it's a good idea, in theory.

Gypsy, if I may jump in here. I watch shows on Fancast.com. They have just about all of them. Or you can go to the network, like Abc.com or fox.com to watch their shows.

[chaz longue]

HULU dot com also collects a lot of television in one place.

[JM1822]

My wife is the queen of free stuff. We literally get something free in the mail everyday. Sometimes it's nothing more than a small bar of soap, a box of cereal or package of sticky notes. Sometimes it's a brand new reusable razor (I haven't had to buy a new razor in over a year) or even a $50 gift card from a gocery store. Today it was a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner, and a roll of wrapping paper. I'm still not quite sure how she does it.

I used to make fun of her for getting all of that stuff until I figured out how much she got. When we went on our last trip to Northern New York, she managed to purchase three $50 gift certificates for three nice restaurants. The most expensive one cost $25.

Several years ago she paid $75 to become a member of a club. I told her she was a knucklehead for blowing $75. We went to a zoo, a museum, an amusement park, and an aquarium. With her discount we didn't spend any more than 20 dollars TOTAL to get into all those places. The $75 she spent saved us over $300 on hotels, food, and entertainment in one weekend. I have lost track of all the things she has gotten, but I DO remember the four NHL Hockey tickets she got for the price of one!

[LisaMc46]

I've always been environmentally conscious but my dh and I decided to kick things up a notch when our budget plan for propane went up over $100 a month this winter. (Funny, prices have gone down $100 a barrel since then but our fuel dealer hasn't lowered our monthly payment).

Anyway, we bought programable thermostats for our first and second floor. The heat goes down to 60 during the day when we're at work and school, up to 68 when we come home for dinner, showers, etc. and down to 62 when we go to bed. I could probably set it a bit lower but I'm wimp when it comes to the cold (I'm wearing fleece and a scarf as I write this).

We're using less fuel than last year and since our budget plan is based on usage, hopefully our monthly payments will go down next year and we won't go over our contracted limit this year.

Also, we're saving $10 a month on electricity since we switched to CFL bulbs this fall. We switched everything but our recessed lighting, which we'll switch over as the bulbs die.

We're also continuing to compost this winter (usually we stop once the ground freezes). I just throw the scraps in the woods behind our house and hopefully they'll decompose in the spring. It saves us money on trash.

Also, we saved money this Christmas by scaling down our gift list and buying some presents at s local thrift store that gives all of its profits to the school district. We bought the rest of our gifts at local stores in an effort to help the Vermont economy. And, for the first time in years, we put NOTHING on our credit card.

We're still treading water, but at least we're not swimming backwards like last winter.

Lisa

[Duff in VT]

If you continue to pile up your scaps in the winter, they will break down very quickly in the Spring. A sprinkle of wood ashes will discourage scavenging animals. A cover of leaves or hay if you have some will keep it tidy looking and speed up the process. A few good turns in the Spring and you will have some dandy compost.