The hard times thread/Beat the Recession

[iradney]

Discount clothing stores - you can actually get some really nice things and it doesn't cost you a bomb!
Instead of going out to movies, rent a DVD.
Frozen veggies are pretty nutritious and somewhat cheaper than fresh. If ya'll have no-name brands, they're also cheaper. Even if it's only by 10c per product, it all adds up.
Create an exchange program with friends for books where you swop paperbacks once a month so you have something new to read, but doesn't cost you a thing!

Keep an eye on how things are arranged in the supermarket - they put the big brands and more expensive products in the middle of the aisle at eye level height. Look above and below.

For food, when you make supper, keep the leftovers for lunch the next day. Fruit is the ultimate take away food, and it doesn't normally come in styrafoam packages A packet of apples can last you a week and cost maybe a couple bucks. Great snack too for when you're peckish!

Cancel that gym membership and start a walking club with like-minded members of the neighbourhood - alternatively! Offer to walk the neighbours' dogs (e.g. Neighbour A on Monday, Neighbour B on Tuesday etc). You can charge em maybe a buck or two, you get exercise, the doggies are happy, and you get a little extra cash so you don't have to give up your daily cuppacino habit

For the ladies: Buy some nice discount makeup and use that for everyday wear. Save the good stuff for special occasions. Ditto with perfume. Instead of body cream, olive oil actually does work pretty well, and you could even blend a little of your favourite essential oil with it for a bit of scent. Have a glitter cream preference? Get some no-name brand plain moisturizer, and throw in some of that old bronzer or blush that you don't use anymore.

If possible, see if it's more economical to use a laundromat instead of doing laundry at home.

That's all I can think of for now....

[Mr Yuck]

Homeowners:

Interest rates are down, check into refinacing.
My wife called our bank last week, we're able to drop from 6.125% to 5.25%. It will cost us $1100 to do the deal, but the beauty of that is it rolls right back into the mortgage payment.....the length of the mortgage will not change.

So for the time it took for 1 phone call and us going down to the bank to sign the necessary paperwork our mortgage is going down $67 per month.
Not a huge amount, but $67 is $67.

draftermatt.....wish nursing was recession proof everywhere. First time in the 19 years i've been a nurse where i've seen not only a hiring freeze at our facility, but they're actually letting a few nurses go.

[AdminAssistant]

One of the TA's in my department just found out he wasn't being funded next year. And since I'm technically a state employee, I may not get paid next Friday. (The state of Kansas is basically broke. Yay.) And they're not doing tax refunds.

Needless to say, when I went to the grocery store today, I was a bit more careful than usual. Staples, off-brands, cheapest cut of meat I could find, cheapest veggies. Various things that can go in lunches for Monday/Wednesday. I should be good until next Friday, and even then I'll probably just need to by milk, bread, bananas, that kind of thing. The most expensive things - ham (for sandwiches) and chocolate soy milk. I noticed that, for some things, the name brands were actually a little cheaper than the store brands. For example, the store brand scalloped potatoes* were 2/3.00 while the name brand was 1.30/each.

*no, not healthy, but cheap and filling

[Sliceanddice]

new dish washer
let me explain about 2 years ago our dish washer broke down, then the coldwater pipe in our sink died so we can barely use our kitchen sink.
while we do rent it cant be fixed because my aunt who owns this unit cant do it until we have someplace to stay because the enite counter and flooring has to ripped out then replaced.
so we went out and bought a new dishwasher (which we will be reimpershed on) so we can do more dishes instead of 10 or so at a time in a bathroom sink or 50 or so at a time in a bathtub, which will take hours and we dont have to eat out if we dont have time to wash eerything.
300 dollars now will save us a 100 a week later.

[sms001]

I'd like to endorse and expand on the library hint.

First of all - except for gas (and when combined w/ other errands, negligible) FREE!

Second, even if you're small town, most areas of the States have interlibrary loans. Most importantly, they almost ALL have an online component.

A typical book borrowing for me is to run across a reference or suggestion from someone. Go online from home. Place the book on hold. (They have never NOT had a book yet.) In a few days, I receive an email telling me the book is at my local library. I drop by in the next few days to pick it (them) up. A friend in Scottsdale has a DRIVE UP window at his library (I still like to go in and peruse once in a while myself.)

Third. CDs. DVDs. I always check the library before renting a movie. The choices are a little more limited than the book selection, but for classics they are hard to beat.

[Sliceanddice]

i though of real ideas
Paperbackswap.com
if you are an avid reader but cant alwasy afford your new books in your series or you want to read this is great! you post books you like or hated or just wanted to share and you can order other books from other members. i read up to book 5 in the vampire earth series this way, found tamora pierce books and others.

learn to use a needle
you can mend as other refer to but you can buy cheep clothes and add or subtract things you hate with a needle or a seam ripper.

some online clothing stores are actually pretty cheap and i found the cost of shipping is what i would spend driving around looking for clothes in my size.
i just bought two undershirts (which i havent been able to find anywhere ofr monthes) two pants and a skirt for 66 dollars with shipping and that way i have a few more items to replace ripped pants that i have worn for years
oh and like jeans but can find denium ones that fit you?
look for twill. its soft airy very durable and tends to be alittle cheaper.

[edible_hat]

Clearance tables are awesome! My local supermarket had some awesome instant noodle cups on clearance, so I just paid $12 for 2 weeks worth of lunches.

[Rapscallion]

Kiwi pointed out that she started this very similar thread a while ago, so I've merged them. Let's include all manners of surviving in hard times - economies you can make and good places to look for jobs.

Rapscallion

[Aethian]

Out of all the people listing clothes...try to keep your clothing down. Having a ton of clothes only makes the clothes washing time more hectic. I for example only have three pairs of jeans and about a dozen sweatshirts/shirts. But I do have eight sets of work clothes so two loads of laundry is all work clothes. While only one goes for the rest of my main clothes. Not going to talk about under things.

Also that will save money when it comes time to pay the water bill.

[smileyeagle1021]

Something I've done with some success, this cuts cost and helps you cut calories if you're dieting, is to cook all my meals at once, portion them out, and refridgerate them... never eat more than what you've portioned. It's cut my food expense by about $20-$30 a week and I think I"m noticing pants fitting better.

Oh, and if you live in an area with transit, see if your company/school has a program for discounted transit passes, save money, reduce foreign oil consumption, and reduce smog... it's win/win/win if it's available.

oh, eta- other things I'd suggest, if you have cable and high speed internet and you often rent videos/go to the movies, cut the cable and sign up for netflix, it's less than $20 a month, much cheaper than going to the theatre, and you can even cut your cable because there is nothing you will get on cable you won't be able to get on netflix (granted, it may be a while later)

[Kiwi]

I was reading today on the msn money message boards that one of the best thinks to do is to simply stop shopping. Stop buying for an entire month.

Eat the food in your pantry (just buying fresh fruit,vege, milk)

Dont buy any clothes, dont rent any movies etc. Rely on your supplies that you already have for just 30 days. K and I did a stocktake of our freezer and pantry and realised we could go 3 full weeks without needing anything other than milk and bananas

sure we would have to have soup and toast for lunch everyday and oatmeal everymorning (well I have oatmeal everymorning in winter anyway) but we had plenty of frozen veges and fruit, we had two loves of frozen bread and enough fish, chicken and bacon to give us meat almost every evening.

we have also put a freeze on buying clothing, household items since Feb 1st. The only thing we had to replace was paper towels and we decided to get a 5 pack of kitchen cloth towels instead. We can wash the towels and use them over and over for the same price as a 4 pack of paper towels.

try it, only buy what you absolutely must for a month. pay your bills and the smallest amount of extra food that you can to get buy on. You might find you have a couple of hundred dollars left at the end of the month or you might have nothing left, but you could have caught up on a few bills.

[Buglady]

Anybody have any suggestions for figuring out a budget with an uncooperative partner?

"Don't buy bread," I said. "I bought this big bag of flour and some yeast, I'll make bread!" (Note: I make damn fine bread). "But it's not sliced. It's too hard to slice. I like the storebought bread, it's sliced."

Dude, trust me, you don't want ME slicing any bread at the moment. I might "slip."

[Bosch]

Babe just use the serrated knife it cuts the bread just fine!

And for those with cars, check your tire pressure. The winter months can play havoc on tire pressures, the colder it gets the lower the air pressure. So keep tabs on it. Don't skip your oil changes, that $50 dollars now will more than pay for the $3000 for a new motor if you don't change it. Its a little thing but little things add up. Or even learn to do an oil change yourself, it looks scary but its really not at all. Parts stores take back oil, they may change a couple bucks but after the investment in the basic tools its cheaper to DYI it..

Hell I do all my own work, I save a bundle and have made some cash from friends cause I will work cheaper than the "quicky lube"..

[Der Cute]

1. If you're a girl - hand wash your bras. They last longer, and it doesn't cost to do laundry.
2. Borax is your friend. Use 1/2 the normal amount of laundry soap, and add about 1/2c of Borax. Clothes will be just as clean, it's a good stretcher. Kills germs just fine, and even softens jeans .
3. Vinegar for windows. Don't need to buy Windex or Rinse Aid anymore. Use Vinegar for washing windows (get the spray bottle at dollar store or use the old windex bottle!) and Instead of using Rinse Aid for your dishwasher, use Vinegar...works better and is much much cheaper.
4. I hang-dry almost all my undies- the less heat from the dryer - the longer they last.
5. Chili and soups are easy to cook, and freeze, and eat later.
6. Go to the Bread Thrift stores. They're the bakeries themselves, the local factories for store bought bread. You can get healthy bread there, like 5 loaves for 6 bux etc.
Or, make your own.
7. Grow your own herbs in the windowsill. It's easy, fun, and you are saving LOTS of money. You can spend up to $10/bottle for herbs/spices at the grocery store. If you're not inclined to grow things, go to a store that has bulk - and you can buy spices in bulk. (Health section). Right now I've got basil and catnip growing (Fuzzy's getting excited about the nip.)

Cutenoob

[smileyeagle1021]

Or even learn to do an oil change yourself, it looks scary but its really not at all.

doing the disclaimer that should have been included... if you live in an apartment complex do be sure to check with your property management to make sure there are no rules against doing auto work on site. My property management can and does fine people for doing work on site, so be sure to check first and not risk getting a huge fine to save a few dollars on oil changes.

alternatively, try the local places rather than the chains... at least when I've gone to those places they've been cheaper than "quicky lube"