The hard times thread/Beat the Recession

[XCashier]

Skip the cable altogether. It's too expensive and there's never anything on. Netflix is a lot cheaper, and you get to pick and choose what you watch and when you watch it.

Check your local library to see if they have any videos to borrow. Libraries in larger towns and cities often have a DVD selection, and you can borrow them just like books, no fees unless you return them late. And frequently, they have unusual stuff that you won't find at Hollywood or Blockbuster (things like silent films, foreign films, BBC videos, etc.)

[Gwen_Goth]

On cell phones, skip the pricy monthly plans if you don't use the phone much. I find it's cheaper to use a Prepaid plan. When I first got my phone from T Mobile, I went ahead and purchased $100 of minutes so they would last a full year instead of 9- days. Took me 2 years to go through them, and I just bought $10 at the 1 year mark so I wouldn't lose them. Now I get maybe 50 every few months, which is a lot cheaper that the cheapest monthly plan.

good idea; also if you go to your mobile provider (especially if you're on contract) ask to see your usage; you can see where and how you spend my money; after finding out how little i actually use my mobile I down graded my contract (after getting the awesome upgrade) from £40 to £15 / month

Bring your lunch. Seems everyone at work goes out and spends 5+ on lunch. I bring a little cup of salmon, an apple, some cheese, and crackers. It's healthier, cheaper, and I don't have to leave my desk.

Luckily my work provides me with my lunch, but if i they didn't I'd certainly get around to using my lil bento box.
SO takes a selection or ready meals to work for lunch; they cost about £1 each so is quite good. we get the Salisbury's ones because they are mainly pretty good quality; no e numbers etc.

Skip the cable altogether. It's too expensive and there's never anything on. Netflix is a lot cheaper, and you get to pick and choose what you watch and when you watch it. Especially good for those with little time to actually watch TV. And if you like TV shows, just wait a few months, and the next season will be on DVD.

Check your local library to see if they have any videos to borrow. Libraries in larger towns and cities often have a DVD selection, and you can borrow them just like books, no fees unless you return them late. And frequently, they have unusual stuff that you won't find at Hollywood or Blockbuster (things like silent films, foreign films, BBC videos, etc.)

Mmm Libraries are a great thing

we're moving soon, so will be dropping Virgin. I've been doing alot of research on what internet provider to use; one great site that's impartial is http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html - they show reliability and customer service as well as value for money and speed tests.

We'll be dropping our cable altogether; we rarely watch TV now, but we'll save up for a decent Freeview box; the main channel we watch is Dave anyway

we both walk to work and neither of us drives so that saves alot too; i do a one-weekly shop when i can and stock up as much as possible. also i cook 'from scratch' nearly all the time so it helps alot (if anyone wants tips or recipes please PM me )

also for saving energy; i bought a few E-On powerdowns from Ebay (at a huge reduction of price); it's amazingly useful, also i bought a roll of 3-pass lining for the curtains that i am currently sewing that on.

[blas]

Hello everyone, this is blas, your community Recessionista.....(gosh I hate that word)...

While you are saving money on your absolute necessities, it's also a good idea to take a good look at how much money you may be wasting on skin care, hygene products, cosmetics and hair care.

You can still look amazing while on a tight budget.

You do not need to waste your money on expensive acne and other skincare solutions that are overpriced and above all, overly biochemically engineered. Can you even pronounce half of the ingredients in your face wash? I can't.

I have been using baking soda/water paste, gentle soaps, honey and vinegar for my skin in recent times, and my skin has never looked better. Baby wipes, while still a little pricey, can take off makeup just as effectively and cost less than makeup remover at your local department store.

All you need to flush your system....water. Water water water. If your have access to clean tap water, take advantage of it! If you can afford it, buy green or white tea in bulk (tea bags are still pretty cheap, but the big bottles are just slightly less expensive than soda pop and juice).

If you are like me and a slave to your own horribly oily skin.....forget mattifiers and expensive makeup primers. I thought Avon's MagiX skin perfector was a steal for $10 until I heard about Milk Of Magnesia. A regular sized bottle of Phillips is less than $5 and will last you a year. WARNING: This is only for people with oily skin! Yes....constipation solution as a makeup primer. Use after washing your face. It will keep shine and excess oil away for HOURS. A little goes a long way, so do not apply too much. Many people notice a difference in pore size and amount of pimples over time as well.

Suave now makes shampoos and conditioners for blondes and brunettes. I bought some a couple months ago and it works JUST as well as John Freida. Also, invest in Suave's hairspray and taming lotion. It works just as well as the other stuff you'll spend 3-5x as much on. Their shampoos/conditioners smell very nice. It can be your little secret.

As far as makeup goes.....in my opinion, Covergirl, Revlon, L'oreal, and Maybelline have came a long way in recent years. Although they still may not compare 100% to the luxurious feel of expensive makeup, in times like these, if you are still going to wear makeup, I say swallow your pride and save some money. Most Wal-Mart makeup brands like those above do have mineral foundations, mineral blushes, bronzers, and at a cost that won't break your budget. Again, it can be your little secret. I have no issue at all with the quality of these brands.

[Rapscallion]

I'm in an interesting position. I have a little (well, reasonably substantial) cash spare, and I'm trying to work out if I should knock another chunk off my mortgage as I was intending or save it as ready and liquid cash. Knocking money off the mortgage would be good in the long term, but I may have one or two expenses coming up.

Got a month or two to think about it.

Don't hate me too much!

Rapscallion

[AdminAssistant]

Ahh, skincare. I can't wear Cover Girl or any other Wal-Mart-esque brand. They don't make foundations pale enough that don't make you look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. I am extremely pale, but my skin has a lot of pink undertones that I don't like to cover up. So, I get Clinique, the stuff I've been using since high school. It is pretty reasonable for department store makeup (about $15 I think) and one bottle can last me for 6 months. I just take really really good care of my skin and only wear makeup 3-4 times a week at most. My skin's pretty clear, just have some freckles and a large birthmark on my forehead I like to keep covered (forceps, literally a 'birth' mark).

Baby oil is also a damn fine makeup remover - it's what we generally use for stage makeup. Just be sure to use a really good soap afterwards. And buy and use eye makeup remover (baby oil could be used for this, too). When I last went to an optometrist, he had to rub my eyes with cleaner - apparently I hadn't been cleaning up eyeliner/mascara well enough and I had gunk at the base of my lashes. ICK.

[It shouldn't]

Put in a garden.

Or just a few pots with tomato and pepper plants on your balcony.

I grow most of the vegetables we eat myself. In the summer/fall I can/preserve and freeze Which usually lasts us until the next harvest.

I have invested in one of those vacuum sealer gizmos. You don't even have to pre-cook most veggies. Just wash the veggies really well, clean/peel/trim and then I seal them in undividual size portions and freeze. When it's time for using them, just put in boiling water, bag and all, till they are cooked/hot. You can even make yourself "steamer bags" just poke a little hole in the bag with a pin, put in microwave pin-hole side up and cook for 2-5 min. To make things even more tastier I add a tablespoon of butter and some seasoning to the veggies before I seal and freeze them.

The best vegetables to do that with: Corn, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts and peas.

The herbs I freeze in mini ice cube trays. Just Chop the fresh herbs, distribute evenly in the wells of a ice cube tray for mini ice cubes, then fill up the wells with water and freeze. Take herb/ice blocks out when frozen and store in a ziploc bag in freezer. I find them easier to use and less messy to store when I do it that way. Just grab a cube (or2) and drop it in the soup/stew, or thaw a cube in one of those mini strainers over a cup to use for other things.

To keep the weeds in the graden down to a minimum, I lay old newspapers about 3-4 layers thick all around the veggie plants and cover the papers with a 2-3 inch layer of grass clippings. I guess you could cover it in mulch too. The grass clippings are just there so the wind won't blow the news papers away.

[Aethian]

I'm surprised that no one has added to this in a while...

For those who make lunches for work, any of you do Bento boxes? I've been thinking of getting into them and have a found a few books online but nothing yet concrete on if I want to or how I can. (I know I want to cause they look yummy...but me and mornings don't get along.)

For the couponers...any good sites you like to use online?

[Monica]

I don't talk on the phone all that much. So I use a Virgin Mobiel phone. You just buy the phone, and then you can either buy phone cards or go online and have so much a month put on. The phones are stylish, mine even takes photos, and you can text. You don't have a contract. It saves a lot of money especially if you don't talk a lot.

If there is a sale going on and you have a little extra money, buy a few of the food items on sale that you use a lot, and just store what you don't use.

Again, places like goodwill are good places to find great deals on clothes. I found some clothes in my size that still have the tags on them.

Also, garage sales and estate sales are your friend. You never know what you might find.

[JuniorMintz]

Contact lens wearers- check in with your optometrist and see if they know of any specials that are available for your brand of lenses.

Now, we mostly deal with patients who have vision insurance of some sort, so if you *don't* it is probably cheaper to order through someone like Costco or 1-800 Contacts. If you do have insurance, check with your optometrist and see if they can hook you up. (And be nice when you do, because who knows you could be dealing with me! )

At my office, a good half of the lenses that we sell are set up so the more boxes you buy, the cheaper the price per box. In the long run, it's cheaper to purchase your year supply of lenses all at once instead of one box at a time. We also have a stack of rebate forms for our major disposable brands that can get you a nice chunk of change back.

(NOTE: I'm not sure if this is available everyone or how long the special will last, but Ciba has a special for some of their Focus Dailies where you can get 2- 30 lens boxes for $15. Focus Dailies can be expensive, so this price is a bit of a steal, especially for patients who only wear contacts on certain occasions)

------------------------------------------

Also- be kind to your lenses and they will last you longer. I don't care what brand you wear, I recommend (for many reasons) that you DON'T sleep in your lenses. If you remove and clean them daily, your eyes will be healthier in the long run and your lenses will probably last you a couple weeks longer.

Ultimately, you need to consult your optometrist regarding your wearing schedule, but in my experience I know I take amazing care of my lenses so I am able to wear them for 4 to 6 weeks. Again, you MUST consult your doctor before doing this, but if you take care of your lenses they will take care of you.

[Akasa]

There is one web site I found that shows you how to make food cheap.
There's an emergency $45 menu, and a everyday $70 menu. Shopping tips, recipies, etc.

Don't laugh too hard at the name.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index1.htm

[bookworm]

Washing your air conditioner twice a year and changing or washing your filters monthly can make a real difference in your electric bill. If your filters are really dirty (or missing), have the indoor coil checked and cleaned if necessary. In addition to saving electricity, your equipment will last longer.

[Evil Queen]

Your Freezer is Your Friend

Fruit:

Did you know you can freeze a lot of the fruit that's on sale (deep discounts) during the warm season? I just learned that I can freeze grapes and plums. I purchased grapes a short time ago for the freakishly cheap price of .42 a pound. I bought 5 lbs (the limit), cleaned and froze them on a baking sheet (so they woudlnt' stick together). Then dumped them into zipper top bags at a cup each. Tada! I have grapes for when I want them! Grab a bag and toss them in my work bag on the way to work. They thaw while I wait for my break and you loose no flavour.
For plums, just slice, add a teaspoon of lemon juice and pour into a bag. Two cups fits in the sandwhich bags just great! I recently used two bags for a plum cobbler. It was tasty!
Have Bananas on the verge of going too ripe? Peel and freeze them! Eat them still frozen with a touch of chocolate syrup for a diet friendly snack or thaw them out and use them for Banana Bread!

Dairy:

You'd be amazed what you can freeze for dairy products. Whole Milk freezes nicely. Just allow it to thaw in the fridge for two days before use and shake the container. There's no taste difference as long as you remember to shake it!
Every now and again, HEB and Kroger will sell their 8oz packets of shredded cheese for CHEAP. Stock up and toss into the freezer as well.
Oddly enough, Sour Cream does NOT freeze well at all. Do not try it.

Plan Ahead with OAMC meals:

OAMC means "Once A Month Cooking". SmileyEagle does a similar trick with Once a Week Cooking. Google OAMC recipes and give them a try! I've had several that are damned tasty and well worth the time you spend on that lazy day off where you don't feel like going anywhere.
A Personal favourite is Meatloaf (you can use your own, just multiply the ingredients) and frozen pizza. it's cheaper to make your own then to buy it at the store, which is still cheaper then ordering in! Below is my favourite Meatloaf recipe (and this is the one my SO likes so it must be good!)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 2 lbs lean ground sirloin, 1 cup oat flour (instant oatmeal that has been turned into flower in the food processor), 1 finely chopped onion, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup milk, 2 lightly beaten eggs, a dash of salt and a dash of pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands and shape into 2 loaves about 7 1/2 inches long by 4 inches wide (basically the size of a loaf pan). Place on a slightly greased rack of a broiler pan and bake for 40 minutes.
To Freeze, cool and wrap in foil, seal and label. Freeze for up to 3 months (if you had also put it in a ziptop bag to prevent freezer burn, you can freeze it for longer).
To Reheat; thaw in fridge for 8 hours and bake (still wrapped in foil) at 350 Degrees F for 45 minutes or until heated through (approximately 165 degrees is my favourite internal temperature).

Go to websites like recipezaar.com and search for "OAMC/Feed an Army" recipes.

My next favourite is Lasagna. Just follow your favourite recipe but DO NOT COOK THE NOODLES. Put the dish together with the uncooked noodles and either freeze or refrigerate over night. Then, bake as you normally would the next day. The noodles soak up the extra juices from the tomato sauce and cheese mixture so it's nice and tender. I have gotten rave reviews for "Make Ahead Lasagna". Give it a try.

[Seshat]

Repair.

Repair, repair, repair. Fix everything, and keep it in good repair. It extends the use of EVERYTHING.

And clean. Clean filters, clean motors, clean mechanisms run more efficiently, and are less likely to break down.

Re-read the manuals for all your mechanical and electronic stuff, or find the manual online. Find out what you should be doing to keep it in good condition.



Go through your house. If it's not useful, beautiful, or a memento important to you, get rid of it. If it's excess and you're keeping for 'useful', get rid of it. Sell stuff. You may be surprised how much more real room you have - and how much you earn getting rid of the excess.

If you're renting, you may even find out that you could live comfortably in a smaller (and therefore cheaper) place. (Also cheaper to heat, cheaper to cool...)



If you own, and you can possibly afford to do so, insulate. You can get some insulation-stuff you mix in with paint, so if you're redecorating, insulate as you go.



Learn to sew. Making your own clothes is cheaper than buying, and you get exactly what you want. (Well, after the learning curve.) If you don't want to make your wardrobe, learn to sew enough to mend stuff.



Learn to cook. Cooking from basic ingredients is much, much cheaper than purchasing prepared meals.

[iradney]

You can freeze bread and yoghurt too. So if it's on sale, you can buy 5 or 6 loaves (or whatever is the limit), head home and freeze it! No change in taste or texture.

Freezing your yoghurt is also great if you have an icecream craving - simply grab a frozen yoghurt instead!

[BarbieGirl]

For those that are interested in going out occasionally restaurant.com is a great place to get gift certificates, they usually run $10 for a $25 g/c. They also have 70% and 80% off sales a lot. And today 9/09/09 they have a 90% off sale. enter the code NINETY at check out and get a $25 g/c for just $1. although it looks as though it's only in the US.

Most of the places do have a spending minimum, usually $35-$50 on a $25 g/c.