HennyPenny's random thoughts. New set of goals!

[hennypenny9]

A bit on myself, if anyone's interested. I couldn't bring myself to do the really long intro that others did, lol.

Location: Bellingham, Washington
Occupation: Cutter/Etc at JoAnn's
Future Career: Office assistant of some sort. Anything with a firm routine, and lots of BORING. I like routine like whoa.
Hobbies: Sewing, computer games (World of Warcraft) cooking, reading, COFFEE drinking
Favorite TV shows/movies: The Godfather, Fargo, Bones, The Office, House
Likes: Down to earth, realistic people.
Dislikes: Ignorance, unwillingness to see another point of view.
Pet: One orange tabby who is my true owner. See pictures.

My hours are being cut a lot, and it's really hard to find a second job around my first jobs hours. The house I live in, which my parents bought as an investment, is for sale. So any other job would be temporary, and it's just not happening. So I make very little, but my parents pay for the mortgage. I know I'm lucky, but utilities on a 1700 sq ft home, plus food and my car make me BROKE. I think people here will understand. My hours are hovering around 23 per week. If you do the math it isn't pretty.

But enough whining. Here's what I'm planning to do to save money, and be healthy at the same time!
-make my own
laundry detergent
dishwasher soap
feminine products
shampoo (or no-poo, I haven't decided)
conditioner
household cleaners
deodorant (sounds fun!)
lip balm
bread
all meals
some clothes, including skirts

-saving on utilities
compulsively turning off lights
keeping the thermostat at 60 degrees
hanging out clothes (can't right now, they never dry it's so cold!)
unplugging some things like the toaster
washing clothes in cold water

-growing things (can't much now, because I'm moving sometime)
lavender (lots of applications around the house)
peas
chives

It's actually becoming a big game to me. Like, how self sufficient can I be? How little can I spend? How much of what I use can I make myself? In the future, when I get a real job, I will save to go traveling. I want to go everywhere, and I think I'm laying the foundation to be able to do that. So that's my goal long term.

(If anyone gets through this whole thing, bravo, if not that's okay it's mostly for me to track my progress.)

 

[PamsPride]

Adorable kitty!!

I would be broke if I worked at J's!! I would have to take so much of that yummy fabric home that I would be spending every dime of my paycheck there and then some!!

 

[Patch of Heaven Farm]

Love your kitty! I sure understand being broke. That's why I love this site.....lots of ideas on how to become more SS. Look foward to reading more of your journey!!

 

[keljonma]

Sounds like you got a good plan! And you're in the right spot for ideas.

You can start your garden dreams - in containers. Just about anything you can grow in the ground can be grown in a container. I moved my entire herb garden from Houston, Texas back to Ohio in containers that traveled in the moving van.

It's probably not the toaster eating the electric - try any appliance with a clock - microwave, computer, coffeepot, stove, stereos, dvd or vcr players/recorders.

Another large energy saver is to replace your lightbulbs with CFL bulbs. Don't forget to take them with you when you move - they aren't cheap.

The Amish women in our area hang their clothes outside year round. I hang mine up inside the laundry room.

I'm jealous of your 23 hours a week - I'm working 12.

Your kitty is adorable!

 

[hennypenny9]

Thanks everyone! I'm going through all sorts of older posts to get ideas for other ways to be frugal. This site is so awesome.

I've become very good at not spending my money at my work. But in the beginning I was not so good. So I have TONS of random fabric.

I tried to dry my clothes by hanging them today, but they just stayed really wet, so I tossed them in the dryer. I'm keeping an eye on Goodwill for a cheap drying rack. I can walk to GW from my work, so I don't waste gas or anything. I love Goodwill so much!

And I can't get to the cords of my microwave and stove, since they're built in. I'm trying to remember for my coffee maker, and dvd player. Is it okay to unplug the computer all the time? I always thought it messed it up?

 

[gettinaclue]

Try plugging your computer up to a power strip and just turn the strip off...don't know about messing up the computer though.

 

[hennypenny9]

Bleck, I had a whole post and SS ate it! I got my natural gas bill, and it's almost 14% less than last month. $158 this month, and $183 last. My goal is for my combined energy and gas bills to be less than $200.

I looked into the power strip thing (since I'm working so little) and there this really cool looking one. http://catalog.bitsltd.us/catalog/SMART/power_strips/lbgs/SCG3.html You plug the computer into the "control" plug, and everything else into the "switched" plugs. Then when you turn off your computer, it will automatically cut power to it, and everything plugged into the "switched" outlets. It seems cool, since there are also plugs for your lamps and other things you don't want the power to be turned off of. Like my router and Vonage, and phone. Vonage messes up if the power gets turned off.

I also found this spiffy thing called kill-a-watt. It's a $20 thing that tells you exactly how much power anything uses. Then I'll know what I should always turn off, and what doesn't make that big a difference. I may try to split the price with my mom, and let her borrow it. Not right away, but when I move for sure.

I forgot to mention that my cat is indoors. I've never had an indoor only cat, but I live in a very populated area that I don't trust. There are dogs, kids (kids can do cruel things), raccoons, and CARS. I wish I felt comfortable to let him out, but I have this fear that someday he will just disappear. So inside he stays. But I've 90% trained him to use the human toilet. Cats cover their waste to cover the scent, and water does this very well. He seems to be okay with it. No major problems. I'm saving a ton on litter!!

Okay I'm done rambling I promise.

 

[TanksHill]

Your post are not boiing. It is great to share ideas on how to save money. Your cat is really cute. I understand the keeping it in thing. I had, with the emphasis on had two and in the past 6 months lostthem both. the last was just two weeks ago.

My idea for growing in the off season. Look in to sprouting. Very easy great nutritional value and as easy as pie.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Hey HennyPenny, I'm jealous that you live in B'ham! I spent some time there when I was in college. Loved it there. Now I live on the Kitsap Penninsula.

I'm working about 20 hrs a week. It used to be that that was sufficient for a comfortable (albeit frugal) life, but now I find money to be pretty tight.

I'm love orange cats! Right now my husband and I have four cats (only one is orange). I would keep them indoors too, but my husband believes in letting them have their freedom. At least where we live now they mostly catch rodents instead of songbirds.

 

[lorihadams]

I had 3 cats indoors for years and then I got pregnant and my husband refused to do the litter box and we turned them outdoors. We lost my favorite, Houdini, about 4 months later. She had respiratory problems though and I didn't expect her to make it much longer anyway. My other 2 are still going strong outside and love it but we live in a rural area and thankfully, did not have them declawed, so they do pretty well on their own. They have a dog house on the porch where they sleep in cold weather and occasionally bring me little mouse "presents".

I wish I could have gotten mine to use the toilet! How did you manage that one?