Official SS Poll: What do you do to eliminate bills / cut down expenses?

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi shikauhr! Welcome, from Texas! Glad to have you aboard. Where are you located? (general area, not asking for an address, lol) You mentioned the high cost of water, so I'm just wondering. Sounds like you have some good skills and we would love to hear more about your projects.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to the forum @shikauhr! Between us we have a bit of knowledge on things like building, animals, etc, so feel free to ask any questions on any topic we can help you with And please do keep us posted on your projects!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

rices are going up, up, up! I am changing some things and doubling down on others to make ends meet.

You are right about that! I sale shop too - but haven't tried the local Aldi's. Maybe I should!

I've gotten really fanatical about our electric bill. So fanatical in fact that I got our July bill to drop $10.00 lower than our June bill. Crazy if you understand June, July and August in my part of Texas. Of course, DH isn't loving it, lol. Oh well...he'll get used to it.

Keep the tips coming!!

And, welcome back!

 

[Myrth]

Thanks @frustratedearthmother - yes you should try ALDI. Now that I shop there, I wish I had started years ago.

I police our electric also. The A/C is turned off and windows are opened whenever temperatures allow. Ceiling fans are cheaper to run, so when possible we do that. When the A/C is on, I keep it set at a higher temp than we used to use.

I also use blinds to keep summertime morning and afternoon sun out. That can reduce how hard the A/C has to work. It is amazing how much passive solar gain we get (I use that to our advantage in winter, to reduce our heating costs).

Also, unplug anything not in use. Many things use electric even when "off" so they can start up quickly. These are also known as phantom loads. It is surprising how much power things use when off!

 

[Myrth]

My solar oven gets to 300 and up to 350 depending on clouds and how often I turn it to follow the sun. Because you can't just set the oven temp, you may have to adjust cooking time accordingly. If the oven is at 300 and your recipe calls for 350, you will add time to your recipe.

I have baked breads, meats, stews, etc.

You can use it like a slow cooker for stews also, and not fuss with turning it to follow the sun. It won't get as hot done that way, and behaves more like a CrockPot.

 

[Hope Hughes]

Other*
We hunt for our meat. We try to use all of the amily we get. What we dont eat the animals eat.

When we first moved to Oklahoma 4 years ago(so glad we are back in FL, but we will miss the hunting) we didnt buy meat or veggies for 9mnth. Everything we grew or hunted. And we had meat chickens so we just froze them for when time came we wanted chicken. We also did alot of fishing & trading meat for other meat.

I cant wait to get back to that way of living! We still kinda do all those things but we dont 100% live that way like we did. It made a huge difference in our overall health when not buying meat from stores, as well has veggies. But we could really tell with the meat.

 

[CrealCritter]

Great list we do them all. But maybe should have included hunt/fish for meat. I would be curious to see the %.

My wife pretty much refuses to buy anything unless it's an on sale. As of late I find myself buying more and more on-line after searching for the best price. A on line item must include the best price, free shipping and no taxes. I go out of my way to not pay Dick Durban for the privilege of purchasing something. I can't stand that guy!

 

[Hinotori]

We also buy everything we can with the credit card. It gets paid off twice a month. That's for security and the points that can be used for cash or just to pay on the card.

Our Costco membership cost us just under $6 this year. The gas is much cheaper there but we also know how to deal with bulk.

 

[Mini Horses]

So, I will need to do something for insurance at that time. I trust God to provide.

Old enough for Medicare? I've had that for 8 yrs. I suppose it will pay if I ever need it. Just hate to pay $1600 a yr for something I don't even use -- & at same time I'm thankful I don't need to use. A real sweet/sour item.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Nope. When hubby retires, I'll be 16 months shy of 65. He's picked up Med A. He'll need to pick up Med B and a supplement when he retires. I've checked out open market, and it would cost me $800/mo. No way can I afford that. Right now, I've not had any work hours for the last 6 weeks. It's tempting for me to follow the "do nothing" plan. But a catastrophic illness would leave him/us homeless.