<p>With gas and oil prices soaring, and food prices rising, and electricity costing more . . . and so forth and so on . . . what are you and your family doing now to help cut your expenses?</p>
<p>eating out less/downscaling type of evening out when we do
forgoing a vacation celebration of D’s 25th birthday,giving her the cash instead to buy a new computer with (figured out what we would have spent flying her and significant other plus hotel plus meals,gave her the cash equiv)
delaying household repairs/redecorating…concrete work,repainting,recarpeting</p>
<p>Driving the car that uses less gas on longer trips where possible. Sometimes we must take our SUV.</p>
<p>I have always watched food prices. I am shocked that organic eggs are now …get this: $6/carton!!! Are they kidding? As far as groceries, I continue to buy as I always have and have not yet seen a change in my budget. I have seen crazy pricing like the organic eggs, but I am not buying them at that price. The last carton I bought was not organic because of substantial price increase. I go to Costco, my local green grocer, as well as the local grocery store. I only go to the green grocer or Costco on my way to another destination so that I do not waste gas. </p>
<p>We really have not changed our lifestyle because I have always lived as frugally as possible. My kids do not have their own cars, I clip coupons, and buy most items on clearance and sales. Clothes have to be steeply discounted or I don’t buy (ie: a polo shirt that was originally $25, but I will only pay $6-8 for it for my kids and DH). We do not buy designer labels etc.</p>
<p>We do not eat out often, but I bring in food more often. I have for years ordered from the lunch take out menu and put it in the fridge for dinner. I know which take out places to go to, so that I don’t give up quality or quantity. I can only do this on days that I am at home. This saves us a bundle. I won’t spend A $12-18 per entee when I can get the same thing at lunch for $6-8/entree.</p>
<p>I have changed dentists from the guy who has treated me for over twenty years (very good, but very expensive) to someone in our dental plan’s network. </p>
<p>We no longer eat out – even take-out – unless it’s a Major Celebration.</p>
<p>I only shop major sales, outlets, etc., for clothes.</p>
<p>I’m having my shoes very carefully tended to – re-soled, re-heeled, etc. – so they’ll last longer.</p>
<p>I’m clipping coupons for our CostCo-type store and buying less when I go there.</p>
<p>We’re about to cancel our garbage pickup and take it to the dump ourselves on the weekend. Should save ~$25 per month.</p>
<p>We’re about to go from our “Gold” cable TV package down to a “Basic” cable TV package. We’ll be dropping HBO, Starz, and some other “premiere” channels which, we realized, we rarely watch anyway. Should save ~$50 per month.</p>
<p>Our Saturday night “date night” now consists of staying in and watching a movie on TV or on video. No more $10 per movie ticket and $6 popcorn.</p>
<p>I’m looking for some other big ideas.</p>
<p>Fortunately we have not had to change a thing. We drive small cars so gas is not a huge budget number and our commutes are less than 5 miles.</p>
<p>The grocery bill for the two of us is still in the $50/wk range because we buy no pre-prepared foods, typically buy only on sale items, use coupons and stockpile. </p>
<p>We have never eaten out a lot like many people. We usually have a breakfast or lunch out on the weekend and have dinner out a couple times a month. I cannot see cutting back on that.</p>
<p>And now that the last tuition bill has been paid our disposible income has taken a $1200/mo jump.</p>
<p>Like nemom posted, if you have lived frugally in the past the recent increases in food, gas and utilities are quite managable. It has also allowed us to live absolutely debt free since our mortgage was paid off about 10 years ago.</p>
<p>'m clipping coupons for our CostCo-type store and buying less when I go there.</p>
<p>I’m saving money by not * going* to Costco!
I always seem to spend hundreds of dollars when I am there. ;)</p>
<p>There are a lot of ‘frugal’ or ‘tightwad’ sites on the 'net. Though some people go too far – it’s competitive! – there are good tips to be found on stretching your budget. Mostly, though, the best things I’ve found are: keeping my car for a min. 10 years, putting any extra cash toward eliminating credit card debts, buying fewer ‘impulse’ items, and going to the library to rent instead of buying books and videos (though I confess I slip up here more than I should…ssshh). Buying quality shoes and clothes may cost more today but they aren’t so likely to shrink or disintegrate in the wash, sending you back to the store. I only have one kid so hand-me-downs are out but we do often shop at thrift stores for classic pieces like a-line skirts and cotton shirts. We only buy them if they fit right, not just because they’re inexpensive. </p>
<p>I can’t wait to move from here, however, to someplace where the cost of living isn’t so high. We estimate it costs $30,000 pa just for taxes, utilities, food, gas, etc., before you’ve spent a dime on anything else. But that will have to wait until the economy improves because we wouldn’t get that much for the house at the moment. But it’s a good house if too big now and we can be happy here for a while longer.</p>
<p>I buy all of my clothes either from WalMart or at 25-60%. I have bought several polos and such off Ebay that were brand new and I paid less than half the retail:)</p>
<p>I have one advantage living on campus… I walk everywhere I go. That will continue this summer for the most part. My work is about a mile down the road from my house. I will have my bike to take to work so I don’t have to spend money on gas. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There were two things I really missed when I moved from NoVA to Madison in 2004; my wife and Costco (in that order.) Well my wife has been here for almost a year and Costco is scheduled to open in nearby Middleton sometime this year. </p>
<p>My life is now complete.</p>
<p>‘my wife and Costco (in that order.)’</p>
<p>So glad you clarified that, tsdad ;)</p>
<p>I’m not. Frugal as ever, but gas 3.59? Delivery charges for gas and electric whether you use it or not?</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Exactly, EK, except for us it is Sam’s, not Costco.</p>
<p>Trying to eat out less. we are fairly frugal also, and that is our biggest expense that is often unnecessary - books are not unnecessary, although I use the library as much as possible.</p>
<p>[Here’s</a> how New Yorkers are saving ;)](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/fashion/27thrift.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=saving+money+grooming&st=nyt&oref=slogin]Here’s”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/fashion/27thrift.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=saving+money+grooming&st=nyt&oref=slogin)</p>
<p>Now why didn’t I think of that?
To think that I don’t have to have my sheets dry cleaned…never occurred to me (snicker).</p>
<p>Actually, the best way I can see to save money is to cheer on our college sophomore son who is on track to graduate on time…that will be a great pay raise.</p>
<p>Inexpensive money-saving tip:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I shop Goodwill. It’s amazing what people give away.</p>
<p>To tell you the truth we haven’t tightened our belts at all and may be eating out slightly more often - though not necessarily fancily. (Younger son and dh iare big BBQ fans.) I’ve been working hard at earning more money - I earned about 30% more last year than the year before. Our heating bill was the same as last year’s - maybe those 29 replacement windows are working, or maybe we just had a warm winter, or maybe the new programmable thermostat did the trick. </p>
<p>We’ve never been clothe horses, we’ve never had cable, our cars are old and were bought used, our house was affordable even for this region.</p>
<p>Luckily the college money is all in a separate account so it doesn’t actually seem that different.</p>
<p>become a vegetarian.</p>
<p>I was tempted to sell my gold fillings to raise some money, now that gold price is over the roof. :D</p>
<p>Mom told us she won’t have a landscaper service this year and ask us if we are fit…I guess she found us a summer job :(</p>