<p>That sounds like a lot of fun to me–lots of interesting ops. Unfortunately, in HI, there isn’t far you can wander in a motorhome & not many places you can park one. I understand in Alaska, they’re very convenient since it’s so far between spots.</p>
<p>Yes, the only trouble is getting there. We thought that would be our second-year road, but it would knock the bejabbers out of our old Bounder! we’ll get there another way one of these days!</p>
<p>Whoa, jlauer, I just realized that you started the thread!!! Great info! Here are some of my tips:</p>
<p>1.) Buy an Entertainment book. This will give you discounts on all sorts of things in your area including movie tix, sit-down restaurant and fast food meals, you name it. But the main thing I like Entertainment for is, ta da, half price hotels. Lots of them. All over the country. We used this constantly on our college trip with oldest D and saved hundreds of dollars. On a Hawaii vacation (tickets bought through smartertravel.com’s ticket price comparison site) , we bought an Entertainment book for Hawaii and it paid for itself at the first meal we ate there. </p>
<p>2.) Priceline name your own price hotels. This sounds extremely weird, but I recently had to go on a business trip during a convention when the whole city seemed sold out and the convention rate hotels were over $300. I was on the desperate side and, picking a neighborhood I knew was safe, offered just over $100 and bingo! Perfectly nice three star hotel in a great neighborhood. </p>
<p>3.) Overstock.com. Before we buy anything, especially electronics, retail, I check here and we’ve always made out like bandits. They have virtually free shipping and since its internet, no tax. Also great for jewelry.</p>
<p>4.) E-bay. Confirmed ebay lunatic. Especially designer clothes that I like to think I would never buy in a zillion years even if I could because of their insane prices. If you know precisely what you want and what fits you, and you check regularly, you can find it for between 10 and 30% of what you’d pay at a store. New, perfect, and generally with tags. Whole collection of cashmere sweaters for less than $20 each. And when D got interested in designer dresses, we went to the mall, figured out what she wanted and what fit, and just got her the graduation dress of her dreams for 20% of retail. I swear, this is very doable. Also great for things that are always the same size, like men’s shirts of a brand you know you like in a size that always fits.<br>
Also started using ebay for things like medical equipment. (Realized it would be less expensive than going through our health insurance – amazing!) And really big ticket items such as our car. (It was local, so we could check it out extensively.) And a laptop (Bought it with the Dell insurance, and sure enough when something went wrong, they sent someone out to the 1/2 price Entertainment hotel we were staying at within 24hrs. to fix it.) And camera equipment. And gorgeous linens. (Again, go to the mall, pick out what you like, and then find it for a tiny fraction of cost.)</p>
<p>4.) craigslist. If you are in a city with an active craigslist, take a look! This won’t work if you’re squeamish about used stuff, but I’m not. Got a wonderful fridge that some students about to leave town were just about giving away and a barely used, still under warranty, self-cleaning double convection oven for $50. And my son’s entire room of bedroom furniture in perfect shape. Also, if you need people to do repairs, plumbing, etc., you can find a lot of skilled people with references there who are working for themselves and it’s a lot more reasonable to ditch the middle man. Drywalling ended up costing about 25% the insurance company’s estimate.</p>
<p>5.) For music, theater, and sports events, to find free of half-price tickets, use google and the Net. In my area, Goldstar.com has an enormous variety of half-priced tix to almost everything in town, so you can often go to a play for the cost of a movie. (Not in great seats, but what the heck?) </p>
<p>6.) Comparison shop, especially on things that you just kind of accept as fixed costs. Maybe they’re not. For example, check out all of your insurance costs. Can you get comparable rates from a comparable company for less? Don’t assume all dry cleaning is comparably priced. It costs three times (really) as much to dryclean a dress at the cleaner near me than the equally good cleaner five miles away in an area I drive past frequently. Same with gasoline.</p>
<p>Gotta go! More tips later.</p>
<p>I LOVED the Tight Wadder’s Gazette - and we actively pursued that lifestyle for several years. (I remember siphoning out the bathtub to water the plants - those were the days.) We have fallen by the wayside, but still do some things. Pack lunches. Our tv comes over the airwaves for free. (no cable). Our teens don’t have licenses - save thousands on insurance… when they are 150 miles away at college, they can get their licenses and be covered for free through our insurance, as long as they do not have a vehicle. They are covered over summer and holidays for free. Change your own oil. (we’ve fallen by the wayside on this one, too)</p>
<p>anonymom: </p>
<p>great tips. When you can, please add some more…</p>
<p>ctymomteacher–how cool. I envy the “stuff free” lifestyle. </p>
<p>Ditto to the teenage drivers–our kid has a license, but we are too cheap to pay insurance–we could afford another car, but why? It’s cheaper, safer to drive him to school/work whatever. He doesn’t mind (if he does, he can walk)–most kids don’t have their own cars anyway. I want my kid to save $ for college, not waste it on a car–which he won’t need in college anyway. WSJ had an article recently about this–fewer kids are driving today because their parents are figuring that their kids just don’t NEED to if insurance costs so much.</p>
<p>No cable here either. And no cell phone. I really don’t need it. (I still haven’t figured out how to use the TV remote. . .)</p>
<p>Best way to save thousands: take care of your own health. If you exercise and eat right/maintain a healthy weight, you will save so much in health care costs as you age. Don’t need a club membership–a daily walk will do the job.</p>
<p>I actually find my health club membership to be more than worth it
I have asthma- so it is difficult for me to exercise outside as hard and as often as I would like as all the misc crap and particulate in the air makes it very difficult
But I agree that taking care of yourself- saves a lot- I wish my H would go- but I suppose he figures he moves around enough at work plus I dont think he wants to find out just how competitive I actually am.</p>
<p>anonymom,</p>
<p>I think I have one of your kids living in my house. D comparision shops for everything and is a loyal and faithful e-bay shopper. </p>
<p>One thing my mother always told me and I passed on to her is always by the best quality that you can afford because cheap stuff cost a lot of money (replacements). So while you may spend more up front, when you think about the cost over time, you will definitely have your money back. </p>
<p>D is not a trendy person closer to being a preppy she has a lot of"classic" clothes with nice clean lines that she has had for years. If you can do this and get it done out of season or on sale it is even better. Earlier this year D purchased a burberry wool and cashmere classic pea coat on sale for for $199, free shipping, no tax (had it shipped to school). Since pea coats are not going out of style any time soon she will have years of great wear as the coat will make an easy transition from school with jeans today to the world of work and a nice pair of slacks or skirt tomorrow (so the coat will more than pay for itself).</p>
<p>Spend money on your “good clothes that are investment pieces”
coats, suits, shoes, that you can wear to work, church etc because you should not be replacing these clothes year over year. I have a firend has a lot of $$ but only purchases one new dress a year. </p>
<p>Don’t spend a lot of money on summer clothes unless you live in a warm climate all year long because the season is too short.</p>
<p>To quote Sy Syms, become an educated consumer. Knows whose clothes fit you well, know whose clothes are well made have clean lines etc. You are better off building a wardrobe of 5/6 makers of good clothes that will carry you year in year out then to have a whole array of clothes by different people that are here today and gone tomorrow.</p>
<p>Once you know whose clothes you are faithful to, shop sample sales, outlet and end of season sales.</p>
<p>Recipe for a Low Cost Meal</p>
<p>Fried rice and eggs </p>
<p>(adjust recipe to fit your size family and taste preferences)</p>
<p>Heat some oil in a fry pan (I use canola for this)
Add 1/4 - 1/2 chopped onions - saute til clear
Add a pat or two of butter or oleo (see I’m old, I call margarine “oleo”)
Add 2 cups rice that was steamed with some small cubed mixed veggies (frozen mixed veggies work fine, & steaming can be done days ahead)
Add soy sauce to taste (can use low salt)
Spash of teriyaki (I use Costco’s Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce)
Add splash of chinese hot mustard to taste
Stir fry it all up</p>
<p>Make a “hole” in your rice (push rice to sides of pan), Add several eggs (I use 5 - 6), into the hole and then scramble a bit in the “hole” and then scramble into the rice so you don’t have big chunks of eggs.
S & P to taste as you are cooking
Garlic powder if desired as you are cooking
For a garnish (if having guests) sprinkle top with sesame seeds and/or chives.</p>
<p>Serve.</p>
<p>Optional: Add some leftover finely chopped steak, chicken, pork, ham before adding the rice (This is a great way to stretch a small quantity of leftover meat.</p>
<p>(my kids prefer it with no meat – the eggs make it a meal by itself. For families who don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, this is an easy alternative to fish and other meatless dishes).</p>
<p>Please add your own low cost recipes – food is one area where a family can make or break the budget!</p>
<p>If this becomes popular, I will make it its own thread and copy the recipe posts to it.</p>
<p>we like clam speghetti- I use the recipe on the can but I don’t buy extra clam juice- I use a white wine instead 
( also buy “real” parmesan reginano cheese- but if you wrap it really tight in foil you can freeze what you don’t use- I also grow my own italian parsley and basil)</p>
<p>emerald… </p>
<p>I buy the real parm reggiano cheese, too … pricey, but use it in small amts. I use one of those microplane graters (Xmas present) because it grates better. I like the freezer idea. Lots of cheeses can be frozen.</p>
<p>What is clam spaghetti? What can/brand is it that has the recipe?</p>
<p>Public libraries…brushing teeth…not smoking…small car used sparingly</p>
<p>we get Snows-or whatever is on sale
but it is basically
brown some minced garlic in olive oil- about 4 cloves ( we like garlic)
add the juice from draining the ( 2- 6 1/2 oz cans) clams along with about 3/4 of white wine or clam juice- bring to boil- then simmer for about 5 min while you make the linguine.
add teh clams to heat through
italian parsley and basil ( fresh- chopped about a couple spoonfuls each) I add after I have tossed it with the sauce- cheese is added after also to taste ( not everyone likes it)
makes enough for 4+ or so-</p>
<p>We also barbeque a lot in the summer-
grilled veggies- hot dogs- tofu- kabobs- everything tastes better when it is cooked outside
( Ialso close the grill as soon as cooked it saves the chips for next time)</p>
<p>BBQing is a great way not to add heat to the inside of a house during summer months.</p>
<p>not just BBQ, but use the crockpot during the summer. I always wonder why everybody wants to only use the crockpot during the winter. They are great in the summer for the reason of not having to heat up the oven which leads to more A/C costs. </p>
<p>It gets so hot in the summer where we live that I will avoid turning on the oven unless I absolutely have to. Or I’ll try to at least use it really early in the morning (like if I’m making blueberry crisp or something).</p>
<p>I have a hard time coming up with EZ recipes for the crock pot that are appealing during the hot summer months. I use it all the time when it’s cold for homemade soups, chili, stews, etc. I would use my crock pot more in the summer (I would even plug it in on my covered back deck to avoid adding heat to the house) but I need more EZ recipes that won’t feel “too heavy” during the hot months.</p>
<p>jlauer, you’re right. I’ll try to think of things we make that aren’t too heavy. I know we’ve made like BBQ pork which we simmered all day w/ sauce and then shredded to put on buns. I also have a good recipe for a stroganoff which I’ve made with both beef and chicken, although that could be considered “heavy”.</p>
<p>The shredded BBQ pork or beef for buns is a good idea – my mom does that for the 4th of july but her crock pot recipe is tooooooo time consuming for me. I prefer recipes with a few ingreds that you throw in at once.</p>
<p>my kitchen faces west so it gets really hot and sunny just when I would be making dinner-
so I really like the BBQ
Also- my H will do anything to avoid cooking IN the house-( although I did discover that he can bake cakes), but he seems to enjoy BBqing whatever it is-</p>
<p>Emerald…</p>
<p>Have you thought of planting some trees stategically outside your kitchen? My kitchen also faces south and the trees we have planted are now large enuf to really shelter that side and keep the kitchen cooler.</p>