Cost-Cutting

So far, I haven't heard a money-saving tip yet that will help me.

Who are those people reporting on news shows and writing for magazines?

They need to get a clue.

Some of the things they suggest that I do to save money I have been doing all of my life.

So far, I have saved, well.., let me go get my purse...

...let's see...

Nope. Nothing there.

Nothing.

Lately I've heard that I could 'save' money by:

Cheaper Haircuts - My haircuts are free, THGGM has tried to teach me to cut his hair, but considering how close I need to get to something to actually SEE it, I fear one of us could lose an eye. I bet that is costly. He has been cutting my hair for 30 years.

Do Your Own Nails - I have never had my nails done. This would not surprise anyone, as my nails are unsightly. Clean, yet unsightly.

Knock-off Designer Clothing - The last article of clothing I bought that cost over $4.oo was the dress I wore to my niece's wedding in May. Anything else I buy has to fit into my $5.00 a week thrift store budget. Oh, and I wasn't going to buy the dress, as I was going to wear my 'stand by' going away outfit, also a thrift store find. That is, until THGGM informed me that it looked like pajamas, men's pajamas, from decades ago. Okay. I caved. Bought the dress at a thrift store (on sale) and had it dry-cleaned for $12.00.

Cut Down on Driving - Cut DOWN on driving? I no longer have a car. This saved much money on gas, insurance, upkeep and what-not. And, since I never go anywhere, well, that saves money too.

Cheaper Cell-phone Packages - I had a cell-phone, once. For about a month. I did not like it. Cell-phones cost A LOT of money. We have a land line. With it comes the luxury of caller-ID, voice mail and internet. Someday soon, even these may have to go. My phone works in the backyard, which is about as far away from home as I go on a daily basis.

Cheaper Travel - Okay. I confess. I haven't flown since I was in high school. Trains? Not since elementary school. For our 30th anniversary trip we chose the hotel based on the fact that with our accommodations we were given a $25 gas card. We vacationed two hours and fifteen minutes from our house. For entertainment while on vacation, we talked. And looked at a lot of scenery. That was free.


Grow Your Own Food - Maybe next year. If I can get that half-dead tree removed, transplant the pachysandra and fill in the sink hole(s). But I would always wonder.., exactly where do the chemicals end up that have contaminated our well? Is that why the tree died? Will the roots of my zucchini plants reach into that?


Be a Savvy Shopper - THGGM spent nearly 25 years of his life (wow...almost HALF his life!) working in the grocery business. He is a VERY savvy shopper. I am no good at it. I'm all hopeful and optimistic when I shop, forgetting that I am not so hopeful and optimistic after I arrive back home and need to make something of it. We eat a lot of peanut butter on whole wheat bread. Thankfully, we like it. I have found that it does cost more to eat like I actually have diabetes than when I pretend that I don't.


Cheaper Entertainment - Goodness. I do not think we could entertain ourselves any cheaper. We have TV and Dish. I would happily get rid of both, if it weren't for the fact that I have all of the "Signing Time" episodes on my DVR. Don't want to lose those. Someone suggested that we buy them. Oh, it's a worthy cause and all, but it would cost hundreds of dollars. I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie in a theater. Was it Zoolander? I think I could go on record as claiming to be THE most easily and cheaply entertained person yet.


Make Your Gifts! - Ooooo. Now THERE'S a thought. Why didn't I think of that? Oh, wait. I've been doing that for, oh, about 40 years. Nobody wants me to draw their name at Christmas time. "Weird Mom Gifts" they're called. I'm never sure which is weird, me or the gifts. Okay. I do know, it's both.


Cut Back on Unnecessary Spending - Um. Okay. But what is described as unnecessary spending are things we have never done. How do we cut back on things we don't do? Just for the record, I have purchased EVERY issue of Somerset Studio Magazine since it began almost 11 years ago. I purchase them using Michael's Craft coupons. I've never had a subscription because I always thought - what if the next issue isn't any good? They are ALWAYS good. But, this month I passed on it. If I had a chart, I would put a Good-Dooby sticker on it.


Sell What You Have that You Aren't Using! - We had three garage sales during the summer. But, I'm not sure that this is always wise. I would amend it to say, sell what you have that you aren't using and do not have space to store. I would say that. Because I like to be surrounded by my things. Yes. I do realize that is a severe character flaw to many, but have you priced therapy lately?

Use Clothes Lines - We have gone for years at a time without a working dryer in the house. I cannot understand why more people do not line dry their clothing, at least their sheets and towels. The smell is amazing. Of course, the smell is only amazing on sunny days. Basement dried clothes end up smelling like whatever your basement smells like.

How do you cut costs?

Please write about it, and leave me a link.

My favorite blogs currently are written by those who live creatively while cutting costs. Sometimes they do not come right out and SAY that, but the way they live shows that they do.

(more to come.., as this is where my thoughts have been lately.)