tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post3966831065657632156..comments2008-08-20T13:28:42.590-05:00Anitanoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-79066003089722471962008-08-20T13:28:00.000-05:002008-08-20T13:28:00.000-05:00Will send a prayer for your problems to clear up quickly.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.steamboatsprings-realestate.com/" REL="nofollow">SteamboatEcobroker</A>SteamboatEcoBrokerhttp://www.steamboatsprings-realestate.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-41952721805128197482008-08-20T08:10:00.000-05:002008-08-20T08:10:00.000-05:00I never paid much attention to my grocery bill. I bought what we liked to eat and that was that. Yesterday though I noticed as I was putting away groceries that I had a bag of taco chips that cost $4.40. I'm not sure what is more ridiculous, that they cost so much or that I bought them! I'm also getting killed on deli meat and cheese for my husband's lunch. I've tried substituting other things for sandwiches but then he goes to the vending machine at work. Grrrr.Alicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17347383508567826146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-64414498436457278772008-08-20T03:29:00.000-05:002008-08-20T03:29:00.000-05:00Oh! And we haven't bought clothes in 6 months... but when we do, we always look for used first - I just bought a pair of shoes on eBay, Kenneth Cole Tribeca brand, $10... my last pair of shoes bought was last winter,also on eBay, a pair of Birkies mary janes for $10...<BR/>I'm going to be trying to find Isaiah some jeans, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find his size used!! I think maybe some of his hoodies are going to be too short in the sleeve this year, too... *sigh*... we'll see how it goes trying to find what he needs...<BR/>Rick will need some new thermals soon... since I never go anywhere, my clothing "needs" aren't much... I don't have any dressy clothes, but I never go anywhere that I need them... lolAnitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151961559080472585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-32750351378878735412008-08-20T03:18:00.000-05:002008-08-20T03:18:00.000-05:00Thanks, Ladies...<BR/><BR/>I've tried to use coupons, but I've not found any locally that are cheaper than just buying the generic version of the thing... we never buy brand names... we don't buy anything processed other than pasta... we eat lots of pasta, and veggie stews and beans (meatless), even though those are traditionally winter foods.<BR/>The FEMA trailer has almost no insulation, or doesn't seem to, and no AC at all would be horrible... we have it set on 82... and we aren't allowed to have a clothesline! Greensburg may be 'green', but FEMA sure isn't!<BR/>I wish Isaiah's meds were on the $4 list!! They cost $4 per pill... about $125 a month... <BR/>Rick's insurance is complicated... there isn't a card for meds, there's some sort of form we have to fill out every month with lots of info from the pharmacist needed and I don't know exactly how to fill it out (the one time I tried, they sent it back saying I didn't have the right information, although from what we get from the pharmacist, I'd say we don't even get the #s they're looking for) and Rick "never gets around to" asking at the office how to do it - we could be getting up to 50% of that back... I'm going to have to get on him <I>again</I> about that...<BR/>I bought a case of wine right before leaving my job at the liquor store - took advantage of my discount before I left!<BR/>We eat at a fast food place once a month... about $25. <BR/>We use environmentally friendly dish and laundry soap that's concentrated - a bottle will last a lot longer than what we used to use - and I use a vinegar/alcohol mix in a sprayer for glass cleaner, practically everything else gets cleaned with vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice... We never buy paper towels... <BR/>I stopped my weekly drives in the country to take pictures... you can't even imagine how much I miss those - I sometimes go 2 weeks without ever leaving the FEMA trailer, although now I get out at least once a week to scrapbook unless my sister has something else going on and we don't meet...I'm such a hermit!!Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151961559080472585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-52751160181133677932008-08-20T01:23:00.000-05:002008-08-20T01:23:00.000-05:00I have been curtailing my spending because the money just is not stretching. I am shocked everytime I get groceries, even though I try to use as many coupons as possible. I plan to do even more cooking from scratch, and to use nutritious lower cost foods such as lentils, beans, etc.<BR/>I will certainly keep you in prayer.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17008155356923332277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-66919190778807694182008-08-19T20:30:00.000-05:002008-08-19T20:30:00.000-05:00oH! and clip coupons too..if there is a cash rebate offered send it in..take all those little offers for rebates and send them in. I did this a few months and was able to get 20 dollars a month FREE just sending in those coupon rebates! That would buy 5 gallons of gas now!kansasrosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17964652839648825340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-5323973028994289082008-08-19T20:24:00.000-05:002008-08-19T20:24:00.000-05:00Praying for you always prairiechica! {{{{{hug}}}}}}<BR/><BR/>We haven't been using ac....real concious of watt usage. I have given up my diet-pop habit. Savings on that is huge. We paln our town trips carefully to save gas. We drive like old foagies and it seems to save us 15% on fuel usage. We drive an old (1989)manual transmission Lebaron convertible that gets 32 mpg in town..it has saved us 2 grand in gas expense.<BR/><BR/>We found some different insurers...more savings. We buy in bulk, use online coupons, wait for specials. Florescent light bulbs in all lights. NO clothes dryer use...these save 50.00 a month on energy bill. No magazines or compulsive purchases I don't need...like scented sprays or candles, lip balms, hair products, haircuts. Buy used, thrifted clothing, shoes ect...find new uses for things I already own. Do not use our gas mower unless the grass is so tall that animals are hiding in it...watering down dish soap, body wash, hand soap 2 part water to 1 part soap, no watering our vineyard and much less watering of all plants, you get the idea...it's the little things that can add up fast on savings as well as big stuff. I used to drink occasional wine...I haven't bought any since early year. NO EATING OUT. no fast food. ( dropped 20 lbs. of weight because of no wine, no fast foods) generic brands are just as good as name brands on most things...use the generic 4 buck drug list at pharmacy, get samples from doctors, negotiate for lower bills or prices on big ticket stuff you really need...mend clothing, patch jeans, resole shoes, just be a mizer. Squeeze that nickle till the buffalo S###TS. Being a recessionista rocks. Use library DVD's and CD's and read their magazines ect...kansasrosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17964652839648825340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-8203118427293511902008-08-19T10:42:00.000-05:002008-08-19T10:42:00.000-05:00Thanks, Daryl!Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151961559080472585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-71398920191780415582008-08-19T10:20:00.000-05:002008-08-19T10:20:00.000-05:00Keeping strong positive vibes headed your way, Anita!<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://onthem104.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow">:-Daryl</A>Darylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08241795455748298624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-41304801794219156452008-08-19T09:31:00.000-05:002008-08-19T09:31:00.000-05:00Hi, Robin! Thanks for the prayer...<BR/><BR/>You're right about the little things... they don't look like much on their own, but added up they make a big difference!Anitahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03151961559080472585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30760717.post-18912743953838265812008-08-19T09:15:00.000-05:002008-08-19T09:15:00.000-05:00Cutting back - it's on everyone's minds right now!<BR/><BR/>We're fortunate because both my husband and I work from home and have a hybrid. The gas prices haven't hit us too badly. But the grocery prices are something else.<BR/><BR/>I've started using less meat in our meals both for environmental reasons and economic ones. <BR/><BR/>I've stopped buying a lot of things I don't need. We're having a big neighborhood party at our house Friday night and I'm asking to borrow things like hanging lanterns and coolers for drinks instead of going out and buying them - in the past I would have just gone and bought what we needed. Again, both environmental and economic reasons.<BR/><BR/>I also buy a lot of the kids clothes from thrift stores and always accept hand me downs (and in turn hand everything down or donate it)<BR/><BR/>Other things we've done - canceled our mail order DVD subscription, stopped buying soda, started making our own coffee every day. <BR/><BR/>It's a lot of little things that add up to the bigger savings.<BR/><BR/>Good luck with your cutting back, and a prayer has been sent up!Robin Shreeveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10928183794322441640noreply@blogger.com