Unemployment

[moonlightdancer]

I got laid off today, which really sucks, but at the same time it's kind of a mixed blessing. I have been wanting to work part-time and spend more time with my daughter. And this way I'll have more time to work on the house (we're remodeling) and start a garden in the spring and maybe make time for some things that I couldn't take the time to do when I was working full time.
But I need to find some ways to cut corners, save a few bucks here and there. Every dollar counts now. Anyone have any suggestions? We don't live an extravagant life now as it is, we're pretty frugal and tend to make do with what we have. But I'd like to gather some tips and see if any work for us. So how do you save money? Food, household items, anything you can think of.

[wyo_rose]

My brother got laid off a couple weeks ago, but the company won't "release" him so he can get unemployment benefits. That sucks.

My daughter went on maternity leave yesterday and her man hasn't worked in a couple months. I don't know how she's going to make it.

You really have to reevaluate your budget. Don't think - save a few bucks. Think maximizing every dollar. Some things you can't change like rent or mortgage. But call your insurance companies and ask about lowering your premiums, by paying a lump sum instead of monthly, raising deductibles, or lowering coverage.

Some credit companies will help you out by lowering your interest rate and your monthly payment if you switch to automatic account deductions. Two of mine did this for me.

Of course cut back on your utilities, and only buy food on sale. Don't pay more than a couple bucks a pound for meat, and cheese. When something's dirt cheap, stock up.

Here's the tough one - cutting back on entertainment - TV, eating out, Internet access, etc... Can you really pull the plug? They'll pry the satellite remote out of my cold dead hand (geez, not that bad), but you can switch to the most basic package. But even when they cut my satellite account off, DirecTV is nice enough to still give me a few channels like World Link and CSpan. I think Dish still lets you watch Central China Network and NASA.

Cell phone bills are always tricky, but if you study the plans and your usage, you can contact the company and get the best fit for you. Or just turn off all the frills and restrict your accounts. I'm probably going to have to do this to my daughter's soon cuz I can't afford all their downloads!!

Saving money on your car: carpool, walk, don't drive over 50 (saves tons of gas), change your oil yourself, shake your air filter out frequently, keep tire pressure correct, rotate your tires yourself, use gas price saving promotions from grocery stores, combine trips and errands.

If you have to eat out, just order water to drink. Hit the dollar menus. Fill out the surveys to get free food, or discounts. My favs: Arby's, Taco John's, Burger King.

[moonlightdancer]

Wow, you're full of advice! Thanks!
My fiance drives a tri-axle in the warm seasons, hauls asphalt for a paving company (we're in PA so you know they are always busy) and gets laid off every winter, so he's on unemployment right now too. But he has a friend helping him out, lets him work for him here and three for cash. So that helps a lot. Now as far as the baby, if I can get her potty-trained within the next few months that will save us on diapers. I get the Costco brand though so they're half the price of brand-name diapers and not a huge expense.

I think I'm probably most of the way there already with most of what you said, maybe just some small stuff to account for. We haven't been out to dinner in probably a year! I like to cook and it's cheaper so we usually just stay in. All our utilities are pretty low, we try to be smart about them. But we can always improve! I switch my credit card balance to a 0% offer every time the period runs out, so I never pay interest on that. My car payment is the only thing that's going to be tough, I was barely making that as it was. What I'm really looking forward to is growing my own garden in the spring, because we eat a lot of veggies and that would help a lot! I will borrow my mom's canning stuff and put up a bunch of jars. And we got a deer this year, that will last us all year, and still have some pig left from last spring. I'm also pretty good with a sewing machine, I can start making some of my daughters clothes, whatever we don't get as hand-me-downs from my sister I can take a stab at making myself. She's too little to care what she's wearing, she'd go naked all the time if I let her LOL

Thanks again for your great advice, I'll make a checklist out of it and get to work!

[wyo_rose]

Wow, you're already doing good. And go ahead and contact your car loan finance company. My daughter's auto loan place lets her skip a payment twice a year. Mine let me pay only interest one month and then tack a payment on the end of the loan.

Nobody wants to hear this nowadays (especially my daughters) but cloth diapers are a money saver. You'll probably just need a dozen for one baby, and a washing machine. Just keep a covered bucket (diaper pail) near the commode filled with a Borateem or borax mixture. Rinse what you need to in the toliet and just throw them in the bucket. Every other day, dump the whole thing in the washer and set to spin. Then wash on hot with some bleach (and detergent or Ivory Snow), and do a 2nd rinse. I used to like hanging them outside (yep even in the winter), but I'm weird like that.

I actually had to start using cloth diapers when my local store couldn't stock enough diapers for my 3 babies. I bought plastic diaper covers a little big so they have breathing room.

Oh well...it's just a suggestion.

[IlnuSoldier]

I know that this post I am putting on doesn't exactly apply to you, seeing as how you appear to already understand this principle. However, I'm gonna post it just for anybody else who reads this page !


I agree with Wyo --- you really need to find out how to cut corners, eliminate entertainment costs, and find ways to do the same thing, but cheaper (like the diaper thing).

One of the biggest $$$ eaters is "Eating Out"... Do not eat out anymore. No more big dinners out (think of how much groceries you could buy with the money you spend on just one meal out!!). No more MCDonalds or Burger King--- just cut it out.

Often times.. you will see that eating on a budget can also lead to eating healthier... as basic "living" foods (such as produce and fresh meat) are also some of the least expensive.
For example : You can make real nice meals from just rice (brown or wild) and some meat... just boil the meat in a little bit of water so it cooks in its own juices and then once the rice is done, just mix the two. This is a VERY good meal and its is very cheap too... lots of protein and stuff and you can both pig out for under 10 bucks, eh ? You don't need any cheese or sauces or anything.. eating healthy on a healthy budget will allow you to remember the taste of really good food = good natural "living" food... not dead food from a can .
I love to take some caribou meat and boil it until it cooks in its own gravy.. then take the fatty oil from the top and put it aside with alittle meat... take the gravy and the meat and mix with with some brown or wild rice... makes almost like a stew, with less liquid. ...
.. then take the fatty oil from the top and mix it with some chopped up berries and some of the meat.. that is desert !

My favorite dish of all time =) And it is soo cheap. You don't need ALOT of meat.. just enough, eh ? And the rice.. if you use brown rice, that is dirt cheap. And berries-- if you grow them or collect them, they are basically free, eh?

This kinda eating is high in protein, vitamins, etc.etc... its fast and easy to make --- and its cheap too !

So..that is my advice : Get in control of your FOOD spending.

Excessive food IS entertainment... so, controlling food spending is part of the larget concept of eliminating enertainment costs.

Free yourself from the addiction to the taste of sugars and sauces and all the food preservatives... Get back back to eating natural foods... REAL foods.. they are cheaper and better for you. You can eat just alittle and feel full and satisfied.

The White Father wants you to get fat and poor eating his addictive foods... White Father is like a drug dealer. McDonalds is like cocaine.

Eat the food we are SUPPOSE to be eating, you will be satisfied and you won't be addicted to eating.

[moonlightdancer]

Rose, I will definitely talk to my credit union about my car loan. They are very helpful and I hope they will be able to at the very least lower my interest rate. I think that at this point the baby is almost 16 months and I'm going to try to get her potty trained in the next 4 to 6 months, I may only have to buy one more case of diapers, they come in boxes of 208 for $38. But with the next baby I had already planned to try the cloth diapers, a friend up the road does that and she had me convinced already, she swears by it. Not only is it practically free (I already have the diapers-I used them as burp cloths) but it's better for the earth too, not filling the landfills with non-biodegradable material.

And Soldier, I am right there with you on the food thing. I haven't eaten fast food in probably 15 years. I hate it, it is disgusting and so bad for you. Pumped full of preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. I will not have my daughter filling her body with that crap either. I buy a lot of food at the local farm market now, but this coming year I hope to just grow it myself. I would even love to plant an apple tree, and some berry bushes. We love blueberries! And now I will have more time to do this all! And hunting to fill the freezer with meat is the best option, it's free food and all natural.

I will try your meal suggestion, sounds good!

Thanks for all the tips you guys, this is good stuff. :)

[IlnuSoldier]

moon - I could go so far as to say that you could even cut meat out, if you felt like it. I mean... beans and rice cost alot less than meat. Hunting is an option -- but don't forget the time it takes to hunt the meat and the cost of bullets,etc.etc..

I often times go for long periods of time without meat ... and one reason is just that it is not aboslutely required and it is really hard to find meat that is worth eating.

Giving up meat? Maybe not completely--- but cutting back on it ? Something to consider.

Alittle bit of meat can go a long way....

Again, it is all about weighing the costs and the need, and developing a plan which you CAN and you WILL live with.

[wyo_rose]

Well, if you're going to cut meat out, you really need to study up on how to get complete proteins while eating a vegetarian diet.

It's not feasible for me to cut out fast food, sad as that may be. For some people time is money. Going to town is a major trip - 30 min to 45 min depending on which town - and I save money and time by planning my fast food trips very carefully.

We had pizza and chicken night feeding 4 adults and 3 kids for $20 bucks the other night and I was very proud of that. $12 for 2 Med. Dominos, $8 for 20 nuggets and 2 large lemonades at MickeyD's.

At Burger King I used my ever-present Free Whopper coupon and got the large Burger Slider meal (6 sliders) with large fries and large pop for just $6 and change. Fed 2 adults and 2 kids. The other kid wanted $1 Chili from Wendy's which was no problem. I mean the large Wendy's chili is $1.99 which is about the same size as a can of chili from the store for not much more. Of course I could MAKE chili with a day's notice, and $10 worth of groceries.

Getting tacos is always cheaper for us to drive through Taco John's or Taco Bell, because just buying the supplies to MAKE tacos usually cost us much more.

Saving money on hot water - if your hot water heater goes out, replace it with a on-demand water heater.

How to do a 3 minute shower: ME? Do a 3 minute shower? I've been showering until the hot water runs cold since 4th grade. When I'm running late I can't even do a 5 minutes shower and feel clean. But I've found a solution that allows others to shower after me, and with a little training - my shower could be running all day during powwow season.

Minute 1: Turn the water on and luxuriate in the relaxing flow of the miracle of hot water. Thoroughly wet the hair and all over. Turn off the water.

Did I mention closing the door completely and even stuff a towel under the door if you're going to lose heat there?

Now lather up all over, don't get shampoo in your eyes, and save washing your face until the waters back on.

Minute 2: Totally rinse, wash your face, and turn off the water.

Now condition your hair, shave, exfoliate, and whatever else you need to do in the shower.

Minute 3: Spot free rinse. Just to finish up.

[moonlightdancer]

We've been throwing ideas back and forth at each other over the last week, the man and I, and have come up with some ideas to save a buck here and there.

For one, I already buy a lot of store-brand food, the generic stuff, but now a lot more will be bought. At least once. If it's total crap then we're back to square one, but I'm willing to give it all a chance. Even buying 10 off-brand items per trip could be $10 in your pocket. I will also make more trips to places like Sam's Club and Costco, and there I will also buy the off-brands. Kirkland and Member's Mark come up with some pretty good imitations. And buying certain things in bulk does save money in the end. Between the couple bucks I will save on the one purchase as opposed to three or four, and also the gas I'll save on trips to the store: it's at least 13 miles to either store I want to go to in either direction, so no sense making multiple instead of one. Eggs from my neighbor, chicken from my aunt, and another pig to butcher this year if the price is as low as last year.

There's only 3 of us in the house so the shower situation isn't that bad. We're pretty good at making them quick when we need to. The man can learn to live with me not shaving every day to save a few minutes with the water running. Or like Rose said, turning the water off while I do it, but only when the wood burner is cranked up otherwise I get goosebumps and that defeats the purpose. Turning lights out when we leave a room. Only running the dishwasher if I have a huge load and hand-washing when I don't. Making 2 loads of laundry into one. More time without the tv on, even though I like the background noise while I clean (or type). We're also working on remodeling a bedroom right now, and though that will have to take a step back and maybe go a lot slower than we would like, we are installing insulation (this house is apx 130 years old w/ horsehair plaster and no insulation) so that will help with the heating bill. That's as far as we got when I got laid off, so it might be like that for a while. Hopefully not too long though because we're sharing a bedroom with our 16 month old daughter and it's way past time to have some privacy!

And since I'm not driving to work every day I'm saving gas. Although I am not used to staying home all the time, I am trying to restrict myself and make one errand trip doing several things. Hit the post office, pharmacy, and my mom's all in one day instead of 2. And as much as we'd like to go see friends and cousins all the time, we'll have to pace ourselves.

No more buying new books. I'm planning on raiding my mom's, sister's, and anyone else's bookshelves who will let me. If you have an addiction, find a way to curb it without trying to extinguish it.

I'm also going to gather things up that I don't use and we'll have a yard sale when the weather breaks. I was cleaning the spare room today and found a box full of stuff I don't need.

That's pretty much what we have come up with so far, and I'm sure the more time we have to get used to it and make adjustments the more we'll discover we can do without, or alter. And in the end, the fact that I now get to stay at home with the kid makes any adjustments well worth it! I'm sure any stay-at-home mom or dad would agree.

[IlnuSoldier]

moon - don't forget coupons eh ?

Many stores allow you to double their sales with manufactuer's coupons too... You could consider not buying what you want to eat--- but eating the things that are for sale that week ? Or, buying things when they are on sale and having them for later..

I've seen myself and relatives get insane deals when you pay attention to coupons and sales. Like... getting 2 for 1 sale, then getting an additional $0.75 off when you buy two coupon...that savings can really add up !
Say something is $3... well.. 2 for 1 sale means you got $6 worth of product for $3.. now take off $0.75... and you just got $6 worth of food for $2.25... that kind of savings make a BIG difference.
So.. don't forget coupons !

[moonlightdancer]

moon - don't forget coupons eh ?

Many stores allow you to double their sales with manufactuer's coupons too... You could consider not buying what you want to eat--- but eating the things that are for sale that week ? Or, buying things when they are on sale and having them for later..

I've seen myself and relatives get insane deals when you pay attention to coupons and sales. Like... getting 2 for 1 sale, then getting an additional $0.75 off when you buy two coupon...that savings can really add up !
Say something is $3... well.. 2 for 1 sale means you got $6 worth of product for $3.. now take off $0.75... and you just got $6 worth of food for $2.25... that kind of savings make a BIG difference.
So.. don't forget coupons !

Very true! We don't get a paper at our house, but my mother in law gives me coupons from her, my sister in law, and even her bf's mother! So every other week I get a bag full of them. Of course, sometimes the good ones are taken, but hey beggars can't be choosers right? LOL

I also went online the other day and just googled "online coupons" and a bunch of sites came up. You have to install a coupon printer program on your computer though and if I take up any more memory on this hand-me-down computer it might explode, but I'll see if my mom would let me do that and there are some great deals to print out! Cereal, frozen veggies, all kinds of good stuff.

[wyo_rose]

Find Recipes, Appetizers, Desserts, Holiday Recipes & Healthy Cooking Tips, | Taste Of Home not only has great recipes, but online coupons.

I always look at the sales at Safeway's and Smith's online sites for the sales, and sometimes print out a shopping list. I noticed that Smith's has a lot of coupons online as well...store coupons AND manufactures coupons. Did you know you can combine store AND manufacture coupons on a single item???

[wyo_rose]

Find Recipes, Appetizers, Desserts, Holiday Recipes & Healthy Cooking Tips, | Taste Of Home not only has great recipes, but online coupons.

I always look at the sales at Safeway's and Smith's online sites for the sales, and sometimes print out a shopping list. I noticed that Smith's has a lot of coupons online as well...store coupons AND manufactures coupons. Did you know you can combine store AND manufacture coupons on a single item???

[subeeds]

We are big beans and rice eaters. It's hard to make a small batch, so there are always plenty of leftovers. Our old gas stove had constantly burning pilot lights o the burners and ovens and we would goo through a tank of gas in no time. Hubby disconnected it and now we cook on the camp stove. We've got a microwave and toaster oven, so no problems there. We also heat with gas and heat is more important to me-especially this winter, even down south-and it's amazing how long the gas has lasted without the pilot lights eating it up for no reason. I also buy stuff in bulk-laundry soap, toilet tissue, etc.. I'm a long way from a store, so I combine trips.
One of my favorite and cheap meals is sausage, tomatoes and rice. It's another one that goes a long way. I rarely buy fresh produce in the store-it's overpriced and hothouse grow with no flavor. We used to raise rabbits, too-for food and gave the pelts to a friend when we butchered them. Their little bunny pellets make super fertilizer-and the meat was organic.

[comadre]

I've had to cut corners myself.When we lived on the rez and the nearest grocery store was 45 minutes away, I would take the pickup truck and share the cost of the trip with 4 others.all of us would pack into my truck and go to town together.we would all go halfs or thirds on large bulks in order to stock our cupboards.
Now that I live in the city,I make a shopping list from the specials and I hit several stores to keep stocked on the cheap foods.But that is easy to do where I am since now I have 5 major grocers within a mile from me.I like to shop at the stores that honor other store prices and I thin the meat and use more beans and rice for filler.
I keep the bags to use as garbage bags.
I completely cut out cable and we shop yup-goodwill for 1.00 movies
re-use whatever you can.
garden fresh vegies bought in lg quantities can be blanched and frozen and therefore cheaper than canned.
new crafts for kids are cheaper than new toys if smart about it.

hope some of these ideas work for ya. (love the garden and canning ideas)