Okay it is my turn....

[cejhome]

You can block text messages on Verizion w/out affecting voicemail, no problem. Just have to call them.

Do you use a clothes dryer? Try hanging out your clothes to dry. I can't stand using the dryer in the summer. We have to run the a/c (we live in the South), but I'm not going to make things worse by using heat generating appliances.

We have a nice toaster oven that I put out on the back porch to use to bake things in the Summer instead of using the "big" oven in the kitchen. Not only uses less power than the big oven, but doesn' t heat the house.

I only use the dishwasher when we have company, otherwise w/just 2 people, even if I cook a "full" meal, I can wash in the sink. Even w/out using the dry cycle, the dishwasher still creates heat.

Get rid of "ghost" electricity usage. Turn off TV's, computers, etc. completely. We have the TV/DVD, VCR plugged into a power strip. Once we turn them off, then I turn off the powerstrip too. Turn off computers, printers when not using them.

How $ is water/sewer? You can save a lot of money by putting low flow aerators on sinks/showers. We have low flow aerators in our shower, kitchen sink and master bath sink that also have little levers on them to temporarily shut the water off. Do NOT leave water running - even for a few seconds. It adds up. Just little levers are neat - if I am preparing meat, etc. I can have the water on to wash hands, but have the lever flipped, and just push it on w/my pinkie and wash my hands.

As soon as it become reasonable $ wise to do so, drop the tv and simplify the cellphones. Do you all have cellphones? If you do, then drop the landline. Don't need both if everyone has a cell.

Yard sale! Have a yardsale for all the things you have that you don't need or use.

For clothes or anything that you need for the house - shop at yardsales and goodwill/salvation army.

Use coupons when you can for food, but don't buy stuff just for the sake of using a coupon. A deal isn't a deal if it isn't something you would normally use! We have a grocery store that does buy-one-get-one free deals every week. I make sure I check on their sales each week on the day they start and stock up on things we use. You can really save w/a good stockpile - from non-perishable food items to household good (but again, only stuff you normally use!). I got dishwasher det on bogo last year -bought what I guesstimated I would use in a year. Figured that saved me about 25.00 for a year's use. May not seem like much but it adds up!

If you use paper towels, switch to dishclothes for most use. Saves a lot of $. We went from using more than 1 roll a week (for 2 people) to less than 2 rolls a month. Got a bunch of nice dishclothes in bulk off ebay for cheap!

Use as little processed/instant food stuff as possible. All those cute little packaged things - kid's treats, sport/energy drinks, flavored waters, sodas, cute little yogurt cups are $$$.

Almost forgot - fluorescent lightbulbs where reasonable. Changed all the lightbulbs where we could - lamps in the den, light fixtures in kitchen and master bedroom/bath. Other light fixtures aren't on enough to bother. Slyvania makes the best - even has 3-way light bulbs. They come on fast and give good light, and last for ever! They even have little ones now that fit into light fixtures that use candelabra type bulbs. They aren't candelabra bulbs though - tried those and they were awful. Generate a lot less heat than regular bulbs, too.

Sold a bunch of books a few years ago that I had in the basement - husband laughed at me getting .75 - 1.25 or so for each. Told him "pennies add up to dollars". Ended up making over $1,000 in a couple years, just getting rid of these books!

[alotofgooddeals]

Thank you for all the wonderful ideas...

We already had a yardsale because we had to pay taxes on my dad's house... He passed away last march and well he was behind on his taxes so we had to come up with enough money to pay them... dh sold his fourwheeler, dd's fourwheeler and dh's motorcycle..he sold everything that he had so that we could come up with the first 641.00 house payment without having enough income to pay it and the taxes.... I was proud of him and i let him know that when we are able again that we will replace one of them...or get something that he would like...My dad's house is on the market and if it would sell we would be okay financially for quite sometime however the market is not good....we have decided to do some minor repair to our house and put it on the market and take the equity from our house if there is any... highly doubt it and what percentage we get from my dads house and maybe find a great fixer upper so that we have no mortgage or a very little one....so in the meantime.... we are spending very very little money...and stockpiling as much as we can....

Thanks for the ideas....

[Siebrie]

So we went fishing
Just out of curiosity: did you bring any fish home, clean it, and freeze it?

Maybe it's worthwhile looking into dehydrating the oldfashioned way: in the sunshine.

And it may be fun to start cooking/baking bread with a solar oven.

[alotofgooddeals]

anyone have plans for an easy make at home solar oven...

Fish...eh....not sure at this point i would eat them direct from the river.....tuna in a can yup....
however i may come to a point where i will have to try it...

[larabelle]

I do not know if you could use this information however I just thought I would throw in my two cents. You mention that you are not using the air conditioner.
I do a couple things to avoid turning on my air conditioner.
1.) I try to stay hydrated...so I drink lots of cold water.
2.) I sleep on the floor on those really hot days. The cool air is closer to the floor.
3.) I put a cold pack to my back as I sit or lay down. It feels wonderful!!! You can make a really cheap cold pack by putting rice into a sock and sealing the sock. Then place the sock into the freezer for it to get good and cold.
4.) I sit outside on my patio with my box fan turned on high and blowing lots of air on me.