the next step...

**sabrelvssammy** · 06-09-2009, 09:17 AM

okay so we are all being super frugal..doing what we can to get our lives, money, etc under control..... right... RIGHT ????

but surely there are things that you COULD be doing but just aren't...not yet anyway....so what's the next step for you ? what do you want to work on and add to your daily life in this frugal quest ?

for me:

i want to start composting...it's such an easy simple thing to do but somehow i simply haven't started doing it yet....

make more 'homemade' meals for b-fast instead of using so much cereal... i am on the track now as we are down to alternating every other day with cereal (used to be cereal every day)....and granted i buy the cereal clearanced and mix different kinds together for variety...i still know its cheaper (and more balanced) to not eat so much of it...so i want to get down to 1-2x's a week on the cereal....

start making 'homemade' snacks for dh (he takes them in his lunch and can put down quite a few in the evening parked in front of the tv)....once again i only buy the clearanced, or store brands of things but i can do so much better making my own.... (i used to too...hmm)...

so there's my 3 goals for the immediate future...(i have plenty more...but one baby step at a time....).....

your turn......

**mommy4ever** · 06-09-2009, 09:21 AM

I need to do more baking. Dh is buying pastries, it costs over $8 a week. It adds up.

So I guess I need to designate myself a baking day and dd12 a baking day and then we should be covered for the week.

I do need to get the garden planted too... but we are still having frost! I will get compost and plant my seeds I guess. Once frost is done I'll put in a couple larger tomato plants. Won't be a big garden. But lots of greens.

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-09-2009, 09:59 AM

We need to *seriously* put money aside for a new(er) car. Something else has always come up, or we've spent it on a nice vacation (which I do not regret) but our luck is going to run out sooner than later.

We've started to accumulate money and knowing it is there is making my hands itch. I could get a new vaccuum... new furniture... DH wants electronics...

**Incognito** · 06-09-2009, 10:43 AM

I want to quit wasting my time.
I need to quit wasting my time.
I have to quit wasting my time.

See what I mean?

**ladytoysdream** · 06-09-2009, 10:51 AM

Trying seriously to get back to basics here. Things I have done in the past, I need to brush up my skills, refresh, and get back up to speed.

We put in a garden 3X the size of last year. Stuff we have not grown in the past too. I am getting my canning stuff dug out and ready to go. Making sure I have no suprises when that garden starts kicking in. Second upright freezer is turned on already. Just need some more freezer bags. Canning supplies should be just fine.

We bought 12 meat chicks this spring. Finally got the first rooster on the barbeque this past weekend for sunday dinner.
Second group of 6 chicks is going to be egg layers. Thinking about finding a few more hens to bring the count to about 12 total.
Plan now is to put up a permanent coop for them. My thought was a 4x8 ft small unit, but hubby wants a 8x8 ft so down the line if we don't have birds, it can be used as a storage building. We probably will build this ourselves but hubby is not a carpenter, and every time we get one of these type projects underway, it's involves cussing.....a lot of it mine

We built our garage ourselves years ago, 40' long by 24' wide x 10' high , and managed everything except we had help from the kids, putting the trusses in place. So a coop is do-able.

The budget is tight, and probably going to get tighter later this fall. So anything I can think to stretch dollars. A lot of ,we do it ourself, can't afford to hire it done .

**Shelli_wnj** · 06-09-2009, 03:35 PM

1. I want to make more from scratch - we still buy snacks here and there
2. I want to get rid of internet and cable - just resisting, don't know why
3. Start a compost - it seems so complicated to me... bin or no bin, what goes in, how to turn, etc. We have bears around here and I DON'T want to attract them!

So this will be my project for the near future.

**AspiringToBeFrugal** · 06-09-2009, 05:46 PM

I need to start my container garden. We live in an apartment so there's not a lot of room or a yard but my aunt and a friend are setting us up with a couple of tomato plants. Now I just need to start some pepper plants and some herbs so I am not constantly buying them at the store.

I also need to dry more of our clothing on the drying rack rather than using the dryer. This would save a ton of $$ every year if I'd just remember to do it and not give in to laziness.

I need to pack more of my DH's lunches--he and his coworkers seem to eat out practically every day and it REALLY adds up and kicks our budget's butt every month! Along with this, I need to do more baking so we're not tempted to buy snackie things at the store.

I also need to add to our stockpile and start my pricebook. I have the template...it's just laziness kicking in again!

**Maine Girl** · 06-09-2009, 06:36 PM

Once i get decluttered i really need to stay that way.
do more scratch cooking

**TheRootedNomad** · 06-09-2009, 06:57 PM

I (We) need to quit smoking ..... AGAIN.

**Sassyclass** · 06-09-2009, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by TheRootedNomad

I (We) need to quit smoking ..... AGAIN.

You can do it, do it together and really make each other accountable.

I am not a baker, but I really want to learn to make my own bread, pies, and homemade cakes. It would thrill my sweettooth sweetheart to death if he came home to see a homemade apple pie.

I also need to get my buns in gear and start boxing up anything we don't use. We are moving next year wether we buy or rent and I really don't want to do everything at the last minute.

Cat

**calimomx2** · 06-09-2009, 11:40 PM

I really want to learn how to can this year......we waste so much of the garden because I haven't figured it out yet!!

**mauimagic** · 06-09-2009, 11:51 PM

This year I am

Learning to can

Have a viable herb garden

Grow tomatoes

Finish declutter our home

Clean out our rental space and save $378 monthly

That's enough for me!!

**strezzed** · 06-10-2009, 12:11 AM

We need to find better ways to save. We rarely spend so with DH out of work, we haven't changed much. At least we're not accumulating debt ... but then again we aren't saving anything right now.

**Incognito** · 06-10-2009, 11:47 AM

Well, I already know how to can...been doing it for years and years.
I can cook and bake, and have lots of excellent baking recipes, so I don't need to buy most things.

My problem right now is illness and under-employment: need medical testing, with costly transportation expenses.
I re-wrote my Summer Budget: June-Sept/09 this morning.
I've saved enough money for the next 4 months, without cutting into my savings. However, my budget for expenses for each month, (after the essentials) is a budget of $30 per month for food, etc.
DUH !!!

Then I'll have to subtract my grandkids BD gifts (mostly homemade)and mailing costs, and the medical trip costs.

It's not that I mind doing with less, or next to nothing.
It's my own fault for buying too many coupon items lately, even some that aren't essential (just because I got enticed)

,
so I depleted my working income savings.

However, I do have a large stockpile, so hopefully, I can manage all right. I might be able to sell some of my baked goods at my local farmer's market again this summer. That would bring in some cash.

Looks like I've learned my lesson the hard way. I've always been very frugal and saved money, but since last fall, I started using coupons, and though I saved money here and there, I also started spending money here and there. Slowly, but surely, I depleted my own cash savings, without realizing it. This month, when I did all the calculations, I was brought to the sobering conclusion that my old ways were the best ways for me, and that from now on, coupons will only be used on essentials. I'll continue to make all purchases only on sale, by comparison shopping, only when pre-planned, or when a worthwhile deal comes along.
Sure hope I don't have to dip into my savings because of my own mistakes. NEVER AGAIN !!!
Oh well...when the going gets tough, the tough get going...

**Jenibelle** · 06-10-2009, 12:14 PM

DBF & I have never had a problem w/ being big spenders, but I would like us to sit down and create a budget and actually stick to it just to see how much more we could save.

I would like to start OAMC or at least OAWC to cut down on the cost of us eating out.

I want start utilizing the free recycling service our apartment provides so I just need to set up some sort of sorting center