When money is tight . . .

[Shell]

When you don't have enough money to make it through the month what little tricks do you do when money is TIGHT!

[peanut]

~ Grocery exile. Avoid the grocery store unless absolutely necessary.

~ Give dh the car to take to work, so I don't get in it to go anywhere to spend money!

~ Work on UFOs I have around the house so I feel like I'm doing something useful.

~ cancel all recreation/entertainment expenditures...use the library instead.

~ cancel personal allowances.

~ don't refill printer ink cartridges when they run dry. Print on draft to extend ink as long as possible.

[Shell]

UFO'S?

[sunshine]

inventory pantry,freezer, fridge and make menu plans (plan for $1 dinners as much as possible, make sure to include a few treats from stash so we don't feel deprived)

pick up aluminum cans for cash

stay home and out of stores

Avoid TV, magazines, etc-- things that might trigger my desire to spend

impromtu garage sale- even a few bucks might help

[slowtypinwoman]

~Stay home it's hard to spend cash if you don't go anywhere.
~ eat from the pantry The family doesn't like them but soups and casseroles are way cheaper.
~ clean the house. If I have no where to go I don't have an excuse to not do house work.
~ Hang everything to dry
~ bake
~Read books from the library
~ hang out here more.


Lastly, this is probably one of the more important things, reread my TWG. It helps to keep me on track.

[Missy]

ufo's = UnFinished Objects refers to unfinished craft items usually

accept help if offered!!
cook from scratch if necessary--soups are great for this
find activities that are free-- walks in the park and the like

ummmm

[RuthNY]

Print on draft to extend ink as long as possible.

What does this mean? I'd love to know how to extend printer ink...it's EXPENSIVE!

[cheapgeek]

It means you change your printer settings so that it prints at a lower quality and uses less ink.

My tricks are basically the same as everyone else's. I've done my best to make and maintain an emergency fund. I've never had to dip into it, but just knowing it's there makes it easier to do the "slim down" tricks when I'm outta cash.

[YankeeMom]

Ruth,
Select "File", "Print"



Depending on what Operating System you are using (I use Windows XP, but ithis process is very similar to Windows 98), you click "Preferences" in the Print window


then go to Paper/Quality,


then select "Draft", I also like to print in Black & White (or called "grayscale" on some computers).


Then click "Ok", it will close the Preferences window and take you back to the Print window, click "Print" and you are all set.

HTH

[Michele Annette]

* No unneccessary spending. When money is tight I don't give myself an allowance. I will keep a bit of cash in my purse for grocery essentials like milk, butter, eggs, etc. But I won't use it for anything else but food.

* Eat all meals from home and make your own coffee instead of buying at the coffee shop.

* Make more meatless meals, but be sure to get adequate protien from beans, eggs, soy protien, etc.

*Eat up all leftovers and those over ripe bananas turn into banana bread for breakfasts and snacks. Use all that you have!

* Be sure to have extra staples in your pantry or stockpile...flour, rice, pasta, baking powder, baking soda, milk, oil, etc. so that you can always make something to eat, even if your ran out of things in your fridge.

* Find entertainment that's free...walking on the bike path, hiking, movies at home, sewing, etc.

* Keep focused on your goal to help pull you through!

[nodmicks]

~ eat from pantry
~ no unnecessary trips
~ all cold lunch for kids (or once when Dh was laid up for months with no pay we did apply for free lunch)
~ movie/books/mags from library
~ fishing for fun if weather permits
~ being happy for what we have!

[Kimberlina]

I'm sure I'll duplicate, but I am just going to go through the stuff I do:

-meatless meals (easy for me, since I only eat chicken and fish normally)
-drink only water (again, fairly normal for me)
-turn all lights off when not in use, try to use fewer lights to begin with (use only the fluorescents, or unscrew a bulb or two in a four-lit fixture and use only when company is around)
-entertainment=library, park, our pool, gardening
-don't go anywhere in the car- no gas used, no buying anything since there really isn't much w/in walking distance
-use less water
-really stock up on loss leaders to save money in the long run- just bought 6 bags of sugar, knowing I will need them for cheap Christmas gifts.
-re-examine monthly bills, like phone, XM and television to see what I can and will cut out
-re-examine magazine subscripions- we only have one we pay for now, and that is DH's SI. I told him to get rid of that or the last XM radio, and he chose the SI, so it should be going soon. (Happily, I found a free sub to Sporting News to replace it.)
-Use less dairy as it is quite expensive
-make my own bread and other convenience foods. I remember one time scraping up $1 to buy flour so I could make bagels,
-always, always bown-bag it
-let people know you will take things off their hands. We have probably purchased DD 15 pieces of clothing in her whole life, and only because we really wanted to, bot because we needed to. We get hand-me-downs from my sisters and a distant relative in CO who sends them at her own cost. (We have offered to pay, but she won't acknowledge that- they are very well off.) Although we aren't 100% on whether we will be having another child, we are saving them for now, but eventually I will sell most of the stuff from CO on eBay and then also sell Sis's stuff (probably yard sale) and actually MAKE money on DD's wardrobe. (Will split the money for Sis's clothes.) We are also getting some nice tables from MIL next week, and I will re-paint them, then maybe do decorative painting on the tables they are replacing and sell them. (I have a knack for this, and have been stopped by strangers who want to buy pieces I am taking to friends.)

I know there is a ton more I do, but that is all that is coming to mind right now.

As for printing, the other thing I do besides draft and b&w is to change the print margins to as small as I can, then make the actual print smaller. This uses less paper and less ink. I also try to print on both sides of the paper.

[babetteq]

I stretch out the milk with my stash of powdered. the only thing I really use it for anyway is coffee and cooking/baking.

Use oatmeal/zucchini/beans/lentils as stretchers.

do more "one pot glop" meals on pasta or toast.

make my bread, crackers, pita, tortillas.

piggyback shopping in town with s/o's work trip.. that way ferry is paid for and mileage.

We don't eat out or go out for recreation anyway - nowhere to go

Stop s/o from leaving the house with money.

babs

[PrairieRose]

I've said it before...
~cut open that empty tube of toothpaste and scrape out remaining toothpaste with your toothbrush...there's 3-4 days brushing left in there
~keep busy doing little things that make me feel "more in control" and leave less time to ponder the "problem"
~try to do something nice for someone else (you can do lots of things that don't cost money and mean as much or more than gifts), this always makes me feel better no matter what's going on.
~communicate with free methods (cell phone free eve/weekends, etc...)
~re-read my frugal books
~stay home
~make detailed lists for gro. shopping and stick to them
~use free entertainment
~plan meals around left overs
~wear my old clothes so I'm not tempted to run downtown....lol

[StacieA]

Thanks for all of the great ideas. We are having a really tight week and now I feel empowered. I CAN do something instead of just worrying.

Thanks,
Stacie