Nothing specific at the moment, but dh and I have decided that - once the work on the house is paid off this month - we will be double-down on saving. Have a list of things to do, but won't post them until they are done.
Good luck to everyone with their frugals for the new year!
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
We decided to move to a cash only for all food starting today, Jan 1. We each must fund our half of the amount and keep our own envelopes and all groceries, eating out, etc. must come out of the envelopes, and no cheating, and that means you, DH.
I will be watching food expenditures also. I should be able to cut down on the quantity of food I have been eating.
No specifics but we really need to watch expenses more closely this year. The last several have been so stressful - covid, youngest [adult] child with deteriorating mental health moved back in, I lost job/retired, cancer scare (probably fine, but not yet resolved), major items needed replacing or repair - we have thrown money at problems and bought things to make live easier, but that were not life-saving necessities. So, while I don't plan to give up all things that make life more pleasant, we do need to weigh our purchases more carefully against our budget AND our values. If things improve covid-wise, we have family members up east we want to visit, I'd like to get our kid into therapy if we can find someone they will work with, and we need to continue our more healthy (and thus more expensive) food purchases. So, a realignment of priorities and spending patterns is needed. And I am SO GRATEFUL that we had the money to deal with the setbacks we have encountered. I am very aware that many do not have that. We are not at all wealthy - but we have been very lucky in so many ways.
Early morning, I am so sorry about your child. Hoping you can find a therapist that works for them. In April when my charter contract is up I am going to try u tube which is much cheaper. I already switched to T-Mobile’s prepaid plan for cell phone service which only costs 15/month.
early morning, hope the health scare works out positively and wishing the best for your child. Right there with you on being grateful for what we have.
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
earlymorning, Catholic Charities has therapists that work with people on a sliding scale down to very minimal payments, if that might be an option--no Catholicism involved other than the desire to serve others. No preaching or anything.
Since the interest rates are so low these days, I have tried to find other ways to generate revenue within my usual activities.
My annual cable cost will drop by $1200 when I switch back to my former internet/wifi provider with VOIP phone. I had to switch to the current provider who had installed the cable when the house was built. Some technical issues needed to be resolved before my former provider could access the cable infrastructure. I didn't understand all the technical aspects at the time or now.
I am saving money on gas for my Prius since I attend many activities via zoom or the internet or walk to the event.
The next two months I must eat out of my freezer and pantry to the walls. It is too easy to pick up items when walking through the store.
I am verifying inventory that I actually need the occasional such as shampoo, etc., because duplicates are too easy to grab in case I am running low.
Every saving adds up.
As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
I am in desperate need of a financial regrouping now - after all those years and years of almost miserly finances in which I saved up a whole bunch of money, lately I have become a terrible spendthrift now that I am a homeowner. I got very used to my monthly income AND huge monthly jewelry commission checks, in addition to K's salary. When combined it is a nice chunk of change to have every month. But the party is OVER, because I am unemployed now...I'm still waiting on my first unemployment checks so I really don't have any regular money coming in right now, which freaks me out psychologically because my spending has not decreased by much. There is always something that we need, whether it's groceries, household stuff, medical bills, prescriptions, etc, etc.
I really need to get back into my old frugal mindset and start identifying needs vs. wants and make it that old game I used to play with myself - the "can I make do with what I have" game. Trouble is that K is a spender, not much of a saver, and I seem to have adopted some of his ways over time. Because it is the first day of the year we are going to sit down and look at our expenses and try to find ways to not fritter money away unnecessarily. Some of our expenses are due to living in a rural area and running to the local store to pick up essentials when we run out; they are always more expensive than going to the big supermarket, so getting better at planning will help. Gas for the cars has been a big expense too, so we need to try and plan better to cut down the amount of trips we take into town.
And I need to find a new job! I am really starting to miss my gallery job now...I have applied at a few places as a retail associate because I have to for the unemployment people but have yet to hear back from anyone. I hope it is not too hard to find another job, seeing as there are so many openings right now.
Sioux, look at car/home insurance as a place to save.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote