We just found out today that we have to put a new engine in our van. OUCH! Can you think of some ways to cut corners and save about $50-100 a month? We are pretty frugal already. We bake our own bread, cookies, cakes & pies. Only eat out twice a month on Sunday. We have a big garden. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), May 18, 2000

Answers

Give up cable TV, and the 2 Sundays out if you have to. Buy NO prepared foods. Cut back on trips to town as possible. Sell your eggs, produce etc. Take your cans, bottles, metal debris in for recycling $. Do not use your electric dryer---hang out. Don't pay for your on-line access, even if it means changing. Try using dialpad.com for long distance calls. Quit buying soda, beer, cigarettes, etc. If you've already done this, then consider EARNING more cash. Will a driving newspaper route fit into your life?

-- Anne (HeathyTouch101@hotmail.com), May 18, 2000.

Cancel the newspaper, too. Also ditch call waiting, etc. if you have anything like that. Don't get a haircut or personal service for a while. Plan your trips to town to use gas economically.

Regardless of your current immediate situation, it pays to plan all of your purchases ahead. Keep shopping lists, and double think anything you might consider buying. You might consider clipping coupons for groceries. You have to be careful not to buy all the name brand stuff, because it's often more expensive on sale than anything else at regular price. I used to keep stats on this stuff when I had time, and by saving/storing coupons, watching expiration dates, etc. I *averaged* 10% savings a month. Some months were better, some worse! Other folks might do a better, but we were already eating on the lower end of the food chain! Often the stores will mark down items that you have coupons for, right before the expiration date, so watch the ads, check against the coupons, and shop carefully.

You can do it! Just by being aware of your need to, you will amaze yourself at how much you can save! Best of luck.

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), May 18, 2000.

My van needs a new motor, too. I am currently using it as a greenhouse! ;~)

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 19, 2000.

It's kind of hard to say where you could save money without having an idea of where it gets spent.I would sit down and try to figure out how much money is going where. For example, if you live in town, and they charge you for each can of garbage they have to haul away, you could recycle and compact the trash you do have into one can instead of three.I know that water is also very expensive in town.We are always on a tight budget,we have just gotten into the habit of not buying things unless we really need or want them.We eat very little meat aside from what we raise,and are basically vegetarian most of the time. Our grocery list usually looks like this: butter(we have goats,not a cow,or could make butter),cheese(when things are really tight we do without the cheese),Chocolate chips(our one vice!),bread (when things are tight,I make the bread),maybe some bananas or other fruit.During the summer there is enough fruit that you don't need to buy much,and if you can the excess,you'll have it for the winter,too.All the grains,pasta,tomato paste,popcorn,pastry flour,beans, etc, are bought in bulk through the health food store in 10,25,50, or 100 lb bags at a time.When you divide up the cost of bulk food and compare it to the same thing in the store,the difference in price is amazing! Even when the bulk food is organic,it is cheaper! Then there are the phone bills- we try to only call long distance during the weekends or at night when it's cheaper.If you write down every time you spend money, and what for, and look at it every month,it is easier to see where it is going and fix any problems.It can be surprising how the little things add up! Maybe instead of eating out twice a month, you could eat out once a month, or not at all, and have a special dinner that's a little nicer than usual but still cheaper.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), May 19, 2000.

Brown bag to work, car pool, have a tag sale, get a 2nd job-cleaning offices is bonus, late nite or early AM -my friend cleans a bar for $50 cash and it only takes 90 min. Can you barter with your mechanic? My ex is a mechanic, and he makes deals all the time! Sometimes for shop, yard or office help, once for a boat motor. Good luck!

-- Kathy (catfish@bestweb.net), May 19, 2000.

I've had to live "close to the bone" on more than one occasion in my life - mostly what it takes is a little ingenuity and the psychological ability to convince yourself that you're having fun by being cheap. The first thing you have to do is define the difference between want and need.

Back in the early 80's, I was on lay-off from a job - received a whole $49 a week unemployment. Took care of some cattle for some folks in return for free rent on a house. Well, sort of a house, anyway! Electricity wasn't too bad for just lights, and later a cook stove. My folks paid my phone bill - basic service only, because they were worried about me living way out in the boonies on a dead end road with no neighbors. In return, I kept an eye on their house (which I would have done anyway) because Dad was a Union electrician and they had to go where the jobs were, so they weren't living at home.

I spent about $30 a month on groceries - including my personal sin of coffee with half and half. Dropping in to visit relatives around dinner time saved a few grocery dollars - I always made sure to pitch in with the dishes or peel potatoes or whatever, so I wouldn't feel like such a scrounger! I also put out the word that I would babysit for food!! I accidentally (really, I swear!) hit a rabbit on the way to town one time, went back and got it and had three meals out of it! I had a friend who I swear would take me out to dinner now and again, just to come over and see what I made out of the stuff I carried home in the doggy-bag! (Stroganoff from leftover steak, or hash from steak and that half of a baked potato....) Anyone who stopped and asked to hunt left knowing that I appreciated any and all donations of game - I ate lots of rabbit!

Heat was a wood furnace in the basement, but to save on wood, since I was scared of chainsaws and needed help to get it cut, I would sometimes let the fire go out in the late afternoon, close my bedroom door and use an electric blanket on my bed - under my quilts. Unless it was WAY cold, then I'd keep the fire going to keep the pipes from freezing. $5 a week went to gasoline, which was also my entertainment budget - 3 trips a week into town to the public library, where I would hand them a huge list of books to order for me! I always combined my trips with other errands to save gasoline. My other entertainment consisted of pounding out letters (pages and pages of letters!) to friends on an old electric typewriter my Mom had given me. One set of friends were stationed on Adak Naval base, off the coast of Alaska - they said that my letters circulated through the whole base because folks there were so starved for news of home - they didn't care whose home!!

Later, after a divorce, I had a six year old daughter, no job, no money, mortgage, etc... Couldn't find full time work, so I took two part time jobs outside the house and did sewing and babysat in my spare time - while going back to college to finish a degree I had started 15 years before. Arranged my part time work for when the ex was off so he could take care of our daughter - we made sure we got along well for her sake, and for ours too! When fall came around, we had a cold snap and Jes needed a larger size of warm clothes to go back to school in and I had about $10 to my name. My Dad would have gladly handed me the money to buy her a whole new wardrobe, but I am stubborn..... I let him buy her a new winter coat. I ended up at a thrift shop where I bought two pair of ladies brand new corduroy pants and a long wool skirt, a sweater and three sweatshirts in Jes's size, plus a couple of men's plaid flannel shirts. I took the pants and skirt apart and cut her out three pair of slacks and a skirt and a jumper, made blouses out of the men's shirts, with enough fabric left over to applique and trim on the sweatshirts - total outlay - less than $5 - and I about had to whip the ladies at the thrift shop to get them to take it when they found out what the situation was.

A couple of months later, I lost a filling and broke the tooth it was in. I called around to find an inexpensive dentist, finally found one who would pull my tooth for $50. He started yelling at me about my teeth and I took his hand out of my mouth and very firmly explained the situation to him - I painted his waiting room the next weekend - his suggestion, not mine! And he insisted I bring Jes in and we both got out teeth checked and cleaned in the bargin.

Long winded, I know - and I'm sorry!! But these are just a few examples of how you can have what you need ( and a few things that you want!) for not too much moola. Good luck!!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 19, 2000.

Well dear Polly, I applaud you! If more of us were like you our taxes would be so extremely low! We wouldn't be supporting 5th generation welfare recipients! Keep up the good work, wish you were my next door neighbor/friend, I'd certainly invite you & your daughter over for dinner! Jane

-- Jane Gauch (Sewbears4u@il.freei.net), May 20, 2000.

Thanks for the dinner invite, Jane! I'm living a bit higher on the food chain now, and no longer have to mooch meals - two wage earners and one retired person with a good pension in this house now, plus a teen-ager, makes for a bigger budget. I'm almost embarrassed by what I spend on groceries and non-essential items nowadays. It is nice to know that I can get by on a little bit of nothing if needs be, though.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 20, 2000.

I just made my first batch of laundry detergent today. If it works out okay, it could save quite a bit. I spent $5., & have lot's of ingredients left over. The recipe makes 2 gallons. I usually pay $3.97 for 100oz..don't what this will end up costing per batch, but it should be less than 50 cents a gallon. I'll post the recipe if anyone wants it.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 20, 2000.

Jean, I would love for you to post the recip as a new post under a soap heading if you can find the time. I make soap too, and usually use some for laundry. Would love to know your way of doing it!

-- Anne (HT@hm.com), May 20, 2000.

All of the above suggestions are terrific & I cannot add much more except to suggest that you visit your nearest library to see if they have copies of The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. I had always thought I was frugal until I started receiving the monthly newletter (she "retired" at the end of 1996) The last address I have, so you could order back issues or the books (the newsletters had been compiled at various times, & there's a newer book with all 3 books in 1!) :The Tightwad Gazette P.O.Box 201 Leeds ME 04263 Perhaps a friend or relative already has these, ask around, borrow them to read. Does your area have a store called Aldis? - their main office is in Batavia IL. We have 1 about 20 minutes from where we live. A 12-oz. bag of chocolate chips - $.79, we're chocolate chip cookieaholics!!! So this works for us. I'm forever on the lookout for ways to cut down on spending (I no longer "work" outside the home) in all areas. Set your priorities, you'll find that extra $$$, you just need to "look" for it. We wish you the best.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), May 21, 2000.

Sorry, make that Aldi's, I forgot the apostrophe.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), May 21, 2000.

I'll second Phyllis's endorsement of Aldi's - they are on my route for my once a month big shopping trip - IQF chicken breasts 3#/$5.98 - much cheaper than the grocery or even Wal-Mart. I buy a lot of salmon, butter, dry and evaporated milk, dry beans, rice and packaged mixes like stuffing, rice a roni and flavored noodles there too. I always buy just one of a new thing though, to test it on my family - it ain't a bargin if they won't eat it! A tip though, don't go near the 1st of the month (when big eagle flies over the town) unless you enjoy standing in line watching your tax dollars at work. (Did I say work? Snort.)

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), May 24, 2000.

Polly, sometimes I think I'm the only one in Aldi that has real money! Anyway, other excellent buys at Aldi are real cheese ($1.99 to $2.49 a pound, even shredded!), butter is currently $1.49lb. All the dairy products are good quality. My kids will eat the plainer dry cereals without complaint (although they'd rather have Lucky Charms). Give Aldi a try if you have one near you.

-- Jean (schiszik@tbcnet.com), May 24, 2000.