I'm pretty pleased with myself this morning. For the past few weeks I've been picking up "deposit" cans and bottles that I see laying around as I'm delivering my papers in the early hours. Not really going out of my way, but if I had to walk by a can, I'd pick it up and throw it in a bag in the truck. Heck, it's only a nickel, but it's free money. Well, I took them to the store to redeem them today. I chatted with a guy while feeding them into the machine, and he told me he makes $50 in a good week, just looking for cans and bottles that other people throw out. My bounty only came to a couple dollars, but I was happy. I bought a few things on sale, definitely loss leaders like "Buy one bag of frozen ravioli, get TWO FREE!". Next stop was a bagel shop, with a coupon, buy one dozen bagels, get one free. I get 24 bagels for $5.50, and the only times I've ever been in there is when I can use that special coupon.

So....We all have stories like this, little ways we save a penny here and there, and those pennies add up. How did you save (or find!) a penny today? PS-I found a dime in the parking lot, too. I'm very happy about the fact that finding a dime makes me feel fortunate. PSS-yesterday I got up at 4:30 am and delivered papers, and went to work at the store from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, as someone called off sick. At this rate, I'll be on my homestead in Missouri in no time!! Frugal Cathy in NY

-- Cathy Horn in NY (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 29, 2000

Answers

My father works in construction so he sells soda's and cookies etc. After major holidays I make ham and turkey sandwiches and he sells them for me, nice profit off of leftovers!! Plus all the guys throw their empty soda cans in the back of his truck. Dad lets me clean them off the truck aand I keep the money. Last time I took the cans in I recieved $60. for hardly any work. I take them in every 4 months.

-- Sandy(FL.) (MANDARINHILLBILLYS@prodigy.net), November 29, 2000.

Today I saved about $13 by using a recycled Gatorade gallon jug and a plastic plant dish ($1.79 at the hardware store) to build a feeder for my chickens instead of paying the farm store $15+ for one the same size.

When I was a teeneager, I used to work for "Pied Piper Ice Cream" in NJ, and used to walk around the parking lot picking up the pennies the truck drivers dropped or tossed on the ground, because they didn't want to count them. Made $100 in 4 months that way one year!

-- Eric in TN (eric_m_stone@yahoo.com), November 29, 2000.

I use my computer and a little (OK, a lot) of free time to save some serious cash on my groceries.....upwards of 55-60%. I made myself an excel sheet listing all of my groceries I keep in the pantry and freezers. It lists items, # onhand, what I consider a minimum amount to have around, and the retail & sales prices for a couple of markets in town.

I buy in large quantities when I can get a good deal by comparing sale prices to my list. I try to buy only what I'll use (a good deal is worthless if I won't eat it) and only allow myself to stock up a little less than obscene amount. I kept meticulous track of my purchases for three months and figured I saved just over 55% by stocking up early when I can get things at a good price

One good example is that one of the local Albertsons had some factory coupons for Kool-Aid (which I must admit I like). The coupons were save $1 when you buy 10 packets. Albertsons usually had them 4/$1 and the Fred Meyer I worked at had them normally 5/$1. During most of the summer Fred Meyer had a sale on Kool-Aid, 8/$1, and for a couple of weeks it was 10/$1. Needless to say I got as many coupons as I could at Albertsons and used them at my store. I ended up only having to pay 50 cents in taxes for $20 of product! These numbers weren't used in calculating my 55% savings.

-- Chris Stogdill (cstogdill@rmci.net), November 29, 2000.

That is my all time favorite saying. My husband and I were talking about this just yesterday. One way I save is I never buy anything unless it is on sale if I can keep from it(hubby is another story). I was raised by my grandma (she lived during the depression) so there are probably things I am saving on that I don't realize. I conserve water since we are on a cistern. With this weather we put a wash tub in front of the wood stove and bathe in it. When we shower we wet ourselves down, turn off the water, soap up then rinse off quickly. I plan to route my downspouts into the cistern soon (we have to have water delivered about every 5 days at $17 per). Our clothes come from thrift stores and garage sales. When the kids outgrow their clothes they get turned into quilt squares (underwear make great cleaning rags). My biggest savings is by buying grains in bulk and grinding them myself. I make lots of homemade bread, cornbread from scratch and use wheat flour in nearly everything. Cooking from scratch will save you lots of money. Another way I save is on livestock food. I free range them as much as possible, feed chickens lots of food scraps and I dry veggies during the summer to make the chickens a warm stew in the winter on the wood stove (cover with water and let simmer all night). We have a large wood lot and plan to make lots of stuff from it. All time biggest way to save money...don't pay interest! In otherwords don't owe money. Because of this hubby is able to stay home and just work odd jobs occasionally to keep us comfortable.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), November 29, 2000.

How was copper wire invented?

Two of my ancestors fighting over a penny. Actually the original joke said Scotsmen, but it was still probably my ancestors.

When I need something, the first place I check is all the illegal dumpsites for it. Good stuff I don't need goes for a yard sale. Then I look at yard sales, then thrift stores. If I STILL can't find it, I price it at a discount house and wait for it to go on sale or clearance. My motto is "Never Pay Retail."

Yesterday, I got to take a new friend along on the - all day power shop - for groceries to all the discount places. She was amazed at how much money she had been throwing away by convenience shopping. I think the comment was, "Look how much money I'm saving so I can buy more horse stuff!"

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), November 30, 2000.

I saved a few pennies yesterday by buying chunk cheese instead of shredded. I froze it then put it in the food processor to shred it. I also shop at Aldi's, grow and can, belong to a food co-op, and shop at a bulk food store and a bread thrift store. I have to be careful what I buy, but in the long run I don't spend any more on healthier food than on junkier.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 30, 2000.

You all have more disciple than I have obviously. The way I save is to just stay out of the stores altogether. I try to only go once a month to the bulk food store and by nothing unless I have really thought about it a while and figured there is no other way to get it.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 30, 2000.

WoW You guys are great. Move near here we'll practice saving $$$ together.

OK we go to ALDI to buy groceries. WHY? because compared to Winn- Dixie, Harris-Teeter, Food Lion & BI-LO stores you can save 45-60%. Some quick examples: Dozen Large Grade A eggs .59 cents, Loaf Bread .39 cents, 15oz cans of most any vegetable .49 cents, skim milk 1.59.

Of course we get FRESH cut & packaged chicken right off the truck. My cousin works at the processing plant so we save 65% off retail.

If we had room my wife would have a cow (literally, LOL) Chickens and goats, pigs and every stray dog and cat from a 40 mile radius. Ooops well she already called NY about a dog. LOL

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 30, 2000.

I work for a Used Car Wholesaler, we buy and sell 50-100 cars every month. When a car comes in I check under the seats, ash tays, glove boxes ect... for any loose change, some cars I might only find a couple pennies others might have a few dollers in them.

I strip anything out of the cars that is not origional equipment C.B. radios, cup holders, extra speakers ect... I also find lots of junk in trunks like tools, 4 way lug wrenches, jumper cables. You would be amazed what people leave in the cars when they trade them in. My Boss lets me keep all the junk I find and a couple times a year I take it to the Flea Market.

I also buy the Toppers from the trucks we get in. My Boss lets me have the running boards, bug shields and trailer hitches. I sell the toppers at my house, I have about 15 of them in the yard right now.

-- Mark in NC Fla (deadgoatman@webtv.net), November 30, 2000.

ok,, Ill ask,,, what ia Aldi's?? Must be regional

-- STAN (sopal@net-port.com), December 02, 2000.

Stan: Aldi's is a grocery store chain like Save-a-Lot that is in the south and slowly moving north. We just got one in Battle Creek, before that I only saw them in Indiana. You sack your own groceries etc.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 02, 2000.

The Aldi stores are great, we have them here in Illinois, & I know they are in Iowa. If there is a name brand that we like & Aldis doesn't carry it, I will call the company for coupons if they have 800#'s (most do) Ocean Spray sent me 2 coupons for free 64 oz. juice, I save lots of money just by asking, when I go through the check out the cashier will inquire where I got a particular coupon because they've never seen one, I tell them I asked for it. We bought a hutch w/ buffet, when it arrived it had some dings, I asked for an adjustment, they said they would give one but didn't, I called a couple more times, (800#) next thing I knew they wrote the whole thing off. I get the best phone rates because I expect them, I go over every bill for mistakes, if you don't find them nobody else will. The transmission (& some other things) went out in our van they said it would cost $600 after our warranty, I got the insurance co. & service manager on the phone & asked them to meet halfway, we ended up paying $200.(That included a $100 deductible) I know this sounds redundant but you can save a lot just by "asking" I forgot to send my credit card payment in on time, there was a late fee of 29., I called & asked them to write it off, because I don't make a habit of paying late (or even carrying a balance) they did it for me. This is getting too long but I've helped my friends & family save money by showing them that asking, (along with a little tenacity when needed) can go a long way in saving you money.

-- Lenore (archambo@winco.net), December 02, 2000.

In agreement with Lenore. IF YOU DON'T ASK THE ANSWER IS NO!!

-- Wayne & Lyn Roach (R-WAY@msn.com), December 03, 2000.

It is wonderful to see fellow tightwads in action. We have three supermarkets in our town (Riverton, WY) and when the ads come out on Wednesday we scour them at home over a cup of re-ground coffee. We buy the large cans of coffee (34.5 or 39 oz) when they are on sale for $3.99 then regrind it into a powdery form. It lasts about 2&1/2 times as long. Nothing is EVER BOUGHT unless it is on sale. We are not shy when they run out by asking, 'Please give me a substitute' or rain check. We also have two dollar discount stores where everything costs $1 or less. You have to be careful there though, they will have a really cheapo thing marked $1 and you may be able to get it for less at Wally World. Its hovering around 0 degrees right now and plenty of snow but when Spring breaks around March we're back on the road walking and picking up cans. We get paid .25 cents a pound - not much by some standards but the extra proceeds go toward care for handicapped adults, so we're getting exercise and making some "stuff" money. We save all empty bottles and jars for later use in canning or making flavored vinegars and oils. The kitchen vegetable waste (and hair after haircuts, dryer lint, coffee filters) goes into the compost barrel. Our pantry is thoroughly stocked and don't say this as a brag but we give away lots of food each month to one of our local shelters. We're both disabled and living on a fixed income but we have no bills to speak of and are completely independent. Our children and relatives kind of look at us out of the corner of their eyes but we love it!

-- Harry & Josie Meekins (wrp@trib.com), December 19, 2000.