Recession is now upon us. How are you spending your money wisely? Right now I’m trying to think 10X before parting with my money to be spent for the promotion of my blog.
I'm spending very little on promotion in general, too. I'm shopping around more carefully for larger items and for food as well. I'm looking for deals on food that can be stored for a long time like dry pasta and some canned food.
I think I'm doing pretty well with that, yes. Also when I see a good sale on something that will last a long time, I buy extra because of the way food prices keep rising. Also sales on things that people always need like toiletries and paper goods.
I've started making a lot more stuff homemade again. It's something I enjoy doing anyway, but since my hours were cut back, I have more time to actually do it and it definitely cuts down on the food bill.
I don’t like to go buy those sale goods. Usually those are low quality and they are selling it because no one wants it.
I've seen some great deals on perfectly good food items. And if you have a bunch of vegetables that are about to become over-ripe, you may be able to blanch them and freeze them.
I'm talking about regular sales on regular food that I always buy... Kelloggs, Del Monte, Dole, Betty Crocker, Godiva ... not some off brand. Just regular sales... doesn't your store have those? Like "buy one, get one free" or "10 for $10" sales?
^ I agree with both of the above. Although sure, there are sometimes sales or "clearances" on items that aren't selling well or are starting to get old, it doesn't make them any less great most times!
I'm not really changing anything much since I live pretty cheap anyway. I will have a bigger garden this summer.
That sounds wonderful, vet. We've been going back and forth on whether or not to put a garden out. I *will* have fresh tomatoes but I don't know about other things. We've never really grown much that would make a difference if frozen or canned. Like you can't do much with cucumbers or onions when it comes to planning for the future... potatoes can't be frozen, it takes like a bajillion rows of peas to make a worthwhile crop, etc. and those are the things we usually planted. I *do* like the thought of ham, green beans, and potatoes with home grown string beans, though.
What will you be planting? I wish I could decide what to do here. One year when we *did* have a garden, I had such an overabundance of zucchini that I swore I'd never plant it again. But last year we had way too many tomatoes and I found plenty to do with them... besides just sliced and sandwiches, I did chili, homemade veggie soup, stewed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce... etc. etc. Can't wait until we can plant more!
I'd add that while I'm on the lookout for good deals, I've been more cautious in the dollar stores after hearing of some products that had issues. I pay more attention to where the food comes from and where it's processed. I'm more likely to buy recognizable brands there now.
I will plant zucchini. I slice it thin and put it through a dehydrator for 18 hours. It shrivels up into tiny chips that are a good substitute for potato chips, and way better for you. Dehydrated, you can put several zucchini into a small sandwich ziplock. I also grow the things that cost more in the store -- such as basil, dill, parsley, and other herbs. Some things it is easier and cheaper to just go to the local farmers market -- like tomatoes, sweet corn. A lot of vegs I dehydrate - they last a long time that way.
I plan ahead more. Luckily, I have been making my own cosmetics and skin care items for a while now, so there's no need to actually cut back. I just have to plan bulk purchases a little further ahead than usual.
I have a couple of friends who make their own beauty gear. Some use items from the kitchen pantry and others order in bulk, like you do. It saves money regardless of what the economy is like!
I haven't even thought of things like this and probably won't. I am concentrating on food, heat, shelter, etc. Well I guess toiletries may be under the same category and I *have* thought of buying extra of those things when I can.
I find it easier to look after my shelter, food, and heat issues if my appearance draws a favorable response from other people. When folks say looks don't count, they aren't being truthful.
I developed this habit of looking in the sale bins at the back of the grocery store, a long time ago and have maintained the habit. We also buy things like rice and dried beans when they go on sale, because they don't go bad and are easy to store. I guess we have developed a fairly frugal lifestyle as a matter of habit. I guess we are pretty lucky, that way.
Sounds like a very good idea there, Twiceshy. I usually forget to look in those bins, but my store *does* have them. They also have a couple of carts out for bakery items that have gone past their sell date.
