Tips on ways to save $Money$

[Dexter Morgan]

Right now everybody can use help ,and ideas on how to cut back ,and save money. With the high cost of everything, every little bit helps. We'll use this thread for tips and ideas, on how to keep a little more money in our pockets. Everybody is welcome to put in their 2 cents worth!!! Remember no idea is too small, or strange on this thread. We all need help!!!!  I'll start us on our way.....

This is a tip for all people who have outside pets. I live in the country, and I feed my  outside cats dry cat food. Raccoons and Opossums absolutely LOVE dry cat food. I've always just shrugged off the fact that they eat a lot of the left over cat food at night. Well, not anymore. I ended up having to buy more a couple of weeks ago. I decided I can't buy 18lbs extra every week, just to feed the wild critters. So, now I go out before it gets dark, and collect the left over cat food,and save it in the house for the next morning. I am pleasantly surprised with the fact that it's 2 days till shopping day, and I have almost 2 18lb bags of cat food left. I have been using 3 and sometimes 4 bags a week.$ Cha ching$ I saved $24 dollars last week. I never knew they were eating that much.

Note.... the critters aren't starving.... I still feed them bags of cheapy corn curls and left over bread. I won't let them starve. 

OK.... lets hear some ideas guys!!!! 

[Monroe]

Quit feeding the stray cats on your back porch.   No, wait!  That's me.

Shower with a friend. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Quit feeding the stray cats on your back porch.   No, wait!  That's me.

Shower with a friend. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Now this idea is scary to me. My Mom was raised extremely poor, of course I was too but.....Mom rewashes used foil, plastic wrap,and baggies.  Now to me that screams cross contamination,and possible food poisoning. She insists if you soak that stuff in hot soapy water, for 20 minutes it's safe to re use. I'm not taking any chances with it though. 

[me]

Mine has to do with grocery shopping.  We try to hit the grocery store between 10:00am and noon and get some great deals on manager specials in the meat dept.   Also when they have good sales on whole pork loins we buy a pretty good sized one and have them cut off the ends for roasts and then slice the other inch thick for loin chops. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Mine has to do with grocery shopping.  We try to hit the grocery store between 10:00am and noon and get some great deals on manager specials in the meat dept.   Also when they have good sales on whole pork loins we buy a pretty good sized one and have them cut off the ends for roasts and then slice the other inch thick for loin chops. 

That's a great idea me. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Another thing I do is re use paper plates, that I feed the outside cats on. They aren't dirty, because it's dry cat food. So, I've started saving them for 3 or 4 days, then I pitch them, and get new ones. You'd be surprised how many I save by doing that. We go through a lot, so that helps a lot. 

[Sandy Eggo]

I'm the coupon queen. I watch for sales on the products and plan my trips in a smart way so that I'm not using more gas than the money I'm saving.

We even started a coupon box at work. I cut out the Sunday coupons and the ones that I won't use, I take to work and toss in the box. Someone else can use it and I grab one that I will use.

[Locutus]

You can also always check me's "Free Samples I have found" thread. 

[Dexter Morgan]

I'm the coupon queen. I watch for sales on the products and plan my trips in a smart way so that I'm not using more gas than the money I'm saving.

We even started a coupon box at work. I cut out the Sunday coupons and the ones that I won't use, I take to work and toss in the box. Someone else can use it and I grab one that I will use.

That is an excellent idea PIYA. 

[Dexter Morgan]

You can also always check me's "Free Samples I have found" thread. 

I forgot about that thread. They say the memory goes with age.  Thanks for the reminder. 

[me]

I'll try to jog your memory when I post 'em 'cause sometimes they don't last long.

[American_Woman]

Shop at Aldis.

[Sandy Eggo]

Thrift stores and recycle shops are another way to save. You can find a lot of items on Craig's list and Freecycle also.

[me]

I keep forgetting about freecycle and we have one here too, or at least we did.  Guess I need to check it out and see if its still operating.