Ways to save money.

[cme]

So, in view of the times we are living my husband and I are finding it harder to save money.  Everything is expensive.  Food, electric, rent, gas and the list goes on. 

 

Can we come up with some saving ideas?

[Loopy]

O Sister Carmen I feel your pain. I decided recently I had to do something as well. Living on a fixed income has become increasingly difficult. Although budgeting every penny for years, it seems every month the noose gets tighter. 
 

Recently I decided to drop Verizon as phone carrier as that was almost $100 for just one phone. So I went back to Straight Talk which should save about $50 a month that I can add to the house insurance/property tax/Car insurance etc, part of the budget. 
 

Right now I can’t see anything else I can drop or lessen in cost…unless I quit eating. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[cme]

We are eating less in restaurants now.  My husband feels since we don't take vacations he would take me out to eat from time to time.   "NOT".  We can't afford it!

 

We went shopping for some odds and ends at the supermarket, we spent $100.00.  That was just on little wants like, icecream, cookies, tuna fish, bread, etc.  No meats!  When we went to pay $106.00.  For what?? We did not buy anything.

 

1 Bag of nonsense cost us that much.  The gas price for cars is through the roof.  We can't afford alot of things. 

 

However, we leave things in Jehovah's capable hands.  We had to even pay less to the Society for our usual monthly funds!  I cried.

 

May Jehovah step in soon.  The society counts with the donations of the friends for catastrophies and other issues. 

 

 

[Qapla]

I use Cricket Wireless. They are owned by ATT so use the same network towers. Mine is only $35 a month. It has unlimited text and talk. Although the data is currently limited to 6 Gigs a month, I find I do not use anywhere near that amount, and they periodically raise the data amount without increasing my monthly bill.

 

Not sure where in NY you live, but one thing that can help with the food budget is to grow some of you own fresh vegies. You can do this in pots and still get a sizable amount of food. There are plenty of videos on YT that show how to do this.

 

I find making my own bread, cookies, cake and such costs much less than buying those things - one bag of flour does not cost that much and goes a long way. Of course, I don't eat much cookies and cake, but I do like bread and pizza. I also make my own pizza and spaghetti sauce, much cheaper and tastes better than the jarred stuff. Block cheese costs less that the already shredded stuff and works better since it does contain anti-caking agents.

 

You can also see if you qualify for any Government programs. Most of the time we dismiss this idea thinking we don't qualify but you might be surprised. It shouldn't cost anything to apply, and the worst result is finding out you don't qualify - but if you do, the assistance can really help.

[cme]

We tried.  According to the Govt.  we make to  much money.   🤔  We do have a good income but, it is being spent faster then we realized.

 

I'm going to start going to some of the friends that do grow their own vegetables and they share.  We did not do it before because we wanted those that were less fortunate then ourselves to have the first dibbs.

 

We shall see what ideas I can come up with.

[Dustparticle]

37 minutes ago, cme said:

We are eating less in restaurants now.  My husband feels since we don't take vacations he would take me out to eat from time to time.   "NOT".  We can't afford it!

 

We went shopping for some odds and ends at the supermarket, we spent $100.00.  That was just on little wants like, icecream, cookies, tuna fish, bread, etc.  No meats!  When we went to pay $106.00.  For what?? We did not buy anything.

 

1 Bag of nonsense cost us that much.  The gas price for cars is through the roof.  We can't afford alot of things. 

 

However, we leave things in Jehovah's capable hands.  We had to even pay less to the Society for our usual monthly funds!  I cried.

 

May Jehovah step in soon.  The society counts with the donations of the friends for catastrophies and other issues. 

 

 

If you live in the NY City, it is expensive. Plus, many areas that consider Mid Class area very expensive to live in too. SAD!

Edited July 25, 2023 by Dustparticle

[computerwiz]

1 hour ago, cme said:

So, in view of the times we are living my husband and I are finding it harder to save money.  Everything is expensive.  Food, electric, rent, gas and the list goes on. 

 

Can we come up with some saving ideas?

 

Come down yonder.  We here in the south don't feel inflation as bad.  In my family's case, we have not had to adjust our budget much.  Eat out a little less, make food stretch out more, but that's about it.  And our congregation could certainly use the help....we have lost 20 publishers in the past 4 years.  Only a congregation of 69 now.

 

But as far as saving money goes, budget budget budget!  I have about 8 bank accounts for the sake of organizing what goes where.  Main savings, Health, Taxes, Car, Fun, Insurance, Vacation, Everyday use, Investment.  I have it all on auto-pilot...dividing my money up monthly.  And what I normally spend (Everyday use account) is allocated weekly.  You should see my system....it would give you a headache.  I wrote up instructions in case I kick the bucket, but it's my wife's nightmare having to take it over, even with that.

 

But hey, it works!  We are continuing to save & we can cover whatever breaks down.  Have not really felt the inflation....

[BLEmom]

Cellular-I got total wireless several years ago and pay $100 for 4 unlimited lines. I think Verizon bought them out recently. So far my bill hasn’t gone up. 
 

Groceries-I do a lot of pressure cooked beans from dry instead of canned.  Whole grains, beans and vegetables are overall much less than packaged foods and meat. 

Also grocery stores vary widely in pricing. An easy cheaper place to shop is somewhere like Aldi or Lidl.  What stores do you have in your area?  Can you visit different ones each week to gather their specials? Some stores are more expensive but offer good BOGO’s. You just have to make a list ahead and plan it out. 
 

Also if we can shop something in bulk I do. Like rice, beans, etc. I use Costco for some things. Even the coffee we use. They have a good organic Cuban coffee for $15 for two pounds.  

 

Also I’ve started using apps like Fetch, Ibotta and Upside to earn cash on receipts and gas. You won’t get rich off these but if you are super tight on the budget earning a few dollars a month can help over a years time. It can pay for an extra tank of gas.  
 

If you use debit/credit cards, check to see if you can add those coupons they offer for purchases as certain places. I just got $15 put into my acct by my bank/credit card company because I bought dog food through chewy.com. Sometimes they offer a percent back at McDonald’s or something.  I regularly check what’s available to add and add the coupon just in case. You may get only a dollar or so but it can add up over time. 
 

For the ladies, instead of going for a mani/pedi, I use color street nail strips. They are fast, easy and look decent. No I don’t sell them but they are cheaper than getting your nails done outside the home. 
 

Another thing I’ve learned is to regularly shop around for insurance. I hate changing companies but I’ve found I can get way better deals by looking and changing every few years.  
Call your cable/internet company every year or two to negotiate a better deal. 

[coony77]

I understand your dilemma, sister, I feel the same way. I don't have a "perfect solution", but sometimes several little things help. For example, since this inflation, I have learned to compare prices when buying groceries. The same shopping cart can vary extremely in price depending on the supermarket. I also put a few wishes on hold and concentrate on the necessities first. For expensive purchases such as a new mobile phone, I wait for special offers, such as on "Black Friday".

[Cushi]

Eating out can add up pretty fast. I know in my case, after cutting down fast food to once a week or less, I was able to save a good amount of money 😊

[Hotteok]

Investing in things that actually do follow inflation?? (like gold.. various stocks.. in Korea it was real estate, now it's not though) 

[cme]

On 7/26/2023 at 4:12 PM, coony77 said:

I understand your dilemma, sister, I feel the same way. I don't have a "perfect solution", but sometimes several little things help. For example, since this inflation, I have learned to compare prices when buying groceries. The same shopping cart can vary extremely in price depending on the supermarket. I also put a few wishes on hold and concentrate on the necessities first. For expensive purchases such as a new mobile phone, I wait for special offers, such as on "Black Friday".

Yep.  I am doing necessities first and wants later or, not at all.

[computerwiz]

9 hours ago, Hotteok said:

Investing in things that actually do follow inflation?? (like gold.. various stocks.. in Korea it was real estate, now it's not though) 

 

Stock is where it's at.  Though if you put Bitcoin on this chart, it would blow then all out the water.  They'd all look like a straight line.  

 

[Myew]

Here is my monthly budget living on a fixed income with disabilities, having never been able to work or earn income. Maybe it will help others to see some ways to simplify? I take advantage of all benefits and programs that I am eligible for such as housing, food, and utilities. I'm very spoiled by Jehovah to have ended up where I'm at, so I've made goals to be more generous with donations and giving in general. I have to keep my assets below $2000 every month for Medicaid, so every so often I can splurge and make bigger contributions or purchases, and can give friends in need my old computers or tech. Every year I can get around ~$375 back from a Property Tax Income Credit for those on disability in my state. I have a dual needs medicaid/medicare health insurance plan, it covers things like glasses and has some benefits towards food and utilities. I don't own a vehicle and rely on friends for transportation to the meetings, which is one of the biggest cost savings. My city's public transportation is currently defunct. However, I am pretty strict with how much I spend too. I live in a low income 1 bedroom subsidized apartment. I very rarely get out or go anywhere to do any kind of shopping, but I do force myself to walk ~15 minutes to Walmart/Aldi once or twice a week, which has been brutal with the heat recently. I don't eat out, ever. I am a low carb carnivore now, I eat grass fed ground beef, chuck roasts, ground turkey, salmon, fish, egg, lamb. It's far more nutritious than spending the same amount of money on vegetables and satiating so you can eat less and generally don't suffer hunger, cravings, or metabolic disorders. With the new food benefits added this year, it thankfully covers all of my nutritional needs. I could live comfortably off of 1lb ground beef for $6 a day for quite a long time, though of course generally I'll eat a bit more than that. I don't use mobile data much at all, so my phone is $200 a year with Mint Mobile. It would be even less if I had referrals. You want to simplify as much as you possibly can. Read the scriptures and references for them in our research guides. Pray for Jehovah to give you the wisdom and to plainly show you what you actually need to be able to serve him joyfully. He will provide it one way or another as the need arises. I'm certainly looking forward to the time when we won't have to deal with any of this stupid nonsense system.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Myew

[cme]

Lord, $1,705 a month?  How do you live brother?.  I almost pay that in rent.  We had homes but, got rid of them because both my husband and I preferred to pioneer and taxes sky-rocketed so we sold 2 homes.

 

Now we live in a small cozy apt. but, rents go up.  You cant win. 

 

We live in Warwick.  But, its expensive to live out in our area.  We moved here on time before all this mess happened.  We have seen the prices sky-rocket overnight.  We do have friends that are farmers and we get vegetables from them also, off vegetable farms. 

[computerwiz]

41 minutes ago, cme said:

Lord, $1,705 a month?  How do you live brother?.  I almost pay that in rent.  We had homes but, got rid of them because both my husband and I preferred to pioneer and taxes sky-rocketed so we sold 2 homes.

 

Now we live in a small cozy apt. but, rents go up.  You cant win. 

 

We live in Warwick.  But, its expensive to live out in our area.  We moved here on time before all this mess happened.  We have seen the prices sky-rocket overnight.  We do have friends that are farmers and we get vegetables from them also, off vegetable farms. 

 

Some places have not been as affected by inflation.  I see he is in Missouri.  I am not far, southern Louisiana.

 

I have not changed my budget at all, even through the pandemic.  Both before & now, I have months where I reach my budget's limit.  I don't feel like I am doing anything differently, but I do know that the prices of some things have gone up, even doubled.  Not sure how I can have the same budget despite that, but I do.

 

Though it does probably help that I own my house, no rent...  And me and my wife don't have kids....

[Myew]

It's true that I do live in one of the lowest property cost areas in the US. I just happened to end up here out of my control as a kid and can't go anywhere else. 🙃 Finding a low income apartment is rather difficult. That's where Jehovah answered my prayers.

Edited August 23, 2023 by Myew

[Alikay]

Focusing on my needs and proudly reject your wants helps me from day to day. Can and will be a challenge but it does work. Our Father in heaven, give us our needs for THIS day. He always provides for the next day.