Reduced spending lately, how?

[shoe]

Khan, the reference to buying Ripple was a weak attempt at humor. My young adults would have mentioned Ripple if it was still around. Seems that something called "Natty" has taken it's place.

 

[FinanceDude]

I'm more of a MadDog 20/20 guy myself........

 

[Sarah in SC]

Yeah, Mad Dog had a Kiwi flavor I remember. A guy I gave a ride home from Clemson once paid me with a bottle. I hid from him on Fridays for the rest of the semester!

 

[slimm]

Slimm, that is an interesting take on the cash only system, to load up the Walmart debit card for your food/fuel/household purchases once a month. I like the idea but I don't think I could bear going to Walmart that much. It serves as a reminder of how much I dislike dealing with the General Public.
But I am thinking that might be a good idea--like for gift cards, just to help keep our spending in line. Hmmmm.... thanks for the good idea.

Sarah, yes, I know how dreary(and unispiring!) to do most of the shopping at WalMart - but from a time management angle, it works for me.
Where else can a gal buy everything from gas, groceries, tractor oil, shotgun shells, and lingerie?!! All kidding aside, the cash only doesn't work for me - I hate carrying that much cash and/or writing checks AND the finite amount on the recharged "debit" card has really made me mindful of my spending...plus, Walmart discounts fuel 3 cents per gallon with the card....every little bit helps.
Hugs!

 

[unclemick]

Yeah, Mad Dog had a Kiwi flavor I remember. A guy I gave a ride home from Clemson once paid me with a bottle. I hid from him on Fridays for the rest of the semester!

Sooo - nobody's Grandmother taught them when they were little how to make Elderberry wine(sparkling if you had the bottles) in time for Thanksgiving?

heh heh heh - We made all kinds - cherry, blackberry, concord grape, apple(hard cider actually), and yeck - Dandelion!

heh heh heh -

 

[Yankees Rule]

Sooo - nobody's Grandmother taught them when they were little how to make Elderberry wine(sparkling if you had the bottles) in time for Thanksgiving?

heh heh heh - We made all kinds - cherry, blackberry, concord grape, apple(hard cider actually), and yeck - Dandelion!

heh heh heh -

No dandelion wine?? We do real justice to the yellow flowers in spring and baby it sure gives on heck of a turkey sandwich at 3am on Friday after turkeyday! Love your posts.

 

[FIREd]

Yum, spring dandelion salad with boiled eggs... classic lunch fare where I grew up, and dirt cheap!

 

[freebird5825]

Where else can a gal buy everything from gas, groceries, tractor oil, shotgun shells, and lingerie?!!

sounds like a shopping list for a country wedding reception.
why rent a limo when you can go in style in a shiny green and yellow Deere?
hmmm.. we oughta send that to Jeff, my good ol' birthday pal.

 

[freebird5825]

I'm more of a MadDog 20/20 guy myself........

No Boone's Farm fans? strawberry hill, apple, and one other flavor....that evades my memory right now.

 

[Moemg]

No Boone's Farm fans? strawberry hill, apple, and one other flavor....that evades my memory right now.

Maybe peach ? I went to a Woodstock party and I brought Boone's farm as a hostess gift . I got a strange look at the liquor store .

 

[Sarah in SC]

Oh dear lord, the Boones Farm Strawberry. I threw up 7 times the first time I drank that--I was maybe 11 yrs old, and it cured me of drinking for at least 3 years, I swear! I don't think I could stand the smell even now! Ugh!

 

[freebird5825]

i was an "apple" girl myself. but my best friend loved the strawberry, and she drove Ralph the Buick many times.

 

[Khan]

No Boone's Farm fans? strawberry hill, apple, and one other flavor....that evades my memory right now.

You are bringing back memories (if you remember the '60s you weren't there).

Bali Hai anyone?

 

[Ronstar]

I remember Boones Farm making the girls a little drunker and maybe a little 'easier'. A guy brought a bottle to our class reunion a couple of months ago and I dont think it worked this time.

 

[Fastfade]

No Boone's Farm fans?

I still recall January 1976 my now wife and me taking a break while cleaning/moving into our existing rental house and enjoying a bottle of Boone's and a balogna sandwich.

I was recovering from a major loss in the Commodity Market (Maine Potato's)

Whatever her reason, she did not marry me for my money

 

[tmm99]

Boone's Tickled Pink - what flavor was that?

tmm

 

[haha]

I think many of you guys are having a ball with this new excuse to clamp down on your formerly out of control hedonism.

Party on!

Ha

 

[TromboneAl]

Now I remember why I don't like apple juice!

 

[slimm]

sounds like a shopping list for a country wedding reception.
why rent a limo when you can go in style in a shiny green and yellow Deere?
hmmm.. we oughta send that to Jeff, my good ol' birthday pal.

Well, it's my reality....last week I looked at the checkout counter and there sat a 5 gal. bucket of 15W40 oil for my pickup & tractor, a container of gear oil for my tractor, shotgun shells...turkey season!, and a black lace bra....what would my former neighbors in San Francisco think?
And dammit there was nary any goat cheese or pate'.

p.s. re: the John Deere...I'm strictly a Kubota gal!

 

[shoe]

Anyone know a gal named Annie Greensprings?

 

[Delawaredave5]

Tracked ATM withdrawals more thoroughly: so far saved $600 this year.

I assume above is reduced discretionary spending - not fees.

Stuff I've done:

• I organized a 5 student carpool for my son - saving a ton of time and gas
• Started buying fruits/veggies at farmers market
• Cut my meat eating in 1/2 (save $$ and healthier too)
• Washed some work slacks instead of dry cleaning (but this didn't work - they are wrinkled and I look like a bum....)
• Buying more used "stuff" on eBay and Craigslist.

 

[FIREd]

I assume above is reduced discretionary spending - not fees.

Yes it's reduced discretionary. We use checks or credit cards to pay for almost everything (it makes it easier to track our expenses) and ATM withdrawals are frittered away on "miscellaneous". We can't even remember what we spent that money on, so that's why I started targeting those ATM withdrawals.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Changed my $90/month digital cable + HBO package down to the basic $8.99/month cable. I found that I was watching Discovery, HBO, some PBS, and the Military channel only. For those four channels, I don't need to spend $90. I can catch all of the shows from those 4 channels on the Internet.

Other than that, I'm still eating lunch at the company cafeteria, but I'm cutting down my regular $8.00 to $9.00 menu down to $6.00 to $6.50 menu. Packing a lunch is bit more work than I want to do, and I'd like to have one meal during the day that I don't feel like I'm just "snarfing down essential nutrients."

 

[Rambler]

16. stay out of Cabellas!!!

Hey, I resemble that remark!

R

 

[lhamo]

Our grocery spending was getting out of hand a few months ago, so I have cut back quite a bit on that -- now coming in well under $300/month average for two adults and two kids. Savings coming mostly from much lower consumption of snacks and meat. Have been spending a little less on average on meals out, as well -- been trying to improve my range of home-cooked meals, so we aren't eating out as much on the weekends as we were a few months ago.

Booked plane tickets home for me and the kids for our annual family visit using FF miles. It took a lot (120,000/person -- ouch!), but we had them available and I am worried that it would becoming increasingly difficult to use the miles as the airlines get into even worse financial straights. Saved us over $4000 on the trip over what it would have cost us to pay for the same flights (actually I would have flown a different, lower-cost airline, which is probably what we will do next year -- bye, bye NWA...).

Trying to stick to using public transit as much as possible, and using it more for getting around town with the kids. A simple family outing on the weekend can run us $10-$15 in taxi charges, whereas if we take the bus/subway it is much less (under $1 for the whole family on the bus, a bit more for subway). Also using my bike more for local errands.

Our central heat will not come on until November 15th, but so far we have avoided using the heat function of our AC units. Those are a real energy suck, and electricity here is quite expensive (we were spending close to $100/month for AC during the worst part of the summer). Nighttime temps are down in the 2-3 C range, so it is not warm here these days! But we're all putting on multiple layers, I've added some extra blankets to the beds, and DS is using a hot water bottle when he sleeps.

We're actually increasing our investments. DH has bumped his retirement contributions up to the max, and I am in the process of adding money to the kids college funds. They are young (7 and 3), so we have a long horizon on those funds. The share prices in their 529s are really low, so I figure now is a good time to plow in some money.

lhamo