Tricks and Strategies to LBYM in ER

[education]

I Googled LBYM and was amazed at the selections. I personally use things like airline miles through my credit card, buying certain items at Dollar Tree and Dollar Zone, using store brands and coupons whenever possible. Hell, I've even been known to empty ketchup packages into a bottle and salt packets into a shaker. I am known as a "Greedy Geezer" and I like it.

Knowing the attitudes and abilities to "think outside the box" of this august group, I invite you to state your best strategies and tricks to help save a buck or two in ER.

Professor

 

[JPatrick]

I buy an extra supply of Corona when it's on sale.  8)

 

[education]

Great idea!!!!! In south Texas we like ours with a lime wedge. Instead of buying at the store, I grow 'em in my backyard. Lots cheaper.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I Googled LBYM and was amazed at the selections.  I personally use things like airline miles through my credit card, buying  certain items at Dollar Tree and Dollar Zone, using store brands and coupons whenever possible.  Hell, I've even been known to empty ketchup packages into a bottle and salt packets into a shaker.  I am known as a "Greedy Geezer" and I like it.

Knowing the attitudes and abilities to "think outside the box" of this august group, I invite you to state your best strategies and tricks to help save a buck or two in ER.

Professor

Professor,

While I would quit traveling all together to save money, and give up Ketchup (not much of a sacrifice) before I would attempt pouring a salt packet into a shaker.

My primary advice is to watch those monthly bills rather than the one time expenditures.

Things such as Cable TV (while I have free TV via my Attic Attenna, and Free High Definition TV I might add!).

Cell Phones.

Long Distance Service - Where a Phone Card will do!

High Deductible Insurance - Medical, Car, Home

 

[JPatrick]

Great idea!!!!!   In south Texas we like ours with a lime wedge.  Instead of buying at the store, I grow 'em in my backyard. Lots cheaper.

Damn!! You've got a Corona tree??

I also cut our very large yard, mainly for the great exercise ( push type mower) but it saves big bucks, I'm the pool boy, which also is great exercise, I'm the car wash dude, also great exercise- - -not only does this stuff save bucks- - it gets done right. 

 

[Nords]

Knowing the attitudes and abilities to "think outside the box" of this august group, I invite you to state your best strategies and tricks to help save a buck or two in ER.

We still use the frugal tricks you read about on the Dollar Stretcher and the Simple Living boards (not the deprived/depraved ones), but lately we look at capital costs & monthly expenses.

For example we've spent a few hundred bucks over the last couple years on radiant-foil insulation in our attics & garage. That's drastically cut down the daytime heating and reduced our ceiling-fan use. When we replace the roof in a couple decades, we'll strip everything off and start over with foam insulating panels & ridge vents.

We spent extra on our rental's cedar shake roof instead of a cement-shake roof when we noticed that all our cement-roof neighbors were buying air conditioners.

We're slowly building out a photovoltaic system to eliminate our electric bill. We're adding rain barrels to cut down on our water (irrigation) bill.

A subscription to Family Handyman and Home Depot's "You Can Do It" classes have saved us tremendous bucks on home-improvement projects. I draw the line at pouring concrete steps but if I have trouble finding a reliable contractor...

If I was on my own I'd get rid of the cable TV, but I'm told by the rest of the family that I'm crossing the line from frugality to deprivation. At less than $500/year I haven't been able to bribe anyone to change their habits.

We've been growing a heckuva lot of fruit and this year we started growing tomatoes. But now I'm ready to plant a Corona orchard!

 

[education]

Yep, put 'em right next to the money tree!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[brewer12345]

Personally, I have found that the modest capital investment in homebrewing equipment can be very quickly recovered by even modest production levels.

Just an observation: ERs have a much easier time saving dough than us working stiffs. I finally managed to finish painting the deck this weekend, but it was tough to do because I had to wait for the weather to cooperate on a weekend. There were several times that a weekday would have been fine weather-wise. The estimate I got for doing the deck was over $1k.

 

[WanderALot]

Things such as Cable TV (while I have free TV via my Attic Attenna, and Free High Definition TV I might add!).

CT, how does this work? Did you have to get a special type of attenna to get broadcast HD? Or did you just get a regular old attic attenna? Is the quality as good as the cable HD feed?

Thanks.

 

[Cut-Throat]

CT, how does this work?  Did you have to get a special type of attenna to get broadcast HD?  Or did you just get a regular old attic attenna?  Is the quality as good as the cable HD feed?

Thanks.

I just have an attic antenna which I use for regular TV and FM broadcasts. All of the local channels here in Minneapolis are now also broadcasting a Hi-Def signal. I just had to get a High Definition Tuner (about $250). After that, it's all free TV.

The quality is far better than you'd get from cable. It's pure right out of the air. In fact the Over The Air signal (OTA) is well known to be the best Hi-Def picture you can get. It is much better than my DVD player also. It also depends on the program material being broadcast. Public TV has a 24 hour a day Wide Format Hi-Def signal that has some spectacular programs on it.

And of course all the sports programs - Football, Baseball are superb - The Masters Golf Tournam ent this spring was marvelous, and i'm not even interested in Golf. The course and flowers were something to behold!

 

[MasterBlaster]

While I also am a strong believer in watching free-TV and feel that cable/sattelite is a luxury, I do have a couple of observations:

1) The content of free-TV is going downhill fast. Late night movies and old re-runs have given way to infomercials ad-nausium. In the Los Angeles area there is only one VHS channel (out of 7) that doesn't show informercials at night. And sometimes they all show infomercials. I would like to get-rich quick, lose weight now, and have a couple of girls-gone-wild but once in a while some interesting content would be good also.

2) While HD TV is great, I'll take content over picture-quality (to a point) anyday. Wouldn't you rather watch a great show on a moderate picture than the other way around?

I have been a big fan of free-TV but I may go over to the dark side soon and actually pay real money for content.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I get cable TV, at the health club and when Im traveling. Nothing there that interests me.
I certainly would not pay for it. (IMHO)

The only great TV for myself is on Public TV.

 

[Michael]

Cable is great.  You don't know what you are missing, especially if you are a Science Fiction fan like me.  That and an amazing number of educational channels. Then again, I am a natural born couch potato...

 

[WanderALot]

1) The content of free-TV is going downhill fast. Late night movies and old re-runs have given way to infomercials ad-nausium. In the Los Angeles area there is only one VHS channel (out of 7) that doesn't show informercials at night. And sometimes they all show infomercials. I would like to get-rich quick, lose weight now, and have a couple of girls-gone-wild but once in a while some interesting content would be good also.

I really don't think the content provided by cable TV is any better. We broke down and got Dish at the beginning of the year. I like HGTV occasionally and the HIST channel, but everything else seems like crap. I actually like the channel guide that Dish offers and would miss that if we canceled it. I find myself watching PBS more often than not.

I'm also in the LA area and I'm just constantly amazed at how bad the content is, especially local news. About the only news I watch now is the BBC;

 

[MasterBlaster]

Well, I've got this nasty little habit of waking up at 3:00 AM and not being able to sleep. Maybe it's too much coffee ?

Like Cut-Throat I like PBS too.

At 3:00 AM there is really nothing on. Of the 3 PBS (UHS broadcast) stations that I get, 2 are off the air, and one plays art-type music videos. The other 3 or 4 (English) UHS stations are all playing infomercials. So of 11 VHS and UHS channels only 1 isn't playing infomercials (less than ten percent of the stations).

At 3:00 AM I'm not too picky, a movie like "Attack of the Star Creatures" or even the Beverly Hillbillies or Gillgans Island reruns would be great compared to what is on.

I just may break down soon and pay money so that I can watch something a little more interesting. Life is short and I really can afford it now if I want to. I just have to change my mindset about paying for something that I never have before.

In my area, it costs around $500/year to get a package that is worthwhile on either cable or sattelite

 

[TromboneAl]

Free TV is not an option in our remote area, but a compromise between free and full cable is the basic cable ($9/month). The eight or so channels we get are plenty. Also a DVR will help you avoid having to watch "whatever's on at the moment."

 

[TromboneAl]

What distinguishes LBYM in ER versus regular LBYM is that you have more time to save money. 

Things like:

• In-depth evaluation of investments
• Taking in your cans for money
• Measuring your electricity usage
• Sawing up pallets for free firewood
• Shopping at garage sales

Busy people don't have time for these things.

 

[SteveR]

I live in a sheltered canyon and cannot get free TV signals at the house and the cabin is too far away except for a very weak off the air signal.  My choice was Dish and I have 3 LNBs so I get about 500 channels including music, sports, HD and just about anything you can imagine.  I need to feed my HD TV with something  

When we move and downsize in a couple of years we will also go with the more baisic stuff.  For now, we either go with satellite or with cable and since I have already invested in the Dish stuff, we will just keep it for now.  

 

[Martha]

I get cable TV, at the health club and when Im traveling. Nothing there that interests me.
I certainly would not pay for it. (IMHO)

The only great TV for myself is on Public TV.

Cut, so your DW has not been tempted by HGTV?

 

[Nords]

Well, I've got this nasty little habit of waking up at 3:00 AM and not being able to sleep. Maybe it's too much coffee ?

Nah, it's the sugar surge coming from your liver as it converts the alcohol to glucose and revs up your bloodstream.

But you're supposed to get onto this board at that hour of the morning, right?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Sorry, I gave up alcohol years ago.

And sure getting on this board is fun, but not nearly as much fun as watching "Attack of the Star Creatures"

Now posts from star creatures attacking me and my posts - now that's another story altogether. I'd probably had to have been drinking for that one.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Our favorite LBYM helpers:
Electric Bill contest each month--how low can we go? Current record $67
No tv period. Don't even own a set since the one we had blew up 6-7 yrs ago.
Added benefit: don't have to see commercials for junk we don't need!
Public library is a huge benefit, get 5-10 books a week.
Work on our own old cars.
Shop insurance rates every 2 years for life, auto, sailboat, homeowners. High deductibles on everything and no comprehensive/collision on old cars.
Take lunch to work at least 4 days a week.
Drink draft beer (Yuengling).
Now, if I could just save on the animals--5 dogs and 5 cats plus the sheep, whew, that's more of our food budget than I care to admit!
Sarah

 

[Cut-Throat]

Cut, so your DW has not been tempted by HGTV? 

Martha, My DW probably does not know what HGTV is, and probably has not come across it when she travels. She is a 'Martha Stewart' type and spends a lot of time Gardening, Gourmet Cooking 8), reading Bon Appetite and Martha Stewart Living.

From what I've seen of HGTV at the health club, they are into major remodling projects. Like this old house. We built a Brand New House about 7 years ago and she got her "dream kitchen, bedoom, bathroom etc.

If they had a lot of Martha Stewart Stuff on HGTV she would be interested.

 

[TromboneAl]

October was "see how low we can get the electricity bill" month for us.  

One thing I discovered was that even when every thing in the house was off, we were using about 160 watts (clock radios, chargers).  

Here are two topics related to this:

Fun with your electricity meter

Phantom Loads

 

[KB]

Interesting posts Al. Thanks for sharing that info.

I suspected the DVR used a lot of power since I can hear the fan running....alot
I have all my computer stuff plugged into a couple of surge protectors which I shut off when not in use.
Glad to know that helps.