Cost cutting measures

[goofytinkerbell]

I'm in the debt dumpers thread, which is great motivation to get my finances in order, However, I simply don't make enough money. I'm trying to work out a lot of things, but in the meantime I still have to pay the bills.

I've started looking at ways to save some cash, and I've been through all the typical lists: look for better deals on insurance and the like, don't eat out, don't get takeout coffee, switch to store brand things, and so on. But I'm looking for different ideas. I was researching, and apparently I'm using WAY too much laundry soap (I guess 1-2TBSP is plenty??). What else does everyone have for unusual tips like that?

 

[LoveToDisney]

Cut your own hair and those in your household. No nail salons either. No coloring hair, etc. All that adds up.
Fix things in your house yourself…videos on the internet help a lot.
Eat simple. Eat less. Walk more. (Still working on that one. )

 

[firefly_ris]

Great thread idea. People can peruse and pick and choose things that might work from them. Here are some things we do.

- I cut my husband's hair.

- Make daily coffee at home. I sometimes gratefully receive Starbucks or Tim Horton's gift cards for birthdays or Christmas and I save those for road trips and/or holiday times. I don't buy flavored creamers, just half and half or regular milk. I would like to be able to drink coffee black but I just never made it there.

- Learn some basic vehicle maintenance. I do my own oil changes on an F-150 and a Maverick. I used to be able to get a conventional/non-synthetic oil change at my local mechanic for $40, but those days are gone. A full synthetic oil change at a quick lube place these days can be pricey (last time I was there they wanted around $150ish for full synthetic) and my F-150 takes almost 9 quarts of oil. So I can do a full synthetic change myself for about $60. Takes me 20 minutes. There are a couple of up-front costs with this like getting an oil drain pan and an oil filter wrench, but you only buy them once. Next step is learning to do my own brakes which will be the big money saver. Last time I had front brakes and rotors done on the F-150 it was $600. I can do it myself at home with a couple of jack stands for less than half that. Neither of these are too difficult for 1 person (even me, a 5 foot zero inches tall woman) and can save bucks on just these 2 items. Even more basic things than that -- basic replacement parts that are easy to change like side mirrors, tail lights and headlights, look for gently used OEM parts on eBay motors and replace yourself.

- I don't use fabric softener. I do use dryer sheets in the winter because it's SO dry and static-y around here during that time but I don't use them spring/summer/fall. I use plain white vinegar in with loads of towels.

- Eat less. Buy less processed snacks and packaged foods. I cannot believe how expensive a stupid box of Cheez-its that my kids like costs anymore and lasts about a day and a half in my house. More high-fiber volume eating -- lots of fruit, vegetables, and some protein.

- More meatless days per week.

- Repurpose those leftovers. Get creative! Waste less.

- I don't buy individual containers of yogurt unless there is a great sale week. I either buy the large container of plain Greek yogurt which I pair with some granola and sometimes fruit and a drizzle of honey, OR you can make your own Greek yogurt on the stove or in an Instant Pot.

- Meal plan. Plan a general week's idea of meals based around local grocery store's sales and/or coupons flyer for the week.

- Try different stores for groceries. I can no longer shop at Wegmans and stay in my monthly food budget for 5 people so 99% of all my groceries come from Aldi and Walmart; the other 1% is from Tops (another local grocery chain) and I only buy whatever is on their weekly coupons or BOGO and that's it (because they're insane at regular prices).

- Buy in bulk and freeze if possible. We have an upright freezer which we stock when there are big meat sales or split an animal with relatives and/or friends. Can find used freezers on craigslist or marketplace. There are small chest freezers that don't take up too much room -- my grandmother had one in an apartment kitchen even.

- Practice delayed gratification! Whether that is placing an item in an online cart and just leaving it there for a few days (or weeks, or months) to really consider if you REALLY need it, or setting aside small amounts of cash to save for an item and then deciding if you REALLY need it, or waiting it out for an item to have a price drop.

- I don't get manicures, pedicures or things like that.

- Learn basic home maintenance/renovation skills and beyond.

- Focus on flowering perennials in the garden, less annuals. I have 1 pot near my front door and 1 pot near my garage that I put a couple annuals in every year and that's it. I don't add annuals to the main gardens.

- Trade perennials with friends to get new free plants.

- Buy gently used items for growing kids, especially sports equipment. There are stores that only sell used sports equipment, and Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find sports gear for kids.

- Shop street sales / yard sales in upper middle class HOA-type developments. People get rid of some amazing stuff in these types of neighborhoods like it's nothing. Also another good place for sports gear. In the past I've gotten my kids Power Wheels, books, clothing, furniture (both to use as-is and some to refinish/upcycle), patio furniture, etc.

- Bought our riding mower used online.

- Try to run AC less in the summer. I work from home and don't mind it warmer in the house during the day.

- Unplug little things around the house that aren't in use. Make sure my kids aren't leaving 300 lights on everywhere they go.

- Plan errands in a way that will use less gas if possible.

- I do surveys here and there on AmeriSpeaks and earn points that I redeem getting Amazon or Walmart gift cards.

- We sell things on eBay and FB Marketplace. Sometimes it's just stuff we don't need/use anymore, old memorabilia items that belonged to myself or my husband. And not so much anymore but we used to find good deals at garage sales and resell online to a wider audience (ebay).

- Give things away on FB buy nothing-type groups. This helps people out and also saves me gas and separate trips to places like Goodwill or AmVets. Porch pickup and the item is gone.

 

[tzolkin]

Yes, laundry detergent is something most people use way too much of. And, if you have a machine that senses how soapy the load is, you may also wind up saving money on water and electricity because it won't have to run as long to rinse all the extra (unnecessary) soap out.

An unintended cost saver for us was going vegetarian a few years ago. Everyone we know constantly complains about the rising costs of groceries, but despite seeing that many items are now double what they cost a few years ago we have had no increase in our average grocery spending. I don't set a budget (we buy whatever we want), but I do track our spending to the penny each month and we are still spending the same on groceries that we were 10 years ago because we have replaced some things with less expensive alternatives. Ex. Tofu is around $1.50 and freezes well. We buy beans in bulk for around $1/lb (which equals about 3lb when cooked)

 

[Disneefun]

In the same vein, you can try using less of everything consumable like shampoo, lotion, liquid soap, cleaning products, toilet paper, shaving supplies, etc. Most people use way more than necessary (or replace things like razor blades more often than necessary), so try cutting down and see where it gets you. If you don't like the results, you can always go back.

Also, you can wash just about everything in cold water and save money on water heating. Today's machines and detergents do a good job without hot water.

Learn to make your own cleaning supplies. You can clean most stuff with baking soda and vinegar. There are recipes online.

There are a couple of things we do that required outlay up front, but have saved us a ton over the years.

1. Dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They not only combat static, they make the laundry dry quicker because they keep it fluffing during the cycle.

2. Cheap washcloths instead of paper towels. Walmart or dollar stores sell big backs of wash rags cheap. We use them in place of paper towels for everything except really gross stuff like pet messes, vomit, etc. I just toss in the washing machine and they get washed with whatever load of laundry is done next.

3. This might be TMI, but if you're a young female, a menstrual cup is a small investment that will pay you back huge over the years.

 

[ThereYouSeeHer]

I'm in the debt dumpers thread, which is great motivation to get my finances in order, However, I simply don't make enough money. I'm trying to work out a lot of things, but in the meantime I still have to pay the bills.

I've started looking at ways to save some cash, and I've been through all the typical lists: look for better deals on insurance and the like, don't eat out, don't get takeout coffee, switch to store brand things, and so on. But I'm looking for different ideas. I was researching, and apparently I'm using WAY too much laundry soap (I guess 1-2TBSP is plenty??). What else does everyone have for unusual tips like that?

I hear ya, and I'm so sorry you're having a tough time. We've been there on and off through the years. I agree that most advice is too typical and not particularly helpful for people who have long given up most standard items of comfort or convenience. We generally live by the motto, "Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!"

Advice will depend on which areas you feel can be improved upon, but here are a few ideas quickly. You might be doing all of this anyway, but maybe it will spark an idea for someone else.

Energy
In colder months, leave the oven or dryer doors open after using them to take advantage of residual heat. Open blinds and curtains for solar heat. Don't use a bathroom fan, so that the warm shower air stays in the house (be careful of mold, but house humidity is generally lower in the winter anyway).
In warmer months, do the reverse of above, so as not to add residual heat to an already hot and humid home. Air dry clothes. Also, if turning off the HVAC and utilizing outdoor weather, make sure windows are open on opposite sides of the room or house to encourage circulation (you can also place a fan in front of a window).
For the freezer and refrigerator, don't keep opening the doors, wait until food is mostly cooled before putting away, and fill in sparse areas of the freezer with frozen bags of ice to help hold the temperature. Keep coils and vents clean.

Water
In the bathroom, plug the tub and use bath or shower water for other things like flushing toilets, washing the car, cleaning around the house, washing clothes, or in the garden. Collect bath or shower water while waiting for it to come up to temperature. Don't flush the toilet after every use.
In the kitchen, collect water that is used to rinse produce or dishes and use it for other things like above.
For HVAC condensate, collect water that exits the system for other things like above (obviously, the cleanliness of all these water tasks will dictate what else can be done with it).

Food and Purchases
Don't buy bulk or shop sales. I know this is against most people's advice, and there are obviously exceptions to this, but food waste is often the bigger drain on the wallet than food prices. If someone is prone to stock up on food or buy something on sale that ends up getting thrown out, then shop minimally and intentionally, a little bit at a time, even if it is full price.
Reuse old clothes and towels as washcloths, rags, or to block drafty areas.
Utilize dollar stores, dollar sections of stores, or clearance racks in food stores. Dollar stores have saved us in the past, and is still a good "shopping reset" when food cost burnout is high. I like knowing I can walk in with $5 and leave with about 5 items, which helps me not overspend and not overbuy. Plus, sometimes even getting things like condiments or kitchen tools for $1 is worth it.
Find YOUR frugal find and repeat. We used to buy $0.22 individual bags of ramen and feed a family of four for about $0.88. Even a head of iceburg lettuce used to be $0.99, and with a $1 bottle of dressing from the dollar store, it was another cheap meal. Obviously, those costs are higher now, but find what works for you and your situation, then repeat!

ETA: Most bottles of anything are rarely done when "empty." For example, with certain condiments like mustard, we will take something liquid like white vinegar and use it to get the remaining amounts of mustard out before dumping it in a recipe. For shampoo or other soaps, we continually add water until empty, and for things like moisturizer, we open them up and scoop out product until actually empty.

I understand that, sometimes, bottom of the barrel suggestions can make a poor situation feel even poorer. Treat yourself when you can, stay on top of a budget, and best wishes for brighter days ahead!

 

[mjkacmom]

I have poor college students, dd21 gave plasma a few times, but it didn’t work out due to an infection. I think dd23 is going to give it a shot, I think you can donate twice a week?

 

[lanejudy]

Along the lines of laundry detergent -- those pods get expensive. I used for powder for several years when funds were tight. And as someone else mentioned I don't use fabric softener, instead use white vinegar. I do use dryer sheets but tend to get 2-3 drying out of each. Better yet, hang your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer.

Dishwasher pods are also expensive, if you can make due with liquid or powder. Depending on the size of your household, only run the dishwasher every 2-3 days.

Don't buy individual servings. Buy a tub of yogurt and dish it out; or a larger bag of chips. Instead of lunch baggies get some glad or rubbermaid containers of different sizes if you pack lunches. Re-use leftovers well. Skip the desserts or treats except occasionally; no need for cookies in your lunch every day. Try to plan meals for the week, you might find you cook 3 times and have enough to repurposed for another 3 leftover meals. I try to plan 1 meal each week that leaves plenty of leftovers -- pulled pork, beef stew, soups, larger casserole dishes, etc. It may depend on the size of your family.

If you have space to store paper products, I stock up on paper towels and toilet paper. But if you run through a lot of papertowels, consider switching to cloth for at least some needs.

 

[barkley]

99% of all my groceries come from Aldi and Walmart;

with walmart i've gotten into the habit of doing the bulk of my shopping via online order/pickup b/c i can see the total cost of the items increase as i add them to my cart. walmart also now has a program online called 'walmart cash' where you can click on offers/deals for products you are already shopping for and after you've done the physical purchase/pickup you have a credit sitting you can use for future purchases. always make sure to turn off the substitute option b/c i frequently find a product on the shelf that they claim to have been out of (and they will frequently substitute with a much higher cost option).

Focus on flowering perennials in the garden, less annuals. I have 1 pot near my front door and 1 pot near my garage that I put a couple annuals in every year and that's it. I don't add annuals to the main gardens.

the planters on our deck no longer hold flowers-in the early summer i plant mint, basil and parsley b/c i use those allot in the warmer months. a single plant costs far less than a single purchase of fresh herbs at the grocery store (and some like mint come back year after year so it's a one and done purchase).

Buy gently used items for growing kids,

when my kids were younger i found that their interests in stuff like video games, movies and tv shows kind of cycled where the oldest would be interested in some only to have the next in line interested in the same a few years later. my kids like(d) to wear t-shirts with the characters/logos on them and they tended to sell new looking like they were used (distressed) so when one aged or grew out of theirs i held on to them and the younger would go through them when they developed an interest. my oldest developed a love for many of the bands dh enjoys and during high school borrowed a ton of t-shirts from dh that over time dh reaquired. we are at a point now where either size or size preference has all of us wearing about the same size t-shirts so there are annual clearing of the closets where everyone pulls the stuff they don't want and put it up for grabs for others to snag (fun to see how many interests wane and then reappear ).

on sports equipment and such-see if anyone in the area does annual swap/sales. there's one near us that focuses on kid's sporting equipment. savings are tremendous.

Try to run AC less in the summer. I work from home and don't mind it warmer in the house during the day.

if you get big fluctuations in heat/cold it can be less expensive to maintain a temp vs. trying to warm/cool the place down. find a reasonable temp to maintain the house at so you are only heating or cooling a few degrees for the big changes. during the warmer months we gravitate to outdoor cooking which helps keep the house cooler but we welcome the warmth the stove and oven generate during the cooler months.

Don't buy bulk or shop sales. I know this is against most people's advice, and there are obviously exceptions to this, but food waste is often the bigger drain on the wallet than food prices. If someone is prone to stock up on food or buy something on sale that ends up getting thrown out, then shop minimally and intentionally, a little bit at a time, even if it is full price.

i think it depends on the item-but i agree that if it won't get used it's wasted. if it's something you definatly will use and it's a reasonable use by (vs. best by) date you can reap tremendous savings, as an example-

kraft mac and cheese (7.25 oz box)-

walmart $1.24 box (on sale right now)/5 pack $4.88 (.98 cents each).

it's important to always look a the unit price and if you will use the item weigh buying more now vs. later (costco i'm not a fan of for most staples b/c i find their per unit price higher than i ca get at both walmart and on amazon).

Utilize dollar stores, dollar sections of stores, or clearance racks in food stores. Dollar stores have saved us in the past, and is still a good "shopping reset" when food cost burnout is high. I like knowing I can walk in with $5 and leave with about 5 items, which helps me not overspend and not overbuy. Plus, sometimes even getting things like condiments or kitchen tools for $1 is worth it.

it used to be that i could catch sales on certain condiments and such that would beat the dollar store but those times are long gone. catsup, mustard, relish and a-1 are all bought there now. even at their now $1.25 price point they still beat the best of sales (and they are the only place i get any foil pans).


other ideas-

school supplies: watch for the sales staples has b/c they can be unreal. the come-on deals for pencils and binder paper can be a huge savings. the schools my kids went to also did a yearly 'lost and found' sale. they sent a shout out to all the parents of the last date to come claim items then everything went on racks and tables for sale. i could NOT BELIEVE the number of new items that were in there-brand freaking new sports shoes (still in the boxes), obviously new (worn only once or twice) costly coats, jackets and hoodies, binders full of dividers and binder/graph papers, paperback books (that were the same ones required for english lit every year), math tools, full unopened packs of markers, mechanical pencils....i could not believe kids just 'lost' this stuff and parents never went looking for it.

otc meds: look at ingredients but in most cases the generic is identical to the name brand at a huge savings.

home services: if you have garbage service do you realy need it weekly? it's a savings of over 50% where we live to go to bi-weekly pickup (and we found that much space was being eaten up by grass clippings and cardboard both of which there are free disposal sites for near us). if you need a particular tool check to see if your local library lends it out (the list of stuff the library has to lend is like looking at a rental buisness but it's all free). look at any subscription services you have-are there any you don't realy use that can be cut? are you getting all the discounts you can on cell service? i get $10 per line extra off b/c of autopay from my checking account, another $10 per line b/c of a membership in an affiliated organization ($80 per month is a nice savings). do you have any services that you might not need or at least not as much of? we have pest but opt out of the winter service b/c it's a waste with all the snow piled around (and saves around $150), we don't need EVERY lawn/shrub bed treatment and opt out on about 30% (a few hundred saved a year).

recreation-again, the library can offer allot of free to participate options including loaning out items. if you have a near to you college or university see if they have a community day pass or membership for their facilities-the one near us has inexpensive access to their pools, ice skating rink and climbing wall. the university library also has a free community member library membership-they have a wealth of items the community library has no access to.

 

[mynewgroove]

Have you looked in to bank account bonuses? They have helped me pay off debt while having other expenses pop up that used most of my income.

More info can be found here.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/

 

[goofytinkerbell]

1. Dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They not only combat static, they make the laundry dry quicker because they keep it fluffing during the cycle.

3. This might be TMI, but if you're a young female, a menstrual cup is a small investment that will pay you back huge over the years.

For anyone also looking through this thread for ideas, I can confirm both the dryer balls and the menstrual cup work brilliantly! I know menstrual cups aren't for everyone, but I couldn't go back to regular products. Not only am I saving a fortune, but they're so much better to actually use (for me, anyway).

I have poor college students, dd21 gave plasma a few times, but it didn’t work out due to an infection. I think dd23 is going to give it a shot, I think you can donate twice a week?

I should probably mention I'm in Canada, and they're not allowed to pay us for things like that here. It's a straight up donation. But good idea for someone else who might be able to do it

the planters on our deck no longer hold flowers-in the early summer i plant mint, basil and parsley b/c i use those allot in the warmer months. a single plant costs far less than a single purchase of fresh herbs at the grocery store (and some like mint come back year after year so it's a one and done purchase).


if you get big fluctuations in heat/cold it can be less expensive to maintain a temp vs. trying to warm/cool the place down. find a reasonable temp to maintain the house at so you are only heating or cooling a few degrees for the big changes. during the warmer months we gravitate to outdoor cooking which helps keep the house cooler but we welcome the warmth the stove and oven generate during the cooler months.

i think it depends on the item-but i agree that if it won't get used it's wasted. if it's something you definatly will use and it's a reasonable use by (vs. best by) date you can reap tremendous savings, as an example-

home services: if you have garbage service do you realy need it weekly? it's a savings of over 50% where we live to go to bi-weekly pickup (and we found that much space was being eaten up by grass clippings and cardboard both of which there are free disposal sites for near us). if you need a particular tool check to see if your local library lends it out (the list of stuff the library has to lend is like looking at a rental buisness but it's all free). look at any subscription services you have-are there any you don't realy use that can be cut? are you getting all the discounts you can on cell service? i get $10 per line extra off b/c of autopay from my checking account, another $10 per line b/c of a membership in an affiliated organization ($80 per month is a nice savings). do you have any services that you might not need or at least not as much of? we have pest but opt out of the winter service b/c it's a waste with all the snow piled around (and saves around $150), we don't need EVERY lawn/shrub bed treatment and opt out on about 30% (a few hundred saved a year).

recreation-again, the library can offer allot of free to participate options including loaning out items. if you have a near to you college or university see if they have a community day pass or membership for their facilities-the one near us has inexpensive access to their pools, ice skating rink and climbing wall. the university library also has a free community member library membership-they have a wealth of items the community library has no access to.

I also grow "food items" outside, though I can't plant anything in the ground due to wildlife. They have to be in planters due to wildlife, and I'm not sure I save any money that way. It tastes so much better though!

I do buy in bulk and use the library often, which saves money on both food and entertainment. I don't have A/C, so no costs for that. Store brands, stocking up when there's sales, it's all up for grabs! Someone mentioned yard sales too, which is where a ton of my belongings have originated.

Home services are new to me. My city does garbage collection here, which we pay for with our taxes. There's no option to scale back pickups or anything like that... I'm assuming that's a US thing? I'm learning about all kinds of new things


I'm loving all these ideas! I'm also hoping that people can pick down through the thread for ideas that work for them so that we can all benefit.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

if you have garbage service do you realy need it weekly? it's a savings of over 50% where we live to go to bi-weekly pickup (and we found that much space was being eaten up by grass clippings and cardboard both of which there are free disposal sites for near us).

Around here we generally don't get a choice on the frequency of pick up. Generally trash is weekly and recycling is mostly weekly but can be bi-weekly depending on the city or the trash company. Majority of the places and companies I've used have had weekly recycling but some have started venturing into bi-weekly recycling.

Grass clippings aren't something that is put in the trash here or at least that's never been what anyone I've ever known to do. You put it in a paper bag (leaf bag) or a specific type of plastic bag meant for leaves and or grass clippings. It's yard waste. In my particular city you can pay for a specific bin for yard waste (which includes small limbs and leaves) if that works better for someone than the bags. Cardboard is recycling (unless it falls under the kind that is not accepted). Recycling is required by the county to be provided to citizens at no additional cost for 14 years now. Def. if you're not recycling you are using up a lot of space in your trash. Glass is something that they don't take in recycling (though you can pay for a service to come and collect it) but we store it up and then take it to special dumpsters around the metro that then recycle the glass.

In my city they do trash through themselves for the vast majority of the city service area. They don't contract it out like other cities do though around here where they partner with a service provider, it's city workers doing it. We get a bill from the city for trash/recycling/yard waste, water, sewer and storm drain. The trash is weekly, the recycling is bi-weekly and consistently we rank highest in the county for the most trash diverted from the landfill (meaning recycling is utilized high here).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Some things we do is purchase bread then freeze it, freeze cut onions, pasta sauce, chicken and beef broth, cut celery in the fall we'll do tomato paste we use for chili, etc. Most of that is centered around reduction in waste so not purely cutting costs by reducing what we're buying but by making things last longer to be used down the road.

Laundry detergent I made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of use probably 5 or 6 years ago because yes those lines on the lid are too much. I wash things in cold unless something advises warm (which is only a handful of things). I air dry the vast majority of my clothes and have done that for decades, that's not a cost saving measure more a clothing care thing however it does help on the energy usage part.

 

[barkley]

Around here we generally don't get a choice on the frequency of pick up. Generally trash is weekly and recycling is mostly weekly but can be bi-weekly depending on the city or the trash company. Majority of the places and companies I've used have had weekly recycling but some have started venturing into bi-weekly recycling.

Grass clippings aren't something that is put in the trash here or at least that's never been what anyone I've ever known to do. You put it in a paper bag (leaf bag) or a specific type of plastic bag meant for leaves and or grass clippings. It's yard waste. In my particular city you can pay for a specific bin for yard waste (which includes small limbs and leaves) if that works better for someone than the bags. Cardboard is recycling (unless it falls under the kind that is not accepted). Recycling is required by the county to be provided to citizens at no additional cost for 14 years now. Def. if you're not recycling you are using up a lot of space in your trash. Glass is something that they don't take in recycling (though you can pay for a service to come and collect it) but we store it up and then take it to special dumpsters around the metro that then recycle the glass.

In my city they do trash through themselves for the vast majority of the city service area. They don't contract it out like other cities do though around here where they partner with a service provider, it's city workers doing it. We get a bill from the city for trash/recycling/yard waste, water, sewer and storm drain. The trash is weekly, the recycling is bi-weekly and consistently we rank highest in the county for the most trash diverted from the landfill (meaning recycling is utilized high here).

city has nothing to do with garbage services here (even if we lived in city limits). there's one private company we can use and we were surpised when we engaged them that they do not offer recycling bins or alteranative yard waste disposal (other than dropping it off at their distant site).

Some things we do is purchase bread then freeze it

we do as well and we also get tremendous savings by going to the outlet store the local big provider operates. the identical products (from the same bake run) are sold at as much as 50% less. combo that with their punch card and after you amass $100 in purchases you get 10 items free (big fans of seattle sourdough in our house).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

that they do not offer recycling bins or alteranative yard waste disposal (other than dropping it off at their distant site).

Here's it's just second nature. The other side of the state line in my metro the largest city in the metro is just now getting recycling and it's so strange how that is because we've had it for like IDK 20years if not more?? First it was the very small bin then it got bigger. We get like a 95 gallon size no cost. Some trash services have special rules about "overage" for trash itself and whatnot but our particular city does not.

city has nothing to do with garbage services here (even if we lived in city limits).

City has everything to do with it here but it doesn't just mean if the city does it themselves. They can and have been frequently revoking contracts and ability to have trash services with companies that are bad, inept, too many customer complaints, etc. Most of the cities don't do their own services or contract it out but some do including my city. They run three trucks one for trash one for recycling one for yard waste.

we do as well and we also get tremendous savings by going to the outlet store the local big provider operates. the identical products (from the same bake run) are sold at as much as 50% less. combo that with their punch card and after you amass $100 in purchases you get 10 items free (big fans of seattle sourdough in our house).

That's not a common thing here. I mean we have a Wonder Bread factory but it's not a huge savings. Honestly we just get Great Value multi-grain bread when we can, it's our primary purchase but sometimes it hasn't been stocked so we get a different bread. But it all seems to freeze well. We put it in the fridge to thaw and it stays there as we use it.

 

[tvguy]

An unintended cost saver for us was going vegetarian a few years ago. Everyone we know constantly complains about the rising costs of groceries, but despite seeing that many items are now double what they cost a few years ago we have had no increase in our average grocery spending. I don't set a budget (we buy whatever we want), but I do track our spending to the penny each month and we are still spending the same on groceries that we were 10 years ago because we have replaced some things with less expensive alternatives. Ex. Tofu is around $1.50 and freezes well. We buy beans in bulk for around $1/lb (which equals about 3lb when cooked)

Wow, my daughter who is vegetarian and has been complaining how much more expensive her food has gotten since the pandemic. 16 ounces of Tofu at Walmart is $2,13, double what is was a couple of years ago. Beyond hamburger patties are $7.98 a pound, beef hamburger patties are $3.48 a pound.
She is considering going back to school in Germany and spent two weeks there in March and was amazed how much larger the selection of vegetarian products are there, and how much cheaper.

 

[pigletto]

Wow, my daughter who is vegetarian and has been complaining how much more expensive her food has gotten since the pandemic. 16 ounces of Tofu at Walmart is $2,13, double what is was a couple of years ago. Beyond hamburger patties are $7.98 a pound, beef hamburger patties are $3.48 a pound.
She is considering going back to school in Germany and spent two weeks there in March and was amazed how much larger the selection of vegetarian products are there, and how much cheaper.

We’ve been vegetarian for years. While prices for vegetarian products have definitely increased (along with everything else) it still costs way less than a traditional meat eating diet. I still buy meat for my son that lives at home. Those prices have skyrocketed.
We also rarely by the Beyond/ Impossible and stick more to whole foods / tofu/ legumes etc which helps.

 

[barkley]

Here's it's just second nature. The other side of the state line in my metro the largest city in the metro is just now getting recycling and it's so strange how that is because we've had it for like IDK 20years if not more?? First it was the very small bin then it got bigger. We get like a 95 gallon size no cost. Some trash services have special rules about "overage" for trash itself and whatnot but our particular city does not.


City has everything to do with it here but it doesn't just mean if the city does it themselves. They can and have been frequently revoking contracts and ability to have trash services with companies that are bad, inept, too many customer complaints, etc. Most of the cities don't do their own services or contract it out but some do including my city. They run three trucks one for trash one for recycling one for yard waste.


That's not a common thing here. I mean we have a Wonder Bread factory but it's not a huge savings. Honestly we just get Great Value multi-grain bread when we can, it's our primary purchase but sometimes it hasn't been stocked so we get a different bread. But it all seems to freeze well. We put it in the fridge to thaw and it stays there as we use it.

i remember going to the wonder outlets! here we have the franz bakery and outlets. their outlet prices are great. i am amazed at how the quality of great value and the other baked goods in walmart have become. there are several bread items we buy exclusivly there b/c the quality is great and the prices can't be beat (just tried their asiago cheese bagels this past week-great!).

We’ve been vegetarian for years. While prices for vegetarian products have definitely increased (along with everything else) it still costs way less than a traditional meat eating diet. I still buy meat for my son that lives at home. Those prices have skyrocketed.
We also rarely by the Beyond/ Impossible and stick more to whole foods / tofu/ legumes etc which helps.

do you have any ABC stores near you? they do occasional case sales on vegetarain items that can be quite a savings.

 

[tvguy]

We’ve been vegetarian for years. While prices for vegetarian products have definitely increased (along with everything else) it still costs way less than a traditional meat eating diet. I still buy meat for my son that lives at home. Those prices have skyrocketed.
We also rarely by the Beyond/ Impossible and stick more to whole foods / tofu/ legumes etc which helps.

My daughter gave up meat 17 years ago, so almost half her life.

 

[tzolkin]

3. This might be TMI, but if you're a young female, a menstrual cup is a small investment that will pay you back huge over the years.

For anyone also looking through this thread for ideas, I can confirm both the dryer balls and the menstrual cup work brilliantly! I know menstrual cups aren't for everyone, but I couldn't go back to regular products. Not only am I saving a fortune, but they're so much better to actually use (for me, anyway).

Definitely! I have been recommending menstrual cups for 20 years. No waste, no remembering to restock, amazingly convenient for travel. I don't know why more people don't use them.

Wow, my daughter who is vegetarian and has been complaining how much more expensive her food has gotten since the pandemic. 16 ounces of Tofu at Walmart is $2,13, double what is was a couple of years ago. Beyond hamburger patties are $7.98 a pound, beef hamburger patties are $3.48 a pound.

To clarify, I didn't say that vegetarian food has remained the same price since the pandemic. The prices of everything have definitely increased. However, our total grocery spending has remained the same ($600/mo) because we stopped buying meat and have replaced that portion of our diet with other protein sources that are cheaper. Ex. Even if 1lb of tofu increased in price to $2.13 at Walmart, that's still cheaper than 1lb of sausage. So, swapping out the sausage in a meal with tofu would save money.