tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post8959424900452437522..comments2023-06-02T02:58:00.488-07:00Comments on i pick up pennies: Frugal expense-checkAbigailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12043674506776005070noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-87626117519732649482008-10-04T17:19:00.000-07:002008-10-04T17:19:00.000-07:00I LOVE your tips!! Who can afford Starbucks - I su...I LOVE your tips!! Who can afford Starbucks - I sure can't. I work at a school and I TOTALLY pick up change off the schoolyard.Single Mom, Single Moneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05694410744293262216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-47662197281997958262008-09-29T12:58:00.000-07:002008-09-29T12:58:00.000-07:00My mother always saved plastic bags (which you men...My mother always saved plastic bags (which you mention). She washed them and hung them out to dry. Drove us kids crazy because surely the neighbors could see! She also saved aluminum foil. Washed it, folded it and used it over and over. Always bought things on sale. Had a storage building full of items purchased on sale. My parents' frugal ways for years and years have paid off. It's the little things like you mention here that pay off in the long run.Pophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01001932299703548316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-15087596705907858622008-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:002008-09-28T14:14:00.000-07:00Now these are ideas worth hearing about. Some of t...Now these are ideas worth hearing about. Some of them I knew about and some of them are new to me so thanks. On the topic of spices, the dollar stores have the common ones for even less. I've gotten chili powder and red pepper for 50 cents for a pretty good sized bottle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-15199914198642112412008-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:002008-09-27T19:07:00.000-07:00Rachel, Maybe DISH is different in different areas...Rachel, <BR/><BR/>Maybe DISH is different in different areas. We have the 150 channel package, plus locals ($5) plus two DVRs ($5) and two months' worth of cable, after taxes, is $93.85. <BR/><BR/>Maybe I got in on an especially good deal. But I would call them if I were you. Especially if you're not on a contract anymore. <BR/><BR/>David,<BR/><BR/>I think it would depend where you storing the gas -- certainly you shouldn't store it in your house. <BR/><BR/>But yes, you should definitely call around on insurance. Most people pay too much. If your car is older, you shouldn't have comprehensive insurance. You want to make sure your personal injury amount is high enough, though, since hospitaliation and/or doctors' bills gets pricey fast. There's a <A HREF="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/AssessYourNeeds/3costlyMythsaboutInsurance.aspx" REL="nofollow"> good article</A> on it by Liz Pulliam Weston.Abigailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043674506776005070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-14043166961358413022008-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:002008-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00I agree with Shevy that it is an addiction -- DH a...I agree with Shevy that it is an addiction -- DH and I had a terrible time giving up soda, and even though we're not keeping it in the house, it's like a relapse every time we have one out, like when we went camping last weekend.<BR/><BR/>I'm still trying to figure out why our DISH bill is more pricey -- is it different in different areas? We have the 100 channels, the lowest they advertise (I know they have at least one lower), which is $32.99 plus one DVR plus locals and taxes and it's $64.01 per month! Ah well.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11371582826464951597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-69097322425034264582008-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:002008-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00Storing gas is dangerous and hardly worth the trou...Storing gas is dangerous and hardly worth the trouble.<BR/>Concentrate on major expenses. Like insurance - so shop around.divadmashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08747139454231588368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-60803394434953609782008-09-26T18:06:00.000-07:002008-09-26T18:06:00.000-07:00Shevy,I kind of thought it might be tied to ADD, s...Shevy,<BR/><BR/>I kind of thought it might be tied to ADD, so thanks for the confirmation. We're actually ordering some books about ADD and coping and such. Should be interesting.<BR/><BR/>As for pop, I promised very early on in our relationship that I wouldn't force him to give up his Mt Dew. That said, it would make me feel better if he drank a little less. <BR/><BR/>But on the frugal front, he really doesn't drink much water. His taste run to other (even pricier) drinks: Gatorade (it took me forever to convince him you don't need Gatorade unless you've been puking or exercising in severe heat) and fruit juices etc. He loves limeade, which we can get for a buck as concentrate. He never bothers to make it -- but for the $2-3 savings of concentrate versus pre-bottled stuff, I'll mix it up for him happily.<BR/><BR/>Still, overall, most of the things he likes to drink aren't terribly healthy. So my only concern is when his intake starts getting close to one and a half bottles a day. That's 3 liters of Mt Dew. Yeesh. Can't be good for him. Though at least we don't have to worry about cavities...Abigailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043674506776005070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-18441561169099707232008-09-26T18:00:00.000-07:002008-09-26T18:00:00.000-07:00You said Tim drinks 2 litres or more of Mountain D...You said Tim drinks 2 litres or more of Mountain Dew every day.<BR/><BR/>For years I drank 2 litres of Coca Cola per day, usually with a large chocolate bar. I finally stopped more than 10 years ago and tried to start drinking bottled water but, no matter how hard I try, I can't drink more than a couple of cups per day.<BR/><BR/>I gave up other forms of caffeine at the same time, switching to decaf coffee and tea as well. It was tough, I had migraines and no energy at all for a while, but I've managed not to go back. The key has been not *ever* having Coke. (Man, it sounds like drugs, doesn't it? I swear it's just as addictive, just socially acceptable.)<BR/><BR/>The thing is, it's very common for people with ADD/ADHD to use caffeine to self-medicate and I'll bet that's what he's doing. (Caffeine often seems to help people with these issues to focus better.)<BR/><BR/>If he doesn't drink the pop, what's he like?Shevyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12360963999613712921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-26593609532123387842008-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:00Nancy, Sounds like you've found plenty of ways...Nancy, <BR/><BR/>Sounds like you've found plenty of ways to adapt the hints. Good for you!<BR/><BR/>I love the way you've found to save gas. Complex but hey as long as it works for you!<BR/><BR/>Personally, Tim and I need cable. Well "need" is a strong word. But it's one of the items we've decided is worth the expense. A lot of our favorite shows are on it -- esp mid-season replacements ala Closer, Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, etc. But if you're more patient, you can always rent those through... Netflix!<BR/><BR/><BR/>But I do pine for the days of TiVo (it was about $10/month cheaper to switch to Dish, even before taking into account the $12/month TiVo fee). I'm waiting for the day they make all DVRs intuitive. I loved how TiVo found stuff for me. I saw all sorts of History and Discovery channel shows I'd otherwise have missed. One of the best parts of cable, actually. Sigh.<BR/><BR/>And now it would actually work since we'd have two DVRs. (Our TiVo went a little schizophrenic when Tim moved in... It was trying to reconcile a love of Biography, Discovery, History and Law & Order with wrestling shows... Suddenly, it tried to tape every sports program. No amount of "thumbs down" would retrain it. RIP, TiVo... RIP)Abigailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043674506776005070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-74766671234004703632008-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:002008-09-26T11:50:00.000-07:00Lava,You're right. I left out coupons!Especially v...Lava,<BR/><BR/>You're right. I left out coupons!<BR/><BR/>Especially valid since, at least here in Seattle, you can often get temporary (say 6 months) offers for the paper just paying for Sunday -- but getting the whole week. So if the coupons make it worthwhile, very important!<BR/><BR/>Personally, I love the physical paper because I'm a crossword/sudoku addict and it's just not as much fun online.Abigailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12043674506776005070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-69939169500730786862008-09-26T05:31:00.000-07:002008-09-26T05:31:00.000-07:00You cover very valid points - We subscribe to Net ...You cover very valid points - We subscribe to Net Flix - it's the easiest for us - and we are able to watch movies all the time which works for us - what people need to understand is that you take these suggestions and then you manipulate them to work for you - just like transportation - my husband and I carpool - he drops me off and then he drives to the barn (we have 8 horses) to feed in the AM and then to work since it is on his way. When I get off work, I use the company shuttle that takes me to our metro-link depot and I catch the train - (employee subsidizes the fee) and I take the train to the depot closest to our barn. A friend picks me up and we head to the barn to take care of the horses and then we drive home. If I have to make any stops there is a Walgreens, CVS, and a Target very close - I have to plan the Walmart trip and it is usually on the Weekend. We have saved over 300.00 in Gas doing this per month! We take our lunches - When I fix dinner at night - before I serve up our plates I fix our lunches for the next day. Cable - who needs it with CSI on through the week and net flix? We have never had cable or satellite. I'll be picking up the converter for HD this week. Another area that can be cut down on is shopping for clothing - try the second hand shops and the consignments - you will be surprised at what you can find. Thanks for the post - I'm going to re-read and see if there is anything that we can incorporate that we haven't already.<BR/>NancyNancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02909538773824737674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3851322133816062332.post-88284148772766919832008-09-26T05:05:00.000-07:002008-09-26T05:05:00.000-07:00I pick up pennies too....so I love the name of you...I pick up pennies too....so I love the name of your blog.<BR/><BR/>Those are some great tips for the REAL world...since I am one of those who NOT do the latte thing.<BR/><BR/>These tips are easy to apply in the real world for those of us who are trying to save money.<BR/><BR/>One thing I noticed was that you did not mention using coupons. Even spending $2 on a Sunday paper gives you more than $2 in coupons. They are generally for the more expensive items, but every so often you get coupons for the cheaper stuff as well.LAVAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17335170787420533313noreply@blogger.com