Cutting back on?

[surgtech1956]

Buying coffee. I'm cutting back or out, buying my morning coffee on the way to work. Its not that expensive, just Speedway($1.26), but adds up. I'm just making a half of pot and filling up my travel mug and away I go.

[VeloVT]

Bike clothes :D. Clothes in general :(.

Soda. This saves a surprising amount of money (I was a big time Diet Coke addict) and it's better for me too.

Looking for a way to trim back my telecom bill. I currently have a "triple-play" package with high-speed internet, unlimited domestic calling and mid-level cable. I need the internet and honestly, if we're going to have a landline at all, for our purposes, the cheaper calling plans aren't worth it (most of what we use the landline for is long distance and out-of-state fax). I've been trying to decide if there's some novel way I can cut out the cable -- Hulu, Boxee, Apple TV, etc. If anyone has experience with this I'd be glad to hear about it.

[crazycanuck]

Next year since i'm returning to uni part time, i think we'll be cutting back on basic junk. Tis all a bit fuzzy at the moment but we can handle it when it comes..

[Crankin]

Nothing, except we postponed our Italy trip until 2010. Looking to do something in eastern Canada where we can drive to and take our own bikes.

[NoNo]

Over the past few years I've cut out internet, driving to work (thanks to a move closer to the office), reduced my tv package, and actually make lists when I go to the grocery store. When I know what it is I plan on making for the week, it really cuts down on random purchases. I've always been a brown-bagger. In school the other kids would have sandwiches and I'd break out a thermos of hot soup :rolleyes: Never had a land line, didn't see the need for it when I had a cell phone. We used to make coffee in the office, but there were three people and only two of us were buying supplies:mad: Last month I decided I'd had enough of that and broke out my big thermos and I carry it in from home now. Last week I put that plastic stuff over the windows to keep drafts out, and I've noticed a difference. Granted, I only keep the thermostat at 60, but it just feels like the chill has been taken out. Other than completely cutting out cable, I'm not sure where else I can cut back. Even still, it's going to be tough getting the bills paid this winter.

[ridebikeme]

WEll, I'm like the rest of you in terms of cutting back... I only use the landline for the internet, and use dial up for that... slow but it works. Long Distance calls are made on my cell phone, and I'm on a family plan with that. The cable tv is gone, generally only watch movies anyway.I heat with wood, so no dependence on foreign oil, in fact, have been cutting some of my own wood as well... a little less to pay others for it. Go to the grocery store with lists, which obviously cuts down on impulse items and eating out. And last but not least, cutting back on some of my bike related items... do I really need it? Is it something that I simply just want? And more than likley, will plant a garden this year as well...

[Aggie_Ama]

I trimmed our cable as much as DH would let me. He bike commutes or we carpool which means we drive our truck only 1-2 days a week. This frees it up from maintenance as regularly. We still take it out of town but only if we can do it on a tank of gas or less. Right now we can afford that luxury since gas is down to $1.69!

We no longer buy sodas for the house because 12 packs went up to $4/pack. Seemed like it was no longer worth it. I buy him premium beer but he usually only enjoys one a night and not every night so it lasts a couple weeks.

I let his grandma trim my hair. She is a retired beautician and although she doesn't do a world class salon job my hair is long and straight so why pay $40+ to have it done at a salon? I would pay her but she is on hard times and feels like it is the only thing she can give back. I have tried fitfully to pay her something!

We haven't had a land line since moving to the area in May 2005. We piggyback on my parents cell plan making it cheaper for everyone.

[beccaB]

Grew my hair shoulder length instead pixie-cut so I wouldn't have to get it cut every month.
Drink micro-brew only on weekends, it was making me fluffy anyway. Sorry folks, can't cut back on the quality of beer, just the quantity!
Combine errands to only make one trip.
Use store coffee in the morning and save the Gevalia for special occasions.
Not eating out very often, especially since our state legislature did not pass the no-smoking in restaurants bill.

[Aggie_Ama]

Not eating out very often, especially since our state legislature did not pass the no-smoking in restaurants bill.

YUCK!! Ours is done at a local level and we do not go to the towns where we have to chose smoking or non. It is 6 miles to a Chili's with a smoking section but 15 to the one that is completely non-smoking. We only eat Chili's every 3 or so months and you can bet we drive to the non-smoking one.

What I hate is patio dining is still smoking in Austin and my local town. Hello when I am down wind I still have to breath that crud and I do not like it!!

[tulip]

I bought a house that reduced my living expenses considerably--my mortgage is hundreds of dollars less than my rent was. I am using some savings for the renovation, but that's better than an equity line with interest that would increase my monthly expenses. I don't have any commute, and I don't eat out often. The one thing new that I've done is work up a budget and I'm doing pretty well sticking to it each month. I've also stopped using my credit card--only debit and cash. It's too easy to overspend with a credit card (for me).

[beccaB]

I think it was Montana that we traveled to and found a state law baning smoking in restaurants. I think it would be nice to move there! Any excuse will do!
Seriously, if I'm going to spend very hard earned money, I want to enjoy the night out. To have a nice restaurant meal with drinks and dessert can cost nearly $100 including tip. I don't want to breathe cigarette smoke. Non-smoking sections do not work.

[ridebikeme]

In Maine, it is a law that every public building is smoke free. In fact, they also just passed a law where you are not able to smoke in a vehicle where children are present.It seems that it would be common sense , but I quess for some it isn't. Now if we could only stop pregnant women from smoking!

[Tri Girl]

Good for everyone for cutting back so much. Every little bit helps!
It's state law that you cannot smoke in restaurants here anymore (unless it's a restaurant where most of the profit comes from the sale of alcohol rather than food). I love not having to sit in the non-smoking section that is usually right next to the smoking section anyway. On vacation this summer I loathed eating in restaurants that still had smoking and non-smoking sections.

We've cut back, but honestly not too much. :( DH won't let the cable go for anything (it's his downtime after his very stressful days at work- that and running or cycling). We could get rid of the landline- we only use that to answer phone calls from politicians or people begging for money. :rolleyes:

I want to cut my car usage to almost zero, but with a job 26 miles away, that won't happen until the end of the school year when I can find a job within 10 miles of home. When I find a closer job- the car is going silent.

I run all errands within 2 miles by bike (and all my errands are almost always within 2 miles).
Oh yeah, and I only buy clothes at second hand consignment stores or thrift stores, but that has more to do with me trying to live more green than trying to save money.

[Karma007]

Brown baggin' it! Cut out movie channels, land line, and avoid driving. I drink my share of beer, but I buy watered down light american beer. Only eat out once a week, and have cut back on magazine subscriptions.

Oh! And left my husband to move in with boyfriend (tee-hee, is that downsizing? It's certainly an upgrade!)

[ginny]

Downsizing.... well I moved to a new town and a new job... I drive only to see the horse (and only in the winter). Unfortunately, with the soft economy, the mortgage won't go away any time soon with the old house, but turning off the phone and internet saves a ton as does having only minimal electricity to show the house. The bf pays his own mortgage and I'm a squatter ;). As I haven't quite settled in yet, it feels like we are eating out more (or is that something to do with living in town? - I have lived 35 miles from town for six years!). I think I calculated the savings from elect and phone at $120/mo! Good grief! The horse is boarded now (used to keep them at home), but with the savings on gas, I am making money on that deal! - if I could sell the hay I bought for the winter when I wasn't sure of my future, I would be golden! - I'd be even more golden if I could actually sell my house! ...anybody want a nice log cabin in the rockies with views to die for and a phenomenal porch?

[spokewench]

I'm one of those people that hasn't cut back too much; since I was already trying to be frugal. During the Summer, I do almost all my around town driving on my scooter (90 some miles per gallon); or on my bike. If I plan to drive my car (especially in the winter), I try to consolidate my trips so I'm not driving around for no reason and wasting gas.

We burn wood as a supplement to our heater at the house; so the heater is turned down at night, we burn wood while we are home in the evenings; burn wood in the mornings while hubby is still home and then turn the heater down during the day. Turn all lights off when not in use, etc; etc. We do not need airconditioning in the summer since we live in the mountains.

I have become more consistent about buying groceries when there is a great deal; and not buying something if it is not on sale that week. I am now cutting coupons and using those as well. I do not buy flowers or extra things like that any more at the grocery so I have cut down on what I will buy at the grocery.

For the last few years, when we are on a trip to Phoenix or Tucson to visit family, I stock up on Chuck Shaw Wine (or its equivalent) $2.99 a bottle in Arizona so my wine is cheap, but tasty.

I mostly buy my books at the second hand store (used book store) and I've never been a big clothes buyer so I still just buy things if I really need something.

My hubby is handy so he does a lot of our big chores around the house; and I like to cook so we don't eat out a lot. We probably eat out a little less than we did a few years ago now.

That's about it.

[tulip]

There are some things I refuse to cut back on--Life's worth living, afterall!

My kitchen renovation--I could have gone with stock cabinets, but I'm going with custom bamboo. Same for the counter--no laminate for me! I got all nice appliances, but I did get them at the Sears Outlet for half price...

My tea--organic Darjeeling mostly. And travel to see my beau most weekends. And of course, the new dog. That's going to add to my monthly budget (not to mention the crate, the dogbed, the toys, leash...)

[Karma007]

Dogs aren't an expense! They are life sustaining, like air and water!

[eclectic]

Cutting back on

the newspaper - what is important is online

Cable TV - I don't have it or satellite

Unlimited texting and cell service - went to just local - savings $45 per month. Long distance is only .08 per min or can use a calling card - lots of talking for $45

Worth paying for:
good beer
good coffee
Bike stuff
swim stuff
run stuff
gadgets to go with all of the above
Good hotels/condos when on vacation (unless camping of course)

[greycoral]

Grew my hair shoulder length instead pixie-cut so I wouldn't have to get it cut every month.


I hear ya!! My stylist charges $45/cut, not including a tip. I had super short hair for a long time, but got sick of paying so much to keep it up. I've been growing it out for about 6 months now, and it's nowhere NEAR my shoulders. Why does it grow so fast when it's short, but when I want it to get longer, it slows down? Luckily I have been able to get by getting only a full cut every 8 weeks, and she does a free bang trim in the middle, usually around 4 weeks out.

There's not much we (me and my husband) have cut back on, just being more careful how we spend our money. Questioning "do I REALLY need a new pair of exercise shorts", etc. It's just kinda hard for us because over the last year, we've lost a combined 110 pounds, and none of our winter clothes from last year (or from two months ago even) fit We've had to go out and buy new coats, long sleeved stuff, etc. I try and shop at thrift stores, but haven't had a lot of luck. When buying new, I only shop clearance racks, I've been able to build up a decent wardrobe that way, or only buying something if it's on sale.

Groceries: We've gone away from farmers markets and started shopping at a regular grocery store. We're utilizing a lot of canned and frozen vegetables. We buy as much as we can bulk at Costco, usually meats, cereal, TP, etc.

Cable/Internet/Phone: We cut back one level of service, so it has saved us a little bit. We are definitely a tv watching household though, we tried the super basic basic cable, and it just wasn't cutting it. We're also both internet geeks, so fast internet is a must. This is our area where we splurge. We also only have cell phones (at the lowest package), no land lines.

I keep the thermostat set at 62-64 usually and just bundle up with our old "fat" sweatshirts :p

Next quarter we chose classes and schedules that allow us to carpool 4 days a week, the campus we have to go to is about 30 miles away, so gas has been a big issue for us. Luckily things have gotten cheaper there.

I have recently quit working to be a full time student, so I'm living off loans. My husband only works 2 days/week and gets the GI bill, so we're living on a limited budget as it is. We've been penny pinching for a while now.

[surgtech1956]

We have also cut back on keeping the termostat no higher than 64 degrees. We use to eat out once a week, now its more like once or twice a month. We too are a TV watching couple, especially sports, so cable TV is a must.

Congrats greycoral - 110 lbs between you and DH - fantastic, how'd you do it????

[greycoral]

I've lost 50, my husband has lost 60. He's at his goal weight, I still have another 35-40 lbs to go.

This past week marked the one year anniversary of doing weight watchers, that really helped get our diets in check. Other than that, really just making it a point to exercise a lot, usually 5-6 days a week, no matter what. In the summertime or when it's nice, we do a lot of hiking and cycling. Now that the weather is getting worse, I have been doing a lot of group classes at my gym (spin, zumba, step, s.e.t. (weight training/cardio), etc). I usually reserve one day that's not horrible out to do some sort of outdoor exercise, whether it be getting on my bike or attempting to jog (still can't do more than 3 miles without feeling like i'm dying).

So yeah, eat a little less, move a little more :) It doesn't hurt that my hubby used to be a chef before he broke his leg in a bicycle accident about a year and a half ago. He's been my saving grace. I cannot cook for the life of me, and he has learned how to cook healthy for the both of us. I used to eat fast food every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. And exercise? Forget it. I would commute a whole mile each way on my bike or walk my dogs around the block, and that was the extent of it. It has basically been a complete 180 with our entire lifestyle.

I still eat junk food from time to time, I have a small addiction to McDonald's nuggets and fries (I know, I know, they're terrible), but the main thing for me was really learning portion sizes. I weigh and measure EVERYTHING so I know exactly how many calories I consume. I wear a HR monitor and journal my info every single workout. I don't feel like it's a diet, it's a lifestyle change for sure :)

[Aggie_Ama]

Tulip- Although Heidi and Maggie the wonder schnauzers are expensive I chose to see them as cheaper than therapy. My insurance doesn't cover therapy and believe me in 2004 when I was depressed for the first time in my life (my own mother begged me to consult a therapist and to this day says "I thought I would lose you") Maggie pulled me through 3 months of hell. She went blind, sometimes doesn't remember potty training as aresult, has to have $40 eye drops and $30 thyroid medicine but she will forever be may saving grace puppy. :) And Heidi knows it is time to make mommy laugh when it is the number 1 thing I need, therefore she gets expensive surgeries as needed and the diet to maintain her after having kidney stones. I am a bit passionate about the intangibles pets bring to the table.

[redrhodie]

I dropped my gym memborship (I ride my bike more :D). I haven't had a haircut in months. I buy store brands of paper towels and tp. I've cut way back on producing inventory for my business, and am mostly doing custom orders now.

[solobiker]

DH and I have been cutting back for a few years. We don't have cable, the TV is on maybe one or two times a week for an hour or two. We keep our house temps down in the winter and up in the summer. We eat out 1x a week and that is usually a cheap place like Tokoyo Joes which costs about $16.00 total. The last time we spent more then that was about 1 month ago. We don't drink alcohol or go to movies. We also do not get a paper, just check the news online. I am still looking for more ways to cut back.

[shootingstar]

Next yr. I will have to cut back on vacation/getaway expenses. We booked our Christmas getaway (Jasper) before the economy started to take a serious nosedive in Canada.

My hairstylist's rates are gettin' high...but it is a pain for me to find another...it takes me 2-3 different places since I am fussy (and I want a precision accurate haircut, straight hair shows every uneven/off kilter cut line) and have certain preferences (including understanding my cycling and helmet hairstyle resilency. ;)) But once, I find someone who is expert, I stick with her for several years.

We already buy certain veggies and fruits from the discounted bin at the market....if we know we will eat them up same or next day. For past 12 months, I've been buying more dried Asian noodles --it's cheaper and less fattening/starchy compared to the dried Italian-style noodles. 'Course I continue to buy certain fresh veggies from Chinatown because it is often cheaper.

I wish I could claim that I use a public library more often but I still buy books ...about 1 every 1-2 months or less often. But need to cut down this too.

We will go to the movie theatre ...next month...for the first time ....in um....3 years. Gift movie tickets were given to us. Admittedly I find a movie ticket even on discounted day, is expensive now and eventually the good movies...do make it to TV...maybe a year later or so. I can wait especially for dopey me who no longer keeps on top of the latest and newest movies released at the theatres. I gave up following the movie developments years ago, when alot of it just isn't worth gettin' excited. I also have the excuse in during cycling seasons, I'm out on the bike and doin' other stuff.

[tulip]

Tulip- Although Heidi and Maggie the wonder schnauzers are expensive I chose to see them as cheaper than therapy. My insurance doesn't cover therapy and believe me in 2004 when I was depressed for the first time in my life (my own mother begged me to consult a therapist and to this day says "I thought I would lose you") Maggie pulled me through 3 months of hell. She went blind, sometimes doesn't remember potty training as aresult, has to have $40 eye drops and $30 thyroid medicine but she will forever be may saving grace puppy. :) And Heidi knows it is time to make mommy laugh when it is the number 1 thing I need, therefore she gets expensive surgeries as needed and the diet to maintain her after having kidney stones. I am a bit passionate about the intangibles pets bring to the table.

Well, I'll still be paying for my therapist for a while yet, but that's only once a month these days--I could not afford it if it were weekly. I should be weaned off her by summer, though. Nice to hear that your Heidi is so precious. I'm really looking forward to getting the dog!

One more thing I refuse to cut back on is my skin care stuff. I know Dr. Haushka is ridiculously expensive, but it makes such a difference in my skin. I just put it in my budget. If I plan for it, it doesn't surprise my pocketbook.

[smilingcat]

We are lucky to be living in So. California. Our garden is now mostly "winter" vegetables and such. Our lettuce patch is now all winter variety and grown in full sun instead of being in shade. Currently growing: beets, napa cabbage, brussle sprouts, garlic, about 6 different kinds of lettuce, snow peas, spinach...

my property does have a permit to have a chicken coop in the back yard but that was 1939 :rolleyes: I don't think the city would appreciate it. though I am tempted. more living animals to take care of though...

We'll be making a simple hot house for things like tomatoes, chinese long beans, bell pepper (Capsicans for those in Australia, England and elsewhere) this weekend.

We finally did have to buy some tomatoes for the last two weeks. And probably will do so for next 8 weeks.

I have to call few places before I cancell my regular telephone. My partner has her line and her DSL.

Things we do without:
cable/satellite
TV (who has time when there are so many books to be read)
central heat
A/C
Beef (where's the beef? not in our house)
bouquet of flowers (instead we have rose bushes, tulips, iris... growing amongst our vegetable patch.
Front yard grass torn out and now a flower garden with vegetables growing inbetween. :D

most of the lights in our house are CFL.

We also do not eat out as much. To lessen the cost of starbucks, I bought my partner several pkgs of pre-paid card at costco. $100 worth of coffee for $80.00, a 20% saving. And moi, I just make my own chai latte and save almost $4.00 each visit. It adds up fast!!!

then there is this hyper milage drivers (http://www.hypermilage.com/fuelstretching.php)

lots of little things do add up :) :D

smilingcat