Cutting back on?

[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 ). 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.

[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 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.

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

lots of little things do add up

smilingcat