I don't have a recipe to share with you today, so I thought I would share how I am trying to beat back the rising cost of living.
Really watching electrical and natural gas usage. Turning off a few lights is not a problem. We also turned down our heat by a degree over the winter. I am hoping to turn it down another degree or two next winter when we are all abed. I am also hanging more on the lines downstairs.
Water is another big expense so I have been trying to save on water usage the last week or so. Not sure how that is going but will continue for the month. Most of the Utilities bill is things we can not control though.
As far as grocery shopping I am trying to stick to items on sale and that means if chicken is on sale that is what I purchase. Cooking larger amounts so as to be able to freeze something to use later. Warming something up takes way less time (time is important around here) and I can use my toaster oven to heat it up, thus using less power.
Of course using up what we have is a great way to beat back the rising costs of groceries. I look up substitutions if I don't have an ingredient and look for ways to cut back on meat. There are always substitutions that are actually less expensive.
There are always ways to save on clothing as well. You can go to a secondhand store, or make your own (which is what I do). If one manages to get good sales on fabric or purchase from garage sales the money saved can be amazing. Being able to repair my own clothing is also money saving. I'm working on making cards as well. Saving lots that way cards are really expensive. I purchase Christmas cards on sale after the holiday
Couponing here in my city can be difficult, so I watch for sale items and stock up on what I can. Many a time I purchase enough of one item to last a year or longer. While I do live in a small city, things are much more expensive than if I lived in Regina or Saskatoon, where there is much more competition.
Blogger is doing strange things so I will sign off. Things are being inserted and I am having a problem posting. Tomorrow I will share the next chapter in my Simpler Living book with you all.
Everybody have a wonderful evening.
Good bless.
Thanks for referencing the simpler living book. I got it from the library and read some sections and skimmed the rest. It is well done.
ReplyDeleteI don't make cards, but I do shop garage sales and estate sales, where I often find boxes of pretty blank note cards, often a full box or just with one or two gone. They sell for pennies on the dollar, and I write my own messages inside. Also, since women usually outlive their spouses so the estate sales for old ladies often have pretty things, full bottles of expensive cologne or lotion often unopened which were gifted to them because nobody knows what to give Granny for her birthday or Christmas. Then she "saves the gifts for "good" and never uses the items. I found a brand-new pair of never worn Clark shoes in the box in my size for $20 last summer.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing well and deserve to reap the rewards aka savings.
ReplyDeletePretty much all of our clothing (with the exception of undergarments) comes from the thrift store. We also change out of our 'better' clothes as soon as we get home and put on comfie loungers thus saving our better clothes in order to have them last longer. Sadly couponing doesn't happen much here, probably because most of them likely show up on smart phones which we don't use beyond a once-a-month call in to the grocery store in order to do curbside pickup.
ReplyDeleteVery good tips for everyone to follow. I do most of them myself - just wish we could convince more people. It is good common sense. Thanks
ReplyDeleteWe've always done blank note cards, & then each written a nice message inside. For birthdays, etc. I do typically buy graduation & wedding cards, but those tend to be infrequent anyway.
ReplyDeleteWe try to buy a lot of "ingredient" food, but also definitely keep easy snacks (try to limit to 1-2) on hand + food the kids can prep before practice or games. It's a balance, given their age & schedules, but we've largely been able to keep our grocery bill pretty much in check.
-Hawaii Planner
Excellent ideas here Jackie. We have our furnace on a timer and it only cuts in overnight usually early morning when the house temp has really sunk. I hate buying greeting cards as they are so expensive and easily discarded. I always check that section at thrift stores and have found wonderful new in box cards to use. Yes, I wish couponing was a better option but that never took off like it did in the States it seems. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYou have some great strategies to save money and beat the cost of living rises. Buying clothing 2nd hand is one of my favourite ways to save money. I get shocked by the price of new clothing these days.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice on how to push back against these rising costs. We are simply doing without some things and making do like you are.
ReplyDeleteA very good post Jackie. Things are expensive here in New Zealand too. I try to make my own cards too. I am lucky in that I have a very good friend & also my sister in law who give me lots of clothes that they no longer want. Thankfully they are the same size as me. xx
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