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Old 04-24-2008, 02:59 PM   #27 (permalink)
smoore
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Location: West of Denver
Sweet, I asked for it and I got it! I'm going to love this thread.

Here are my major tips:
  • NEVER buy on price alone. Cheap things break. Determine what will last the longest per dollar.
  • Rice and beans, learn to love 'em. We have a pressure cooker which makes it easy and I eat rice and beans two to four times a week. Make a batch, refrigerate what you want and freeze the rest. Cajun seasoned, mmmmmm. Frozen shrimp on sale? It's like a holiday!
  • Freezer cook. I have to maintain the freezer, about $10/mo in the winter and about $20 in the summer as far as I can tell. However, when I want a sausage and egg bagel for breakfast I don't call on Jimmy Dean, I grab one that was made a month, two, hell even six months ago when we stood in the kitchen for a couple hours cranking out a buttload of the things. Lasagna, beans and rice, soups, casserole, etc. are good candidates for freezer cooking.
  • Pack your lunch. Even the cheap lunches add up. $6/day, $30/wk, $120/mo, $1440/yr. Yup, $1440 per year to eat at Burger King on your lunch break. That's a nice bicycle per year. Since I'm working on jobsites I carry an old microwave from job to job. "Is that carpet layer going to be here all week? I'll bring some leftovers!" I've heard that more than once.
  • Speaking of bicycles, use one. It doesn't have to be fancy but if you have one and use it you benefit in more than just frugality. I can't commute by bike due to hauling 200lb of tools to every job so I use it for errands. Store, bank, store, store is one of my regular loops. It's about 6 miles total and it's easy. I'm not what you would call the epitome of fitness, note next tip.
  • If you smoke (I do) learn to roll your own with a filter. I smoke Bali Shag, possibly the most expensive rolling tobacco you can get. I'm not shy about it, I'm a heavy smoker. I spend $20 every two weeks to smoke my friggin' brains out. At $5/day you can see that me smoking tailor made cigs would cost $70 for the same time period.
  • If you eat meat, make friends with hunters. They can rarely store all of the meat they harvest from larger game. Sometimes I get it for free, sometimes I "rent" freezer space in exchange for a portion.
  • Toothpaste is cheaper than dental work and oil is cheaper than an engine.
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