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smoore · 04-24-2008, 02:59 PM

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.

04-24-2008, 02:59 PM	#27 (permalink)
smoore Crazy 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. __________________ smoore