Budget Cutters...

[Grumpy's Gal]

I no longer buy paper muffin liners -- use a small square of parchment paper and it works great! It sounds odd but if you use muffin liners, try it and you'll see what I mean.

I also buy the muffin mix store brand for 45 cents in a pouch. The cheapest one there is. I buy the apple one. Then I throw in whatever fruit I have left over-- if I'm not making muffins that night, I toss the fruit in the freezer and use it for muffins later. tonight it was apples chunks and fresh blueberries. Mmmmmm. The best muffins are waiting for us for breakfast!

 

[Ava]

Ava, we have a HDTV with HDMI video connection. My PC has a DMI Video connection and had to get a dmi to hdmi cable, pretty much hooked it up and go. We are fortunate to have a spare PC so we keep it plugged in all the time. So you need to find out what kind of external video port your macbook has and hopefully your TV has the same. You can leave the cable plugged into the TV and just hook up the macbook when needed. You also need to switch video outputs so it will show up on the screen rather on your laptop screen thats about it.

I took it a step forward and got my remote to work with it and connected it to my sound reciever as well so I dont need to use a mouse/keyboard.

Hmm, our TV is old (and not HD) so I'll have to see if there are any inputs compatible with the Macbook. I know we have those red/white/yellow inputs on the front; that's how we hook up the Wii. Can you tell I don't know anything about electronics?

 

[rumrunnergirl]

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[minnie1928]

Could you tell me how you got the remote to work with it? The sound is not very loud as it has to come from the computer and not the t.v. I would appreciate it very much. Jo

We use the headphone connection/outlet on the mac and plug it into the stereo.

 

[beansmom]

eating out and travel are our two biggest discretionary expenses.

I am challenging myself NOT to eat out while we are home in August. I have an all-expense paid trip planned for one week but dh will be home all month. HE will eat out i'm sure but so will i.

we have no travel planned until mid-october...i guess we'll try to see just how little we can spend for the next couple months. (except our teeny tiny wedding...i mean 5 people and cupcakes. )

 

[disneywatcher]

We never pay full price for eating out - ever. No Coupon, no eat! (I miss Texas Roadhouse, but they never have good coupons...)

We go to Texas Roadhouse only on kids nights (only good if you have children under the age of 11 though) and DH and I share a dish. 99 cents for a kids meal oh yeah baby.

We also like Denny's on Tuesday's and Thursday's when kids eat free.

Lately though we don't go out to eat a lot. I bought Top Secret Restruant recipes a while back and if we ever want to go out to eat I make something from there. Example: Dinner at Olive Garden

Soup, Salad, Bread Sticks and fettucini alfredo there for 4 people about 55 dollars plus tip.

Home version: about 25 dollars no tip needed.

We are also becoming used to hand me down's for our girls. They are only 3 years apart but my middle daughter car wear the same size jeans my oldest wore last year.

Kool Aid instead of soda.

Only go to the movies during the summer at the drive in or on post at that theater. 2 adults and one child having to pay for 2 movies 12 dollars. Bring you're own popcorn and buy drinks there (ours is like 2.25 for a large that's more like an extra large that 2 people can share).

I would really like to know how to make your own laundry detergent though I must admit.

 

[amberjack]

I've been using the Southern Savers website to do my grocery shopping. They match up grocery ads with available coupons and links to the printable coupons. This helps out a lot because we don't have many coupons in our local papers. I have learned to stock up on what is on sale so I don't run out until it cycles back around to be on sale again. On average, I spend around $75-80 a week for my family of 4. This includes paper and cleaning products.

 

[minnie1928]

Lately though we don't go out to eat a lot. I bought Top Secret Restruant recipes a while back and if we ever want to go out to eat I make something from there. Example: Dinner at Olive Garden

I would really like to know how to make your own laundry detergent though I must admit.

I just ordered that book from the library, based on your recommendation.

I don't make my own detergent, but I do use a Greenwash Laundry Ball. You just toss it in the washing machine instead of detergent. I paid about $15 and it will last 1000+ washes.

 

[Ava]

Free movie rentals at library and Blockbuster kiosk using free rental codes

Trying not to pay for movie rentals has made me much more picky about what I will watch. Usually I'll go to the Redbox with a few movies in mind that I'd like to see; if none of those are available, 9 times out of 10 I leave with nothing because I don't want to waste a free rental code on something I don't really want to see!

I just signed up for level billing for both electricity & gas. (We have them through seperate companies for some reason.) This won't necessarily save us money, since we will still have to pay for actual usage eventually, but it will make it easier to budget each month.

 

[semo233]

Here's a thread that has been around for a while....hundreds of ways to save:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1819347&page=86

 

[dyna]

In July we paid off a harley an dh's car. A few months ago we sold my mini van an paid off that loan. We only have basic cable, I cook at home an we eat what is on sale, summer I cook outside, no heating the oven or the stove I already payin to cool the house no sense in heating it back up again.

A/C an all appliances are energy friendly. We do not buy things we do not need, we use the new lower energy light bulbs. DD started payin all her own bills.

 

[Steve BWV'99]

Could you tell me how you got the remote to work with it? The sound is not very loud as it has to come from the computer and not the t.v. I would appreciate it very much. Jo

I purchased a Windows Media Center remote, basically a USB reciever you plug in to the computer and its plug and play. I have a logitech remote that I normally used for the TV with it. Another option would be to get something a remote mini keyboard/mouse combolike a logitech dinovo http://www.logitech.com/en-us/keyboards/keyboard/devices/3848 but they are kind of pricey and only works with Windows. Another one would be the Lenova N5901 http://www.productwiki.com/lenovo-n5901-wireless-mini-keyboard-57y6336/, we have one and its works fine and much cheaper than the logitech.

As for the sound, I was able to use digital audio connector on my pc and connect it to my stereo reciever. You could also attach speakers too.

 

[3boymthr]

Doing away with my land line is not possible, but I combined our cable, phone and internet onto one bill and saved $60/mo.

We've been big recycler's for a while. It cuts my costs on trashbags and at the curb as we pay by the bag for our trash pick up. I recently read in Sierra Magazine that you don't have to wash the bottles and cans so much as scrape and rinse them and get them mostly clean so I've started doing that and I've cut my water cost as well (we don't have cockroach/bug issues).

Like a PP I discovered a money saver with my muffins/cupcakes. I bought a set of silicone muffin cups at Christmas Tree Shops for $2. They're great and not only do they cut my cost for making the muffins, they cut my trash.

My biggest money saver...I started going to CVS and shopping their ECB reward program. Since January I've saved $2,500+. A lot of it on shampoo, conditioner, razors, TP, feminine products, make-up, etc. but it's not just H&BA. I've also gotten snacks, milk, pizza, etc. for free or really cheap. Yesterday I got two packages of Taster's Choice coffee for 25 cents, and 6 bottles of dish soap for $2.50. In the last month I've gotten approximately 100 bottles of SOBE Lifewater for less than $10. If you don't have a CVS near you you can do almost as well at Walgreens or Rite-aid. Don't get me wrong it can be time consuming but I've come to see it as a challenge/hobby.

 

[ouran92]

Change internet and electric companies.

 

[Shelby5514]

I second the Biowash Ball and tell everyone I know about it. We bought ours at a Green Expo but we just ordered a second one on ebay for $25. (I saw the cheaper one, but I've had such good luck with the Biowash brand that I'm sticking with it.) We've saved a TON on laundry supplies, it's chemical free (I could only use certain detergents or I'd break out in a rash) and after 1,000 loads, I can recycle it!

Other things we do:

We just got a promo for internet and basic cable for $29.99 for 12 months!

Joined a coupon train here on the budget board.

Signed up at restaurant websites that we like for email coupons. (Ruby Tuesday sends them out all the time.)

Signed up at websites of products we use often for coupons.

Even though McD's has some great sweet tea for $1. I've tweeked a recipe I found on the internet and make my own...and it's MUCH better.

Shop the goodwill. I have found brand new, tags still on, Born, Merrill, and Bass shoes! I'd love to know who this person is that buys shoes (in my size) and never wears them.