First rule: Know your prices. sm
Posted By: linda on 2008-10-23
In Reply to: Frugal ideas - Siren
Second rule: Then again, it won't save you any money to drive all around unless you are making substantial purchases. If just one item is a little higher at Wal-Mart or the grocery store where you already are shopping, might as well go ahead and get it then. I shop first at the Dollar Store. Love Top Job and can't always find it anywhere else. Also, those old timey remedies include vinegar, cheapest and proven to kill as many germs as alcohol and bleach. Back in the day, I remember the ladies starting out the wringer washer (yes, I am that old) with the whites, then running those out to the side and reusing the water. I have actually wished a few times I had a wringer washer, especially after a hurricane. Then they started rinsing the clothes using the same water as long as they could for the rest of the stuff.
Make a list and stick to it, no impulse buying, take your coupons, maybe include a small cooler or thermal bag in your vehicle especially in the summer.
Check out the new lightbulbs, LED's and these new fluorscents, but beware of mercury in broken fluorescents if you are of childbearing age or have small children about, especially if one breaks. These are for heavy duty areas, the "light that is almost always on". From what I understand, there is no real saving if you just turn it on to get something, then turn it right back off. I had motion detection lights outside, but had to unplug it, too much breeze here on the coast and the trees constantly set them off. Almost choked on that light bill.
Some economist on TV was saying to shop the perimeters of the store and avoid the center aisles, this for both money and health reasons.
See something really cute and not too expensive at wal-mart? Started telling myself I bet I could get 50cents for that in a garage sale in 6 months. Not doing the impulse buying will save a small fortune; it really adds up. Don't look at the stuff while you are checking out, either.
Check out America's Test Kitchen, not long ago they had a program on making your own pizza in 30 minutes. If you have kids, that can save you a fortune, that is about the most expensive thing out there.
my grandmother made the most wonderful soup - from a soup bone and leftovers. She never threw away leftover veggies; they went into the freezer in little bags until needed.
That is another thing, cut back on the meat and up the veggies.
I do splurge on some things. I usually have canned chicken ready for cheater pot pie and frozen pie crusts. All 3 of my daughter-in-laws use that recipe now, great with leftover chicken or turkey, another thing to be frozen when left over.
If you do eat out, make it during the day when prices are down.
maybe I gave you one or two things anyway. Good luck.
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- Frugal ideas - Siren
- First rule: Know your prices. sm - linda
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Also add another new rule...sm
At a local school, there is to be no talking during lunch due to a few choking episodes that couldn't be heard over all the talking (all turned out fine). If someone is caught, they lose recess. We read it to our 8-year-old son because he loves to talk during lunch and barely gets his lunch eaten, and he didn't like that one:-) I can see how some kids abuse passing gas as we have a few of those neighbor kids that do it and laugh about it, but our son gets embarrassed about things like that, thank goodness.
RED SOX RULE
10 to 1 going into the 4th inning. WAY TO GO, SOX
the rule is . . .
go in order of arrival first at stop sign. In the event of arriving at the same time, or there is question of who arrives first, you are to yield to the driver to the right. These situations would be easier if people would just pay attention, and then you have those drivers that don't have a clue as to how to handle it, so they just sit there. In that case, I just wave those people on. And, like you, I have seen people basically just treat it as a yield sign. Those are the ones you have to look out for -- the slide-throughs!
Another school rule...
just another reason I am glad I homeschool!
A local school district just informed the students via announcement over the PA system that "Farting" in class can now result in AEP placement! I couldn't believe it so I've questioned some of the kids that go there. All I've questioned say yes, that's what they said.
How stupi*d can you get?
For those of you who believe this rule had to be made
because of those with medical problems - you are very naive. We are know there are exceptions to all rules - this has obviously become a huge problem with obnoxious children.
New Texas Rule
 I for one am so glad I do not live in Texas. To force someone to take a shot like that! It should be the parents who decide. I have suffered from cervical cancer and no I do not want my two daughters having this injection. We do not yet know enough about the side-effects and long-term effects of this new drug.
my rule of thumb has always been--sm
if the critics hate it, I will definitely go out of my way to see it. If the critics love it, to me, it is usually the most boring movie I will have ever seen. I don't understand it, but it works for me! lol.
If you really loved me, by Ann Rule. sm
she writes true crime books, really excellent writer, one of my favorites. However, I need to mix it in with chick lit, recently finished The Devil Wears Prada. Had the Nanny Diaries on my mp3 player (I thought the stories had a similar tone). Also like Michael Lee West book Mad Girls in Love, because it takes place in Tennessee, and she had some familiar places in it. Want to read some of her other stuff.
Exception to the rule
Well, she is the exception to the rule here - she does not own an Ipod, will not even let me have the radio on in the car and her cell phone, which she has had for 3 years because I insisted she have it at school because of asthma, has rang no more than 10 times in all that time - her part of the cell phone minutes do not even account for 10-15 minutes a month. She has had driver's education and I have let her drive with me all summer and she will only drive to and from school.
Thanks for that one. Animals rule!
xx 
New rule - anyone in agreement?
New rule - if a person goes to the ER and says she has 10 out of 10 pain, but sits on the table laughing and joking with her mother, playing with game boy thingy (or this could be a guy too), claims she has 10 out of 10 pain, but is not showing any signs of pain and is talking on her cell phone, the doctor should be able to tell her she needs to go to her regular physician the next day as she is not showing any signs of pain and the emergency room is just that - for emergencies (you know things like gunshot wounds, asthma attacks and other states of emergencies - hence the term "emergency" room. If they can't get in to their doctor then go to day care, in/out or whatever it is called but don't come back to the er unless there is definitely an emergency. I know all about how ERs are not suppose to turn away anyone, but this is getting out of hand. Oh yes, and then have a bill ready for the cost they have just incurred by the use of the ER for a non-emergency type visit. Anyone else share similar views?
I agree with this rule BUT
I do understand why some people show up in the ER rather than at doc's office. In my area, there are really no quick care type facilities. Our doctors' offices are very hard to schedule into. For instance, at my local hospital, just blocks from my house, nearly every practice is owned by that hospital's healthcare system. The "system" has decided that they lose money when people make a "sick" appointment for the next day. In their opinion, if you make an appointment to see the doc tomorrow because you feel unwell today... you may feel better tomorrow and not show up. Now they lose money because that slot is open. (Oh, and they do charge $50 if you don't show up.)
What this means is, if I've been sick all day and I feel really awful and know I want to see the doc tomorrow, I can't call the office today and schedule for the next opening. I MUST schedule my sick appointment on the day I'm sick. OK, so now I wait until the second the practice opens the next day. They have maybe 10 slots available for sick appointments, and anyone who is sick is calling like crazy to get one of those slots. It's like trying to get really hot concert tickets. If there are no sick slots left on the schedule, the office says, "Sorry, we can't schedule you for tomorrow, you'll have to call back."
A lot of people in our area are completely frustrated with this nonsense. They end up going to the ER instead, because they'll be seen. We recently had to do this with my mother-in-law who had been running a fever between 100 and 101 for four days and tried three times to get an appointment with her doctor. She felt absolutely awful during all of that time. Turns out she had a sinus infection. All she needed were antibiotics, but she had to go to the ER in order to be seen.
Where do I live? Just outside of Philadelphia, sometimes called the "Capital of Medicine". We have 6 med schools here, and umpteen hospitals, yet it's difficult to get appointments when you need them. On average, I wait 3 months for regular physical exams, and seeing specialists?? Forget it. You may wait even longer!
That's my rant for the day.
Have you questioned the no sex rule?
?
What's shocking is that a rule is needed.
Many here have acted like this is normal behavior and should be excused and there are reasons for it, etc. Sure there are.........and there also many, many kids who do it to be obnoxious and so it has become a problem - like so many other things - but these parents continue to excuse their kids.
My hormones rule my personality
and I'm tired of it also. I have many problems with ovarian cysts, etc. I believe if you have problems like these, it is worse. I never know what kind of mood I'll be in, and neither does anyone else :) One minute I can be laughing and the next I'll be screaming in anger. There are a lot of natural things out there they say help, I have not tried any but may do that soon. Here's just one article I found....
http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/womenshealth/a/PMS.htm
ask her, Oh, When Did Water Ration Rule End?
nm
My rule if not green and fuzzy it is okay. EXCEPT
x
Four-way stop sign - what is the rule? sm
Every day when I take my son to school I have to stop at a 4-way stop....some days when in my opinion it is my turn, someone pulls out in front of me! It drives me crazy!! What is the rule? I should probably know this but I don't! Thanks
Pets rule and men drool! :D :D nm
........
I am not quite there yet as my oldest is only 11 but our school has a rule that you have to be passi
x
How much do you pay for a haircut and what's the rule about tipping your stylist?? nm
They have a RULE about not blowing a kiss to your family?! nm
x
gas prices
$2.21 in south Miss; lowest I've seen was around holidays, down to $2.09.
Prices!!!
Where I live(S. GA) too they get out early like 6 a.m. and are through by dinner or shortly after. Some advertise, some do signs and some both, just according to how hard you are to find. I think it is important to have a price on everything! That's my pet peeve. Some people won't ask if it is not priced. Don't set your prices too high. My mother gets upset that she cannot get her money out of something, especially if she bought it at a sale. I try to tell her some money is better than none. Her regular stuff we do at yard sale, other stuff we do on Ebay. Price big items where you might go down a little bit and smaller stuff where you might be willing to deal. If you will let a dresser go for 50 put 60 on it. The fun in buying is bartering with the seller for a deal. People will buy more if you give them a deal. I say quantity over quality. We go through and put a tag on our stuff the night before. You can find garage sale stickers prepriced at an office store or somewhere like Walmart, priced from .25 to $10 with blank tabs to. You can also get color coded ones and just make a poster board and say Green dot 0.25, Red dot .75, yellow $10, etc. this saves a lot of confusion and is easier to count up. Happy sales. Offer some cookies or cupcakes, keeps kids occupied while moms shop!
Gas prices
$3.26/gallon at Sam's Club in Palm Desert, CA 
Gas prices
Paying $2.75/gallon at the Kroger Store in South Texas. Get either 10 cents or 3 cents discount which is tied to grocery purchases. Glad to be working at home.
gas prices
Um, $3.99 in San Francisco!
Gas prices.
Really getting difficult. I am grateful I work at home. A month ago here in S.C. gas price was 3.17 a gallon and not it is almost 3.70 a gallon. It gives me pause to think. There are more contractors in Iraq than troops fighting and dying, and that does not begin to account the wounded, disabled.
Really. If Colonel Sanders was elected president and the price of chicken went up over 80%, would that give you pause to think?
Gas prices here in NY State
It's anywhere from $3.19-$3.25 a gallon. We're going away for a few days next weekend and I can only imagine how much it'll cost to fill up (Usually around $60.00).
Heads up on gas prices!
One of my friends called today and gas in Marion, Illinois is over $5.00 a gallon. I guess it's expected to go up overnight. You may want to call your local gas stations and see. Her local Walmart station was going up at least $1.00/gallon within an hour of when she had talked to them.
Wow, our gas prices have been steadily going down
The other day I paid $3.67.
haircut prices
$35 to $40; less if you don't have it blow-dried. For the works (cut, color, highlights), about $150. Toner may be more,depending on the salon. Tip is 20%, & don't forget the shampoo tech.
These are Houston prices.
Wow, it's interesting to see the different prices sm
Thanks for sharing your info on the hair cuts. I'm from Missouri and they are running on an average of $20 for wash, cut and dry. I never really knew if I was tipping enough or not.
Not just gas prices, but the recession sure will.
We are staying home this year and saving every dime we can. Our fed and state refunds went right into savings, and our "stimulus" rebate will too.
Grocery prices
I haven't done any baking in almost two years, but decided to try to get going for this Christmas. So, I get my list all ready and get my fanny out the door and to the market.....just to give myself a heart attack!! A small jar of honey, store brand, $6.00, a large can of Crisco, almost $7.00!! Flour, $3.50! I wanted to make some Italian annisette cookies, almost $5.00 for a small bottle of anise flavoring. forgetaboutit! Holy Cow!!! How the heck do families with kids manage?
On our news last night, they said here in RI, where the unemployment rate is 9.3%, they said that 1 in 6 kids will go hungry....that just makes me sick.
I think I won't be doing much as much baking as I had planned on. This is just nuts! Oh, and have you seen the price of them lately?!!
Prices just keep getting worse s/m
Instead of throwing the meat away here, they have a list of churches that will take it for the soup kitchens, etc. At least they know it is going to a good cause.
We have been skimping more and more on meals. We are having more grilled cheese with soup, french toast or pancakes with sausage or bacon (when I find it on sale) and we were just given a deer that we had processed for ground meat and such. I have cut way back on snacks, a bag of chips and a bag of apples or oranges for the week. With 4 kids in the house, that goes fast!
Western NY prices
I live in Western NY and the major chain here, Wegmans, just lowered prices on a large amount of their groceries. The staples we all need. I really noticed a different in my grocery bill the last couple weeks. Flour 5 lbs $1.49, sugar 5 lbs $1.99, 10 lbs potatoes $2.49. Those are things I can think of off the top of my head. i go there and to the super walmart to keep my grocery budget somewhat reasonable and I use coupons.
I am getting really nervous about gas prices
creeping back up again. In my area it went from $1.59 to the present price of $1.99 a gallon. Any hope that it won't get to $4.00 again? 
Haven't seen prices that low in years around here - (nm)
nm
The reason is high gas prices.
All that stuff is transported by truck... they run on gas...
Did you check out the profits the oil companies made last quarter?
My husband says it is because of fuel prices...sm
The stores have to pay so much to have the food delivered because it costs the trucks so much in fuel. My husband drives an 18 wheeler and you would not believe what it costs to deliver those loads. He doesn't haul food. But the fuel price for what he hauls is insane. It cost about $6000 just in fuel to haul some chemicals in a tanker to Montana from Mississippi. That is not counting what the owner of the truck has to pay the driver for taking the load up there. So you can kind of get an idea now why the food is going up like it is.
Yes. Gas prices have shot up $.60 per gallon
in less than two weeks here. I drove the kids home from school one day, made a mental note to get gas, and the price had gone up $.25 by the time I got back to the gas station. Ridiculous!
Wait! No pigs in the White House, though. Nevermind..that rule has already been broken! nm
bn
I did. I leave all judgments up to the Lord, I take his golden rule to "love thy neighbor as the
to be the supreme rule, try to live by it always. I do not have to condemn, or judge in any way, Jesus is the supreme judge, what is wrong with extending earthly concern, friendhip, and love? Sometimes that works oh so much better when trying to "enlighten' someone than judgment, or hate, or harshness. That is all.
I got it at QT in Austell.... you can check Atlanta gas prices....sm
at http://www.atlantagasprices.com - I'm seeing prices all around $1.99 to $2.04 posted on there from consumers.
Prices will vary in different areas of the country.
s
Fashion Bug - Good prices, very comfortable! - nm
x
Has anyone else noticed food prices going SKY HIGH???
Seems like everything is outrageous anymore!!
Agree totally; best prices and no union BS
x
I was the first girl in the county play Little League - made the All Stars too! Girls rule! Also..
that very same year I won the county spelling bee! The word I won it on was "ptomaine."
One other special thing happened to me that year I got my ears pierced and hit a home run on my 10th birthday. I swear it... I totally remember touching my little gold studs before I got up to bat and then "crack." Even the people that didn't like me playing because I was a girl had to cheer. 1978 was awesome.
My grandma also played baseball during WWI.
This thing is not connected to the above, but I am related to Martin Van Buren, 8th President.
Yep, we switched to Liberty Mutual last year. Best prices over everyone else.
No one could touch what they offered to insure us at. I do medical billing also and I work with them on WC claims so I know they are a good reputable company. Good luck.
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