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Bean and mayonnaise sandwiches, that’s just one of the tasty menu items my Grandmother recalls from the Depression. I’m not saying that we’re in a depression. In fact, experts can’t even agree if we are officially in a recession or not. But one thing seems certain, prices are going up and wages are not.
You would think someone in her mid-thirties would have figured out how to live by a budget and maintain a savings account, but like most Americans I haven’t. It’s true I have VERY LITTLE financial self-control. It’s time to turn over a new leaf, and I’m hoping you can help.
I’ve purchased handfulls of financial advice books . Unfortunately most of their suggestions are a little beyond my reach. When I’m looking for ways to create a grocery budget, save money on electricity and budget for birthday gifts… they advise investing in property, buying a more fuel efficient car, and creating secondary retirement investments. Would I have bought their book if I could afford to do that? Probably not.
But Grandma, she has good tips – even if I don’t always use them. For instance, she always rinses out a mildly used sandwich bag to use again. She prefers cloth over paper towels, and she’s the master of “waste not want not” when it comes to meal preparation. Of course, she’s devised these methods through a number of challenges like the Depression, raising 5 boys, and now living on a fixed income.
With the current turn in our economic tide, I wonder. What other gems of advice are out there for creating and improving a household budget? How much do you set aside in savings and why? Do you have a favorite healthy AND cheap recipe? If you have some penny-pinching advice, I’d love to hear it … and I’m probably not alone.
Honestly, who WANTS to eat a bean and mayonnaise sandwich? |
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Posted by: jackiknee Location: Couponville!
Coupons Coupons Coupons ,Coupons are in the sunday paper on the internet,shopping stores like alberstsons take double soupons.The value saver that comes in yoru mail also has coupons for meals ,car maintence, carpet cleaning ect..Coupons Glorious coupons are a Homemakers secret weapon against the costly world.We also go in for bulk items with neighbors or family members ..and We are excellent at casserolle making.We as Americans eat too much meat .& Banana and Mayonaise sandwich is a nice change to a bean and mayonaise sandwich : ) Posted by: Ginny Location: Reno, NV Pay yourself first; you willnever miss it, if you don't see it. Seniors be sure and have direct deposit. WINCO, the way to shop, esp. if you are on a fixed income. Everyone has suggestions that make sense, if one will take a few minutes and think about it. We do so much on impulse now days. The future is now and its not all about you! Posted by: ALAN Location: LOS ANGELES Hey What's Happening!!! Just seeing how a few people are doing, you included... I'd have to say I never have had a Bean & Mayo sandwich before... Bean & Sour Cream sandwich Yes! I myself don't really have good advise to save money but subconsciously I try to save 1/3 of my monthly paycheck and if I don't save that much or spend more, I try to make up for it either by working more, selling something, spending less on certain usual expenses or just act as if I don't have much money to spare when I do! Of course you don't want to be, cheap, not help people, not buy certain thing you'd like, etc.. the key is to be able to save a certain amount you feel comfortable each month not being able to use as if you don't have it. Sometimes 1/4 saved maybe sometimes 1/2... Then again I do whore myself out when it comes to work.. Anyways, I hope your doing well over there!!! Let me know when your ready to do Spotlight Reno :) TAKE CARE! Posted by: Dan Location: Reno, Nevada After many years of working like a dog and being the normal american consumer, am trying to find a balance. I ask myself if I really need something and if it will be something I will use in the future. All of the advice about winco is so true, prices sometimes are almost half of the other supermarkets. My father grew up in pierre, south dakota during the depression and told me that he would eat his brothers and sisters oatmeal because they did not know where their next meal would come from. He gave me all the guidence I needed but have spent most of my life buying what I did not really need. It is easy to do a simple tuneup on most cars, it just takes a handful of tools and the reminder that a shop charges over eighty dollars an hour. The jones next door will always have more than you, but balance in your life is the answer to happiness. Posted by: Shannon Location: Reno If you want to save money on cigarettes, try rolling your own. It takes practice but the equivalent of a carton in rolling tobacco and papers averages less than $10 at the Indian Colony Smoke Shops. Compare that to $20/carton for the cheapest off-brand cigarretes and and average of $32 for brand names; the savings is clear. Plus this fact: since rolling your own cigarretes takes a little time each day, most people end up smoking less or quitting altogether. I used to smoke a pack of Marlboros a day (a carton would barely last 1 1/2 weeks) but a can of Top Rolling Tobacco for ten bucks lasts me two to three weeks! Posted by: Robin Location: Nevada For one month put a receipt into a basket for every penny you spend. If you don't get a receipt, write the amount of a slip of paper, note what its for, and drop that in. At the end of the month, total up how much in each category, that way you can decide what to cut out. I cut out high-priced coffee and magazines. Now I only get one or two magazines and the rest I can read at the public library if I want to. Its a great way to see where you can cut out non-essentials. Posted by: momof6kids Location: Fallon We consistently have to shop and care for six kids. Little things like casserole dishes are much cheaper than individual meat portions, etc. Chicken is cheaper than beef. Rent $1 movies at WalMart rather than theaters or Blockbuster. Go to the park for fun (free). No texting. Drink water-better for you and cheaper. Shop around. Dollar tree sometimes instead of WalMart even. Take $50 automatically out of your paycheck before you get it for savings (automatic withdrawal from work or bank). You won't notice it's gone if you didn't see it first. After a while, increase the amount. When you get a raise, put the raised amount into savings. Pay off debts with tax returns instead of shopping. Pay your car insurance for the year or six months with tax returns (one less bill each month). Only allow yourself one "treat" (clothes, etc.) per month or per paycheck. You can always get the other one next time. Shop clearance! Turn off lights when you're not there. Stop smoking, if you do. Good luck! Posted by: james Location: washoe valley Live off 90% of your income; and pay yourself first by means of a Roth IRA. You can use the money in the Roth towards a down payment on your 1st home. Also--sell stuff on Ebay for extra cash. Hope this is of use to you Kendra. Posted by: JOHN Location: Ohio ...I would not mind beans and mayonaise....I am a multimillionaire, and live by the next door millionaire budget....spend far far faar less than you ever make....it can be done...heck, I am 20 lbs overweight, as most Ohioans are, and lost 15 lbs last month.....those beans and bread to me are glorious carbs, I am on the Atkins diret, yes, the same one that let me lose 60 lbs in 1975 and 1981......just a matter of following it....those beans are glorious carbs to me, that I cannot have....I want to eat the beans and mayonnaise sandwich...I could eat them for 9 months in a row....luscious carbs that I cannot have.... Posted by: momof4boys Location: reno As far as groceries go I always shop at Smith's in Lemmon Valley. Their ad specials are great and I believe they have the cheapest price in town for milk, not to mention it is made without the growth hormones. Winco has very little variety and I wouldn't dare take my 4 boys in there. It is too crowded and the lines are too long plus you have to bag your own groceries. Raley's and Safeway are way overpriced on anything that isn't on ad or sale. Posted by: AG Location: NV Winco. This is really the big one. If you're not shopping for groceries at Winco you are literally throwing away a large amount of money over the year. Shopping at Winco is like having a 30% off everything card when it comes to food. Every once in awhile they'll comparison shop the competition and fill a cart with $100 of their groceries and buy the same at their competitors. Raleys, Safeway, Save Mart are almost always $140-150 for the exact same items. Even Wal-Mart is a tad more. Your competition, Channel 2, did a sweeps story on this and Winco bested Safeway by almost $20 ($38 to $57, I think). And Winco is a regular store, not a dent and off-brands like Grocery Outlet. If you shop even once there, it will literally pain you to walk through the aisles of a Raley's or Smith's. Posted by: AG Location: NV Cutting back on other expenses. Granted, some of these items may be considered essentials to living so cutting them out completely could be a no-no, but shopping around for a better deal can't hurt. Cable TV can add up to almost four-figures a year but if you can't live without it, perhaps Dish TV is cheaper. Or dropping some of the premium channels. Long distance, cell plans, DSL, etc. can all be shopped around. AT&T/Yahoo just raised their DSL rates to $25 a month, but I noticed Great Basin Internet has the same for $19.99 a month. That's $60 a year savings. And, finally, if you have a Starbucks addiction you pretty much know how much money you are blowing away every year there. Posted by: AG Location: Nevada Vanguard. Not sure of your 401k or IRA options, but if you want the best deal on Wall Street it's Vanguard. They pioneered index funds and their expense ratio fees are the lowest in the business. You can manage everything online if you want, or talk directly to them. They don't work on commission so you're not being sold a bill of goods. Over the years, the savings add up. Posted by: AG Location: Nevada Car stuff. You probably do all the known stuff to save gas (use 87 octane, have tires fully inflated, keep a clean air filter, etc.) But the best one is just driving slower. I just saw a video shot by an RGJ reporter where they drove out to Lovelock at 50 mph and got 32.8 mpg. They turned around and went 75 mph back and saw their mileage drop to 19.9 mph. I wouldn't advocate going 50 on I-80 but you can see the difference. Posted by: AG Location: Nevada Box fans. If you don't have one, pick up a cheap box fan and use it to move in cooler evening and morning air into your home and then close everything up and keep the shades drawn during the day. This will keep the home relatively cool for most the day and cut back on A/C use when you do need to fire it up. Posted by: AG Location: Nevada CFLs. People tend to talk about the environmental aspect of these lights, but there is a quick bottom line boost when you use them. We converted all our bulbs and I was actually surprised at how much our KW usage went down. It was probably a good 20%. The light is a little different, but you become acclimated to it relatively fast. There is really no need to buy the "$10 for a 3-pack" boxes. When I was in California last year I went in to a Dollar Tree and was surprised to find 4-packs for $1.00! Needless to say, I stocked up. Locally, I've seen Wal-Mart and Winco sell single 100-watt equivalent CFLs for $0.78 each. They won't last the promised seven years, I had two go bad in the first couple months, but the payback is within 30 days. Posted by: mary Location: crson city nevada Actually, a bean and mayonaise sandwich is quite tasty, add some catsup. |
