buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I meant don't buy coffee at Starbucks etc. That's why I brought up the $5 per serving.
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Ways to economize
- Thread starter slobake
- Start date
Congrats on retirement! I can’t keep a bass. I have took several back to GC during the return date. Sold a few. One I wish I had back. I have 3, that is my max. Also My issue is back issues. I have been moving to a lightweight cab. The lighter they are the more they cost!! Right now I don’t have a big sound setup if there is no FOH. My current gig is really small. Low pay but fun and good experience and keeps me sharp opposed to practicing with YouTube!
I am an orphan with no inheritance money and parental support since I went to college
Every city says their libraries are the coolest, Santa Fe probably has the best architecture
This is an obvious idea that we hadn't done for many years - plan out evening meals and make a list that you use when you go to the grocery store. For a long time we would just go to the store and come up with meal ideas as we went through the store. The end result of that was that 25-30% of what we bought would end up going to the landfill as wasted overage purchases.
Yep on pets.
Health wise -- Really walk your dogs, not just around 2 city blocks, I do what you call Mountain Mondays. Minimum 300 elevation gain, at least 3 miles hike. Yesterday we did 1350 and no winter or snow is not an excuse. And the small is a 12 lb Cairn terrier already 11 years old. Can do a 5K slow jog with me. The other one of course is an athlete -- Also good for you. Almost every locale in America is close to nature My nephew doesn;t wlak his Golden and now it is overweight and will have hiop problems pretty soon and it is not even 5, I also cook their food, Saves money somewhat and no junk to make them sick in the long run
Pics ot it is not real
Sandia Crest Trail in Feb 9800 feet elevation ( yeah lap dog hiked 2,7 miles one way ) miles -- They are a hardy bred, Not meant for couches,
Navigating these types of terrain works their brain even the little one manage for about 90% , It went on for miles until we were at the base of South peak
Health wise -- Really walk your dogs, not just around 2 city blocks, I do what you call Mountain Mondays. Minimum 300 elevation gain, at least 3 miles hike. Yesterday we did 1350 and no winter or snow is not an excuse. And the small is a 12 lb Cairn terrier already 11 years old. Can do a 5K slow jog with me. The other one of course is an athlete -- Also good for you. Almost every locale in America is close to nature My nephew doesn;t wlak his Golden and now it is overweight and will have hiop problems pretty soon and it is not even 5, I also cook their food, Saves money somewhat and no junk to make them sick in the long run
Pics ot it is not real
Sandia Crest Trail in Feb 9800 feet elevation ( yeah lap dog hiked 2,7 miles one way ) miles -- They are a hardy bred, Not meant for couches,
Navigating these types of terrain works their brain even the little one manage for about 90% , It went on for miles until we were at the base of South peak
At least it’s a house pet that is happy to see you when you come home.Whatever you do don't buy one of these. We did and this ball of fur has cost me $10k in five months between vet bills, supplies, damage to property, etc.
View attachment 7512098
We're both 71 and lived out most of our younger/dumber days and try to mostly live in the Now I Know Better. We purposely have modest expenses, essentially only a small mortgage and utilities. I keep exactly one credit card I keep in case the water heater or some sudden expense comes up.
I've loved grocery stores my whole life (weird, innit?), and have made quite the game out of saving money in them. But prices are zooming so bad, I go in and look around and don't know whether to laugh or cry at the crazy price tags.
If you think about it, save for some canned goods and some incidentals like small appliances, EVERYTHING in a grocery store is going bad, minute by minute. So they are always going to run some sales to clear a category, a particular brand will run a sale to push product, etc. Here in Nashville, most of the 'Weekly Ads' come out on Wednesday and run through next Tuesday, whether Kroger, Publix, or local mom and pops (yours truly NEVER goes to WalMart). So any time there's a really good sale or a buy one/get one for packaged goods (nothing that needs refrigeration or fruit/vegetables), I stock up and stick them back.
Coffee, pasta, oils, rice, beans, etc. The store has to move it now, or write it off, and that's when it's my turn to save.
Of course we have the 'organic' stores, Whole Check Market, Sprouts, etc., but with all the farms around here, not much point. Actually, the best produce are several of the large Mexican or Asian markets here in town. Besides, you can't get yucca fries or good pho at the Hot Line at Kroger !
Fruits and vegetables are mostly buy now/eat now, and then there's meat. It's only two of us and the best deals are these 'Family Packs' but what are two older folks who are light eaters do with that many chicken wings, chops, etc.?
So I bought a vacuum sealer, divvy every thing up to meal amounts, date them, and vac'd they'll keep for months with no freezer burn. They thaw out beautifully, and there's dinner.
It's the one game I can play with my money (I DON'T gamble) that I usually always come out to the good.
I've loved grocery stores my whole life (weird, innit?), and have made quite the game out of saving money in them. But prices are zooming so bad, I go in and look around and don't know whether to laugh or cry at the crazy price tags.
If you think about it, save for some canned goods and some incidentals like small appliances, EVERYTHING in a grocery store is going bad, minute by minute. So they are always going to run some sales to clear a category, a particular brand will run a sale to push product, etc. Here in Nashville, most of the 'Weekly Ads' come out on Wednesday and run through next Tuesday, whether Kroger, Publix, or local mom and pops (yours truly NEVER goes to WalMart). So any time there's a really good sale or a buy one/get one for packaged goods (nothing that needs refrigeration or fruit/vegetables), I stock up and stick them back.
Coffee, pasta, oils, rice, beans, etc. The store has to move it now, or write it off, and that's when it's my turn to save.
Of course we have the 'organic' stores, Whole Check Market, Sprouts, etc., but with all the farms around here, not much point. Actually, the best produce are several of the large Mexican or Asian markets here in town. Besides, you can't get yucca fries or good pho at the Hot Line at Kroger !
Fruits and vegetables are mostly buy now/eat now, and then there's meat. It's only two of us and the best deals are these 'Family Packs' but what are two older folks who are light eaters do with that many chicken wings, chops, etc.?
So I bought a vacuum sealer, divvy every thing up to meal amounts, date them, and vac'd they'll keep for months with no freezer burn. They thaw out beautifully, and there's dinner.
It's the one game I can play with my money (I DON'T gamble) that I usually always come out to the good.
Cook a little more for dinner and bring the leftovers as lunch. The spices really pull into the food and it will in a way taste better as leftovers than as the original dinner.
This is a thing going on between Slo and me for many years. We have harrassed each other over burritos and tuna noodle cassarole. Im convinced he mentioned it for my benefit
Kinda surprised at how many channels I can pull in OTA (over the air) with a $12 Amazon antenna one-time purchase versus $90 / month of YouTube TV that we really only used to watch football games and some news channels. This was the antenna we ended up going with, and I guess it's $19 not $12:
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I throw almost no food away. Protein gets used up completely (freeze if you bought too much), and leftover veggies go in omelet, stew, .... I'll even use the leaves from a bunch of beets.
Also: if you think you need to go grocery shopping, make a deliberate pass through your fridge/pantry and throw together whatever you find, postpone shopping by a day.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
My wife and I have always lived as below our means as possible, and it's served us well. After going through the 2008 crash, I learned even more about maximizing resources.
Paying for convenience is one of the biggest financial drains these days. I don't buy the 'stop buying avocado toast if you want to buy a house' trope, but it is a fact that little things add up. Make coffee at home. Make 95% of your meals at home (even more essential if you have dietary restrictions), treat takeout and eating at restaurants as a 'special occasion' thing. If eating out for 2 people costs $50-100 (which is easy to do these days), consider how many groceries that could have bought for multiple meals. That said, buy quality groceries, even if they cost a little more. Ensuring you have good, healthy food is an insurance policy in and of itself against health issues later. I see paying a little more for organic, etc where necessary and prudent as an investment in my health. 'Cheap' food is cheap for a reason. And there's nothing wrong with tuna-noodle casserole. Add some veggies, some smoked paprika and some spice, and it's not just a boring, bland dish.
Keep your car(s) well maintained. A well-maintained used/older car is 'greener' than a fancy new hybrid or electric because it's one less car in a junkyard, especially if it's paid off. Way too many people trade up/lease every few years and constantly have a car payment - I buy cars, pay them off, and drive them for decades. But if you're spending as much or more per month to maintain that old car than a new car payment might be, or there are major issues like electrical problems, engine/transmission issues you're sinking thousands into fixing, it's possibly time to consider a change. Been there, did that. If you have to buy a new vehicle, carefully consider used vs. new prices. New might actually be better if used prices are inflated - and having a warranty is a nice bonus. You can usually get a better interest rate on a new vs used vehicle too.
Stay up to date on home maintenance (HVAC, etc). Carefully consider 'want' vs 'need' when it comes to stuff like new basses, amps, etc. I'm at a point where I am shedding gear... no need or desire for anything new. Buy physical media for movies and music so that you own it. Ditch as many subscriptions as possible. Learn how to do as much basic home/car, etc maintenance on your own.
I often look at how much people travel by air and wonder how they do it. I have to assume much of it is paid for by employers or someone else, because plane tickets are not cheap. For my wife and I to travel together costs more than our mortgage.
Speaking of mortgages - just because you're approved for X amount doesn't mean you buy a home at the top end of the budget. Know what you want and stick to it.
Paying for convenience is one of the biggest financial drains these days. I don't buy the 'stop buying avocado toast if you want to buy a house' trope, but it is a fact that little things add up. Make coffee at home. Make 95% of your meals at home (even more essential if you have dietary restrictions), treat takeout and eating at restaurants as a 'special occasion' thing. If eating out for 2 people costs $50-100 (which is easy to do these days), consider how many groceries that could have bought for multiple meals. That said, buy quality groceries, even if they cost a little more. Ensuring you have good, healthy food is an insurance policy in and of itself against health issues later. I see paying a little more for organic, etc where necessary and prudent as an investment in my health. 'Cheap' food is cheap for a reason. And there's nothing wrong with tuna-noodle casserole. Add some veggies, some smoked paprika and some spice, and it's not just a boring, bland dish.
Keep your car(s) well maintained. A well-maintained used/older car is 'greener' than a fancy new hybrid or electric because it's one less car in a junkyard, especially if it's paid off. Way too many people trade up/lease every few years and constantly have a car payment - I buy cars, pay them off, and drive them for decades. But if you're spending as much or more per month to maintain that old car than a new car payment might be, or there are major issues like electrical problems, engine/transmission issues you're sinking thousands into fixing, it's possibly time to consider a change. Been there, did that. If you have to buy a new vehicle, carefully consider used vs. new prices. New might actually be better if used prices are inflated - and having a warranty is a nice bonus. You can usually get a better interest rate on a new vs used vehicle too.
Stay up to date on home maintenance (HVAC, etc). Carefully consider 'want' vs 'need' when it comes to stuff like new basses, amps, etc. I'm at a point where I am shedding gear... no need or desire for anything new. Buy physical media for movies and music so that you own it. Ditch as many subscriptions as possible. Learn how to do as much basic home/car, etc maintenance on your own.
I often look at how much people travel by air and wonder how they do it. I have to assume much of it is paid for by employers or someone else, because plane tickets are not cheap. For my wife and I to travel together costs more than our mortgage.
Speaking of mortgages - just because you're approved for X amount doesn't mean you buy a home at the top end of the budget. Know what you want and stick to it.
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JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Yep - and most everyone is just a few paychecks away from financial hardship. Late-stage capitalism is not kind to anyone except the 1%.
I have a "Make A List!" app that I use to plan shopping. I have about 18 pages of items that I've bought at least once. I uncheck just the things I'm getting so they go to the top. As I check them in the store they go back in order. I also have everything categorized by what aisle or area it's in. So I seldom have to back track. I save money and time.
Yeah, my wife and I use a shared Apple Notes page and have something similar with the sections roughly in the order of the path we take through the store.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Garden/herb garden. A basil plant is often cheaper that a bunch of cut basil, and will give you pesto all summer.
I didn't realize the joke was specifically between you and him, but I posted this knowing that he has been railing against the evils of TNC for many years here.
