Here's an oldy but goody that I posted five years ago that is still very relevant today.
Financial planners recommend that people with lower incomes should budget in the following way for budget categories like housing, food, etc..For example, for a couple making 1,500 a month (considered lower income) the following would be the breakdown. But your son and daughter in law are maybe not even making that much.
Housing 35% $525
Utilities 8% $120
Food 10% $150
Transport 15%
Clothing 4% $60
Personal 5% $75
Savings 5% $75
Debt 10% $150
Subtotal $1,380
Medical 8% $120
Total 100% $1,500
I like to read over the tips threads and I'm a big fan of ME!
That's because I forget half the things I post and they are new all over again
I'm a big fan of y'all, too!
----------------
Who posted that you can easily start a Meyer lemon tree from cuttings? Can you elaborate?
--------------
Friend has some muscadines for me to get starts from . I can't wait. Any advice?
-------------
My grapes have seeds, Can you cut out the seeds and THEN dehydrate?
----------------
I hope to sew some old towels into homemade swiffer pads.
-------
For those needing guerilla tips on being frugal: Bubble wrap on your windows insulates, yet lets in the sun.
-----------------
I have saved tons of money over the years by just cooking from scratch with everyday ingredients. Cooking show people make money by making new recipes with new, more expensive, hard to find ingredients. Martha S, is like that. I work full time and don't have time to fiddle, either. So instead of lasagna, I make ziti. You get the idea. I cook only two or three times a week and make enough for lunches and frozen future meals. This way there is always a homemade meal, yet I'm not having to cook everyday.
---------------
When I make my bread, I make double the recipe in the breadmaker, let it rise once, punch down and let it rise in bread pans the second time.
----------------
While I am not a vegetarian, I use meat sparingly. When times were tight, I stretched meat by slipping in mashed, cooked beans. I'm starting to do this again for health purposes. I'll be making moussaka today with half beans and half meat. Also need to use up some mixed vegetables today so will be making fried rice with that.
----------------
We have had many conversations about how expensive fruit is. I read something that challenged what I did: You don't need two pieces of fruit a day. You need four-8 one cup servings of Fruit OR Vegetables. I don't need the extra sugar from fruit to have more than one serving a day. I've been trying to take either celery sticks or carrot sticks in my lunch daily. These have lots of fiber and are better for you. Plus, each year I plant more fruit trees, berries, etc..
In fact, half of your plate should be fruits or vegetables. Only one fourth should be starch. That alone has saved us tons of unnecessary calories! AND dollars.
----------------------
If you are buying a van because "sometimes" you need more seats or a truck because "sometimes" you might need it, think again. I tell my husband that it would be better to drive two smaller, fuel efficient vehicles to fit the larger crowd once in a while than to pay for the extra expense of a van and the extra gas usage of a van ALL YEAR LONG. One of our cars will be a fuel efficient hatchback with rails on top and a way to haul a trailer on back. If we really need a big bed trailer, we can rent a truck--that only happens once in five years for us.
---------------------
I use the cereal and cracker wax inserts for rolling out noodles, tortillas, keeping the counter clean when I knead dough, etc..
-------------------
Thank you all for your tips. Notbutanapron and Prov31 wife, if I haven't welcomed you, please consider yourself welcomed by me. Notbutanapron, I'm not exactly sure what you mean by your "Oil" but it reminds me of something called Ajvar which is roasted red peppersand garlic mixed with oil and used as a bread spread. Very delish. Very healthy. Good use for bread ends. I've been using my bread ends toasted for hummis dip.
And you are right, Prov31 woman, most don't want to know what you are doing, or if they do will just think you "cheap." No one called our grand parents and great grandparents "cheap" for supporting their own families themselves. Since when (well I have an idea) does living within your means mean something bad? Or Shameful? As I've said many, many times: People who mock and complain the most are usually people who will later ask for money and are in financial trouble (maybe not at that moment, but wait....) I have a friend I love with grown children who is a lot of fun to share ideas with as she wants her children to be self supporting and thriving. Me too!