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Extreme penny-pinching

April 19th, 2011 at 01:15 pm

In the effort to reduce our grocery bill (my personal best is $149.00 for the month - which I KNOW can be much lower), I buy most of my bread items at the dollar store.

When I was in the check-out line, I saw a pregnancy test for ... well, obviously, it was for a $1. I thought "Who in the world would buy a $1 pregnancy test?" But clearly, someone does or it wouldn't be there, right?

Which made me start thinking of the craziest things I have ever done to save money.

Right after college, I had a few weeks of living on grits (a southern staple but not very nutritionally sound) and iced tea as I lived paycheck to paycheck. More recently, I used YouTube to learn to trim my own hair and do my own highlights. Since it worked out, I don't consider that too crazy, but my co-workers consider that equal to performing my own appendectomy! Smile

I have never collected and consolidated ketchup packets, but I have washed and re-used ziplock bags. I do unplug every appliance in my house and control the water heater and thermostat, but I don't hang laundry as often as I should.

Now that I think about it, I probably could do more extreme things than I do.

What is the "most extreme" thing you have heard of?

3 Responses to “Extreme penny-pinching”

  1. MonkeyMama Says:
    1303226903

    I don't have a good answer, but I know several people around here turn off their hot water heaters when they don't use it.

    For us, we just turn it down in the warm weather. It's extremely efficient and costs a few dollars to run in the spring/summer/fall.

    I mentioned recently that I turned DOWN the hot water heater because the air was warming up and I got some confused/semi-horrified replies from non-SA bloggers. I just thought it was funny. One said, "I never saw that recommended." Hmmmm, neither did I, but I could use my brain and figure out I didn't need the water to be so hot when it was 110 degrees outside. It kind of heats itself and we can turn it WAY down. Likewise, HOT showers are not a favorite past time in July. Wink For spring, it simply doesn't have to be turned up so high because the air is warmer and so the water has less to heat up.

  2. Ima saver Says:
    1303242834

    I am one of those weirdo's who keep the hot water heater turned off. I turn it on 20 minutes before a shower and running the dish washer.

  3. patientsaver Says:
    1303254592

    I don't turn my hot water heater off but I DO have it on a timer (just like my furnace thermostat) and I have it set so it only is on 3 hours a day. Never had a problem with lack of hot water.

    I call it "smart,"not crazy.

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