Fibromyalgia Support Group

Don't think it is ever going to get 'cheaper' to live, but, hopefully it will stop spiraling out of control soon (?)

Today, received a 'new bill' -- the fire department is now charging residents $42 a month for fire services. That doesn't mean IF you need them, it means you pay $42 a month, regardless. Makes me wonder what our city/county taxes cover???

It is so hard and causes a lot of stress for many.

I worry very much about our elderly.

This month I am buying a lot of Campbells soup! With the gas prices, car insurance, home insurance, health insurance it just goes on and on.

This is a good reminder for us to take the time to call and inquire about getting better rates on our services!

How many of us have been with the same auto/ home / life insurance company for years upon years?

I just had a garbage company come to my door asking if we'd consider them. I was able to cut our garbage bill in half. I ordered the largest recycling container and a smaller garbage container. Most of our garbage is recycling anyways.

Buy in bulk. These shopping days wipe me out. But it saves us money.

I'm a little pressed for time here, I have more tips. I'll come back and post them to share. Even if one tip helps saves others even $50...that's $50 saved for the year!

I have been Broke many times within my Life...Alone, raising 3 Kids..Times we went without...and we did Not have the Added Expense of Cable TV, Internet, Cell phones...

Our Fun Times Consisted of going to the lake, fishing, swimming...where the Only thing Spent was "Time Together".

Never did I Feel Entitled to anything...I had what I had...and what I had I earned....I had to work "Man Jobs"...which at 5'3" and averaged 105 pounds was Not an easy task...but I did it..many times Men Tried to Come to my rescue...No TY...get my kids raised, THEN think about that again..

being broke never bothered me...Gave me Strength, Confidence in that I Knew I could Endure..my kids were never spoiled kids...they Now all have an unbelievable "Work ethic"...even had I the Money, I would Not have spoiled them..there were times when they wanted things we could NOT afford...and they got Angry with me...they got over it...

Look around...Prioritize...see what you CAN do without...Write down the Things you Need, and a List of the things you want..I have no idea if you work, or if you are married...or how old you are...or if ya have kids..I Like my Life Simple...No matter what I Always stuck 10 percent of my paycheck into a savings account...just in case..I did without things just so I could do that.

We cannot Live our lives according to who has what..there are Greedy Thieves in this world that will Keep us down..If you are Not happy with that Arrangement then Stand Up...make calls, Write letters, gather your Friends and Family to stand Against the big Corporations..we get Angry, yet we turn a blind eye to it all...

As far as meds go...I have No idea what conditions you all have...if there are some Alternative therapies that may benefit you so that you don't have to spend the Big Bucks on these meds...my daughter had Continuous Sinus Infections...i bought her a 30 dollar neti pot...cleared her right up...as opposed to the Big Dollar Sinus meds she was on every month that did nothing but drain her pocket book...do some research...

if ya have a credit card...get it & keep it paid off...you would be Amazed at how much goes out the window every month in Finance, interest...if ur late a penalty...IF it is a High interest card, and you cannot pay it off every month...negotiate a better rate...I have transferred balances if I cannot get a better rate, and close that card..I have worked Long and hard for my credit rating and No company is gonna SCREW Me...I will show em a WHOLE new position...Pay attention to WHAT you are spending...keep a Money journal..I taught my husband how to negotiate a better rate...he was amazed at how a few simple Phone calls...do this with your Insurance companies as well...we have several vehicles with one insurance company...I did a search and found I could save ALOT of money with another...for the SAME protection...I printed it out...took it to my Agent...yea...we got a Good deal..yes we did...and I got HUGS from my hubby !!

Pay a bit extra {if you can} on Financed property...House, car..Pay Extra on the Principle..even an extra 25-50 a month...this can save Alot of money in Interest over the Long haul..

People WILL Take your Monies...never doubt that...work Just as hard at Saving it as you do Earning it !!

too strech your soup add chopped up potoes cheap & rice & extra macroni or egg noodles!

my mom always saved all the juices from canned veggies & any left overs like pototoes, rice veggies,including spagetti w/ sauce & put them in 2 large bowl she kept in freezer= one/chicken,turksy rice other beef,port, noodles when it was full 2xawk we would have surprise soup & fresh bread or crackers= it was so good! & she would always add a reg can of beef or chicken soup to it!
to save on gas & electric i have unplugged everything except furnace & refrig! yes it is not convient to just turnon a light i bought several of those round flat little push lights & keep them near doors & near light soarce so i can plug in lights if need be! i have also shut all doors on rooms i'm not using diealed down to 62* & have a small oil filled heater(no flame)w/ a auto therm set to 68* if my bedroom gets colder it turns on! & i just put on another sweather!
keep curtain open in day,letin heat & shut @ night keeps out cold! also turn down your hot water heater! just doing these things =I have saved $40amo & the city weatheraztion program gave me $200 to go to one of their workshops & they gave me a new shower head a thingy to put in toilet o save water, a programable thermast & 8 tubes of caulking
so check out city hall to see if they have any programs in your state! ITS worth it!
& sign up for home heating credit before cot 30 =i got $264 back!

every bit helps!
go around house & unplug everything
why do people need three digtal clocks in kitchen???GO CHECK!
example one on stove, one on micro wave, one on coffee maker, & some have one on refrig, radio,=all these things add up unplug them!

just loved dakota's advice. it's expensive to be sick and hard to earn. not competative anymore. but your comments gave me courage. very satisfied that all my kids are working. i used to get them their first jobs at a local gas station so everything would be up from that. i've never heard of so much unemployment as now. and middle class men in their 40's losing hope.

Getting off of two of my meds will save me about 150.00 a month. Ask your doc if he has any samples of the rx that he is giving you. Mine used to give me enough that I would break even on his fee.
I buy all of my OTC meds, paper products and laundry stuff at Family Dollar, they are so expensive at other places.
I cut out fast foods except maybe once a week (when I treat myself) and keep it to about 5 dollars.
I hate to, but I shop at Walmart for some of my groceries, because like it or not, they are less expensive. I take advantage of the buy one get one free at the other stores.
I go to Goodwill to check to see if they have what I'm looking for before I go to the department stores. I bought a brand new blanket there for $10 a couple of weeks ago and a nice blouse for $4. Mondays are 1/2 price days, so you can pick up new T~shirts for the kids or teens for about $1.50.
I just started crafting again and actually found sterling silver earrings at the craft shop for $4-5. Lots of good inexpensive gift ideas for Christmas there.
And the Dollar Tree is great for alot of things!

I am going through the same thing. If everything were "perfect" I would have 150.00 extra, but something always comes up, and I end up down or negative..I do not have good credit due to illness, and not working now, so I cannot get a loan to get a head.... I completely understand. raindrop

I wish I were not so sick. 11 mos ago, running around, now bedridden, not enough meds to walk well. If you just unplug the coffee pot, does that cheapen your bill? I did get on a payment plan with the electric co, and went through and took out 120.00 of bills on my checking by changing things around. My doctor is not good, and sees me every two weeks, not enough meds, and no refills on the ones that I could get, but I will go to Walmart. I am down to 1400 a month, with rent being almost half of that, and car insurance, utilities. I have poor credit, because I just got too ill. I used to have a condo in San Diego, bought 120,000, got very sick from a drug reaction, and I listened to my dad and sold it. Not good. it is 500,000 now, and he could have helped for 2 mos at that time I got better, but it took 4months after 10 days of taking zoloft, I got symptoms of mult sclerosis, and was laid off. I had bills, and had to live on proceeds from my condo which I loved. I am going to work with the credit cards, but I have 4 , and I think I am going to call all , and just have one, the one that has the biggest limit for me, and pay it down, for emergencies. But right now, I need my health better.