Been trying to think back to what my mum told me about ost war years. Remember she said a lot grew some veges and used the old barter system or just shared. Clothes were made and repaired. Sometimes a dress was changed to look a bit different as a new one. Entertainment was often food from home and family get togethers and picnics etc. Not the expensive things. Gifts were usually hand made if given. And a lot of simple values came back into many lives.

For as little as $20 you can buy an electric hair clipper and cut your own hair. I spread old newspapers out on the end of my bed, bend my head over them, and cut my hair; that way, there's nothing to vacuum or sweep up, and nothing to clog a drain. Even the cheapest haircuts in town are $4 at the barber college, and when I cut my own hair, I don't have to tip the barber. Of course, I'm no stylest, so I stick to cutting all of my hair a uniform one-and-a-half inches in length.

When you shop at the supermarket, first go to the back of the store where they have the discounted and damaged merchandise. The food in a dented can is still good, so long as the can isn't leaking. Often they put discontinued products there in order to clear shelves for other merchandise. If you like baked goods, you can find items that are a day or two away from their expiration date, marked down to half-price. If you shop during the days after holidays, you'll find items that are perfectly good - and perhaps even some decorations to put away for next year, at a lower price than you would otherwise spend. Don't, however, buy something just because it's cheap; stick to items that you would normally buy if they were marked at full price. You may also be able to find meats and fresh farm produce at discounts in other areas of stores.

Down here at present and i have been looking for it, is a cook book. My son and his wife found one, and a couple of others have. Every single thing in that book uses only 4 different ingredients per receipe you have as basics in your cupboard. They are going through it and marking the ones they like. Wasnt exy, and said some is good to eat and will definetly use again. May have to get them to keep an eye out for me as I cant find it.

Someone in the group might be able to find out if it's available by googling it on the web. Typing into a search engine

cookbook or cook book and four or 4 ingredients

might yield some results.

I buy dented and damaged goods. Sometimes when they drop the items or when they cut their boxes they accidently dent the cans or cut the boxes of food and there is nothing wrong with them so they mark them down and I buy trhem. You can do this anywhere at almost any store.

Jeanne, thats a great thought. Thanks.

We stopped eating at fast food places. We have saved a ton of money. Feel better and lost weight. I'm in a wheel chair so my husband does all the cooking. My contribution was finding a 10 day good eating plan. He now knows what to make,were eating heathy. Grocery shopping is easier, we pass the junk food aisles. My husband works from home so we save alot on gas, and repair bills. If anyone wants my meal plan let me know.

Isn't it great how Aust started the replies in this discussion topic by recalling a time in not-too-long-ago history when people made do with what little they had or managed to do without? Gifts were home-made, vegetables were grown in a little plot of dirt just outside the door, and people pooled their resources and know-how so that everyone could make it through to better times.

Jeanne36Roses is right, the damaged merchandise at stores is just as good as the regular merchandise, it's just that the packaging is a little dented or torn sometimes, or the store needed to clear out merchandise to make room for other products.

Certainly if there's anything you know that could help others, please share that information with the group here in this discussion topic or you can start your own discussion topic. DazyDuke, you could start a healthy eating or diet discussion topic if you like.

-making your own foods..saves...you get more and it costs less ,i find,,most likely healthier, no packaging additives
-empty your pockets when you get home, and at the end of the week count it out and double the value to be put in a bank or whatever you want to do
-yes, i definitly bought the foods i would eat while going out, so instead of going out i eat in ;) saves a lot
-when shopping online at either sears or chapters they have the option of allowing you to rate them highest to lowest price, you never know what you may find

Repair and alter your own clothes. Five dollars (a couple of British pounds) worth of needles and thread, along with your household scissors or a pocketknife, will allow you to sew on loose buttons, shorten pants legs, and stitch up fabric tears and ripped seams. Before you discard any article of clothing that is not suitable for charitable giving, remove the buttons for use as replacements on clothes with missing buttons. When buying needles for hand-sewing, look for a package containing a variety of needle and needle-eye sizes. The best thread for strength and color-fastness after laundering is cotton covered nylon or plain nylon; for starters, you'll want a spool of black, white, and a shade or two of blue. You can later complete your sewing kit with a thimble, seam ripper, measuring tape, and an assortment of buttons. Beware of those cheap sewing kits costing just a couple of bucks - they're made of inferior stuff and they are a total waste of your money. You're better off assembling your own sewing kit.

'Coupon Clippers' Group
Here on the Daily Strength Website
www.dailystrength.org/groups/coupon-clippers

Many people throw away their Sunday newspapers with the coupons still inside them. I shamelessly ask my neighbors for their old newspapers just so that I can get the coupons they contain. Although I no longer subscribe to daily delivery of a newspaper, I sometimes buy a copy of a newspaper because the cost is tiny compared to the value of the coupons and sales advertised in its pages.

Read the packaging of products you use to find the manufacturers' websites. Some websites may offer rebates, downloadable and printable coupons, free samples, sweepstakes, contests, and recipes.

You can use aspirin for many uses:

To remove calluses and corns: To create your own corn-softening compound; crush 5 aspirin until itâs a fine powder. Mix it with ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon water. Dab the paste onto the thickened skin; circle it with plastic wrap, then cover the plastic with a heated towel. Remove everything after 10 minutes and gently scrub away the loosened skin with a pumice stone.

Insect bites: Make an aspirin paste to stop the itching. Use the back of a spoon and crush one or two aspirin on a small plate or cutting board. Add enough water to make a paste, then dab the paste on the sting site. Ingredients in the aspirin neutralize the venom.

Reviving dead car batteries: If you are stranded and no one is around to give you a jump, drop 2 aspirin tablets into the battery itself. The aspirinâs acetylsalicylic acid mixes with the batteryâs sulfuric acid to produce one last charge. Make sure you drive it to the nearest service station.

Restoring hair color: Dissolve 6-8 aspirins in a glass of warm water. Rub solution thoroughly into your hair, and let it set for 10-15 minutes.

Dry up pimples: Crush one aspirin and moistened it with warm water. Apply the paste to the pimple and let it sit for a couple of minutes before washing it off with soap and water. If the pimple persists, repeat the procedure as needed until itâs gone.

Control dandruff: Crush 2 aspirins to a fine powder and adding it the normal amount of shampoo you use each time you wash your hair. Leave it on for 1-2 minutes, then rinse well and wash again with plain shampoo.

There are many other everyday household uses we can use and do to save money not only during these times, but whenever we want to make something and save $$.

Good topic Beaumont.