Expenses
I'm trying to find ways to cut my expenses more. The money's just not going far enough. I've cut my smoking down to a pack every day and a half. That's down from a carton a week. Let's see, that's about 4 packs a week. I'm looking into cutting my cable-internet-phone bill. It's sitting at $160 a month. I'm with Time Warner Cable and that's just too much. May try lowering the internet speed since I got the fastest to try for the home job at Convergys. Hope it doesn't cut the speed too much for YouTube. I get a lot of entertainment from there. All my entertainment comes from TV and the internet. Thinking about getting MagicJack. I think that's $20 a year? I've checked Grande and AT&T, but they don't have some of the channels I love and Grande isn't any lower. I can't see how I can reduce the food bill any. I'm living on beans, baloney, wieners, Ramen noodles, etc. It looks like any kind of real meat is out and I'll have to rely on the tuna and chicken in the salads I make every week. Some expenses are musts,,,electric, gas, water, and car insurance. I can't see where I can lower the electric. The house is never cool enough. In fact, it was so hot in the bed room tonight I had to put a fan in and still couldn't sleep. The bed room AC is turned on an hour before bedtime and turned off when I get up. The doors to the bed rooms are closed during the day. My thermal curtains need to be replaced. I honestly think they lowered my electric bill at least $20 a month, but I'm not sure about the gas during the winter although it's never warm in the house. Then, there are the prescription drugs. Even though I get them at Walmart, they cost money. Maybe, part of the problem tonight is the money worries. I'm normally asleep now(10:30PM) to be up at 3AM tomorrow. If anyone has suggestions, let me know.
Replies
I have AT&T UVerse internet and it is $35.00 per month. I forget the speed but it is high speed but not the highest. I have Virgin Mobile for my cell and it is $25.00 each month with the smart phone - Optimus V - this plan has unlimited web and text and 300 anytime voice minutes. If you look on YouTube for the ones on the Optimus V there are some very informative videos on it. Low income people can get low cost \'life-line\' telephone service - not sure what it is called in TX but here is a cell company that has the lifeline service but it was not in my area but may be in yours. http://www.assurancewireless.com/Public/Welcome.aspx
I\'m hoping to get my solar food dehydrator constructed soon - will have to see how it goes. I have that rigid foam insulation and it allows light to filter through it and insulates pretty much as a Styrofoam coffee cups do - very insulating- $10.00 a sheet at Home Depot and comes in 8\'X4\' sheets. May work for your windows and you could cover them with something attractive - I have mini blinds that show to the \'outside\' world and the foam sheet is placed on the inside of that so no one sees it from outside.
Your sleep trouble is like with me - our brains are working on solutions.
Microwave is the best way to cook and keeps the house cool in summer while using very little energy. Crock pots are terrific at slow cooking up a meal and you can let it set pretty much unattended for hours. Great for pots of beans with everything easy to toss into it for a soup.
I use heating pads to keep warm in bed, chair or anywhere I happen to be.
I do the shopping about six times a year and stock up on non-perishables such as beans, split peas, salt, flour, oil, old fashioned oats in bulk, large bags of raisins - cheap here in CA. I drive less than 100 miles per year but that also means I have to use the battery charger and use it as a float charger to keep the battery up.
Ajax dish soap is my \'everything\' cleaner - it is my shampoo, bath soap, dish soap and everything else I need to clean soap. It degreases great and does not leave any soap film on hair, tub, etc. I use laundry detergent in the large tubs and ware my clothes for at least a week but that is also because I do not have a working bathtub and take sponge baths and with my illness keeping me sick in bed so much it is alright not to change clothes so often. I purchase the generic brands at Wall Mart and we have a terrific store - Win co - that has good food prices and lots of bulk items such as the oats I purchase. Their rotisserie full chickens are only about $5.00 each - that is a lot of delicious, BBQed chicken for a little money. I\'m not so much a meat eater any longer so I don\'t do that very often. We have \'Home Town Buffet\' all you can eat and they have a Sunday breakfast for around $7.00 that is all you can eat of eggs, bacon, orange juice and anything else you can think of for breakfast -- along with all the milk you can drink. I have not been for awhile but it is a great way to feel good about getting out; saving money and eating in a nice place where you don\'t have dishes to wash when you are done.
((hugs)) Patricia
i understand that magic-jack is horrible that\'s
about all i know though i totally understand the money crunch...hang in there
My AT&T High Speed internet that is $35.00 per month is called \"AT&T Uverse Pro\"
((hugs)) Patricia