Share tips for saving money here!

Here are some things I've learned. Please add on to the list! Cancel the cable. Really. You won't be missing much. Cancel subscriptions to magazines, newspapers, luxury services. NO fast food or dining out. Buy NO cigarettes or alcohol. Now's a great time to quit. Call your credit card companies. Most will lower your interest rate just for asking on the phone. Check your credit report. If there are errors, they might be affecting your interest rates. The report will tell you how to get errors deleted or fixed. Ask your insurance company if you're getting all the discounts you qualify for. (NEVER cancel your insurance! If necessary, change the deductable, but don't cancel altogether!) Stop washing your car. It'll rain. (Or wash it yourself IN the rain. It's fun.) Set up a "wish list" or registry at a major store, like Target or Wal-Mart. Ask friends and family to check it out for your birthday or other holidays, so you get what you need. Cancel the gym membership (or any other membership you don't have time to use). Buy a set of weights. Shop using a list, and don't stray from the list unless it's for toilet paper, which you forgot to put on the list. Coffee is not a staple. Drink water. It's good for you. Buy clothes that don't have to be dry-cleaned. Instead of going out, have friends over, and ask them all to bring a snack to share. Then watch a movie you already own, or ask each friend to bring their favorite movie, and then vote on one when everyone gets there. See if your bank uses online checking. It's a time-saver AND a money-saver. Never buy checks or stamps again! And it's easy, easy, easy! Buy used books. Try www.Half.com or a used book store. Sell yours, and earn credit toward buying more. Never buy a tee-shirt in a store. Someone will give you one, or you'll earn one by volunteering, or some kid will be selling them, and you'll buy one. Same thing with coffee mugs and ties. On trips, don't buy souvineers. Take pictures. You'll never have to dust them. And postcards are just fine for "gifts for people back home." No one REALLY wants a shot glass from someplace they've never been themselves. Who's got more to add?

Hang dry clothes sunshine is free. Use that garden for more than pretty posies...good earth make good food. Consider more unusal animals...rabbits give great fertilizer pellets..otherwise known as poopoo...and they eat grass!. If you eat meat they can become dinner as a desperate measure. (I wouldn't though too cute) Angoras also make wool for spinning and knitting or crochetting. Learn to knit or crochette, why buy fancy store bought clothes when you can make a winter jacket with second hand yarn bought for $1. Take 5 minute showers and save on the water bill...yeah really. Learn sewing and pick up fabric scraps at yard sales and second hand stores...always bargain these pieces down because almost no one buys them. I made off with 7 yards of good fabric for just $1. Two of my girls will have a dress for 50 cents each...or $1 including buttons and thread. Don't buy anything that you don't NEED. Need = food, clothing, and shelter. Food should only be nutritous food, not this stuff posing as food. If you have a wood stove, clean the chimney and use it. Fill the wood racks by hook and by crook. That means search for wood in local areas and haul home what has fallen off, lays around or is given freely for a little sweat equity. Offer to help someone with chores, errands etc...and use their facilities to do so...they might give you a free meal out of it...or let you run your errands along with them. Make whatever you can from what you already have. I have a LARGE yarn store and my son is getting a crochette winter coat this winter. He got a crochette hat for his birthday...and my daughters are getting homemade gifts as well. I am not renewing any of my magazines : except one...It taught me to do this stuff and more. It has already saved me three times it's purchse price so it pays for itself. Find free entertainment and make use of it when possible. Like free days at the museme..take a nice stroll there of course, time at the park...stroll there as well with in 5 miles, free days at the art gallery, stroll there, ...pretty much any FREE event is worth checking out. If you are invited to the movies decline and say "Sorry I can't afford to go..." If your friend knows about your financial hardship. Often times They will pay for you to go because they just want your company. And don't feel like it's a hand out...say thank you like it was a gift and send (hand delivered if poss from a nice walk) a thank you card. Have movie day on Fridays, pop popcorn and make sure you have the oldest free google videos you can find like the day the earth stood still. Good movie...good anti war message. Ride your bike to work if your employed outside the home...if employed inside be thankful you save all that gas. If you need a job...search the internet. WAHM, has lots of job listings, from psychic readers to data entry. You have to be very diligent to actually get employment. Learn to eat oatmeal, rice, lentils, pinto's and split peas...all very healthy all very cheap and even cheaper bought in bulk. (25-100 lbs) Ladies, make up, special hair gels, and cremes won't improve on god or goddesses handy work...so don't buy monthy make up regimines...the only thing I would spring for is the scientifically backed things like retinal A, glyco peels, and sunscreen. (do you homework) Learn the art of stain removal with lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda...and other low cost cleaners... Paper dolls are cheap entertainment for little ones that last hours. Paper hats and airplanes too....: ) Visit your local library for entertaining evenings...find a good book and read a chapter or two out loud each evening. Turn internet radio or podcasts on that are age appropriate and everyone can gather round the computer to enjoy an evening at home. (much like the radio in year of long ago) Do you have a special talent...well maybe you don't think so but others might. Entertain and don't be shy...if you can sing or dance do it! Hold a talent show for kids...they love it...and it's fun to see. This is prime picture material....with your digital camera you can save the pics to you online care2 album and share the fun with everyone.

For cartoons go to www.crunchyroll.com We watch one Naruto a night. These are subtitled but wonderful entertainment for older children. (12 plus) When the student loans, the credit card bills, and everything comes and the ends don't meet....stay calm. Remember there is a way. Start looking for jobs online to supplement what you already get.

Have at least one set of only dress clothes...these are used only for special occasions...that way you can always have something to wear. Make sure it is a classic style that's easy to keep in good repair, like a long black skirt and a nice plain blouse. You can dress it up and change it with a scarf, a pin, a hat, a bag or what ever you have. (or a dress shirt and dress pants for men) Have one set of work clothes...these should be your uglies beat up oldest messed up almost garbage rags clothes...great for gardening, yard work, and other nasty chores. Like that 12 year old t shirt annie your best friend in high school turned worst enemy in college gave you...GREAT YARD CLOTHES. It'll feel good to get some use out of that t shirt. Have one set of night clothes...something clean and fesh to jump into between hard work days after the nights 5 minute shower...... The there's your work uniform...this could be the afore mentioned work clothes or dress clothes. Other than that you don't really need much more as long as you wash every night...another reason you need your night clothes Always always buy shoes second hand...for kids and your self. And always have disifectant spray for the shoes...then wash in hot water. This will KILL anything int he shoe. Disinfectant spray could be bleach and water from a spray bottle into the soles of the shoes. I haven't found a way to make good shoes or I would show you. Socks are fine for indoor use...bare feet are too. This keeps the use of your shoes for when you need them. Don't toss old shoes...because they are worn...shine them or use shoe polish...even a little wax will or oil will make them look better...depending on the kind of material used. Super glue, duct tape and other things work wonders at getting extra miles out too. (shoes are a huge expense in my houes of 7) Buy new shoe strings instead of new shoes...or fix old ones by cutting the puffy parts off and twisting then dipping the ends in wax. Clear tape, duct tape, or electrical tape works too. When I was a kid I would wrap my shoe strings in different colored tape all the way up and down as soon as I got them...this was a fashion statement and a way to preserve the strings. I only wore combat boots..because they switched form casual to sheek easily and they shined up easily and nicely. Can't sew that seem right a way Pin it. That's what saftey poins are for! I used to use safety pins instead of sewing as a child though...until I got a pin in my side in the middle of the night. OUCH! So make sure you actually fix it before you wear it next. Do your own car repairs with in your ability. Check all the fluids...change the oil...change the wipers ect...these are thing EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW. down grade services...sure Dial up sucks...but do you NEED the fastest DSL there is? What about long distance...Voip is free thru skype till the end of the year. If that doesn't get ya happy then earn minutes for free at phonehog.com I have earned 200 minutes there, and they are good anywhere...it costs 20 minutes for every call from a pay phone. When they say "Just for trying it you get our free gift" Try it and then send it back or cancel...keep the gift and give it as a Christmas/Yule present to someone you know who needs it. Remember to send it back or cancel though or that free gift is now very expensive! Find free subscriptions to magazines or free trials...these are all over the internet...make sure you follow all the rules to make sure it remains free. use preventive measures to avoid destroying things...keep everything in as good of repair as possible. For ex...fix the screens every spring to save on bug spray. (flies) Also use preventive "medicine" by eating less junk..."can't afford it" should work. Exercising more...save on gas by biking or walking and growing your own veggies...raking your yard..or using hand tools to save gas/electricity. Relaxing each evening by a book or computer ...and/or in a hot tub...

More ideas to save cash. Cloth diapers, great for babies bum, easy to air dry, and cheap after you use them twice. Homemade cleaners....bleach and water. Baking soda works as a scouring powder, tooth powder AKA tooth paste if your desperate, and one teaspoon can be used for acid indegestion. Epsom salts are used for a good soak and to perk up your garden. Vinegar, Amonia, and alchol with water makes a nice window cleaner. DO NOT MIX BLEACH AND AMONIA!!! Always have these in seperate containers and have all homemade cleaning solution recipes CLEARLY on the side....health hazard to mix the two. When buying food get the great big family packs of chicken legs...you know the ones that are 10 lbs for 9.86 and seperate into smaller "freezer packs" when you get home. (about an hours work for a family of 7) I usually buy two or three of these a month...but we don't eat meat every night. Discover the wonders of left overs, precooking and the microwave....he he. This is where you make 6-7 quarts of soup and freeze half. In my situation I make 12 -18 quarts and freeze half. This works after you have cooked a whole chicken...take the itty bitty left over pieces of meat and bone that nobody touched or had on their plate and BOIL until it falls apart ...then seperate the good meat from the bone. Add the meat to a stew of carrots, potatos, onions, celery, or what ever you can find...(corn, lima beans, kidney beans, garlic, summer squash...) already cooking on the wood stove or in the crock pot Season to taste...This makes a HUGE meal with all the essential foods. You can freeze half to 3/4 in single meal sizes and save till a later date. This principal can be applied to many cooking adventures. (like bread and muffins....pasta and chili) So that was cook in batches.. Today I found a 30 items for a dollar sale...I bought four shower gel bottles, four lotion bottles, four combs, four rain bonnets, four sun screen bottles, a reading light, two lip pencils, two cookie cutters, conditioner, cortizone creme, band aides, a compact, and a set of pencils. All for a dollar...BUT (the catch) The outsides of their packages were covered in shampoo from a broken shampoo bottle. So I had to wash them. Now all washed they will make great presents and useful household items.

Use home remedies for coughs and colds...there is scientific evidense that cold medicine with acetametaphin actually lengthens your time being sick. There is no cure for the common cold so all you treat is symptoms anyway. For chest congestion and nasal congestion: Green Tea, Peppermint tea, Cayenne pepper, Fresh Ginger, and Garlic. How you use these are you decision...they are all safe to eat. For nausua: Ginger, chicken soup, and crackers. Ginger ale is the nicest way to relive stomach ailements. Fever: I truly suggest tylenol in this case, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune! Buy off brand names, and find them in the discount bin. I have gotten a 500 count tub of tylenl for 59 cents before. I usually NEVER pay more than 2 bucks. People worry about experation dates...I suggest you contact the WHO about experation dates as their motives can not be driven to individual profits. I think they have a page for certain meds. They also have a list of approved home remedies for different ailments. You might want to look that up.

Please continue to post!

Get rid of direct debits from your accounts - Let them send out your bills and you pay as you can so that you always have money to spare in the dry times. (you will never have to worry about bank charges if there is not enough funds on your account at the time) Get rid of the check book - pay cash when you can or buy money orders - (might cost a bit more but it will save a fortune in denying the bank any opportunity to get charges from you). Cut credit cards - This way you can only spend what you have and when you think of what you have you might not want to spend ay because it might be too little and therefore you will SAVE MONEY. Give to charity - TRUST ME.... it comes back to you and hence you indirectly save money as you did not expect what you got. Shop for food once a month and if you run out try to fast....... (smiling) .... - you will definitely save on the odd dollars you normally spend through the month. Ditch the corner shops and the petrol stations for little necessities............... - they suck your money as you are too imbarassed NOT to spend a bit more when others see the type of car you drive that you are so "cheap". Be "cheap".............. Have you ever noticed how "cheap" rich people can be? - well how do you think they got to be rich huh? Plant a garden and raise livestock - vegetable and meats cost a small fortune that you can save in the long run. Buy wholesale - yup a lot in one year is better than a bit each week.... you end up spending more in the long run. Read the life stories of poor people who became rich - you could learn a lot from a converted dummy. Ditch your friends with a lavishing lifestyle mentality - keeping up with the joneses has bankrupt more people than keeping up with the savings. BE contented with what you have - "If it ain't broken - don't replace it". If it ain't stop working - don't replace it. Buy quality and save on quantity - one good pair of shoes a year is cheaper than 10 pairs of cheap shoes a year. Apostle Michael A. Steele, Esq

the idea about shopping for groceries once a month! (I love lots of your other ideas too, but I wanted to comment on this one in particular.) My husband and I just moved from one apartment to another over New Year's weekend. In late October, I told him until we move, he could only go grocery shopping (one of the things he lives for!) for very, very basic needs: milk, eggs, bread, bananas. But we also could not go OUT to eat, unless someone wanted to take us out, or someone else was cooking for us (which happens often in my family, especially around holidays). Anything that was left at the end of December would go to the food bank (if it was unopened, of course), NOT into boxes for the new place. The reward was that he could go on a grocery shopping spree when we got to the new apartment. He took it as a challenge. We emptied the entire pantry, most of the refrigerator, and ALL of our hidden stashes. He had to get very creative about his cooking, and fixing lunches for us for work. (Cooking and preparing food are his chores around the house.) I swear, the only things left at the end of December were packets of ketchup and jelly! He really did a great job. We saved hundreds of dollars, got rid of all of our old food, and had fun with it. We realized that our pantry was full of stuff we don't even like and wasn't that healthy to begin with. For example, we have switched to whole grain pastas, but still had lots of white, enriched stuff left. So he got to replace all of our old, close-to-expiring stuff with fresh things, and healthier things, AND-since we saved money for so long-more expensive, yummier foods. Just a fun experiment that worked for us. Might work for you all too!

saving money..........! i've been laughed at by so many friends for clipping my coupons, and comparing sale ads, and deciding if driving to this store to save a little $$ is worth the extra gas money i'm going to spend to get there to save that little bit. and I really get laughed at for my bucket of money... I toss in change and if i have a single or two in my purse i'll toss that in the bucket too......... but in august me and my kids' do something for a weekend just with that bucket money .. i've been a single mom a long time.. i learned to cut out extra's and save whatever i could whenever i could, but still maintain goint to the movie''s once a month, and still having money to get the kids' what they needed. you just have to think and spend smart. for some people it is very difficult. I was one of those people for awhile, i got tired of being broke.

shop at dollar stores........ i live for my dollar general... milk, eggs, bread everything is alot cheaper than grocery stores, shampoo's, deodorant, are cheaper, paper products are cheaper !

Keep them up! We can all learn from each other's mistakes and successes!

A key to establishing good saving habits is to make saving even easier than spending. Here are some tips.

• Ask your bank about linking your savings and checking accounts via an ATM card. Set up three savings accounts with goals attached to them. One may be labeled "cushion" for emergency cash, a second for "expenses" for unexpected bills, and a third for "investments." Carry your card only when you really need it to make transactions, and withdraw only what you need for one week. Then you won't be tempted to take out cash for impulse purchases.

• Whenever you're paid, put only what you need to live on for one month (or two weeks, if you get paid every two weeks) into your checking account. (If you put more into checking, you'll probably spend it.)

• If you can, put money equalling one month's expenses into your expenses account for unexpected bills. The idea is to build at least a small stash so you're less likely to use your credit card if your car needs a new tire.

• Begin building your emergency cushion by depositing a portion of each paycheck into your "cushion" savings account. If your goal is to have three months' living expenses, you could reach your goal in 30 months by saving 10% of each month's pay or in 15 months by saving 20%.

• Put whatever is left into your "investments" account, including found money such as birthday and holiday checks, bonuses, or money made from a garage sale. If you get a raise, put the difference into this account on a regular basis.

• If your bank can't link your checking and savings accounts, or if you find it hard to control your spending when access to your savings is easy, ask your employer about direct deposit. You can have money taken from your paycheck and placed in a savings account automatically.

See: http://finance.yahoo.com/how-to-guide/banking-budgeting/12830

Paying off debt is easier once you stop using your cards.

• Pay off your highest interest credit card debt first, making sure you avoid the "minimum balance trap." Because credit card companies make their money from interest payments, they purposely set those payments low so it will take you years to pay off the balance. Paying just a little more than the minimum can make a big difference.

  For example, assume you have a balance of $5,000 at an interest rate of 15% and you make the minimum monthly payments of 2.5% of the balance or $25, whichever is greater. It would take you 183 months to pay off the debt and cost you $4,395 in interest. However, if you were to pay an extra $150 each month, you would pay only $845 in interest over 27 months. This is a hypothetical example for illustrative purposes only.

• Consolidate your debt by transferring outstanding balances to lower-rate cards. These days, the competition between credit card issuers is so intense that you can often negotiate your interest rate. If you don't want to transfer your balances, chances are that your current credit card company will match the interest rate of a competitor. Just be aware that some of the low rates available these days are "teaser rates," which only apply during the first 6 to 12 months you have the card.

• Cancel your old cards so you won't be tempted to use them again. The most you need is two. And leave them at home unless you really need them.

• Set up a realistic payment timetable and stick with it. If you need to readjust your timetable, do so. If you have trouble, talk to a professional. The counselors at the nonprofit National Foundation for Credit Counseling can develop a more structured plan for you, if needed. To find their nearest location, call 1-800-388-2227, or log on to http://www.nfcc.org.

Firstly - growing something on your own is a great idea! And even if that is not possible, it's good to cook on your own (or with your family). It SEEMS to take more time than something from a restaurant, but this is an illusion - not only do you eat healthy, you enjoy it, and it peps you up for the rest of the day. Remember - to save money you have to earn it first!    And no better way to do that than to stay in your best state of being!

Second thing is, credit cards can be useful, but you should have only one, and you should take care to spend only as much as you can pay in that month. In other words, NEVER use credit cards for the purpose of CREDIT.    It is this indiscipline that the banks bank on (oh boy, more unintentional pun) to make profits out of selling credit cards.

Barter with your friends.. trade garden produce, babysitting, meals, cleaning, even coupons, (whatever) for something you need! You both win.

This one may sound crazy because you hear it so much you don't hear it. Use less. I stopped buying tissues years ago. In our house if you have to go get a bit of TP you do that . WE used to go through many boxes of tissue a year.. now we don't simply because they aren't there. 

Cleaners.. many things can be cleaned just fine with water.. no need to use anything else. If you must make something simple like others have suggested above.  If you absolutely must BUY a cleaner pick one multi-purpose one and use it sparingly. A little elbow grease can go a long way.

Use libraries.. they're FREE!

I have a lot of trouble with the phrase "good consumer".  I know I have to eat but as far as other things go I would rather not be a "consumer", maybe a resource management specialist. Look at every resource you have before considering a purchase. When I do this I find that many simply are not necessary. Maybe goe to a resale shop first... remember... reuse and recycle! Join a local recycling group!

Also, I only go in a store when I need to! Maybe once evry two weeks or so. If you go in you'll probably buy something....and if you go in every day you'll buy many things you don't really need. THINK! Is that bargain really a bargain if you don't even NEED it !

Anyway thats my 2 cents !

All these tips are really wonderful but I find a lot are easier for people who are settled.  It's a bit harder for someone like me who isn't able to 'shop around' or grow my own food.  I'd love to live from my garden but, that's just something that's not going to happen for a while.  I don't have time to knit or crochette or sew.  The best I do is patch up jobs for clothes are are torn.  I agree with learning how to say no to things you can't afford but I really don't like the idea taking a friend's offer to pay so they can spend time with you.  Once in a while is fine - like going out with a friend who always vie's for the check.  Sometimes you pay, sometimes they do.  It shouldn't always be onesided so that you can save money.  If you're going to say no because of money, mean it.  I turn things down all the time because of that and I very rarely take my friend's offers to pay.

I disagree with the getting rid of direct debits - in the UK it's actually cheaper to do a direct debit rather than pay by check or other means.  Plus, I see it as a means to make sure you pay your bills and not let it slide because you forgot to send in 'this month's check'. And the raise livestock idea sorta hit a nerve.  It's not easy or that much more cheap to raise your own animals, farmers would be doing a whole lot better if it was.  If you go ahead and try this idea, do your research first and learn how to properly care for the animal.  Please! 

I live off of student loans and I have done for the past 4 years.  It's not an inexpensive life with travel, tuition, food, rent - but, it's manageable with what little money I have.  I make a lot of sacrafices.  I don't go out unless it's the college bar where drinks are cheaper than anywhere else.  Most importantly, I don't spend money I don't have.  A lot of kids here live off of their overdraft at the bank.  This is the first year I've touched mine and it's only because the loan was late getting in.  I have one credit card that I haven't used in years and only keep it around for true emergencies.  Credit cards are not as evil as people make them AS LONG AS you control yourself with them. 

It's so true about saving that loose change too!  The girls who used to live in one of my old apartments left behind a huge tupperware container of loose change.  Some American, some British, and some Eruos.  I jumped on it and continued to save and cash in at the bank periodically.  It's great and really does add up.

For some extra cash, join some of those free survey sites.  They pay you for just taking their surveys and it's free for you!  I know someone who does this and she's loves it.  It's great for extra pocket cash so that you don't have to dip into your bank account for little stuff or impulse buys.

And I gotta say, coffee is an essential for me LOL.  But, going out to buy coffee from shops is not.  Making your own coffee isn't that expensive and if you buy a cafeteria, all you need is hot water.  That being said, I do limit myself to one cup a day and I don't drink it everyday. 

Great, great tips!

The reason farmers aren't rich in America is due to it being so cheap to raise it yourself, most country folk do.  (Smaller customer base)

Also look at your paragraph...btw I am in school as well.

"I live off of student loans and I have done for the past 4 years.  It's not an inexpensive life with travel, tuition, food, rent - but, it's manageable with what little money I have.  I make a lot of sacrafices.  I don't go out unless it's the college bar where drinks are cheaper than anywhere else.  Most importantly, I don't spend money I don't have.  A lot of kids here live off of their overdraft at the bank.  This is the first year I've touched mine and it's only because the loan was late getting in.  I have one credit card that I haven't used in years and only keep it around for true emergencies.  Credit cards are not as evil as people make them AS LONG AS you control yourself with them. "

You live off of student loans and then berate others for living off their over draft...isn't that the same?

Then you go out for drinks...but only cheap ones.  Why I wish I could.

If you really want mobile advice.  Learn you flora and fauna...some of it is delicious. 

Use public places, in America libraries are great finds, so are local malls.  Hours of entertainment free.  People watching is great.  Plus exercising walking around.  No drinks to buy, hence not even money spent on cheap drinks.

Also digging me about the movies...it is true.  If you don't have the money to spend on the movies...say so.  As a college student, and mother of 5 NOT living on student loans.  Well...geeze that is how it is.  I would love to go to the movie, but I can't afford such a luxury.
That doesn't mean my friends take me out every month...I think I've had one friend take me out three times last year. 

Also if you really need to save...go to the second hand shop, yard sales, and what not.

You might not have the time to learn to sew, because it's not a priority.  If you really wanted to you could spend all that time at the pub learning.  It is practical ya know.

Furthermore...livestock...no raising cows aren't economical ..but rabbits and chickens are.  Living in the country and raising rabbits and chicken for almost 10 years I should know.  If you raise them organically and on a natural diet...free range for chickens ...well you can't have cheaper or healthier animals.  Housing for both is may be 100 bucks. (about 60 euros)

More ideas to save money, for those who are willing to make the sacrafise.

Saving money is about sacrafise, but it's all in how you view that sacrafise.  Is it a blessing because now you can spend more time with your family or a burden because you can't go out more?

That's where you need to make your adjustment first to save money.

Entertainment.

Instead of a night at the pub try;
learning a new skill...always fun to make fun of yourself ...

playing a boardgame with your friends or kids.  The kids will love you...trust me.

playing cards, with buddies...but don't gamble...this could lose you money.

Having an "unsaid" contest to come up with the most messed up way to deal with a problem...see college jokes about "these nuts"...

If your in college...well you should have a wonderful oppurtunity to entertain yourself for hours inventing new ways to mess with your room mate...at least this seems to be what the boys in my class do when not stoned.  Great oppurtunity to think up ways to get out of the trouble you'll get into doing this too...whatever you do don't get so drunk in the process that the local fire department has to lower you down from the bell tower. (long story) 

use the internet to your full advantage...as described above.  Might I add the Gutenberg Project and audio books.

Check out DVD's from your local library...agian the blessed library.

If you are really really bored and have tons of extra time...GET A JOB.  (hey some people consider it fun)

FOOD
You can live on a dollar a day here in the US.  Free coffee abound, free water in school or the library (water fountain), the dollar store and various grocery stores...dents make cents stores. 

A typical "dollar day" could go.  Breakfast coffee at work (FREE), Lunch Banana (20 cents), snack crackers (15 cents if bought in bulk package), dinner rice (27 cents a pound) and beans (35 cents a pound).  I usually do something similar every day.  If you did this just once or twice a week you could save plenty of money.

Learn your flora and fauna.  I actually require my children to learn natural foods.  You know the weird stuff that no one knows IS food.  Like the pear tree we found in a public park that people gasp when we ate the food.  (That's right said OMG that not real pears, when indeed the grounds keeper said they were and free to the public)  Honestly, we have persimmon trees no one uses but us.  We have poke salad.  We have fern shoots.  We have sidewalk peach jam every summer...from the tree growing out of the sidewalk next to subway in Batesville.  We have pecans, hecans, hickory, and walnuts...every fall.  My kids have even eaten acorn pancakes.  Not just to save money...but to teach them something.  Survival in the wilderness...not really.  The idea that they are not helpless.  You can find food...everywhere.  People snub their nose all the time...saying that's not healthy, realistic, proper etc... Well, it worked fine for those that came before...why not us?  Are we too good for it?

That's the real question...are you too good for it?

Food can be found in a variety of discount stores.  It can be found in parks...did you know squash blossums...the male ones...are edible?  Did you know rose hips are edible and make a great jelly?  All of these things can be used. 

Whoa, I'm really sorry I came off the way I did.  I didn't mean to berate you or others.  I was just giving my personal take on a few ideas I had read.  You're right in that sacrafice is in the eye of the beholder and I choose carefully where I make my sacrafices.  It's going to be different for everyone.

For me, I can't help but use students loans.  It's the course I'm in and I'm also abroad.  I don't have a lot of time because, believe me, I'd love to have a job.  The only year that I could have been able was my first year here and there were communication issues surrounding that one.  I'm not bored anyhow and, I guess, going to the college pub is my sacrafice.  But, it is once in a great while I'm sorry if I made it seem like I go out every night and drink till the sun comes up.  It's not that way.  You can get 3 or 4 drinks for under £5 and it's cheaper than a drive to the mall or travel anywhere else.  Or a movie rental from blockbuster while they've got their present deal - 3 movies for £7 and someone always has left over chocolate.  We have nights in where we don't spend money either and we do just enjoy each other's company.

Anyway, I didn't mean to come off as harsh or combative.  I applaud all that you do for you and your family but I'm still not going to advocate raising your own animals UNLESS you know what you are doing.  You obviously do.  It was just a warning to people who might look into that particular tip that it's a lot of forward planning.  I'm a vet-in-training.  Animals are my priority.  That's all I meant by that.

I see...

well the kids in my school..some I should say.  Usually end up so drunk they need help getting to bed.

I guess it's just those students.

I on the other hand rarely drink and find it obnoxious when other students come to class drunk/stoned..

Then again you couldn't get to vet school if you did that.