I walk and use public transportation. If I do need a vehicle again, I'm going with a motorcycle. You can't beat the mileage on a bike!
With global warming, you can ride one almost year round here in NYC now, not like it used to be where you only got six months of cycling weather out of the year.
Im doing all my errands in one day that way we save on gas, I am now washing all my clothes on cold,
we are cutting back on non essentials like no more renting movies from blockbusters,,, and if we want a hamburger I will make one instead of heading to McDonalds. also no more newspapers I find all my news right here on the web.
I only go to the mall once a week now and plan my errands better so I can do them together.
I'm actually trying to use all the meats in my freezer before I go shopping for more. It's hard to do but I'm trying.
I'm going to cut my landline phone down to only the basic features. I barely use it but need it for security purposes. So I can get rid of the call waiting and other features really.
Thats hard for me to trying to use all the meat in freezer before buying more....this week went through it planned for the week....
Cutting the phone down to the basic to..need it for the alarm to
trying to stay out of the store without the children...so I can get just what I need..
my husaband drives far so he has hybrid
I buy alot of things ahead if on sale so I don't have to run out alot
I also switched to powder laundry detergent
Well, I figure I have saved roughly $600.00 in gas, in the 9 weeks that I haven't driven. I don't recommend doing what I did to save the money, though.(tore ankle ligament on one foot and dislocated and fractured toe on the other foot) Of course, half of that will go towards the ER deductible.
I, too have cut down on the landline phone. It's main use is for the fax machine.
All errands are done once a week with the exception of emergencies (which I seem to have quite of bit of lately).
Laundry is done twice a week, instead of a load or two every other day.
Glad to see I am not crazy to think that the super - clean laundromat thing is a better option. I recently moved to a smaller home and when I moved, I discovered our local laundromat. I can put a whole weeks worth of laundry in one of those massive machines, and it gets really clean, and then dry them in the massive dryer.
I wasn't sure if anyone else did this, but my friends think I am a little off for doing it, but I swear it's a good thing for me! It gets it all done at one time, and the clothes actually get folded and they are all done within an hour - 2 at the most - not all day.
PLUS, I take a book and read. The other day I was sitting there reading and noticed a lot of nice retired people in there - so I figured if these elderly people do this, too, it must be a good way to save money!
******planning menus a month in advance - buying ONLY what you need for them, and using CouponMom.com for planning help - savings....
***Cooking several meals at one time (usually on the weekend) so you aren't tempted to stop by the drive through.