Sometimes I'm torn between "Cheap by Necessity, Frugal by Choice" or "Frugal by Necessity, Cheap by Choice" , when it boils down to it, it's all the same and I'm It!!!
I can't count how many times I have searched Goggle, Pinterest, etc. for Living Cheap, Saving Money, Save on Electric Bill, etc. only to come up empty handed. It's get very frustrating when I can't find any more corners to cut. Take my electric bill, before winter that is, I had it down to where I was paying less for what I used then when it cost to have electric hooked up to my house. I still think there's ways I can get it lower. I think the freezer and the refrigerator are the biggest uses of electric, just can't figure out how to stop using them.
If you come to my house in the winter any windows that don't have plastic on them, have aluminum foil painted black and taped to them, for free heat from the sun. It might not be the prettiest thing, but it really helps. The other day it was only in the high teens outside, but nice and sunny. When I got home it was 75 in my dining room just from the aluminum foil heat. Last year I kept the thermostat set at 50 and the only time it was warmer was on sunny days. This year thanks to my Mom & Jim and Jim, I have wood heat also, so nice!!!
Okay I'll get to what started this thought process tonight. I hate picking out clothes and shoes, I hate even more paying for them. Thanks to Sandy and Sharon I do have plenty of nice warm shirts to layer and keep me warm this winter. Thanks to my Mom I have socks. (She really hates when I wear my socks till it's only little strings holding them on my feet) Pants and shoes are another story. Sandy has gave me some shoes to try, but either my feet are too small or hers are too big :) Jim has been nagging me for over a year to go buy new ones, I refuse. I tell him I bought new clothes at the Salvation Army in 2011, because I didn't have any clothes except-able to wear for my new job. I paid $3.00 a pair for the jeans, I was really hoping to get the average cost down to .50 a year. My favorite pair has had a couple of the belt loops ripped off over time. I've had to sew a few holes shut around the back pockets, but they fit the need. That was until Saturday, I got home from work and bent over to pick up a piece of wood and rippppppppppppp, there goes the ass of my pants :( I was so grateful they waited until I got home to do that, but still very sad. I haven't gave up on them yet, I'm still going to dig out the sewing machine and see if I can at least repair them for non work pants.
Oh shoes are even worse!!! They are damned expensive and I can never find any that I like and that fit right. Nobody likes going shoe shopping with me. John just used to buy me a pair, I'd hate them, but when it got to the point the ones I was wearing just couldn't go anymore I'd give in and wear them. After a while they were like family and I wouldn't want to let them go. I always have shoe goo and tape around to make them last just a little longer or a lot longer :) My work shoes now I also bought in 2011 for $30.00, that about gave me a heart attack. They have multiple layers of shoe goo on them, I've replaced the insoles with insoles out of other old shoes at least 5 times that I remember. Well they are to the point of no return now. My feet are always wet when it snows and my poor feet and legs start aching after being at work an hour. Tonight I had to go to town, so I told Jim I would look at shoes. Meijer's first because that's where I needed to go for bird toy parts. I found a pair of shoes that looked like they might be comfortable. To be sure I put them on, put the box from them and my shoes in the cart and walked around the store, got to make sure they fit right. (Jim couldn't believe I did that when I talked to him on the phone) They were okay, but I just couldn't justify spending $40.00 (plus tax) on a pair of shoes. I decided to go to Walmart, they have to be cheaper. They had a poor selection for what I could wear for work. I did find one pair that I thought would probably work. I tried on a 9, too big. Okay let's try an 8 1/2, nope too big again, very surprised at this. But alright an 8 then. Take a few steps not too bad, let's try on the other shoe. It's too small, wtf??? Maybe the last person that tried them on put them in the wrong boxes, nope checked they are right. Ummm. maybe one is labeled wrong, hold them up to each other and compare, same size. Really??? That must be a sign I'm not suppose to get a new pair of shoes, so I say "heck with it" and head home. So here I sit knowing in the am I have to go back to wet sore feet :( I wonder if I can figure out how to make my own shoes??? But I'm sure all your thinking is "boy she rambles a lot", so I'll stop, I do feel better for getting it all out if that helps ;)
Any saving money tips to pass along?
