....I quit "tipping"....geofkaye

Last year I wrote about saving money on health insurance by using overseas health care. Since we are currently in Thailand for a visit we are getting our annual physicals and girl and boy checks. The total cost for both of us is about $600 and that includes dental checkups and cleaning. PAP for her and that Colon thing for me. I wonder if anyone else has explored the oversea option. The other thing we are saving money on is cooking at home. I think we prepare better food than we have been getting outside and frequently were inviting friends over and getting repaid in kind.
I have felt for years that the best thing about the full time lifestyle is the people and traveling less has ment getting to know the neighbors and exploring more locally.
The other big thing is doing my own repairs. So far I have replaced a jack, repainted a door panel, replaced the ignition, rebuilt the toilet, resealed the roof, installed a brake controller. saved a couple of grand I think.
I quit smoking last May.
Some of the best years of my life were when I was a poor college student and my primary activities were hiking and bicycling. I hope people don't let all this fear stuff ruin there happyness. We still have it better than almost any other generation in history.
My wife is Thai. We just spent a couple of weeks in her village where most of her family are rice farmers. They are happier than most Americans I know even though they are very poor by our standards

Those are all wonderful suggestions. We don't get into the car anymore for just any little Sunday drive. If we don't have it, we probably don't need it is our new motto. I keep a shopping list so I don't forget anything, and I have started to do a lot of shopping at Goodwill. Why buy new when used works just as well.
I am so bad, when my shampoo bottle gets down to half, I fill it up with water. It works just fine and lasts twice as long. Doesn't work with conditioner unfortunately.
I am adding a lot of vegetarian dishes to my menus, using a lot of dried beans grains..
Also try to stay off the freeways as try as I might, when I am on them, my lead foot takes over and I am going 70. So I travel on the backroads doing 55. (Yep thats me getting in your way)

Some of you might want to consider joining us in the "live on volunteer" lifestyle. We pay for a site and hook-ups only when actually traveling and spend many longer stops in places where we volunteer for two or three days per week and get our site free. Public parks and historic sites, national wildlife refuges, and many other public places are always looking for help. We learn new things, have neat experiences and we save money! At some they even provide your propane.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary W:
We just bought 50 pounds of Bread Flour and 50 pounds of Rice.

Gary.......Good thing you bought that rice when you did. Sam's Club and Costco have, in the last few days, imposed rationing on rice. So far, they're the only retailers to have done so, but the futures market has apparently gone rice-crazy and some restaurants have been stockpiling.

As for bread, I don't use bread flour or my bread machine. I make beer bread that has a total of three ingredients and costs me around a dollar per loaf to make; I bake it in a loaf pan in the toaster oven 'cause when we're volunteering, which is most of the time, our electricity is provided to us at no charge. AND it's delicious (the bread, not the electricity )!

Bev

=============================

Hi,


I am interested in the beer bread. What is the recipe?

Frank

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Prah:
I am interested in the beer bread. What is the recipe?

Me, too. I like the idea of baking bread in my toaster oven as well as the idea of only three ingredients.

Linda

FRANK and BONNIE...
DAVE and LINDA...

If you'll send me your e-mail address via P.M. I'll send the recipe as an attachment. I put it into MSWord.

Bev

===========================

We dry camp a lot, including not only casinos (free) but also military RV parks where dry camp is often $6 to $12 (with hookups $12 to $32).

We're frugal in a lot of areas. Chris is a thrift shopper and finds great bargains including new items with the retail tags still on them. For example, $45 trousers with the pricetag still sewed on for $5. A "gently used" silk Tommy Bahama shirt that was $100+ new for $6. Etc. Here's an article Chris wrote about thrifting.

I have an expensive eyeglass prescription, and I just ordered new glasses from an overseas location at a huge savings from even Wal-Mart prices. I used a website I found on Louise & Sean's blog at www.OurOdyssey.us

Mac

Mac,

I'm so glad you found my post on Hong Kong glasses useful. I'm still really pleased with my three pairs.

Here's a link directly to my discussion about the glasses:
Cheap glasses on the internet

quote:

Originally posted by Art and Bev:
If you'll send me your e-mail address via P.M. I'll send the recipe as an attachment. I put it into MSWord.

Done. Check your mail box at your leisure since I don't have any beer on hand at the moment, anyway.

Linda

I have been doing much of what has been mentioned, only a lot longer. Being born in 1935, I am a "depression baby" and we have our own sence of values. I parked the motorhome in 2001 when the gas went over $2.50, drive only 60 mph while the az. speed limit is 75 and I only make the 32 mile mail run once a week and the big 110 mile run once a month. I am installing a wood stove which will cut my winter propane use from about $130 a month to about $50. I get free fallen trees on the state land, but do have to cut and split it. I do not like to be forced to eat just what I have on hand because I am out of a few things. This last week I ordered the LDS one year food pack from Walton Feed. It is dehydrated and has up to a 25 year storage life. I will now be able to eat what I want and when I want it and do not have to worry about making the long trip to restock.
Carl

Found two more ways to save $$$...
1. If you need eye glasses go to one of these two web sites according to our source glasses thru these folks is very inexpensive:
http://zennioptical.com/cart/home.php
http://www.optical4less.com/
We haven't tried these web sites yet so we can't vouch for them...and;
2. A neighbor approached us recently and wanted to know if we'd like to buy an entire cow - while it was still alive - to make a long story short; the hubby helped the neighbor send the cow to "the great cow palace in the sky" and skin it; another neighbor let them hang it for four days in their cold storage locker; then the first neighbor and us butchered it, bag it and put it in our freezers (living in the country you need more than one freezer). Total cost to us...$2.00 a pound...this includes even the T-Bones, Prime Rib, etc... - after all the unused parts were fed to the coyotes! We know that a lot of you coudn't eat this much meat in a life time by yourselves (Lord knows we can't...which is why we're planning lots of parties and going to lots of pot lucks), but how about getting with some of your neighbors and sharing the cost and the meat? We figure that between parties, pot lucks, ourselves and healthy dogs we now have enough meat for at least two years and we'll be making a lot less trips to the store ...Mickey Moose

Great thread for money saving ideas!

1) We take advantage of weekly and monthly rental rates, north in the summer south in the winter to save on AC and heating and still enjoy the road.
2)Oregon and Montana have no sales tax.
3)As long as grocers provide plastic bags we use them for trash instead of buying trash bags? and produce bags for storing left overs or as a substitute "Rachel Ray Garbage Bowl" during food prep.
4) Have saved "freebee" canvas bags over the years and use for small trips and when retailers start charging .10 a bag.
5) Another version of beer batter bread from an FMCA rally years ago: 1 can Budweiser 4 cups Bisquick. Use produce bag from grocery store to mix (saves on dishes) bake in 8 x 8 pan till golden. For non-stick line bottom of pan with wax paper instead of spray.
6) Shop on the Internet many places still have free shipping and no sales tax. Get together with friends if minimum purchase required for free shipping. Saves on fuel.
7) Check for online coupons
http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/
http://www.mycoupons.com/
http://shopping.yahoo.com/b:Coupons%20%26%20Deals:784709445
http://wow-coupons.com/
http://www.couponcabin.com/
I have occasionally had success finding an online coupon for a purchase. No facts to support this but you may buy less then if you are in a store with everything in easy reach.
8) If you use credit cards shop around for one that gives cash back (not points for more products) for purchases http://www.creditcardguide.com/ and pay in full every month to avoid finance charges. The monthly statements are a great way to keep track of your spending trends and a good source of receipts.
9) If you are already a CostCo member you can apply for a no annual fee AMX card and getunlimited cash back They don't take credit cards and debit cards don't give cash back that I know of??
10)Do you ever purchase something and see it for less later? don't let the time limit pass you by to get a refund check out one of the FREE automatic Price Protection websites ie http://www.priceprotectr.com/ When you buy something and register it on their site if it goes on sale for a lower price you will get an e-mail notice so you wont miss out on getting the price difference back. It all adds up.
11) For restaurant coupons by zip code: http://www.restaurant.com/

Here's to keeping more "$$$green$$$" in our wallets....

Mickey, I'm afraid you're going to get a lot of "freezer burn" on that meat if you try keeping it for two years! At least that's been my experience.