Noticed something

I have noticed around here that some folks spend more than what they have coming in with thier paychecks lately.  I know alot of folks have been on layoff or the place of enployment has totally shut down also.  While on unenployment the pay is half of what you brought in while working.  With that being said alot of folks have not cut back on squat for thier households at all and start to think of the what ifs also.  I know what if pigs can fly, and there will be more questions in life than answers also.  With alot of folks out of work now days it is hard to put food on the table and keeping a roof over the families head with a drop in pay.  When this happends folks figure that oh I can spend like I can with when I was working still.  Wrong answer in my book.  With alot of things going up in price take a minute to stop and think on the prices and what can you do to live under your pay checks/unenployment.  With that being said there are some steps that can be done to help cut the costs in the household.  Pluss if you have children in the household they will be more than likely to help out also.  First off do you really need all the lights burning at once day and night in the household?  Next question is is the T.V. going without anyone watching it.  How bout the computer is that on with nobody useing it.  With those 3 things said will cut the power bill almost in half in some areas of the U.S. also.  The next thing is for saveing money if you can put up a line or so for laundery.  I have an eletric dryer here myself and when ever possible I hang out the laundery to air dry due to weather conditions and when my Hubby brings in his laundery from the Big Truck.  Also I have a crafe for the coffee so that the coffee pot is not constantly going around here.  Since I do not have a dishwasher here I hand wash that part.  Some will say do not run the washer and dishwaser without a full load.  Well yes it is true for the dishwasher and turn off the automatic dry cycle and open the door to air dry the dishes.  On the washers for laundery there is a nob for the water settings also.  Also If you have an A/C unit and you notice cold spots in the house or what you live in run some fans to help move the air.  Also block off any drafty windows, and rooms that are not in use.  It irritates me when some folks say oh shut off the A/C unit and the window unit when you are not there during the day.  When you do that the unit has to work harder to get the cool air moveing and that means more money wasted also.  Same thing with the heater turn the temp down or up depending on sleaping ect.  I do not believe in doing all of that nonsence at all.  Also if and when you make dinner try not to run the oven during the worst part of the heat of the day also.  This is why I have a crock pot for the days were it is unbearable out side.  Or I wait to run the oven.  Now with the convection oven it does not heat the can (trailer) up as much when in use.  Also look around and see what can be turned off also.  It will help out in that area.  Now with the gas bills if you can go to 70 in your place or lower cool beans with the heater.  I can not in this area becuase of the birds.  Now what I do is in the winter times I cook/bake alot of things and when the time is almost up around here like the last 10 minutes while it is in the oven I turn it off.  That is all I will say about that one.  Now to the laundery area.  Ok I will admit on the cruddy days I use the dryer.  It is not that often.  With the laundery deturgant I use half to a quarter in what they all say.  Now it will take some time to cut down on the laundery deturgant and do it slowly.  If there are way to many suds in the washer cut the deturgant down alittle bit.  Do this little by little and you will be saveing the money on getting the deturgant less often and streaching it out also.  For the dryer sheets I cut them in half and put them into a zipper baggie here.  I have not added a zipper baggie for about 5 years now since they do not get tourched that offten.  Also clean out the lint trap.  It saves wear and tare on a major appliance and will cost less to run also.  Now with the used up dryer sheets also they make great dusting rags.  No polish needed when you dust with them in the household.  I have also used old socks with the old dryer sheets in them.  It almost works like the swifter dusters.  Another thing with the "Swifter" mops or what ever brand you use the mops will handle a beat to snot hand towle also for the floors.  Add the cleaner you want on the floor and mop away.  I found this out while I was a housekeeper in the hotels.  Now for the recycling par of the household find a place that will pay you for the cans when there is not a bottle return in the state that you are in.  There is some extra money for the household.  Ok now for the grocery budget.  Look at the sales adds for your area.  If you get the paper clip the coupons also.  Also look for coupons on-line while you are at it.  Now with some stores they do not take the internet coupons at all.  Look at the stores policy and or as the service desk at the store you want to go to.  Walmart and a few other stores take the printed coupons.  Also sign up for the shoppers cards at the store.  Alot of what they do is take off the money for the sale items and double the coupons if you have any for that trip.  Also some stores give out promo things also off the cards for that store.  Like so much off gas and free things also.  With the job market tanking more around here some folks have started even going to the major discount grocery chains also.  Some folks refuse to shop at places like Aldi and Save A Lot also.  My household does not care where I shop at for the month at all.  Once you get use to the off brands it is hard to go back to the name brands.  Also in what I did today I also got a small bag of corn meal to cook with.  I have the staples in the household such as flour, rice, garlic, onions, powdered milk, dried beans, and some cand goods.  Another staple is chicken around here also.  Now with the corn meal it will go for mush and lots of other things.  Once I start useing the salt pork it may turn into another staple also here.  Alot of things I do cook from scratch to save money on.  If you have a picky eater in the household and they do not like something, oh well they would starve in my place.  When times are tough you have to do what you have to do to cut and slash bills to servive.  Also another thing is with the converters for the T.V.'s.  I thought that was the stupidest thing that the government could have ever done to the folks.  It was get the converter or go cable.  Now for the cable there are packages out there that you can get.  Now there is the bare bones of the regular channels like 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 24, and 30 for an exsample.  It is like 10 dollars give and take depending on what part of the countery you are in.  Now what I have done I have the 2nd teer in the cable (extra cooking, history and A&E channels), phone, and cable inter net.  It was cheaper for me to do it that way at 18 dollars a month with the turbo boost.  Now I can reall do without the T.V. most of the time and the phone.  I can watch the news over the net with live streem.  This is how I can survive without the T.V. all of the time.  Ok folks it is something to think of.  Also for some recipies go to http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/.