In light of my recent near-starvation experience, I thought it'd be a good idea to share any tips and tricks we all might have for making a dollar (or insert currency of your country) go a little further.
This can include, but is not limited to:
- Community services available to the poor (U.S., or generic enough to apply most anywhere)
- State services available to the poor (U.S., or generic enough to apply most anywhere)
- Cutting red tape tips and tricks
- Shopping tips
- Food preparations that make food last longer
- Homemade items
- Cheap car maintenance tips to avoid future calamity
- Household remedies
- Poor-man's recipes
- Possible organized events among friends or co-workers that help everyone involved
- Gardening techniques that are cost effective
- Cheap and easy to build animal traps for wooded areas (I live in the country - so squirrel and rabbit are possible food items)
- Home remedies for easily preventable illness (cold, flu, etc) and common injuries (medical bills are usually a big worry for the poor)
- Side hobbies, arts, and crafts useful for generating supplemental income (with things like ebay, craiglist, and so on, it is possible to advertise to more people)
- Water and electricity conservation tips and tricks (habits, routine household maintenance things to look for... etc)
... etc.. etc...
All ideas are welcome, and very much appreciated. Even if you think your idea might be too mundane, post it anyway. It might prove to be useful to someone else.
Thanks in advance.
In terms of food, you would be amazed at how many ways you can make grilled cheese. I have mastered the grilled cheese down to an art and science because I was strapped for cash for a while when I had no job and my savings ran out.
Also, if you like sushi, learning to make that and it's rice-ball cousin, onigiri can be a good way to have a bunch of different foods in a simple way. You can fill sushi and onigiri with anything. Onigiri is a lot more easy to make though because it's basically like packing a snowball and all you need is the sushi rice and filler food. You don't need the seaweed, although you can if you want. I usually make mine plain or with a sesame seeds sprinkled on the outside and a mixture of canned tuna, mayo, and wasabi.... but like I said, you can fill it with anything.... vegetables, fish, ground beef, steak.... whatever Super cheap and versatile food. Good cold and for on the go food too.
Chili is also really cheap to make and it is pretty filling too. It's also really good reheated and it's simple to make.
Most of my knowledge is about food.... I eat a lot... I really don't know too much else...
Canned goods are a great wallet-saver. I'm also a pretty big fan of Aldi (the produce, when it isn't rotten, is terrific) and oatmeal with extra water. And a combination of rice and beans makes for an extremely thrifty but nutritious meal.
Quote from: Hydra009 on January 04, 2015, 02:10:21 AM
Canned goods are a great wallet-saver. I'm also a pretty big fan of Aldi (the produce, when it isn't rotten, is terrific) and oatmeal with extra water. And a combination of rice and beans makes for an extremely thrifty but nutritious meal.
Oh man. I had an Aldi by my art school. We went there and ate like kings for dirt cheap.
I used to save money at my last flat by turning off every appliance except the fridge and the PC, and then bundling up really warm and wrapping myself up in a sleeping bag. Places cost a fortune to heat with electricity, but it's cheap to put on an extra layer of clothing :)
Bean soup. Here is a local recipe that is very cheap and very very good. If you can afford a hamsteak, I chop one up instead of the hambone. Megs sells this at 18 cents a cup, still today. http://www.food.com/recipe/meg-omalleys-irish-parliament-bean-soup-463525
And forget about buying "cleaners" everything you need to clean in a house can be done with vinegar and Dawn dishwashing liquid, the original, and a couple lemons. You can also find a dozen cheap laundry soaps.
One more while I am at it, if you like fish, and tilapia sells pretty cheap, coat it in lemon pepper seasoning, grill it in a couple tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of honey. You will love this. You can thank me later.
Quote from: aitm on January 04, 2015, 08:56:23 AM
Bean soup. Here is a local recipe that is very cheap and very very good. If you can afford a hamsteak, I chop one up instead of the hambone. Megs sells this at 18 cents a cup, still today. http://www.food.com/recipe/meg-omalleys-irish-parliament-bean-soup-463525
Bean soup kept us alive a few years back, a bag of pinto beans can fill 3 people up for 2 or 3 meals, and they stay good for almost a week after cooking. Throw an onion in and it smells magnificent while its crockpot cooking.
There are other things, switching grocery stores, only shopping on sale days but in terms of food I can never argue with the little canned soups Campbell's makes, 50 cents each at my Walmart. There's also tuna if you like that, one can csn feed a person for a meal, and you can buy a four pack at Walmart/ longer with coupon for 2-5 dollars, and th best part, it stays good for 3 years
Most of what I listed you can get for less than 8 dollars, the bean soup alone is usually 4 to make
Dried beans and lentils are a wonderful, healthy, relatively inexpensive protein source that keep forever.
Also, Aldi stores. THEY RULE.
Hobbies:
Origami:
Rectangular Paper to Square Paper:
1. Fold The Short Edge to the long Edge, There should be Rectangular piece left over.
2. Fold that piece down, and use scissors to cut that piece off.
3. Now use that Square!
Gardening:
Plastic 1 Gallon Carton into Watering Can:
1. Drink whole Container first!
2. Rinse with a bit of water
3. Poke holes in cap/lid (whatever you call it)
4. Use it, just pour from the lid
+NEXT TIP+
Watering Plants: Don't use water after rain for at least one day
Weeds: Pull by hand, using chemicals hurt plants and water systems. Use A "Special" Fork to help pull as needed. (Don't use for eating afterwards)
Internet Stuff:
Bookmarks: They help with AutoComplete for websites.
Savings at Stores:
Just Shopping in general:
1. Don't always by brand name, it isn't always better i.e. Batteries, soaps, detergents, etc.
2. Shop looking up or down eye level. Marketing experiments show we like things at our eye level, so stick to the tops or bottoms of shelves before going to the stuff in the center
3. Make sure savings are actual savings, compare those papers you get in the mail to see which is better
*Side note* Place old paper from mail at bottom of trash bins to reduce stains at bottom. Use also for origami as needed to kill time
4. Buy in Bulk, it's more expensive but it's worth more than single packages over time.
5. Don't use carts, or use smaller ones as needed. Our minds want to fill things, including those damn shopping carts.
6. Take your time, but know what you need in advance. This helps prevent unwanted shopping.
What to buy:
1. Organic is USUALLY more expensive, so be wary about cost effectiveness of those special tomatoes.
2. Buy lots of Grains, Pastas, Fruits, and Vegetables. These are the core to most salads, a good way to stay healthy and stay cheap. Canned foods are ok, but be careful about contamination and expiration dates. Canned foods can go over 5 days after the date of expiration, but still check when opening if you don't use it right away after buying.
3. Use that Bacon! Bacon is FAIRLY cheap, and can be garnished over salads I mentioned.
4. Use that Salt! A good amount of salt can help you make a boring meal bearable.
5. You can eat some types of ramen raw! It can save on water, and easier to carry on the run.
6. Get a Thermos! Carry drinks around without that stupid plastic bottle!
Other:
1. If a food recently goes bad, cut around the bad part along with a bit of the good part around it, then eat. Make sure the whole thing isn't spoiled!
2. Drinking lots of water can make you FEEL full. Just be ready to use the can often.
3. Check if your tap water is safe online, if it is then drink from that. Bottled Water isn't always better.
Potatoes..eat lots of potatoes and eggs.. Lots of green stuff grows wild such as dandelion greens, etc.. If you have the space grow and eat rabbits.
For cars learn how to plug a tire and keep the tools in the car, drive slower and keep the tires inflated properly..
You can get rice at Asian food markets much much cheaper than standard grocery stores. They come in 20 pound bags that cost as much as five pound bags at Giant, Shoppers, Wal-Mart, whatever. Also, those Asian markets tend to have cheaper fruits and vegetables.
Actually, it would be a best practice to buy any Asian food at an Asian grocery store. I saw a jar of pickled ginger at Giant for 8 bucks where the same exact jar was only a buck fiddy at Global Food in Virginia.
http://www.theglobalfood.com/
I used to get really good, but cheap, cuts of beef in San Diego Asian food grocery stores. They tend to be a bit run down looking and dirty, but it's good food.
and don't forget sex. You can call me and we can talk about it for just a couple nickels…. :whistle:
wat? It's a legit tip! :popcorn:
Quote from: aitm on January 04, 2015, 08:46:39 PM
and don't forget sex. You can call me and we can talk about it for just a couple nickels…. :whistle:
wat? It's a legit tip! :popcorn:
I have a live-in sex-supplier who cooks, cleans, walks the dogs, and even cleans the windows in exchange for internet access. He even remembers birthdays and anniversaries. I'm afraid the market has gotten rather competitive since back in the day. ;)
Quote from: Aletheia on January 04, 2015, 09:47:12 PM
I have a live-in sex-supplier who cooks, cleans, walks the dogs, and even cleans the windows in exchange for internet access. He even remembers birthdays and anniversaries. I'm afraid the market has gotten rather competitive since back in the day. ;)
party pooper... :pidu:
Reuse and repurpose.
My wife takes old sheets and old towels and crochets them into rugs.
Save on water: When you shower, stick a plastic bucket in the tub to catch water. Use that water to flush the toilet. Only flush for poo.
Vacation cheap: research museums, parks, events and other places and things that don't require admission fees. Park farther away for free and walk to your destination, if possible. If staying overnight, stay at a friend or relative's place (offer to help out with chores and to return the favor). Or camp.
If you're planning an overseas vacation, consider cheap places like Central America, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent or the Southern Balkans instead of North America, Western Europe, Japan, or China. Be flexible with plane tickets... there are often incredible bargains to be found. Stay in hostels instead of hotels. Eat at food markets instead of indoor sit-down restaurants.
Get a needle and thread.
Don't buy new socks! Just sew up the holes in the old ones.
What about making Walmart, the Koch Brothers, and big Oil to pay their share of taxes, and livable wages?
Quote from: Brian37 on January 06, 2015, 06:42:25 PM
What about making Walmart, the Koch Brothers, and big Oil to pay their share of taxes, and livable wages?
If I could make stuff like that happen, I think we'd all be needing these tips and tricks a little less.
http://www.moneysavingideas.com/
Do research and buy a reliable used car, if you need one. A used Toyota Camry, for example, if cared for will last 200,000 miles.
Learn how to do an oil change.
Buy a bicycle if you don't have one. Cheap transportation ( a cruiser bike from Walmart can be got for less than $70) and it will keep you in shape.
Potatoes, eggs, rice, chicken (whole fryers you cut up are cheaper) and whole grain oatmeal for protein. You can also make reusable containers from oatmeal tubs by lining them with plastic wrap. They already have plastic lids. If you are hungry, you can eat a handful of whole grain oatmeal and then drink a glass of water. It will fill you and provide good protein. Also tuna fish.
Buy soda, if you must, either in 2 liter bottles (cheaper, and you can use them for water storage) or aluminum cans and get some money back by recycling. Better yet, don't drink soda pop. For a change of pace buy a store brand of Tang; cheap, has some flavor and vitamin C.
Walmart or other major brand gift cards when the times are good to ward off the lean times. My wife and I buy Walmart gift cards through the year and use them either as gifts or to buy gifts. An older child much rather would have the opportunity to buy his own gift. We never have any money drain during the holidays.
You can be really cheap and make your own coffee with an inexpensive brand of bulk coffee and some cheap paper filters. Put about two heaping spoons of coffee in the filter over a mason jar, with a rubber band holding the filter in place. If the coffee is too strong add water, if it is too weak pour in into another container and run it back through again.
You can find material to build shelves from local construction site dumpsters. If it is in the dumpster, it has been thrown away. You can make shelves from cardboard boxes reinforced with pieces of wood. I've seen homeless people build houses from construction dumpsters.
Another good place is dumpsters in mobile home courts. You can find furniture in there.
In your travels, carry a plastic bag and check trash cans for aluminum or other useful stuff you can recycle.
When we travel out camping or go to national parks, I pick up interesting pieces of wood (be careful where you do it- some places won't let you) for carving or making walking sticks.
And shit like that there. Been living on the cheap for decades.
Swap meets and yard sales. There is a trick to it. Go to these places early and size up what you want, even make lists. Bargain with the seller for the price- if they won't come down, go back later. Every piece of luggage I own I paid a total of $20 for. You can get anything from dishes to lawnmowers at those. But be ready to bargain and be patient to go back and see if they haven't sold what you want- you can often get it cheaper that way. You can furnish your whole house for pennies on the dollar if you know what you are doing. Clothes especially you can get cheap.
Look for farmers co-ops or rural fruit and vegetable stands. Most often they are selling it cheaper than the market because stuff not sold is wasted. And it is also better quality than the market stuff.
Also cruise pawn shops if you are looking for things like guns or metal detectors or bicycles. A neighbor bought a Giant 26" mountain bike for $150.00. they go for $500 new. If you spend time in a pawn shop and get to know people, they will help you find stuff.
Once I only had 20 dollars for food for the month. I lived off of eggs and toast for the month. There are so many ways you can make eggs especially if you get creative.
Quote from: doorknob on February 05, 2015, 12:11:46 PM
Once I only had 20 dollars for food for the month. I lived off of eggs and toast for the month. There are so many ways you can make eggs especially if you get creative.
That is amazing. Though I'd be dead in that case, given my diabetes needs a certain amount of carbs each day so as not to slip into a hypoglycemic attack. being honest, I kinda fear the thought of what would happen if I found myself in that position.
I could probably survive on egg on toast, with beans, and crackers, but anything less be a struggle.
Quote from: doorknob on February 05, 2015, 12:11:46 PM
Once I only had 20 dollars for food for the month. I lived off of eggs and toast for the month. There are so many ways you can make eggs especially if you get creative.
Yeah, we spend about that amount a month on food as well. I had managed to work out a deal with a relative of my boyfriend. The place where she works routinely tosses out food that is not used by the clients, so she brings us the food in exchange for occasional yard/house work. So far, the food has been excellent, varied, and balanced. Given that our request for food stamps have been either denied or is taking a ridiculously long amount of time to pass from "reviewed" to something more meaningful, this has definitely been helpful.
Find a partner with their own home that's already paid off and who has their own car also paid off..
Oh wait.. I did that..
I should have my gf write this.. She reuses trash bags and throws almost nothing away.. At first the house was a mess, but it's now quite tidy..
Well, if she dumps me I'll forward her number and email address.. :eek:
Got to thinking about this thread and thought maybe we need one about recipes that are cheap and easy to make and ones that lend themselves to easy improvisation.
Not only did I go to school to study culinary, but I've worked in lots of kitchens as well as raised 4 kids and grandkids and have done most of the cooking for my family.
One of the things indispensable to my diet is chicken broth. Most groceries will sell whole chicken minus the guts feet and heads. They're better with guts than without, but go ahead and cut one up and boil it in plenty of water. You can use the meat for lots of meals, but the broth is the best part. Strain it to get any loose skin or bones out then set it in the fridge overnight till the fat rises to the top and solidifies then skim it off if you want, but the broth will keep for quite some time if kept covered and refrigerated. Use the fat for all kinds of flavoring.
Not much makes better mashed potatoes than chicken broth and it's great for starting soups and other things.
Even chicken thighs, backs, necks or most any chicken pieces make a good broth and if you have a cold you can't find much better than a steaming cup of chicken broth to feel better ..
mums taught me the great value of how to use everything brought to make it go further. Buy a whole chicken and roast it for a sunday roast, then the next day use the leftover chicken for chicken salad or soup. Buying a back of minced meat can make better burgers and if its just you can last several days, also she taught me the value of cooking a large pan of soup, like she did once when dad was still alive and she was on holiday, and he was clueless about cooking, so she left him soup to warm up each day.
APA, you went to culinary school!? Cool! That's on my bucket list. I don't want to be a professional chef, but I want to be able to cook like one.
Quote from: Mermaid on October 31, 2015, 07:24:41 PM
APA, you went to culinary school!? Cool! That's on my bucket list. I don't want to be a professional chef, but I want to be able to cook like one.
It's not all its cracked up to be for home cooking. Culinary schools generally teach cooking in institutional settings such as restaurants and large cafeterias serving hundreds of people at a time. They don't generally teach much about home style stuff,but you can learn some really nifty techniques like handling knives, sauteing (sp) large portions of food at once, etc. It really depends on the school though and what you want to get out of of it. Most won't teach recipes, but instead teach formulas. There isn't much in the way of ounces of cooking, but more like cooking pounds of food at a time. You can definitely adapt what you learn to use at home. There's a strong emphasis on safety, nutrition and sanitation. To this day I have a tough time wanting to eat off a plate washed by hand by 99.99% of the population. If you go to a culinary school be prepared to wash your hands 99 times a day in water that feels like it might boil your skin right off.. LOL
TV cooking shows that have the chef stuff is completely divorced from reality. A chef is much more about the executive functions of restaurants than actual cooking of food.
Our diet for a while now has been rather simple. First, we start off with chicken leg quarters (catch them on sale for about $.29 per lb), which are deboned and cut into bite size portions, tenderized with a mallet and then marinated in soy sauce (and any other Asian flavourings). We then boil some medium sized Asian noodles (stir for 3 minutes while on high, then for 1 minute with the heat turned off). The chicken is stir fried until nearly cooked, then the noodles, vegetables, mushrooms, spices, and extra sauce are added. It's important not to cook it for too long.
Lately we've been using fish, since someone gave us 40 lbs of catfish.
Good perspective, I'll have to see what is offered. I was thinking more balance and flavor, butchering, and basic techniques like that. There's a brand new culinary school right across the street from my job, I can take classes there through a community college.
First things first ..Sanitation! Food's no good if it's full of unwanted bacteria.
Get a really good set of heavy chefs knives and a good quality steel to keep them good and sharp then learn how to handle them without leaving body parts in the stew .. Get a good quality pocket thermometer to keep foods at the right temperature.
Geeez ..I could go on and on about this stuff. In a restaurant I'm no fun to work with because most people who work in them are slobs who could care less if they poison you.
I'll leave it to your collective imaginations of how safe it is to eat out much less at a friend's house .. LOL
I have training in microbiology and worked in a bac-t lab for a few years, so I do have a pretty good handle on sanitary food technique and holding temperatures, and some knives and not halfway bad knife skills. Maybe I should just go to culinary boot camp at the CIA or something.
People like me appreciate people like you working in a kitchen!
The culinary school in the community college in Dayton Ohio I think has two sections now. One for people who want to make a living working in the business and the section for people who want to improve their day to day home cooking skills. I'm not sure if they actually got that off the ground or not, but I remember them discussing doing that.
Learning from people who do or have worked in the business can really teach you a lot.
Awesome thread is being awesome. Seriously, this is great!
My additions are simple but do require some income;
1. Nobody "needs" cable, if they have good internet. putlocker.is has all you need, mere minutes after the show credits sometimes, such is the case for my 2 favorite shows, TWD and Z Nation. Sometimes a day or two, like Ray Donovan airs Saturday and loads Monday, but we're beggars not choosers.
2. My phone costs $35 a month. With data, on an htc one android kitkat. I use that awesome internet for wireless while I am home. (btw, the internet is $50/month for the fastest fiber optics in the US, Vermont rawcks!)(My kid works for this company.)
3. I clean toilets for a living (okay whole houses, but nobody cares about the rest), and I can tell you that one box of baking soda can alter your entire mood, since a clean home is a mental health issue. Put it on ANYTHING, add water, let set, scrub/wipe, holy CLEAN.
--3.(a) Baking soda/water paste = toothpaste without fluoride, which is all you pay for, and bs gets it whiter.
4. Dawn dish soap is flea killer for pets. Wet, squish on some Dawn original, leave for 5 minutes, rinse VERY WELL, no fleas.
5. The main ingredient for heartworm pills from the vet is Ivermectin. You can buy this at Tractor Supply for cattle for under $10, and use it for up to a year. About a quarter size on your palm of the cattle paste per month for a medium sized dog. NOT FOR CATS, DOGS ONLY. Ivermectin is toxic for cats.
--5. (a) Also for dogs, they make a Strongid paste (wormer) for cattle that can be used on dogs and is MUCH CHEAPER.
--5. (b) Tobacco is a natural wormer for dogs and cats.
6. For smokers! I roll my own, and pay about $0.80 a pack. A hand-roller (I use http://www.thesmokingstore.com/gambler-cigarette-rolling-machine/ (http://www.thesmokingstore.com/gambler-cigarette-rolling-machine/) ), lasts years, tobacco can be found at $15-$20 for 16 oz, king tubes at $3-$5 per 200. Shop around and find local after the initial machine purchase. Per 16 oz bag, I get 4 boxes of tubes, it lasts almost a month I think. I smoke not quite a pack a day.
Quote from: JBCuzISaidSo on November 01, 2015, 12:50:15 AM
4. Dawn dish soap is flea killer for pets. Wet, squish on some Dawn original, leave for 5 minutes, rinse VERY WELL, no fleas.
5. The main ingredient for heartworm pills from the vet is Ivermectin. You can buy this at Tractor Supply for cattle for under $10, and use it for up to a year. About a quarter size on your palm of the cattle paste per month for a medium sized dog. NOT FOR CATS, DOGS ONLY. Ivermectin is toxic for cats.
--5. (a) Also for dogs, they make a Strongid paste (wormer) for cattle that can be used on dogs and is MUCH CHEAPER.
--5. (b) Tobacco is a natural wormer for dogs and cats.
I appreciate the need to economize, but I have to comment on this. I am a veterinary parasitologist for some background.
Calculating doses accurately is very VERY important. I cannot stress enough how careful you need to be in calculating the proper dose. It is VERY easy to OD them with paste dewormer, and it is very hard to measure in such small amounts. The paste is very concentrated, cattle weigh 1000 lbs or so, that's a very big difference from a dog.
What you are suggesting, a quarter-sized blob for a medium sized dog, is far, FAR overdosing for heartworm control.
Ivm livestock paste is 1.87% ivermectin, or 18.7 mg of ivermectin per mL of paste. Say a quarter-sized blob is about 1 mL. A medium sized dog is about 30 lbs, or about 14 kg. That is 18.7 mg/kg.
The dose for a Heartgard chewable is 6.0
micrograms per kg body weight. 6 micrograms is 0.006 mg. By giving the dog 18.7
mg/kg, you are overdosing your dog by over 3000x. Do not do this. I realize that lots of people do this with paste dewormer and things are fine, but this product bioaccumulates in the fat. With every subsequent dose, more accumulates in the fat. You can push the dog over the edge months after the first dose. Please be very very careful when doing this. Please. I have seen animals who have been OD'd and it's very painful and unpleasant, and there's nothing to be done for them other than support them and wait it out, which can take many days. Some do not survive. It is important that dogs are on heartworm preventative, but I beg you to be safer about it.
-There is nothing magical about Dawn dish soap. Any soap will kill fleas on a dog or cat. That's great. You should know, however, that 95% of any flea population lives off the pet and in your house. Soap has no residual effect, so new fleas will just jump right on. Using a daily flea comb will help you clear up the environmental flea infestation that you may have, but you need to be very patient, this can take months of daily combing.
-Tobacco is toxic to both dogs and cats (and humans!). Commercial dewormers are safer, inexpensive, and more effective.
Some great points on the paste wormer. To note, though, dogs generally are dosed higher than cows, not lower, and the paste is used on swine as well. Most breeders I know (a lot!) use the injectable which I was never comfortable using. Check dosing, research it if you plan to utilize another means of heartworm prevention on a budget. If you have a breed with the sensitivity mutation (collies, to name one off the top of my head), avoid doing it yourself.
The Dawn, I have used this also. It does work. Flea combs are cheap, though, and it's fun to watch fleas drown in soapy water. :)
Tobacco was a wormer used before commercial wormers came about and many farmers still, actually, use it. These days, the expense is too high, and too much extra is added, plus nicotine isn't good for pets. (http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/natural-dewormer-livestock-zmaz77mazbon.aspx (http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/natural-dewormer-livestock-zmaz77mazbon.aspx) -- read if you want) Smoke it instead!
A half and half mixture of regular dawn and white vinegar heated up in the microwave a bit makes quick work of cleaning a shower that has mold growing in it.
One expense most people can live without is replacing your lawn mower engine every year. Avoid gasoline with alcohol in it. Most cities have gas stations that sell alcohol free gasoline. It costs more, but it's still much cheaper than replacing the engine or having to take it all apart for repair. Small engines do not like gasoline with alcohol in it.
http://pure-gas.org/ is one place to find it locally ..
I used to roll my own smokes for years, but finally broke down and decided to buy them prerolled up the street cheaper than anywhere else in town. It's South Carolina so there aren't a lot of taxes on them.
Ivermectin is used for a very different purpose than cows, (intestinal parasites), and cows are dosed a lot higher than dogs are for heartworm control.
Cattle are dosed at 0.2 mg/kg for intestinal parasites
Dogs are dosed at 0.006 mg/kg per kg for heartworm
The injectable is actually a good alternative to the paste, I'd rather give that if I were doing my own dosing. You can calculate and dilute with saline with a syringe, and give it orally. You can squirt it right into the mouth, and it's way easier to accurately dilute. But the cost for a bottle of cattle injectable initially is higher than for a tube of dewormer paste. I can't professionally or ethically recommend either, but I'm just saying people do that all the time. :)
The neonicotinic class of insecticides are derived from tobacco. The active ingredient in Advantage, imidacloprid, is a good example of this.
On the topic of flea control: Frontline Spray, which is very uncommon, but a lot of vets still carry it, and you can get it online. It lasts much longer than a spot on, and it actually works better when used as directed. You spray one pump per pound of dog, and a 250 mL bottle costs $25 to $30. It will last you 8 months with a 30 lb dog if you use it regularly according to label directions.
For entertainment, I like to make papercraft items. There are tons of free templates online. Here's a good place to start. http://www.papercraftmuseum.com/ I buy cheap 3rd party ink cartridges. Canon keeps trying to come up with ways to persuade me to buy their overpriced cartridges. At the moment, I'm using a Canon MG7520. The tanks are huge. If you write music, it prints on CD's making them an attractive buy.
There are consignment shops that will take professional looking handmade items. Beading is a good product. Shop 2nd hand stores for cheap necklaces to raid. Here's a cheap beading resource. http://dollarbead.com/
I buy a lot at 2nd hand stores. They always seem to have just what I'm looking for. They often don't recognize collectibles that go for a lot on eBay. Sometimes they put such a high price on collectibles that they don't sell. The price eventually drops below market price. I've made some money selling on eBay. The payoff is relatively large.
I wind up keeping most the collectible games I find at 2nd hand stores. I save around 90%. I also find ways to get new games at wholesale or below by watching clearance sections, using coupons, points, and special offers. I also make board games from from files on https://www.boardgamegeek.com/ and other sites or design my own version. Here's my cheap game collection. https://www.boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/androidlove?own=1&subtype=boardgame&gallery=large&ff=1
I also collect books from 2nd hand stores. I have amassed a huge collection of entertainment for a fraction of the cost. Here's my book collection. http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=androidlove&collection=-1&shelf=shelf&sort=tags&sort=tags If you want to eat well for cheap, check out my recipe book collection.
Papercraft, books, and games adorn my place. I also use the interior decorating books in my collection for cheap ideas.
I will share with you a local restaurants bean soup. They charge 18 cents a cup. It is very cheap, very good. I myself lightly grill a ham steak and tear it into bite size pieces when I make mine. I tear it into small pieces because of the mental aspect to me. Square pieces of meat put manufactured soups into my mind and for some reason they never taste as good.
Go here. Try it, you will like it.
http://www.food.com/recipe/meg-omalleys-irish-parliament-bean-soup-463525
Learn to enjoy saving more than spending. :)
While suffering through a knee inflammation and trying to stay off it, I discovered the nutrition value of mega burritos from chains such as Moe's (black beans, variant greens, tomatoes and rice with the meat), and realized that these could be made almost as easily as chili with shells available at Aldis. As mentioned by others already, there's a lot of things in those stores which are as good as they are cheap.
Quote from: peacewithoutgod on November 02, 2015, 02:53:56 PMWhile suffering through a knee inflammation and trying to stay off it, I discovered the nutrition value of mega burritos from chains such as Moe's (black beans, variant greens, tomatoes and rice with the meat), and realized that these could be made almost as easily as chili with shells available at Aldis. As mentioned by others already, there's a lot of things in those stores which are as good as they are cheap.
$2.5 gallon of apple cider. Mmm good!
They have lots of cheap food, but they also have a lot of comparatively more expensive impulse items. So watch out for that. Also, lots of times, the perishables will be half-perished. White onions with black spots, wilted lettuce, beef turning brown, etc. Losing food to spoilage definitely puts a dent in the value pricing. But their boxed/canned goods are unbeatable.
Quote from: peacewithoutgod on November 02, 2015, 02:53:56 PM
While suffering through a knee inflammation and trying to stay off it, I discovered the nutrition value of mega burritos from chains such as Moe's (black beans, variant greens, tomatoes and rice with the meat), and realized that these could be made almost as easily as chili with shells available at Aldis. As mentioned by others already, there's a lot of things in those stores which are as good as they are cheap.
I eat a ton of vegetarian chimichangas from 8 packs. I melt cheese on top. I sometimes add salsa and real sour cream. It works out to around $1 a meal.
Quote from: gentle_dissident on November 02, 2015, 03:49:01 PM
I eat a ton of vegetarian chimichangas from 8 packs. I melt cheese on top. I sometimes add salsa and real sour cream. It works out to around $1 a meal.
That's one of my old junk-food diving favorites. A little healthier than grill cheese, and usually cheaper. If you do buy cheese slices there, I recommend the premium deluxe, which is still cheaper than the major chains and isn't flavorless and fake. You can get some decent breads there too, if you happen to come around soon after they stock it.
Quote from: peacewithoutgod on November 02, 2015, 09:26:18 PM
That's one of my old junk-food diving favorites. A little healthier than grill cheese, and usually cheaper. If you do buy cheese slices there, I recommend the premium deluxe, which is still cheaper than the major chains and isn't flavorless and fake. You can get some decent breads there too, if you happen to come around soon after they stock it.
The 8 pack is $3.50 at the moment. I use real cheese on top.
Here are the ingredients.
"WATER, WHEAT FLOUR (ENRICHED WITH NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), BEANS, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, SUNFLOWER, CANOLA AND/OR CORN OIL), PASTEURIZED PROCESS CHEDDAR CHEESE BLEND (CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), WATER, HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM CASEINATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, ENZYMES, LACTIC ACID, VEGETABLE COLORING), JALAPENO PEPPERS (WITH SALT, ACETIC ACID, WATER, CALCIUM CHLORIDE), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (SALT, YEAST, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM, WHEAT STARCH, ENZYMES, SODIUM METABISULFITE, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, L-CYSTEINE, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SPICES.
I fry our grilled real cheese sandwiches in butter and serve with generic condensed tomato soup. I stay thin since I upped my metabolism. I watched my diet very carefully and ate around a 1000 healthy calories a day. I lost 55 pounds in under 2 months. Yea, I got a little sick at the end, but it was worth it.
Quote from: gentle_dissident on November 02, 2015, 09:35:47 PM
I lost 55 pounds in under 2 months.
Correction: Thinking back, that was 40 pounds in 2 months. The last 15 were slower to come off.
Also, we use Nature's Own whole wheat bread for our sandwiches. I discovered it while losing weight. It's low cal, high protein, and $3.