Tips and Tricks for the Strapped for Cash Among Us

[Aletheia]

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.

[PickelledEggs]

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...

[Hydra009]

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.

[PickelledEggs]

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.

[Jason78]

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 :)

[aitm]

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

[aitm]

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.

[aitm]

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.

[GrinningYMIR]

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

[Mermaid]

Dried beans and lentils are a wonderful, healthy, relatively inexpensive protein source that keep forever.
Also, Aldi stores. THEY RULE.

[dtq123]

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.

[dtq123]

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.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

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..

[kilodelta]

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.

[kilodelta]

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.