They aren’t very unusual things. They’re things many people do. They’re things we’ve done for many years: as a way to keep afloat financially and as a way to avoid the bloated, ugly feeling that overconsumption gives us.
buy our clothing, home decorations, and small appliances at a thrift store
use fluorescent light bulbs
vent the hot air from our clothes dryer back into the house
use a voice-over-internet phone service for long-distance calls
make Christmas gifts and birthday gifts
live with one car
live in a house with no extra rooms
stay away from the mall — Although clearance prices can be very low, the overriding aura of unnecessary glamour is something we prefer to avoid.
cut our own hair
polish our own nails
get movies from the library
pay off our credit card each month
dine out with cashback coupons from our credit card company
make our own slipcovers and curtains
buy books at library book sales
mend things instead of throwing them away
get lawn furniture (and sometimes home furniture!) from the curb on the night before trash pickup
grow vegetables in our backyard
You get the idea. Nothing too extreme. We’re not raising chickens here in the suburbs.
So, what are you doing to save money?
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Colleen said,
December 17, 2008 @ 2:22 am
I’m sun drying our clothes, shopping at the Farmer’s Market, making Christmas gifts, using the library instead of buying books, avoiding the mall, and constantly asking myself if we really “need” any item that I’m thinking of buying. Usually the answer is no. Thanks for sharing your list!