Got any inflation-fighting tips?

Packerjohn said:
CUT THE FAT: Sell your RV trailer, your boat, your 4X4 crewcab truck, your ATV & your pontoon boat. By the way, cook at home and stop running around to all those restaurants, stop ordering pizza for home deliveries and stop shopping for "stuff" that will only end up in landfills anyway. As I said, CUT THE FAT!
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Not too much, though. Fat has precious calories and keeps your tummy full....full on the outside, too, sure, but that's what the walks are for. ☺️
 

Aunt Bea said:
My biggest tip is to track your spending in order to get an understanding of where your money goes.

Continue doing the things that are important to you and let go of the things that aren't.
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Took a couple months of adjustments, but Michelle and I finally came up with a new inflation-beating budget.
 

Blessed said:
I never use the full amount it calls for. I found that too much soap leaves a residue. My husband was sensitive to it. When I would start the laundry he would always say "Don't chap my ass". I always would double rinse his underwear. LOL
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My red-haired son, Grant, had extremely sensitive skin (his mom was 100% Scandinavian) and I couldn't use soap at all. Not even in his baths. People can survive just fine without it.
 
Eat fat, cut carbs...especially in prepared/ process foods! Start a vegetable garden. Use a TV antenna in your attic or on your roof, drop cable or satellite TV. Ride a local bus for shopping and working. Buy food at the food bank.
 
I've thought of a few things.

Instead of turning on the a/c, open windows -- if it isn't too hot outside.
Use a clothesline instead of the dryer.
Unplug everything that uses electricity when not in use.
Wash everything in cold water, except towels, sheets, underwear
Use less laundry detergent that the manufacturer calls for - I've read in reputable places that they require too much.
You can make your own laundry detergent, but that is a pain in the buttinsky.
Actually eat the food you buy.
Plan car trips so all errands are run at once, to economize on gas.
Do not use Door Dash or takeout -- instead, for the days you are too tired to prepare a meal, have something already prepared in the freezer.
Stop buying organic food.
Make a menu for the week and then make the list after checking that you are out of what's on the list.
Do not skimp on your prescriptions, especially if they are life-saving drugs.
Get some exercise. If you have mobility problems, Youtube has chair yoga and resistance band videos.
Learn to meditate, and actually do it.
Use microfiber cloths or those Swedish cloths instead of paper towels.
If you have a large supply of cloth napkins, use them instead of paper napkins.
Meat has gotten real expensive, so half the amount you eat, especially in recipes like chili and spaghetti sauce. Double the beans you put in chili, for instance.
Frozen veg are cheaper and more nutritious.
If you can, keep a garden of veg you like.
Keep a sharp eye out for other people's needs. Maybe you have something they can use to solve a problem.
Do not waste money on junk food, and make what you can from scratch.
 
WheatenLover said:
I've thought of a few things.

Instead of turning on the a/c, open windows -- if it isn't too hot outside.
Use a clothesline instead of the dryer.
Unplug everything that uses electricity when not in use.
Wash everything in cold water, except towels, sheets, underwear
Use less laundry detergent that the manufacturer calls for - I've read in reputable places that they require too much.
You can make your own laundry detergent, but that is a pain in the buttinsky.
Actually eat the food you buy.
Plan car trips so all errands are run at once, to economize on gas.
Do not use Door Dash or takeout -- instead, for the days you are too tired to prepare a meal, have something already prepared in the freezer.
Stop buying organic food.
Make a menu for the week and then make the list after checking that you are out of what's on the list.
Do not skimp on your prescriptions, especially if they are life-saving drugs.
Get some exercise. If you have mobility problems, Youtube has chair yoga and resistance band videos.
Learn to meditate, and actually do it.
Use microfiber cloths or those Swedish cloths instead of paper towels.
If you have a large supply of cloth napkins, use them instead of paper napkins.
Meat has gotten real expensive, so half the amount you eat, especially in recipes like chili and spaghetti sauce. Double the beans you put in chili, for instance.
Frozen veg are cheaper and more nutritious.
If you can, keep a garden of veg you like.
Keep a sharp eye out for other people's needs. Maybe you have something they can use to solve a problem.
Do not waste money on junk food, and make what you can from scratch.
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Yep. There's a few. Thanks! :love:

A lot of good ones in there, too.
 
Inflation will get you every which way. My 2-yr electricity contract is expiring next month. I was paying 6.3 cents per kWh. Got an email from the provider that it would be 13.3 cents per kWh to renew . They apologized and stated the culprit is rising natural gas prices. So after reading all the inspiring suggestions on this thread, maybe I should forego electricity until next year hoping that pricing would be more favorable. 🤷‍♂️ ;)
 
Nosy Bee-54 said:
Inflation will get you every which way. My 2-yr electricity contract is expiring next month. I was paying 6.3 cents per kWh. Got an email from the provider that it would be 13.3 cents per kWh to renew . They apologized and stated the culprit is rising natural gas prices. So after reading all the inspiring suggestions on this thread, maybe I should forego electricity until next year hoping that pricing would be more favorable. 🤷‍♂️ ;)
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If you let the contract expire, does your service default to another provider? I tried one of those "3rd-party" contracts. It smelled of scam to me, so I cancelled it after 2 billing cycles.

I expect everyone's electricity bills will go up pretty dearly during winter. Hopefully, we'll see a big drop next spring, but I suppose it depends on what happens in Russia and Ukraine.
 
Murrmurr said:
If you let the contract expire, does your service default to another provider? I tried one of those "3rd-party" contracts. It smelled of scam to me, so I cancelled it after 2 billing cycles.

I expect everyone's electricity bills will go up pretty dearly during winter. Hopefully, we'll see a big drop next spring, but I suppose it depends on what happens in Russia and Ukraine.
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I can switch providers at the end of a contracted period. Contracts are usually one or two years of duration. I have had no problems in the past. It is only the current inflation spike that has thrown everything out of whack. If I allow it to expire, then I would be on month to month which is like Russian roulette for pricing. Bottom line is that all the providers to choose from have raised prices accordingly. Businesses are simply passing on increases to consumers.
 
Murrmurr said:
Inflation - the cure for the obesity epidemic.
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Not around here. I had to go to the dentist today, then stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things. There were a couple of 'substantially" overweight guys in line....both with several packs of beer in their carts. When/if beer sales drop around here, that will be a Sure sign that people are cutting back.
 
Jules said:
There were lots of excellent suggestions in that list. These were two of the main ones for me.
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We have not been eating some of the food we buy, as I discover every time I clean out the fridge. We crush the dog's meds and mix it into yogurt, so at least we don't have the tons of yogurt problem any more. I don't eat yogurt, and apparently my daughter forgets about it.

Back in 2011, I didn't have the money to buy my meds, so I went without for nearly a year. Then I had a heart attack. Thank goodness it didn't damage my heart.
 
Blessed said:
I try to keep the AC at 78 but lower it to 75 when I sleep, I sleep better a little cooler. Now if I am having hot flashes with a migraine I will turn it down in the day.

In the winter, the heater is at 62. I like cold weather. I will wear warm clothes in the house. I also like to have a cozy throw on the couch.
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I have mine on 75 and a small fan running. It works fine for me. Now that I'm getting older I don't like piling on layers of clothes so I turn the heat up. But with our new oil shortage I might make a change. I guess we will see.
 
Blessed said:
I try to keep the AC at 78 but lower it to 75 when I sleep, I sleep better a little cooler. Now if I am having hot flashes with a migraine I will turn it down in the day.

In the winter, the heater is at 62. I like cold weather. I will wear warm clothes in the house. I also like to have a cozy throw on the couch.
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We have a 2-story house so we have 2 air conditioners. We keep the second story unit on 80 degrees, which is pretty comfortable. The first floor is set on 77 degrees and rarely ever runs. I guess heat really does always rise to the top.

I do set the first floor unit at 72 degrees in the evening because the master bedroom is on the first floor and gets very hot compared to the living/dining/kitchen areas.
 

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