Inflation Solutions - Share Ideas Here...

With Summer heat in full swing, I've quit watering our grass, and plan to only cut it...near the house...every couple of weeks. We've cut our non essential driving way down, and only make one shopping trip...for everything...about once a week. We raised our AC temperature a couple of degrees to help keep the electric bill down. We used to run to the casino's about twice a month....now between the Covid and these ridiculous gas prices, we may go once every 6 or 7 weeks. Adjusting our "habits" is resulting in our spending less, per month, than we did a couple of years ago.
 
Paco Dennis said:

A Warning From A Farmer​


This winter could be really bad. The food scarcity is also occurring while prices are soaring.
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That's right....this time of year, the farmers are usually out in their fields from sunup to sundown. This year, most of the fields are just sitting fallow, and it's rare to see a farm tractor working. This years harvest may be just a fraction of normal, and the results will hit the grocery stores in a few months.
 
I have to go feed the ferals at work every day. I only work part time. It's stupid for me to have to drive there daily but there is not one person who I would trust to clean their dishes, feed and provide fresh water daily. No one has ever offered. If I get Covid and can't go in, there are a couple of people who work there I can probably beg by phone. It's been a worry.

I keep my AC at 82. I'm upstairs and it's an older unit. If I owned a condo, I'd probably keep it a little lower but I'd be able to buy a new more efficient unit. I'm stuck with this thing.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I don't know why, but inflation happens. Romans complained that a Sestertius didn't buy what it used to. Inflation has been happening throughout my life My first part time job was for minimum wage- $1.00.
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I made 75 cents an hour at a car wash fresh out of high school.
 
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My suggestions - If hunger actually becomes an issue, though bread isn't the most healthy solution, it's filling and it's something you can make yourself. Stocking up on Bisquick is good - no yeast required. You can even make "poor man" pastries with it, like cinnamon rolls, popovers, and meat, veggie, and fruit pies. In just about any bread recipe you can substitute milk with water, including water from stuff you boiled, like potatoes, vegetables, rice and pasta. Add meat drippings to bread recipes for some protein. Most types of bread can be cooked on a stove top or over a fire. Flat-breads are as filling as raised breads.

It's looking like the current inflation period might last quite a bit longer than most.
 
Driving has become a luxury. I worked with an advocate of cheap transportation. He called his autos throwaways ('burners'). He told me that if he got 6 months out of a $500 'Craigslist' used auto he won! He never had to purchase expensive insurance other than liability. He was a highly paid software engineer so could afford whatever he wanted. He sold the push/pull junkers to salvage yards when they broke down.
 
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The main ways I've for the most part avoided being hard it by inflation are: I no longer drive, I don't buy red meat but do crave a hamburger about 3 times a year from Wendy's or Burger King. I don't have to worry about heating oil since all my homeowner costs, except for electricity, are included in our carrying charges (HOA fees) which are quite low. I actively manage inflationary costs as follows:
~I've found store brand products I really like: Bowl & Basket (Shoprite, Price Rite), Great Value (Walmart) and Kirkland (Costco). These products are saving me so much money. Example: Bowl & Basket block 8 oz cream cheese ..77 cents on sale. Philadelphia 8 oz tubs $3.24. I realized I can make my own onion and chive flavor by softening the block cheese and mixing it with onion powder and chives and it's just as good.

~I am taking full advantage of cash back rewards cards and their bonuses. This year I've already gotten back $825 in rewards and bonuses. That averages $137.50 a month which more than covers any inflationary costs I've encountered. Some of those rewards were passed to my son, however for the charges he made (and paid back).

~I'm eating out less especially since I keep a couple of prepared meals in the freezer like Michael Angelo's eggplant parmesean. A meal like that costs about $15 (plus tip when delivered) from a local Italian restaurant. Granted I can eat off it 3 times (so say $5 a serving) My cost for an individual serving of Angelo's with comparable fixings is about $2 a serving. I also keep frozen spinach-mozzarella ravioli in the house. as well as canned ravioli (don't judge me :)).

~I stock up on grocery items when they are on sale.

~I buy in bulk from Costco. Besides TP and paper towels, most of what I buy are the coupon sale items for even more savings. A couple of examples: 18 oz of Cheerios at our local supermarket...$4.99, 21.7 oz at Walmart $5.48, 40.7 oz on sale at Costco...$5.69. I used to buy my agave from Amazon because it had a better prices than Walmart. Costco started selling their Kirkland brand of the light blue that I like and it costs about 11 cents less per ounce than the Amazon price. I use agave daily, so it's a big savings.

~I avoid paying fees..that includes bank and shipping costs.

~I'm always on the lookout for the best prices instead of assuming. Costco's prices aren't always best, nor Walmart's or Amazons.
 
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I just posted this on the What Are You Doing Today thread because yesterday I mentioned borrowing my daughter's instant pot while she's out of town. For several years I've been debating with myself about whether an Instant Pot would be a useful small appliance to me or would it wind up in my appliance graveyard sooner rather than later. I have a week to give it several spins around the block.

I thought yesterday's experience might be interesting to my fellow inflation fighters on this thread.

This is what I wrote:

As I'd mentioned yesterday, last evening I tried out DD's instant pot to cook a pound of dried garbanzos that I presoaked. Pretty easy - 6 minutes cooking time.

We go through a lot of garbanzos because I make hummus at least weekly. Last time I made hummus I checked the weight of the drained beans - 9.3 oz in a 16 oz can. The drained garbanzos I made in the instant pot yielded a surprising 34 oz. Aldi garbanzos are now 73¢ per can (up from 49¢ two years ago!). I can buy dried garbanzos for 99¢/pound.

Net price of drained beans: canned: 7.8¢/oz, dried: 2.9¢/oz. The price difference really surprised me though it doesn't include electricity costs. Yes, canned beans are very convenient and I'll always keep some in my pantry, but I'm considering making dried beans my default choice.
 
ManjaroKDE said:
Driving has become a luxury. I worked with an advocate of cheap transportation. He called his autos throwaways ('burners'). He told me that if he got 6 months out of a $500 'Craigslist' used auto he won! He never had to purchase expensive insurance other than liability. He was a highly paid software engineer so could afford whatever he wanted. He sold the push/pull junkers to salvage yards when they broke down.
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The idea of driving a junker that could break down with barely a moment's notice isn't tolerable to me. I gladly pay more to have good reliability, better gas mileage and modern safety features. I buy used vehicles that have low mileage and are a few years old, maintain them, and keep them for about 15 years, at which point there is usually a compelling reason to move on.

To each his own.
 
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No car payment, I don't go anywhere that sucks up gas. I am frugal about my utility bills. Keep th electric down, the water bill low by just paying attention to my usage.

I am a careful shopper like @OneEyedDiva, I watch the sales, pick up loss leaders in bulk for the pantry and freezer. It is easy to be frugal and to eat well!

Every puchase goes on the credit card to get the cash beck rewards. It is paid in full each month.
 

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