If you've been wondering what I've been up to this past week, well, I've been keeping myself busy. I have these little tricks I use to make money and it only takes a little bit of effort.
Even if things are going great I save plastic bottles and aluminum cans; I actually have 2 trash cans in my kitchen, one for actual trash and one for bottles and cans. I probably won't keep bottles when I move to Nevada because our recycling center only pays a penny a pound and I just don't have the storage space for that many bottles but where I'm living now I can go across the bridge to Oregon and get a nickel a bottle. The price of aluminum changes but right now it's .40 a pound. When I take my dog for a walk I take a bag with me to pick up cans, so I'm helping clean my community and making a bit of money at the same time.
Usually, this is my garage sale money but I'm not going to any garage sales lately, I'm having my own garage sales. I have been trying to get rid of what I don't need, and keeping what ever is the most important, for the move. But I have at least one garage sale a year, depending on if I need money I might have more, and I do pretty good. The trick is, I don't throw anything away. I'm not a hoarder, I have no problem throwing something away if it doesn't work anymore. I am a pack rat but I'm an organised pack rat. I keep a box (or two) put aside for anything I don't use anymore just for a garage sale. There have been times when I might give stuff away if I meet someone who can use something I have and don't use, but I keep things to the side, just for a sale. So far I've made over $1000 this year alone in garage sales, but I've also been selling furniture this time.
Another thing I put to the side is scrap metal and electronics that I don't use or breaks down. My daughter cashed in my scrap about a month ago for gas money but I cashed in my old electronics yesterday, and made about $24 for less than 30 minutes of actual work (putting them into my car, driving to the recycle center, unloading from the car), all I had to do is put the stuff to the side instead of throwing in the garbage can. When I do things like this I call it my money in the bank. It's there if I need gas money or milk money or whatever. I really didn't need the money at this time but I'm not moving this stuff a thousand miles, that makes no sense. Make sure you check with the recycling center in your state/town. Every place is different so don't take my word for it, I may not be able to get cash for my old electronics in Nevada, but that's one of the first things I'm going to check on when I get there.
I also have a trick with food. The first thing I should suggest, if you ever get extra money (say, when you get a tax return) invest in a freezer and a vacuum bag machine. I also have an Army supply pot that I use all the time. When I go to the grocery store I know how much I can spend. As I run out of stuff I write in on a list but no matter what, I spend all that I allow myself. I never plan meals before I go shopping, because I only buy what's on sale, so I basically plan my meals as I shop. And I always buy extra, even things I don't always eat, like canned meat, chicken, tuna, rice, beans, etc. Anything that keeps for a long time. My ex-husband used to say we really don't need anything but what he never understood is, we may not need it now but we might need it in the future, and here it is, my future.
I haven't had to buy food in months other than fresh milk, vegetables for salads, and food for my pets (but I buy big on that too). I went through my cupboards the other day and have planned meals for the next 2 weeks, even with barely anything there. I have 2 freezers, one is empty but there's still food in the other one. When I cook, I cook big (can't help that, after cooking for 4 kids and all their friends I'm just used to it) and I freeze leftovers. So all I have to do is throw something in the microwave and dinner is done. I have my own bean and rice recipe and I make a big pot, then freeze the leftovers (and my big pot could feed me alone for a month), and with beans and rice, you can also throw that on tortillas with some veges & cheese and you got burritos. There's so much you can do with leftovers and I experiment all the time.
So right now, instead of buying groceries I have been putting that money towards savings and paying off medical bills, and I have some extra bills I have almost paid off. It's great, actually. And speaking of bills, I make sure that as soon as I can I do the budget billing so that I only pay the same amount every month. Sometimes you have to be in a place for a year before they can start that.
Just a quick note before I go, I have an appointment with a Vocational counselor next week. I think this is my last appointment I have to go to in this God forsaken town. I'm hoping I will be able to move at the end of this month.
No comments:
Post a Comment