Surviving on a tight budget

I have "discovered" some ways to stretch a dollar and survive on a budget. Some of these are obvious/common knowledge and others you may not have thought of. These are what work for me; of course, your mileage may vary depending on your circumstances, where you live, etc.

* Cut the cable TV. I have Netflix and also a Roku box plus Internet (YouTube, etc.), so there was no reason for me to hand over $120+ dollars monthly to the cable company. Coupled with my DVD player, I can watch just about anything I want via one of the aforementioned modalities.

* Cut the gym fees. I canceled my gym membership because (1) My complex installed a "fitness center," which, while not comprehensive, has brand-new treadmill and other equipment. (2) I bought myself a used bicycle. and (3) I am driving less, riding the bus and walking to run errands more. As a result, I am carrying my groceries home in the doubled plastic bags (working those biceps! and triceps too) and working out my arms that way. I must be getting a decent workout doing this because I am short of breath and heart rate is up when I arrive home. This also forces my butt up and out of the chair, going outside for fresh air and sunshine, which is something I used to never do sitting at the PC all the time.

* Not eating out. I will go out rarely with friends, but it's a treat now instead of a regular thing. Not only am I saving money (food, drinks, tips, tax -- it all adds up) , but I am eating healthier, have lost some weight, and feel better too.

* Not drinking alcohol. It's ridiculously overpriced having it in a restaurant or bar (see above), and I don't want to keep it at home either. This has cleared my head, facilitated my weight loss, improved my sleep, and I just feel better in general. (I was a very light drinker to begin with, but alcohol never really agreed with me anyway because I always felt lousy afterward/lthe next day).

* Subscribed to a bottled water delivery service. It turns out that I am spending less on bottled water having it home-delivered. (I use a local company, not a national one.) In addition, my water intake has increased. I think having the chilled cooler nearby serves as a "reminder." This is all good because I want to drink more water and less other stuff. It also cuts down on plastic recycling (one less thing for me to have to fool with).

I think most people know about shopping sales and stocking up on staples at the sale price, etc. so I won't bore you with that.

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Surviving on a tight budget - MT

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