Independent/Artistically Working

[BeautifulBlue]

I think this is more of an 'can I ask for advice' thread than anything.

Now... as some of you probably already know, I write fiction full time due to my medical issues. For the most part, I'm starting to make good money (it's starting this month at 300 dollars and in latter months will grow to 400 and more.) I know it's not enough to live alone (I live with gracious roommates who don't make me pay rent,) but I want to ask, grocery-wise, where do you all shop?

I live in Austin (TX) and mainly shop at HEB. I've found their prices cheaper than Walmart, but I'm open to options.

Does anyone have any advice for cutting down on general spending? I've pretty much stopped eating junk food/candy, so that's not a matter. Soda is a necessary evil because I'm so horribly addicted to it (and as of now have no desire to quit what with my severe medical issues.) We have a Central Market here, but I have a real problem investing money in vegetables/fruits because I don't tend to eat them fast enough before they go bad (I've been eating more raw/organic foods, but I've been eating a lot less since I started dieting.)

So... I guess to anyone who works independently/artistically and makes a low (or lower) amount of money, any advice would be welcome. I'm not suffering by any means (like I said, I get my first big paycheck at the end of the month,) but I'd love any money-saving tips you'd have to offer, even if it just came down to what kind of decent deodorant to buy or what kind of body washes to get, etc.

[ManicReptile21]

Well firstly, I'd say start clipping those coupons and start saving up those bucks. Take advantage of sales. buy foods that take alot longer to spoil just in case the time should ever come when you lack the funds to buy food. I would say budget your grocery money. Give yourself a certain amount of money to work with and pre emptively do the math with a calculator to make sure you clear the budget and dont over shoot, not even by a single penny- all of this BEFORE you reach the cash register do not forget to add the sales tax. up here its 6%, i do not know what it is in texas but you can find out by doing the math based off of one of your reciepts. And remember food does not get taxed. Make use of dollar store supplies. such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies and laundry detergents. better to smell cheap than to live on the streets i always say ;D save up every bit of you have, it may come in useful at later dates. also buy the healthy foods you can get from the dollar stores. You don't always have to shop in one store. If you really want to get into detail, make several lists of things you want and literally check the prices in all the places and create an ultimate shopping lists that requires you to go to multiple stores.

[Sylph]

Well firstly, I'd say start clipping those coupons and start saving up those bucks. Take advantage of sales. buy foods that take alot longer to spoil just in case the time should ever come when you lack the funds to buy food. I would say budget your grocery money. Give yourself a certain amount of money to work with and pre emptively do the math with a calculator to make sure you clear the budget and dont over shoot, not even by a single penny- all of this BEFORE you reach the cash register do not forget to add the sales tax. up here its 6%, i do not know what it is in texas but you can find out by doing the math based off of one of your reciepts. And remember food does not get taxed. Make use of dollar store supplies. such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies and laundry detergents. better to smell cheap than to live on the streets i always say ;D save up every bit of you have, it may come in useful at later dates. also buy the healthy foods you can get from the dollar stores. You don't always have to shop in one store. If you really want to get into detail, make several lists of things you want and literally check the prices in all the places and create an ultimate shopping lists that requires you to go to multiple stores.

I love it. I agree with everything Lewie has said. I did this when I was out in Florida, although that was only for 2 weeks, but my grandmother teaches and gives me all her wisdom and tells me useful things, one of them how to save money.

It's silly but I do this;

> I go to our local bulk sale store [they sell items in bulk for less money, although we have multiple other grocery stores which are nearer to me].

> Get a huge container of Ramen noodles for like $10 when one costs like 3~4 dollars.

> Get a big thing of MiO drink mix, cause I like a little grape drink sometimes
[My fridge dispenses water so ]

> And get a big thing of Toilet paper, paper towels and some Tooth paste

And I'm all set. Probably like $40-$50 dollars at most for like 2weeks worth of stuff [Cause I live with my Grandmother and Mother, so ].

But that's just me. I don't need a whole bunch of food falling out of my cabinets to be happy. Just the essentials please .

In addition to Lewie's extremely accurate advice, I'd also say try to find a bulk store near you, or whatever you call them out there, a store that sells more for less :biggrin: . That has helped us save money alot [even though we buy regular groceries every other week...]

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Most years about 70-80% of our produce comes out of the garden.

I raise primarily tomatoes, beans, sweet peas, potatoes, zucchini, summer squash (yellow) acorn squash, pumpkin sweet potatoes, onion and carrots.

I raise limited amounts of lettuce, spinach and other greens. Limited amount of turnips and a few other things that I like that my partner wouldn't eat no matter how much butter, sugar, or other stuff I mix in it to hide it.

I can and dehydrate a large chunk of food.

Sundried tomatoes are expensive at restaurants - they cost me next to nothing. Slicing tomatoes, setting them outside in my screens, covered with more screens and let the sun do its thing.

Tomatoes are real easy to can, they only need bath canning since they are high in acid. I can diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Tomato past is pretty difficult, it requires a lot of cooking and separation of juice, seats, skin and meat. There have been years where I just pull out the cook stove (camping one) and put it outside and cook the tomatoes down outside (thus no steam in the house).

The rest I buy at produce stands or the local farmers market.

Since my plans are to preserve food, dry it, freeze it, can it - I get the over ripe 'trash' bushels (often sold as pig food). The food is over ripe (like falling apart ripe at times) or is bruised, or just grew misshapen thus won't sell on the table.

To give you and idea how how much you save:

Corn: A bushel in season costs around $5.00, there are between 40 to 60 ears of corn, on average a bushel will cost about 10 cents per ear. Last year I got it for $3.00 a bushel - 6 cents and ear.

Peaches: 1 bushel costs around $12 dollars at the farmers market - there are about 50 pounds of peaches per bushel. That is about 24 cents per pound.

Apples: 1 bushel costs about 3-6 dollars depending on type there is about 40 pounds of apples per bushel that comes to about 8-15 cents per pound.

If you go for the bushels of "pig feed" (which is composed primarily by misshapen produce or over ripe fruit - thus makes for great canning) you can pretty much half those costs.

Flour, sugar, salt, and other such dry goods sells very cheap if you buy it in a 25 pound bag. Walmart is currently selling 25 pounds of sugar for $14.00. Costco around $15.00. Walmart's price is for their brand, Costco is for C&H.

Around the holidays the price of sugars (white, brown, powdered) drop a lot - I have paid as little as $5.00 for 25 pounds of sugar. Granted you have to have the means to store it - I would suggest the nickle/tin plated steel popcorn containers for sugar, flour and other goods. NOT salt.

[BeautifulBlue]

See, I would LOVE to do something like a garden, but that's pretty much impossible where I am due to my living situation. It's something I should probably consider when I move to a new apartment/house (though that probably won't be anytime soon.) I'm glad to hear you such such good outcomes with it! I love corn. <3

[Pix]

Check out food banks, they're to help people who are barely getting by.

When I was in a sitch similar to yours I'd crash art shows for the free food (stashing some away for later).

I find many (but not all, especially the ones fronting for a charity) thrift stores have adequate materials, sometimes better (and cheaper) than Walmart, but I usually don't like "dollar stores" (where they get damaged merchandise).

Discount grocery stores can be good but they often get their stuff because the packaging was damaged, because the sell by date is getting too close, and reasons like that, and so they can't be expected to have the same brands you like (or even the same type of food and stuff at all). Excellent advice on that, btw:

http://www.moneycrashers.com/discount-grocery-stores/

[worknlife]

I lost my job a few years back and it destroyed my finances. I’ll tell you what I did:
1. Moved back in with my parents as my 2 siblings did (I get along with them all)
2. I turned my expensive car back (OOO yea it hurt)
3. I canceled my magazine subscriptions
4. Canceled my gym
5. I learned to shop at TJ Maxx and Marshalls
6. I only kicked it with friends every other weekend and learned to like the taste of $2 beer
7. Kept driving trips to a min of a 10 mile radius of my house
8. I took extra care of my shoes and clothes so I would not have to buy more
9. Only had my hair done once a month
10. Made all my meals at home (and take them with me) so that I would not have to buy lunch while I was job hunting

I hope this helps.

[worknlife]

And your counties ‘job and family services’ if you don’t live in a large county they will help