Here's a couple that I don't think others have mentioned:

- I don't buy microwave popcorn anymore. The bags of popcorn that you pop on the stove are only $1.00/pound and will make enough popcorn to last us several months.

- I'm dividing all my houseplants or making cuttings. When they've matured a bit, I'll sell them at work and give the profits to the animal shelter where I got my cat.

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If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition, and then admit that we just don't want to do it.

- Stephen Colbert.

I will add a couple:

Save those plastic little bottles of juice (like Sunny D) and recycle by using them again and again. Clean them and fill up with juice of your choice.

Dryer sheets.....cut them in half or use them twice in the dryer.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

I have all but given up using paper towels. At Sam's I am able to buy 24 bar mop towels for about 52 cents a piece. They go through a lot before they are unusable.
I have also started carrying resusable shopping totes. But not ones that I've purchased from the store. It seems that at every home show, industry convention, county fair etc. they give away advertising tote bags that I have collected over the years. So now I have enough to do shopping without the expense of purchasing reusable totes.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

I do this too....my apple jar gets used again for water and I use the dryer sheets I get from the $1 store-cut them in half and use them to dust with too.

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All we are and all we see is but a dream in a dream, All that you see or seem, is but a dream within a dream--Edgar Allan Poe

oldy but goody, use an old coffee can for peelings, etc for compost. Or, as a container for fat drippings.

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Live, Love, Laugh

I rip my dryer sheets in half as well.

I also just called Comcast yesterday (they have our phone, internet and cable) and talked with their retention dept (you ask for them by name) and they took $60 off my monthly bill for 6 months when I told them I could switch to Qwest for about half the cost (not that I wanted to but I *could*). They said call back in another 6 months to see what they could do.

I too use the reusable shopping bags. The bread outlet here will give you an extra free loaf of bread if you bring in your own bags

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I just applied for a reduction in my property taxes (fortunately the entire process could be done online with all the necessary tools and information).

I renegotiated with my oil company to get a price cap on the price of oil. My contract was up, and I spoke first with a rep got a price, asked if that is the best, she quoted another price, then asked if she could get an even better price from a supervisor. Got lower again. I called back and spoke to a higher up. She gave me an even lower price. Then I called around to get competitor prices. I called back, she dropped the price again. I said I would have to speak to my husband. He quoted a lower price even and when I called back I asked if she could meet that lowest price. She did. Very happy. A long process of haggling, but it was worth it.

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Well I have stopped shopping even at clearance sales for at least a month. And of course I carry reusable bags for everything I buy.
This is not all bad: I have stayed home much more and that saves gas, money, and time. I have been relaxing and going to the library on off hours from work.
I have been catching up with my family even in Italy on Facebook. It's free and instant.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

For anyone who still gets their newspapers delivered this is a great site, The trick is to be a new subscriber and to take the longer subscription time for the best deals. I signed up for this some time ago and took a short sub. and then had a problem when I went to renew since I was no longer a new subscriber. I waited a week or two and then did it again. Also if you get the prices from this site and call your newspaper, sometimes they will match the price.

Newspaper Subscriptions

I've used that newspaper link and it's great. I saved a lot. In fact, I called them (the newspaper) back at the end of my subscription and told them I would do without and reorder through the link and they agreed to give me 1 year, 7 days for $50 a year and that rate is good for as long as we keep the paper

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I use resusable shopping totes. That saves the waste of plastic bags. I also dry my laundry on a clothes rack, instead of using the dryer. I put the rack by our pellet stove and they dry quickly. Finally broke down and got a debit card, that saves on having to purchase so many checks. The one thing I am really looking forward to is warm weather, so I can Yard Sale again. I get almost all of my clothing from Yard Sales (with the exception of undies and bras, those I splurge on and buy new).

I just applied for a reduction in my property taxes also. I found out that if you are disabled or a widow and you meet the financial guidelines that you dont have to pay property taxes. My house is a little too high so I'm hoping they make the adjustment so I qualify.

I bought a microwave popcorn popper at walmart for less than 3 dollars. It works great and I don't have to worry about that mysterious orange matter that was cooking my popcorn in the microwave bag.

I started keeping soda cans out of the recycle bin and taking them to the recycle center myself. Last haul was 38.00.

I am getting ready to call Direct TV customer retention (it's a yearly thing with me) and tell them about what a agreat customer I have been for the last 10 years. I always get premium channels for at least 6 months and credits on my bill.

Since deregulation, has anybody changed their electric company??? I am really thinking about doing this. I don't think I can negotiate with them. I use to work for the elec. co. and I think of how much money was wasted on employee parades, trips to amusement parks (in other states),"vegas 'conventions" etc. And the pay...well let's say nobody would ever walk away from a job like that.

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Mudpuppy

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass - it's about learning to dance in the rain

Nope...no others choices here for us except wind power or solar and we can't afford either. Yes, there are tax credits but still...the costs...ugh

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

We can't change electric companies either. Ours just asked for a 16% rate hike. They saying it will raise the "average" customer's bill $12 per month. That stinks.

I also use the reusable grocery bags.

We recycle everything at the curb. I am getting a new recycle bin Thursday with a lid! I'm so excited. We've always had the little rectangle tubs with no lid. No we're getting a great big one with a lid. They also increased the number of plastics they take, so that will help a lot, too. The reycling also saves us plastic trash bags!

Another thing I do, is in May when the girls are out of school for the summer, I make them go through their supplies right then and there and put away what they'll use next year. Scissors, unused or mechanical pencils, pens, etc. I take their spiral notebooks that are not all the way used up and use them for grocery lists and scratch paper.

I also reuse 8 1/2 X 11 paper that has a clean side for home copies that don't have to be pretty. Ie: directions somewhere, pictures of charity donations for taxes, copies of rebates that I mail in, etc.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"