I started a boring blog...

[JeffreyWilliamson]

I read blogs constantly, and finally decided to http://thriftfullness.blogspot.com/">try my hand at it.

It's about living frugally. Anyone have any ideas on how you've been successful at "cutting the fat" when forced to live on a reduced budget?

I'm going to work up a step-by-step entry on building an HD antenna over the weekend. I built my own for about $13.00 after taking a $30.00 powered antenna back to the store when it couldn't pick up the signal. Mine works great without amplification, and I get all the local channels. I'm going to cancel the satelite at the first of the month and go for free off-air.

I figure at $78.00 a month I'm spending about $1000 per year for stations I'm not really watching, vs. $13.00 annually for this huge-ass antenna I built that sits on my porch.

As a follow up to that I'll eventually get around to building a homemade DVR with an old computer and tv card, using free software. I'll just need to get around the whole digital to analog conversion thing on the cheap.

[LynzM]

1. Some no-brainers, and one thing that's made a difference for us

No-brainers:

Cancel the cable
Don't eat out
Buy in bulk, as close to whole foods as possible
Borrow/trade media with friends instead of buying
Turn the heat down, use blankets and scarves and hats and slippers

One thing that's helped us cut down on incidental food expenses is to pack our own snacks and drinks whenever we travel in the car, that way, we are less inclined to stop and buy expensive gas-station food/drinks.

:)