Add a free tank of fuel and $300 to your bottom line per month.

These simple tips are aimed at the S (survival) scrapper who is trying to put food on the table or pay the mortgage. I came up with these several years ago when I started with 0 $ and 0 prospects.

I am a coke drinker I drink a 6 pack a day while working. Today a 6 pack of coke will cost around 5$, A 2 lt can be bought for .99. a 2lt = one five pack, a 2 ltr gets warm or loses its kick before the day is over.

A plastic 16 or 20 oz coke is around $1.50 sooooo 1.50 x 5 = $7.50
safe 5/6 12 oz plastic Coke bottles buy a 2 lt and fill the empty 12 ozers you now have a 5 pack for .99 it will keep its kick and won't get warm before you drink it.
$ 6.50 savings x 5 days $32.50 + a free tank of fuel.

If you are a smoker. I am (unfortunately). A pack of C,s $5 + x 2 +10$+.
A Topomatic rolling machine $35 a 1 lb bag of good pipe tobacco $25 (enough to roll 2 1/2 cartons,or an electric rolling machine $100 +. role your own professional looking C,s. Im not talking Prince Albert here but tobacco sold under the guise of "pipe "tobacco to avoid the dread cigarette lable which draws unwanted attention from TFE and the tax man if the word cigrette were on the same packa get, that lb would cost you $80 also the pkg tobacco is all natural and does not contain formaldehyde and the other 188 additives that pkged cigarets have.

60 pks of Cs 300$ + 2 bags of tobacco and tubes $50 a savings of enough to feed a family of 4 for one month.

Do you pull an empty trailer around all day. Park it at Walmart with a hitch lock untill you need it that day. the cost of pulling that empty trailer is at least $1 per hr, another tank of fuel per week.

p.S. I INTENDED TO
ADD A COUPLE OF OTHER TIPS BUT THE YARD CALLS.

A trip to micky ds, these days can cost upwards of $5 a nice left over meat loaf sandwich and your re bottled cost less then $1 another tank of fuel per week.

Now is not the time for flaunting that pack of Marlboros. Now is the time for the smart move to "custom made" roll your owns.

There are many other tips out there that would be welcome on this thread like inflating your tires, trailer and truck, according to the load. 2/3 miles a gallon adds up quicker then you think. Times are tough and going to get tougher.

NO 76 I have no sub for chew. Maybe some one else has.

Originally Posted by childhooddream

i don't do much driving around these days as i had plenty of driving in the past and pretty much had my fill of it.

But, most times when i do go out and about i will plan on "killing as many birds with one stone" as i can.

I will sometimes put days of thought into what supplies i require, where i need to go and such where i have my list of things written down and a map of travel in my mind that i rewrite as the adventure moves along as it is a bit like a dog chasing a critter when something unexpected crosses your path. Some good and some not, but even the down side of things can have a up side if you view it from many perspectives.

Back when i did travel about more i would have my cooler with food and such, plenty of water for drinking and it is good to have plenty of clean water with. I have most always had my own drinking water along with me since i was very young. I mostly drink pure water, maybe 90% or more then other fluids. I would like to drink more milk and juice, and beer. But who can afford such luxuries these daze?

I still have many interesting items in my vehicle. So many little things that i forget what all i have with me. I have always been a bit like captain caveman, a cartoon character that would have the odd little things and such that are nice when needed. A bit like the old game show where you would be offered money if you had the small item in your bag or on you.

I have camping and picnic items, extra clothes, shoes, boots, blankets, rope, tow rope, tools and such. As well as my office items with stamps, pens, paper, envelopes, selection of tape and glue and such. Sharpies & duct tape as well as a coil of wire, extra fuses, vehicle fluids and such.

How do i have all this with? I don't many times as i have some of it like bigger camping things and tools contained in their bags and such and take it along as may be required. I always have the important items along such as tow rope, clean water and the many small things that store away under seats and such. I have my back scratcher, fly swatter and plenty of sunglasses. I have more then a dozen pair of sunglasses in my vehicle with most being new as i don't like driving without having them when needed.

So i have things for trading along with me as well as you never know when you might want to do some trading for???

I don't drink much soda pop, but when i do, i prefer orange soda. I will buy it in a large bottle and put it in smaller bottles. I end up with the small bottles when i find the different bottled drinks on clearance and such. I like trying some of the energy drinks and other trendy drinks they sell these daze.

Hope you don't mind the rambling on, i'm just relaxing and thinking on going out and doing a bit of work/play in the yard. I have been clearing sticks, brush, downed trees, leaves and such from a area that has a few rolls of vehicles that have been here the longest. Some of them were parked where they are over 25 years ago. I'm a little bit excited about working in that area as it is one of the oldest hoards here. The vehicles seem to be mostly filled with hubcaps, copper wire, pots and pans and old computer stuff and such. There is also 2 cars that are full of glass canning jars. Just some of what i'm finding on my adventures in the private salvage theme park.

I sort of operate in a relaxed military fashion. A bit like m*a*s*h with less actors playing the parts, something like that in a nutshell...

good advise!

It's not hard to grow tobacco

grew up dirt poor
second nature to be cheap, fix or make my own or do without, make it work.... that kinda thing

not spending at all is the best saving, so if things get tight the money stays at home unless it's a planned purchase.
it's amazing to me to watch someone buy a $3-$5 coffee everyday
in one and 1/2 weeks you paid for:
a coffee machine
a cup
a lb of coffee and the filters
and the electricity to make a months worth of coffee.

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Words of wisdom from a survivor. Your insights and knowledge are greatly appreciated. My addictions are chewing tobacco and beer. Any advice other than my wifes, quit?

Turn an old refrigerator into a kegerator. This will save you money if you drink as much as you normally would with cans or bottles. If this ends up with you drinking more beer because of the easy access, it will not save you money and get you in constant trouble with your wife.

For soda, if anyone runs across an old soda fountain set-up, the syrup bags cost around $40 for name brands which makes about 25 gallons of soda. This is 47 2 liters. If you're getting 2 liters for 99 cents, then this breaks even considering the CO2 you have to use. But, you don't have to keep going to get more soda for awhile.

Buying in bulk and planning ahead saves money over time. I shop a lot at restaurant supply stores. They are cheaper than Sam's Club and Costco almost all the time. If you go in with a couple other households, you can split all of the bulk items up every week so you're not stuck with, say, a 20 pound bag of onions.

Originally Posted by ryanw

For soda, if anyone runs across an old soda fountain set-up, the syrup bags cost around $40 for name brands which makes about 25 gallons of soda. This is 47 2 liters. If you're getting 2 liters for 99 cents, then this breaks even considering the CO2 you have to use. But, you don't have to keep going to get more soda for awhile.

I have worked various places, and know that in general, the cup costs the business more than the soda to fill it.

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Words of wisdom from a survivor. Your insights and knowledge are greatly appreciated. My addictions are chewing tobacco and beer. Any advice other than my wifes, quit?

Depends on whether the amount of beer available affects the amount consumed. I have noticed that a lot of times a 12 pack is like $3 more than a 6 pack. An 18 pack negligibly more than a 12. and a 24 not much more than an 18. so if you switch from 6 packs to 24 or 36 packs, your cost per unit could drop by 1/3 or more.

I doubt you buy 6 packs unles its to sample a new flavor, and even 12 packs are questionable.

I don't drink soda but I love seltzer water , buy whatever brand that is on sale 5 12 packs for 10 bucks . that's around 16.5 cents a can . I keep them in a cooler which I get the ice for free from my buds at the lions club or the legion hall, I almost always pack a lunch which saves big bucks!

Salvation Army will feed you lunch for free. Take a few bucks and make a donation afterwards. They throw leftovers away if they don't have enough for the homeless shelter. Many senior citizens activity centers make lunches daily for about $3. Ours makes it to go if you want!

Take your batteries to Autozone (5 a day) and buy your vehicle upkeep that way. Saves gas to the yard for about the same amount of money!

All good tips. lets continue them. Yours may sound silly bu a $here and there can add up to $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ before you know it.

my truck full of tools and junk in the cab is 400- 500 lbs heavier than cleaned out and only having the basic 5 gallon bucket of tools.
That adds up over the miles.

I cannot push enough for people to plant their own food, it's one of the highest bills in any household. any time you can chip away at that one, is worth a little work in my mind.