Shopping for cheaper insurance

As long as I'm using coupons for shopping, figuring out ways to live more cheaply, and growing as much of my own food as possible, I should probably be scouting out places like www.wholesaleinsurance.net for my car insurance. I might just find a better deal than what I'm getting now.

I don't have full coverage because my vehicle is too old for that. A fender bender would render it totaled anyway, so why bother? But, like so many states, we are required to have liability insurance. My driving record is outstanding, which helps me get lower rates. It never hurts to shop around, though. Loyalty doesn't give you much when it comes to insurance costs!

Technorati Tags: shopping,insurance

Goals getting closer

I am slowly building my self-sufficiency stockpiles and gardens. I've got quails, chickens, rabbits, and several garden plots in my yard already, and plans for more. I eventually want a couple of small milk goats to add to the mix for milk and eventually more meat options.

I don't plan to raise pork or beef since either of them take up too much room on my small place. I am hoping that with time, regardless of what happens with the economy, I can feed myself and perhaps some Friends and Family with what I'm producing here.

My next project will be connecting my solar panel to my batteries. I have two old batteries I can exchange for more, when the time comes, thus extending my solar capabilities. I hope to someday pull off the grid and be entirely self-sufficient.

Technorati Tags: self-sufficiency,off grid

Using coupons

I have rediscovered coupons. It's not that I didn't know they existed or where to find them. I used to use coupons almost religiously for everything I could. But now, with the keen interest focused on "extreme couponing", I decided to start seeing how much money I could save on my purchases.

I set a few rules for myself.

• I won't be using coupons for things I never use anyway. It makes no sense to me to buy something I'll never use.
• I won't be trying to cheat the limits rules. I might get the advertised limit of items, but I won't be returning time after time to get even more just because it's "one coupon per visit".
• I won't drive all over town to use coupons. Gas prices are too high to travel miles from store to store.

Having followed my own rules, I saved about 1/3 of the total cost on a list of items from a national drug store which also sells groceries. This amounted to about $22, which, to me is as good as check city payday advances. These coupons were used on items I use and buy anyway, so I think I did pretty good. I kept some of my hard earned money in my wallet instead of spending so much.

Technorati Tags: shopping,coupons