I am marycel and i dont just throw away money or trash!

"It's wet and cold now... thanks to the rain, my living room is no longer an oven, and can stand staying here without the electric fans. whew... i think i might be able to reduce my electric bill to almost 50% or more... I did turn off my ref too. Was forced to used it last summer, because it seemed more economical at that time, what with a daily P30 consumption on ice alone! Plus, I was able to stock up on meat and poultry. I am thinking, was I really able to save? Taking P20 as daily average ice purchase x 30days would total to P600.00. My usual electric bill ranges from P900 to P1,200. For the 3 months of summer, i was paying an average of P2,000/month. So that makes it P800 for the ref consumption alone. Which means, opening my ref was likely an advantage. I adopted this kind of thinking in almost everything. I try to analyze whether I have to buy a big package of powder soap costing 49.00 weighing 480g (P49/480gm=0.1020per gm), compared to buying 6 sachets at 45gms each plus 1 free, costing to P26 (P26/6sachets/45gm=0.0962; note: computation does not include yet the 7th sachet which is free). A 375gm of Corned beef costing P42 compared to 275gm selling at P36. I always compute the price per gram to see which is better and that which can save me more. This also started the "I must buy everything I need at the Grocery!" kind of thinking. Filipinos, especially those from the C and D Social Bracket usually buy their everyday needs from the sari-sari store (SS Store). Conveniently of course, they buy what they needed at a certain time. What they need to note is that each item they buy at the SS Store cost them 20% more than when they buy for their weekly or bi-monthly consumption at the grocery store. Let's take into account for example a sachet of seasoning. P28 for 12 sachets (P25/12=2.33) It is sold at P4 at SS Stores. 6sachets of shampoo cost around P22. Computing for the price a piece would then give P3.66. Each sachet is sold at P5 at sari-sari stores. Nescafe 3-in-1 coffee sells also at P5. 10sachets costs P42.85. Pancit Canton cost only P7.45 at the grocery and it is sold at P10 at SS Stores. Let's just say that for every P5 you may have saved P1(20%), then, if in a day, you buy something worth around P50 from the sari-sari store, you would have already saved P10. Computing again, P10 x 30days is already P300.00! I started my going to the grocery for just my basic needs. Shampoo, soap, laundry soap, seasonings, Nescafe 3-in-1, Milo. Those that we usually buy every morning. Milo for my mom and ixi (my daughter), Energen for Noel (my hubby) and Nescafe for me. That's already P20 for breakfast. My mom and ixi shares 1 sachet of shampoo and conditioner. Noel and I share the other sachet. So that's another P10. Now in a way, I save P6 every morning. What about the chichiria's? Biscuits? I buy those now at the grocery. We're not much into canned goods, but i stock up once in a while. A Can of sardines is only P13 at the grocery and it sells at P16 on SS Stores. In a way I was able to earn back something like P500 for us in a month. And also, I am now able to track our bi-monthly budget. The only thing now that we buy outside on a daily basis are the veggies. It's fresh and bought as needed, there's no wastage! All these I thank the book "Frugal Zealot". I don't throw away trash that easy. I segregate. Bottles, cans and PET bottles goes in one container plastic(easier to give to kids that collects trash). I keep all papers as scratch, I don't just throw boxes, I try to recycle. And those that I have kept for a year that was untouched and never put to use, I simply give out to kids that collects from trash. In a way, I am able to help and put a smile on their faces each time they collect my trash! i am marycel... well, i don't just throw away money or trash..."