Ways to cut back - So our birds get the best!!!!

[asulli]

Yes, the economy has changed. But we found ways to keep giving our birds the best!!!! LOL

Our birds still get the best
I am bringing my lunch to work and do not eat out.

Our birds still get the best
I no longer go buy shoes at Macy's. I am a loyal customer at Payless Shoes.

Our birds still get the best
We now use the crock pot more to soften up the meats we buy! No choice cuts!

Our birds still get the best
I no longer get my acrylic nails. I have bought a manicure set.

Our birds still get the best
I no longer go to high end hair salons. Anything that says $12.99 is the place for me!

Our birds still get the best
We no longer buy organic fruits and vegetables for US -- we enjoy the extra pesticides that we are consuming!

Our birds still get the best
We now sit on the weekends and go through the paper to find the best "grocery" deals. We also have become great coupon users!

Our birds still get the best

We do not go to the movies or rent as many movies as we used to. Why when we can sit over a cup of coffee (No Starbucks!!) and watch our birds...much more interesting!

Our birds still get the best
We no longer have to write that extra check to the yard guy!

Our birds still get the best
Why buy books???? The library has plenty!!!!
Our birds still get the best
Instead of buying our favorite coffee brand, we buy whatever is on special and put in our favorite can so that we still think we are buying our favorite brand.
Our birds still get the best
Wal-Mart is a great place to buy! Why go to the mall? We even get to eat out at McDonalds which is located inside the Wal-Mart and do not have to spend the extra gas!

[sweetnlow]

Isn't it funny how we sacrifice so our birds can eat healthier than we do. Then they have the nerve to bite us after enjoying a nice meal LOL. My favorite way to save money is to take all the grocery store flyers to Walmart and buy all the sales there. They will price match any advertised item and it saves on gas, or taxis, because you don't have to drive to several stores.

[LovelySydney]

Weve become coupon crazy people which I love - I enjoy seeing how much we are saving on groceries. Weve also stopped eating out so much (we used to do it ALL THE TIME) and now have board game nights instead of bar nights, saves a lot of money. I would say the biggest thing we cut back on would be driving. Were down to one car (we have two but bf's is a gas guzzling jeep) so we use my honda all the time if we can. Saves us on gas big time and we try to walk or bike everywhere else. We cant always do it, but we do it when we can and I know it has saved us a bunch of money.



I have yet to skimp on buying the birds toys, LOL! They still get tons of toys, all the time. I just cant bring myself to not get them if Im at the pet store!!

[Lex123]

Our birds still get the best
We no longer buy organic fruits and vegetables for US -- we enjoy the extra pesticides that we are consuming!

I LOVE this one!

[Emmilyy]

thats great! hehe.

[Ashling]

Wow you cut down a lot. Definitely worth it though and it will sure add up after a while. Those are some great ideas too. I matched mine with yours... let's see now...

I never eat out anyway, but I am cutting down on extra 'goodies' for me, and getting extra for the fids instead.

Haven't bought new shoes i ages. A few are fraying ha! I am a fan of "payless shoes" as well...

Slow cooker ;)

I bite my nails anyway :(

I cut and dye my own hair!

I share my fruits and veg with the fids, they're little and don't eat much!

We've cut down on commercialized products that cost more due to their "brand."

We just watch tv, or go on the internet, or choose from our own dvd collection.

We do all the gardening etc, or at least the duck does...

I'm re-reading a few novels that I haven't read in a while!

I don't drink coffee! (Aw this was a sad one, at least you can *pretend* it's your favourite!)

We buy at IGA or the reject shop to save money!


Some extra:

We bath our dogs at the vets, which has a free hydro bath to use.

Half my rats' and birds' diet includes healthy leftovers (cooked veg, mashed potato, rice, pasta, meat) as well as things like cereal, fruits and veg.

We get our eggs from our chickens and duck, which saves a lot as free range eggs are expensive!

I pick native flowers for my birds and rats to eat.

[RockysMom]

This is why me and me bf have no money, not only do our pets get the best, but I am a spoiled brat some would say(at least my bf does) so I refuse to give up my things! Broke at the end of every month, but it's ok! I always make sure the babies are taken care of first though :)

[FoxersArtist]

This is a really cool thread. I think it's awesome when people are selfless enough to also consider the other people and/or creatures in their lives. People who sacrifice little pleasures for another creatures gain inspires me. Many people do not know how to consider anything but themselves, which is really sad and part of the reason there are so many abused and neglected birds out there.

At the same time, I want to challenge just a few statements here - not to be difficult, but just because I care. I have found really good ways to cut back financially when we are in a tight squeeze and still have enough money to make sure my family and flock are cared for as best as possible. Still, over the past 5 or so years I have learned a lot about myself, about what health means and the impact that taking care of myself has on my family and flock. I have had to learn to be less selfless - not to give of myself so much that none of my own needs are being met. I have also learned that taking care of my body physically is one of the most important things I could ever do for my husband, children and feathered children. I spent many years eating lots of junk food - pastries, candies, starches, and other goodies that were cheap to buy and tasted really good. I always looked for the cheapest food and made a game out of hunting for deals. Today I am extremely sorry for making those choices because the food that I was consuming literally turned on me and tried to kill me. My immune system was weak and I was tired all the time. Nothing in my body was working right and my doctors couldn't fix me. I risked losing both of my children during pregnancy but went on eating whatever I pleased because I just didn't know better. I had little care for the ingredients that were in my food as long as it tasted good. Somewhere along the line I knew that cheap food was probably poorly made and not very good for me but I figured that everyone else ate the same junk I eat and they do fine...at least into their 60's or 70's. That was good enough for me until I started to die in my early 20's. Now food is a major issue for me, and I am still battling to restore my body to good health. I no longer wonder why people are dieing so early in life. I read every label, even if I have eaten that food in the past to make sure that it is healthy and safe. I do buy organic food and I buy natural meat that does not have additives. We became really desperate to continue to afford high grocery bills recently and I tried to shop at Wal*mart. Did you know that all of their meats are injected with additives? Nearly all of their foods have preservatives and additives and fillers which is empty nutrition. Learning about food has been a huge eye opener for me and recently I realized that I had been feeding myself the way many abusive and neglectful homes feed their birds - Wal*mart seed that is empty and dead.

If I cannot care for myself, how can I continue to care for my flock? Who will they have if my health fails me? I have watched so many birds die from poor diet and it just never hit me - probably because I just had no idea what I was REALLY supposed to be eating, until I was forced to learn. Now I am awed and amazed by the way MOST people eat and wonder how I ever ate like that too.

I think that learning to save and manage finances is a FANTASTIC way to show love for ourselves and our families as long as we are also taking care to give ourselves what we need too! I know that many good bird owners feed their birds only the best. They do not negotiate because they know it is important. I have learned that I cannot negotiate with my own diet because I am too important to the people in my life. It has been extremely difficult for our family to afford turely wholesome food as it comes at a very high price. I often feel discouraged that good health has turned into a luxury like getting your hair done or having a massage. Many people like my own family struggle to buy the food we need to survive. Whenever possible, I still feel it is essential to nurture our own bodies. These are just thoughts and anyone who knows me well knows that eating healthy has really become a major player in how I live my own life. This post is not meant as an attack on anyone or any comment, just an observation from my own experiences.

Thank you Asulli for posting such a thoughtful thread. You are a jewel and your birds are very blessed to be with you.
-Anna

[Ashling]

Originally Posted by FoxersArtist

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I agree completely. Bad health really can suddenly hit you from the inside out. I used to eat anything I wanted and I would never gain wait, always thin as a twig. I thought that meant I must be healthy, even though I ate things high in sugar and fat. However, I was tired all the time and had headaches every few days- and I was only 16! A blood test discovered that I had an inflamed liver from too much saturated fats and codeine (from headache pills) and was anemic (not enough iron). I had to change my diet to healthy things which was great cause I could share with my fids, so caring for yourself can work for your them doubly :)

[asulli]

Anna, as always your words are so inspiring....

But it is true we must take care of ourselves. We really do not eat much meat anymore as there are so many ways to get protein. It's funny though, but since we have learned so much about feeding my kids we have learned to eat healthier. We have more vegetables in our diet and love sprouts now. I put sprouts in just about anything!

My kids have taught me how to eat well -- I figure it if is good for them it must be good for me!

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!