juditur:

Also, how can I Reply to the thread in general? I've been Replying to the first poster, but sometimes it's not really on that person's subject.

Unfortunately, you can't. Just reply however you want - to the first poster, or the last one you read. It's a continuing conversation anyway, so, unless you want to respond to some specific thing, just jump in any old way.

P.S.  I agree with Raine... you rock. That is to say, I enjoyed your post and your attitude.

juditur, I love your post! We would get along together great!  You remind me of a friend of ours  (single older guy) marches to the beat of his own drummer.

Juditor I also love your post!!

I am single, without children and if you promise and I mean really promise never to tell anyone I will tell you what I do.  I use baby washclothes to wipe with when I urinate instead of toilet paper.  NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS and you better not tell anyone.  I only use one washclothe each time and only use them once.  I just throw them into the laundry and line dry them.  I do use toilet paper when I use the bathroom for the other (Number #2, poop). I imagine once I marry I will have to stop this practice but for now it lowers my usage of toilet paper.  I use clothe menstraul pads which I rewash and resuse each month versus store bought ones.  I use clothe dish towels instead of paper towels.  I make my own dog food which keeps my dog healthier which cuts down on my veternarian bills.  I give my dog his shots each year.  I order the serum and needles from a online pet supply company.  I am a nurse so this is no big deal for me.   

Oh I forgot.  I don't own a clothes dryer purposefully.  First, my clothes last longer without putting them in a clothes dryer to bake and second humidty is added to the air which relieves some of my sinus problems.  I air dry all of my clothes on clothes racks in the house.  

Hi, Martha, and thanks to you and all the others who appreciated my post in July.  I tried Replying but somehow I couldn't get back to this site til today, when mail appeared in my Inbox and I found the way back.  I'm not in the least computer-savvy - just got lucky.

Generally, I don't let ignorance stop me from voicing an opinion, though, and as you can see, once in a while it turns into a real rant.  Maybe I'm repressed or something.

I feel that we all have  good insights and our own Stretcher-like information to pass along, and if something doesn't apply to one's own situation, it's at least interesting to read. 

You know what else irks me?  Reading a tip that someone sent in to one of those women's magazines, and got $50 for, and it's something I've been doing for years.

--juditur

I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth about Ramen Noodles. They are not healthy for you.

It's dangerous to skip meals and eat as "cheap as possible" with foods such as Ramen, Mac n Cheese, etc. These types of foods do not have the nutrients your body needs to survive and you are going to do your body more harm than good in the long run...not to mention the medical bills you'll be paying later. It is better to eat nutritious meals throughout the day. If you skip one once in a while, it's not a big deal, however you need to understand that your body is complex and by skipping meals you are throwing off your metabolism and actually, contrary to general thought, your body will hold on to weight and not lose it because it thinks you are in a famine and starving! Someone made a comment about how more Americans should be skipping meals because they are so overweight... I actually disagree and think that people need to eat healthy meals and get off their lazy butts. Everything is too convenient for us. We drive everywhere (I'm speaking for the majority) and we sit in front of the TV and do very little exercise, if any at all. Also, we need to watch our portion sizes. When you eat out at a restaurant, oftentimes you are eating 3 or 4 times the amount you should on just a single plate! 

As for those who want to hold on to the belief that you can eat whatever you want, including grease and fat, please be careful. You really can be doing your body so much harm. Nutrition is a really complex subject and I really would advise you all to research your diet carefully before taking it so lightly. It's the difference between your health and sickness (maybe even life and death). Your life is too valuable and not worth ruining just to save a few pennies.

For the past year I have been trying to be more healthy in my eating habits and also trying to save money. I have found that it is easier for me as a single person to take one weekend a month or every couple of weeks and cook about 5 or 6 meals. You can find websites about "freezer cooking" or "once a month cooking" for recipes. I cook my meals and then immediately divide them into single container servings and place them in the freezer. This saves me a lot of money because I'm shopping for seasonal foods and avoiding eating out...not to mention eating much healthier!

I also dry my clothes on drying racks...someone had mentioned that...it saves me money from the dryer and also it's better for the environment. :)

 Good for you Rachel!    It's wonderful to see a like-minded person posting.  I cannot begin to count them times I have read in absolute dismay how some people on this forum stock up on calorie dense cheap foods rather than nutrition.  Yes, it is possible to have the best of both worlds and by eating healthier, as you stated, the body's health is so much better in the long run.

 I am actually a big proponent on both juice and water fasting as I've found not only do I feel better after a fast, but when I eat healthy foods afterwards, my body is much more satisfied with less food because the nutrients are being absorbed properly.   For those that think that fasting is starving, read up on it.  Fasting is mentioned something like 78 times in the Bible and there are sites like www.FreedomYou.com and www.JuiceFasting.org that will answer many of the questions.

 I strive to maintain an 80% raw/juice diet because I have found that my body works better when it's operating on healthy foods.   Just a couple days ago , there was an active thread on www.RawFoodTalk.com where readers were contributing tips on how to eat healthy and be financially thrifty.

single  single  mindeness   you will develop all kinds of bad habit I have  ate ramen  but  i will buy lo mein noodles with  cole slaw  mix  and make  lo mein   I watch rachel ray and sandra smith for ideas  and I invested in the green bags and  cold cuts   bags  by debbie mayer they save me lots of money    and I still drink kool aid which is pure  vit  c     i shop  clearance  racks  and go online   I have a phd  in frugality   and proud of it

Wow, all you guys rock!

I am not single, I'm married, but I do a lot of stuff by myself that DH thinks is weird.

I scoop out the last of the deodorant and put it in another container that is half full;

I cut toothpaste tubes when they're empty and get one or two more uses;

Eat oatmeal with oatbran topped with half a scoop of soy powder to make it stick to the ribs;

shop at the dollar store of course;

make my own sugar cookies: 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar and 1 pinch of salt (saw this recipe on DS);

use a lip brush to get the last of lipstick;

I could go on but I just wanted to say hey and thank you all for being here and helping me.

I do many of the things that you do also.  I am divorced for 16 years.  My two children are away at college.  I do have a boyfriend of 13 years.  But, we live in our own homes and I love it.  I will never be tied down to another man financially.  My ex husband left me for broke when my two children were only 3 and 5. I have always struggled.  But, since my children are off to school, I have learned to really live below my means.  

 I disconnect all of my power strips to my major appliances. I use the daylight for my main source of light during the day. Every plug in my house is out of their sockets.  I come home from work and don't put any lights on unless I am cooking or showering.  It sounds weird, but it has saved me over $20.00 or more a month.  The money that I am saving is going into a savings account.  I buy clothes only when I really need them.  And, if I do have to buy something, I try to buy at consignment shops, etc.  This is something that I could never bring myself to do.  But, now I would have it no other way.

 I will go food shopping and spend 25.00 for the week. Whatever I buy, I will stretch it out for lunches and dinners. I won't go to the market again until I have used up everything in my frig and freezer.  Under no conditions, do I ever charge anything on my credit cards.  If I can't afford it, I don't buy it.  And, if I need to make a major purchase, I start saving for it earlier.

 I don't think any idea is weird.  As long as you are comfortable with it, and saving money at the same time, why not.  Good Luck!