It's a whole lot easier to cut $100 in spending than to sell an additional $1,000 of stuff

[JBloggs]

"It's a whole lot easier to cut $100 in spending than to sell an additional $1,000 of stuff." From ThinkDaily.comhttp://thinkdaily.com/
Toward the end of each year or start of a new one we like to renegotiate our expenses, to see where we could have been wiser. We also look for new packages and ideas to sell more at or of our inn.
Please share your thoughts...any changes for the coming year? Any new ideas? Post 'em here.

 

[greyswan]

We had an energy audit - waiting to hear the outcome - I suspect we'll be doing some more insulating around here. (Cutting utility expenses)
We have just added some add-on services - still need photos to place on our reservation site. (Selling additional stuff)

 

[EmptyNest]

We had an energy audit - waiting to hear the outcome - I suspect we'll be doing some more insulating around here. (Cutting utility expenses)
We have just added some add-on services - still need photos to place on our reservation site. (Selling additional stuff).

We have just cleaned out our attic this morning. The insulation guy comes next week. Hoping this will help on the utilities. We have some but not enough. And over my office which is freezing because it is over the garage...we are filling up that attic space and insulating the basement ceiling even more. I am pushing for some new storm windows. Hubby rebuilt our 45 year old windows totally and we have 45 yr. old storms which he also redid. They look great..but don't do the job as well as I would like. I am pushing for some of the Magnetite storms inside. We put them on our dining room Bay windows and they work great!!!

 

[One Day]

I change almost all lighting to compact flourescent.....that made a difference.
replaced windows, doors and have been in process of redoing insulation. One more door to go and several locations to redo insulation.....what has been done so far has been a huge impact with heat and ac...
Shorter laundry times, mostly cold washes.......normal instead of heavy dishwash loads
pay more attention to the landscapes watering needs, rather than just let the system run automaticaly.
trying more generic items from grocery store....continue using what is good, or tastes good.
lots and lots of ways skim expenses

 

[gillumhouse]

We trimmed the fat from the budget long ago. Nothing left to trim. DH supplemental insurance used to take 2/3 of my corp pension, is now up to 3/4 and no longer covers everything beyond Medicare as it was supposed to be doing. For DH, we have long shopped the "lets get rid of" shelf at the veggie store - usually ending up winners. Since neither drink, smoke, nor gamble we had no vices to curb. I did manage to cut down our gasoline expenses by giving up some of the volunteer stuff I did and since I am City Clerk, also serve as driver for our directionally challenged City Manager so can now go in the managermobile (Caddie confiscated in a drug bust) instead of using my car and gas.
We have a workshop next month and got her to book us into a WVBBA member B & B instead of a hotel. Had not blocked the rooms yet and last night got a 2-night for the nights I am gone. Lucky me, that guest is also a friend so it is no problem. I will make money and not even be here!

 

[Samster]

We're looking at our cable/Internet/phone bills to trim that waaaaaaaaaaaaay down. The phone land line will go away now that we no longer have a business since we have the cell phones. We got rid of pretty much everything else when we closed the biz. I would like to put more insulation in our attics but that will have to wait until we get all the repairs finished from the gigantic tree falling on the house and yard. :-(

 

[Joey Camb]

Have just renegotiated my mobile and save about $20 a month plus have unlimited internet and it is a blackberry so get all my emails straight away whereever I am which I very handy. Have just started trialing a new multi surface cleaner which is $4.00 for a bottle but it is a concentrate and one table spoon makes up 500ml so if it works out ok will save me a bundle over the year plus is environmentally friendly. I am working on but have not made it to all the rooms with energy saving light bulbs (with each room having at least 6) I think it will make a significant difference when they are all changed over. Our dishwasher packed up and the new one we bought is the most energy efficient on the market so should pay for itself in electric in less than a year and is a lot quicker which really helps clear the decks on a weekend (35 mins!) I have also changed my little bottles of shampoo which saves me 6 cents per bottle (2 bottles per room 12 rooms) does start to add up. We are changing all our windows for double glazed (all the front in Feb idiots at the council permitting) so that will save a lot on the heating as Victorian single glazed sliding sash are terrible. It will cost a fortune to have the whole lot done so we are having the front done in one go and the gutters and facias as we have to have scafolding so may as well do both. Then save up and maybe have the back done in December 2011. Will be so much happier when it is done as it is going to look really smart. We also took hot chocolate out of the rooms (ie now on demand) which saves up $1 a packet and no one has asked in 8 months. We used to have a lot of people open a packet and then leave it or just take everything so that has saved us about $40 at least.