Finding More Music Funds

With gasoline prices at high levels, and utilities not cheap either, saving every dime you can is money you will have for studio time, getting to that seminar or gig, or hiring people you need for that next demo. Here are a few fun ways of doing things on the cheap that may help you be able to keep your music going.

MAKE YOUR OWN CO-OP

Have a band or group of pals with similar tastes? Sometimes buying things in bulk can be a great idea, but only if you can use it up before it goes bad. Most areas have farmers' markets and many stores offer bulk packs on things like meat or even toiletries, and you don't need to have a wholesale club membership to get those discounts, just a lot of people going shopping at the same time. Make an fun day of it, hitting the farmers' market in the morning and buying popular things like bushels of favorite fruits and veggies in season, and even huge amounts of eggs if they are a good price. If you have a band of 5 with significant others, or even kids, this means just a reasonable amount for all, instead of wondering how you will ever eat 50 pounds of potatoes before they start to sprout. Getting quantity amounts of staples like rice and beans if you like those, say in 20-50 pound bags, and splitting that up, too, make them so much cheaper than usual store prices, it may shock you. If you go to ethnic stores where your fave foods like those are more common, you can save even more getting them in restaurant quantities. Suddenly, too, those wonderful per pound prices on huge trays of steaks, chicken parts or bacon are easy to get if you are splitting them between 3 or more families, instead of trying to stuff it and everything else you need in an apartment-sized freezer. Hamburger, hot dogs, sausage and other processed meats are much less in bulk, too. This alone can probably save the average band enough to get hours in a nicer studio in just a month or two's worth of savings. If you don't have a band to do this with, you might just ask people where you work, your neighbors, or nearby relatives. Many people are up for a shopping trip, especially if it is stuff they really need anyway and they will be saving money.

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