Finances, money-saving tips, etc

[WestsideStory]

Good topic. A lot of what I routinely do has already been mentioned. If I think of anything else, I'll post it.

A couple of other ideas: Freecycle and thrift stores. Good for the budget and good for the environment, too! I second libraries. I have too many books as it is. In the large metropolitan area where I live, the friends of the library have frequent book sales. And some libraries will have give-away shelves of books which have been donated which they cannot use and/or books which they are taking out of their collection.

I used to rent a carpet cleaning machine from a supermarket and share it with a friend so we could split the 24-hour rental cost. Now I need to have enough carpet showing to do that! LOL.

Cooking from scratch, if you have the time, can be cheaper than buying canned or frozen food. Crockpots are very helpful if you're too busy to cook. Buying split peas and lentils and beans in bulk and then using them as the main protein source for a meal helps cut costs, and adds good fiber to your diet.

When driving, make sure that your tires are inflated to the manurfacturer's specifications and that you are not carrying a bunch of stuff you don't need in your trunk. This will improve your gas mileage. Some people say it's best to buy gas early in the morning or at night. Gas will expand during the heat of the day, and as gas is sold by volume, you will get a little less gas when you buy it after it is hot and the molecules have expanded to take up more space. Other people say that's a new old wife's tale. Check out Car Talk or the AAA or places like that for driving tips to save gas. If you drive a little slower, you'll save gas. The faster you go, the more gas per mile your car uses.

Switching to CFL light bulbs wherever you can is good for the environment and your bottom line. (Just remember to discard used or broken ones as hazardous household waste, as they contain mercury.) In the summer, keeping your blinds or drapes closed and lights off whenever possible will keep your home cooler naturally. I unplug some appliances when not using them. They use energy even in stand-by mode. Helps the environment and the bottom line.

If you can afford to replace your refrigerator, washer and dryer with newer Energy Star appliances, that will cut your electrical bill significantly. In the U.S., some power companies and states have had rebate programs to reward people for buying more energy efficient appliances. If you can line or air dry clothes, you'll save money and the environment.

Eagle, this is the second time you mentioned washing your hair with baking soda. How do you do that? How much soda, does it sud, do you use a rinse or conditioner, is your hair colored, those sorts of things. A relative who lived through the depression used baking soda for toothpaste. I could never bring myself to do that because of the taste.

Good topic! And suedonym, WTG on overcoming financial squalor. Repaired credit, paid off debts, thinking ahead -- WTG! BTW, during the depression people used the outside of the banana skin to polish their shoes. Natural banana wax.

WestsideStory

[hypatia]

We just recently dropped down our cable package, saving $100 a month. (Once DH realized how much we were paying, he was happy to drop it down!) We went from digital/HD/cable box & extra HD DVR just to the limited basic cable (that's not even advertised on their site) that is $15 a month. We went to the lowest internet speed (4 Mbps) that would support our use. The company has dropped all their options between 768k and 4 Mbps.

We use Vonage VOIP for home phone. We don't talk on the phone that much, so we just use the $14.99 a month 500 minute option and that has been fine for us.

We both have cell phones (mainly just for emergency use), but use Virgin Mobile prepaid. That costs us $15 every 3 months per phone.

I'm much more diligent about combining errands. We do all of our regular grocery shopping (except for Costco trips) at the commissary now, the savings is more than worth the trip to base. The little quick stops at major grocery stores were really eating away our food budget. I check the circulars and if I see meat on sale at a great price then I'll stock up.

Expanding my cooking skills and making a lot more from scratch. I used to be the fast food queen.

Our 3rd child is on the way, so we'll be reusing the same cloth diapers that #1 and #2 wore, so that has really been a money saver. Breastfeeding, reusing clothes from other kids, not using storebought baby food.

[SueDonym]

Jun 30, 2008 9:41:52 GMT -5 ramatama said:

perhaps this website may be of help?
cannot remember where i have it from, but it is on my favourites list for some reason:

www.betterbudgeting.com/householdtips.htm

Excellent website! Lots of good cheap recipes!

[spacemaker]

Eating vegetarian is much cheaper and healthier - in general, legumes (peas, beans, lentils or peanuts) + whole grains = complete protein

Even if you only do this for a meal or two per week, it is a good thing. My favorites are lentil soup or black eyed peas with cornbread or brown rice.

I tend to be flexible and buy what is on sale at the store, assuming the sale price is less than the store brand price. If there is something I use regularly, I watch for sales and stock up - things like paper products, bath products, clothing - most anything that has a shelf life, I try to never pay retail for.

Living near work. I drive to work, on trips and most everywhere else but only average 150 miles per week. This not only saves on gas but on maintenance. Bonus - my "commute" is about 10 minutes, that saves me hours of free time per week.

Spend money on car maintenance, not repairs. Follow the recommended guidelines for maintenance. It is much cheaper than waiting for a problem to occur and then trying to repair the damage. I have a 10 year old car, with less than 80K miles and not counting oil changes or tires, I have averaged less than $250 per year in maintenance/repairs.

When renting, I think low-rent =) Money paid for rent is not building equity, so every dollar paid is gone forever - every dollar saved can be used to build retirement savings, or go toward the eventual purchase of a home. Rents tend to be more about what kind of neighbors you have, rather than the apartment itself. If you shop around in neighborhoods on the lower end of your comfort zone, you may find a few well managed properties (usually smaller ones) where you get the decent neighbors at a good price and the apartment itself will be the same as in a pricier neighborhood.

[fluffernut - now Jannie]

For entertainment, visit your public library. I read newspapers and magazines for free, and I check out novels and self improvement books, Don Aslett is a favorite. All it takes is a library card.

[guihong]

We've had to pinch our pennies here, too:

Food:

Sams' is our friend for light bulbs, toilet paper, cat food and litter, even DH's work shirts. I like the meat specials, but I'm trying to cut meat way down anyway. It's also good for pasta, noodles and mac & cheese-things you will use constantly and that won't spoil.

I've been shopping at Super BigBoxStore, which seems a little more saving than PricyChainStore. I've been checking the sales on Sunday to make sure (the stores are just down the same street from each other)

We cut out fast food except for one emergency meal a month, and I've been cooking much more from scratch. It actually saves time from waiting in line at the restaurant.

Clothing:

Yard sales are a possibility for kids' clothes. So is Goodwill. If I have to go to Big Box Stores, here comes the 4th of July and its clearance sales. I've been watching the flyers, too.

The dollar store is great for cleaners, household doodads, party things.

Misc.:

I've been picking up those community guides for ways to entertain the kids this summer. Many museums are free all the time, or have free hours. The library usually has free activities, besides all the books themselves; last weekend I took the kids to a monster movie marathon, free movies, popcorn and drinks. Can't beat that! The city community center/pool is often far cheaper than an amusement park or water park.

We dropped Blockbuster at $15 for 3-4 movies and joined Netflix at $16 a month for unlimited movies and a much better selection.

gui

[my2cats]

Hey just saw a note about clothing -

If you're looking for something between Goodwill and Macy's, I love TJ Maxx. I can usually get a really nice 2 or 3 piece ladies suit there for under $100 that would cost $400+ at the original price. A couple times when interviewing for jobs I was actually complimented on my suit (ok I found this a little weird, and I suppose it may have been a ploy to make me feel at ease .. but they do have nice suits!)

And I keep them forever (I stick to basic colors and styles so they don't go out of fashion). My work suit collection expands nicely buying a few a year.

[hollymaid]

I went through this a few years back.
what I did was drastic
~cut off cable Had a very hard time to find antennas. so we could get basic tv. Kids were shocked that we had 2 channels of tv and neither came in very clear.
~paired down the phone to basic service, No call waiting No caller ID. Nothing taught the kids to use the phone book instead of directory assistance.
~Made one trip to the city a week cramming in as much into that day as I could. Doctors dentist, visits, shopping.
~took the kids to free things~ our City has lots of free events. Free swimming~free skating~ paddling pools and parks. The hard part was saying no to the treats and pops the other kids were getting around them.
We read books from the library and made it a family outing.
~we replaced the bag of chips with freshly popped popcorn. instead of pop we rediscovered cool-aid.
I skipped lunch at work~ did not play 50-50's or donated any of our money to charity. I offered my time to the cause. I told them I have more time than money.

We used the good food program in the city you got a box of food for a dollar~ not great but helped us out.
~traded kids clothes with other moms, skates and sports equipment.

Shopped on sale only... Off season. Made due with less than perfect Items. My quilt on my bed had a ugly tear in it for a year. My mother repaired it.

We had no fast food coffee's out or pop for over a year. until I got another job. I said that I would never fall back into debit. It just happened so easy.

I cleaned out my car the other day and found 15 Tim's cups at a $1.68 apiece that is a bit of money. What makes me think that I have to spend that money everyday?

I think it is a sad state of affairs that McDonald's and Tim Horton's now will take your master card. My way of thinking is if you have to put that on a credit card do you really need it! I know people will tell you they do it to track there spending. REALLY?

We now have the cable and the fancy phone. I still get mad if anyone uses directory assistance. I am able to afford new clothes and sports equipment. We have a few comforts. I force my self to save 15% of every dollar that comes into this house and that has come in handy. We needed it to repair the car. Buy some new to us living room furniture. replace the deck. If I did not have that cash saved up it would have been placed on a credit card... it was a nice feeling to pay cash and know you owned it...
I still have debit not as much as I use too.. Never want to go there again.

A web site that helped me allot was dollar stretcher.

[puppybox]

What I find most money saving is that I moved somewhere where
everything is within walking distance, and I'm half a block away from a bus that comes at least every 10 minutes. I don't have a car. I jsut bought a bike at a garage sale so after it gets tuned up I won't be buying a bus pass to get to work again until the weather gets cold.

MY urban grocery store is a little more expensive than a bigger suburban one but since I can walk there and back in 5 minutes I find the time savings makes it ver y worth paying a little more. As it's small they don't have so many products to choose from, which is actually a good thing. I don't want to eat the same frozen cake each week for example, so I just don't get any at all. I just buy real food, (produce, meat, rice etc) which is much cheaper. If they had 22 types of frozen cake I would get a different one sach week. But they only have about 3, and I'm sick of them. So I stopped eating cake.

Books are still a problem as their aren't any libraries in walking distance, plus I tend to be hard on books. I do go to second hand book stores (within walking distance) and sell some for store credit.

I made friends in the neighbourhood so we go and sit in the park to chat or walk to get ice cream. this is pretty cheap entertainment. I suggest everbody get a dog, it really helps you meet people and is not that expensive after the initial shots etc.

[BDG]

I have to keep my window air conditioning unit set on 68-70 on hot days to get it cool in the other rooms, I have a fan set up in front of it to blow the air out all over and another fan set up to blow the air into the den, but as soon as it cools down around 10-12 at night I put the unit on to just a fan and usually don't turn the air conditioner back on until around noon the next day as it takes that long for it to start getting too warm in the house.

Whenever we go to a fast food restaurant (we seldom do) we order water as we have sworn off of sodas for health reason (high fructose corn syrup) but it helps the bottom line on price too.

Hubby generally will grocery shop on the way home from work, I will usually call in for refills on meds and he also picks these up on his way from work. Hubby and I have been conserving on gas for a while not just because of the expense but because picking things up while you are out anyway saves on time and just makes sense, it does take a bit of planning but it is well worth it.

I have purchase the lights that are energy efficient and found they saved me at least 5-7 dollars a month, at 5.00 for 12 month I have saved 60.00, that is easily one week of groceries. Plus you don't have to replace them for a very long time, (this saves a lot of money too) I think their life span is about five years. The cheapest place in my area I have found to purchase them is Home Depot.

If you cook and have just a few spoonfuls of food left at the end of the meal, veggies, meats, rice, beans, not worth saving for leftovers by themselves, you can take a gallon size freezer bag and put the leftovers in it and keep it in the freezer, at the end of the week or whenever the bag is full, use it in a casserole or to add to a pot of soup.

I actually reuse my paper towels, whenever I only just use a paper towel dry my clean hands on I then just toss them in a pile and reuse them to clean with. I don't mean I let a ton of towels pile up, I reuse them usually in about an hour or two.

My daughter used to do this one, she would buy the larger more economical priced burger, fry it all immediately and then let it cool a bit and separate it into smaller portions, that way it does not go bad in the refrigerator and it does not take as long to fix a meal when the meat is already done, she would just thaw it in the microwave for a few minutes and toss it in with whatever she was cooking that it was going to be added to anyway.

Also she used to fry up a dozen or so eggs (this is especially good if they are getting ready to be past best used by date) and sausage or bacon and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, in the morning when she would be in a rush she would put enough to make a sandwich in the microwave and a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster to make toast and have a breakfast sandwich ready to run out the door with, saves money and time , because you are using the eggs before they go bad and also because you don't have to stop on the way to work to spend on a breakfast sandwich.

She also sometimes would fix two and have one and a piece of fruit for lunch. She would also keep some health food bars and raisins in her desk at work for times when she would be really hungry and need a snack, she said this kept her from spending on the unhealthy more expensive stuff in the snack room.

Hubby and I live in the country, very rural, so there is not much to do here like there would be in the city, we have went to satellite tv (280 channels) because it is cheaper than cable in our area and you get more channels to watch, because we have spent 73.00 a month on satellite tv we do not go to the movies or rent movies. Those things are far away anyway.

[SueDonym]

Jul 2, 2008 19:58:31 GMT -5 my2cats said:

Hey just saw a note about clothing -

If you're looking for something between Goodwill and Macy's, I love TJ Maxx. I can usually get a really nice 2 or 3 piece ladies suit there for under $100 that would cost $400+ at the original price. A couple times when interviewing for jobs I was actually complimented on my suit (ok I found this a little weird, and I suppose it may have been a ploy to make me feel at ease .. but they do have nice suits!)

And I keep them forever (I stick to basic colors and styles so they don't go out of fashion). My work suit collection expands nicely buying a few a year.

Have you been to Goodwill? Maybe mine is just a really good one, I don't know. But I have gotten designer suits and dresses there for about $15-20 dollars! I'm talking Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor, etc. They don't charge more for the label at the Goodwill I shop at. All dresses are $15, and 2 piece suits are $20.

Sure, I like to buy something that is new and the latest style now and then, but at any given time, half my work wardrobe is from Goodwill, and no one would know if I didn't tell them.

[CrimsonKat]

My DH and I are also trying to financially declutter (along with all the other kinds of decluttering). With the economy the way it is, and rents being so high, we are trying to live less expensively.

1) I finally got a full-time job. It sucks, but it's a paycheck. It's all part of our one-year "simplify our life" plan to get in more control of our money and material items. We want to live our life instead of always just managing our life!

2) No more Starbucks (we make coffee at home instead and put it in plastic water bottles to take with us).

3) No more fast food. This is partly for saving money, and partly for good health. About once a month, my DH craves it, so I cut out coupons from our junk mail flyers and have him use that.

4) No more high-priced sodas and flavored waters. Very little cow milk (it's as expensive as gas!) Again, partly for money and partly for health. We have been drinking water, making home-made almond milk, and buying occasional soy milk. Also, to help declutter our cabinets, I have been using the MANY boxes and tins of tea I seem to have.

4) Combining errands and planning our driving route to save money (no back-tracking while driving).

5) Grocery shopping AFTER eating, so we don't shop while hungry. Shopping with a set list. No impulse buys. Meal planning!!! Using what's in our pantry and getting creative with the ingredients.

6) Regularly paying credit cards on time. Calling every 6 months to ask for an interest rate reduction (I've been doing this for 2 years and have had some good results). Set my auto-pay through my online banking to pay an extra payment on each card, even if it's a small amount. Like, if the bill is due on the 1st, I have an extra $20-$50 auto-pay on the 15th. It cuts down the principal amount faster and pays off the interest due faster. Pay larger amounts on the larger interest credit cards each month.

7) Using our skills! My DH is an accomplished piano player and has been able to pick up some temp work playing for children's dance studios and school plays. He gives a discount for cash or personal checks (a.k.a. being paid under the table so we don't have to claim it on our taxes - but make sure the payer is not going to claim it as an itemized expense too or there could be trouble) so we don't have to claim it as income. I hate being dishonest, but these are desperate times.

8) We consolidate the last bits of products so as not to waste them - soap, lotion, etc. Also, in the spirit of decluttering, we are only having one in use and one back-up of each item, instead of having 10 of something sitting on a shelf. I have been tracking how quickly we use stuff so we don't overbuy and overstock.

9) Buying generic brands, local food, fresh food, less food, not eating out, make larger portions at home to freeze for use. We don't eat beef, recently cut out turkey, and buy very little chicken and fish. We have incorporated tofu much more in our diet. It is waaay cheaper and can be prepared in many different ways. We buy our spices and sauces at a small Middle Eastern market. Things are a LOT cheaper there. plus it's nice to buy from a small, family-owned business. We also have recently found an Indian market that sells fresh fruit and nuts for a lot cheaper too. Yum.

10) I try to save water (full wash loads, using old water from pets' bowls to water plants, etc.), electricity (keep computers off, lights off, try not to use air conditioner unless it's crazy hot).

11) I love to read too, and haven't bought a new book in years. I've been trying to read what I have so I can then either sell it or give it away (to have less on our shelves). If I have to have something, I check the library or buy it used. I've also started asking people I know if I can borrow their books and then I make sure to treat the book with care so I return it in the same condition.

12) I always try to sell our extra stuff (if it's worth anything) before I donate it. If I can't sell it in 2-3 weeks, I just dontate it to get it out of here. But when I can sell it, the extra money is nice.

13) I keep our savings in an ING Direct account. It pays a few % more of interest than a regular bank account.

That's just the stuff off the top of my head. Thanks to you who provided links. I will be checking those out for more ideas.

[slobovian]

Jun 29, 2008 23:49:06 GMT -5 pegasus48 said:

I am buying more store brand products.

Store brand products are often made by exactly the same companies as brand name products. I work in grocery distribution and I know this for a fact.

Another thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet is getting a roommate or taking in a border. I know it may sound weird at first, but if we counted up all the "guest" rooms in this country that go unused, we could probably house all the homeless in America. I'm not suggesting that you take in a homeless person, but there are lots of nice people out there (like me) who are looking for a place to stay and don't really need the space and expense of even a small apartment. Since I'm starting over with a clean slate, I figure the less space I have, the less I can mess up.

I posted that I was looking for a place on Craigslist, and that I was willing to pay up to $500 a month. I've probably gotten 20 responses. Having a roommate isn't just for students anymore!

If you're a renter, when your lease is up, look into living as close to work as you can and keep your car in tip top running condition. With gas at over $4 a gallon and going up, cutting down the number of gallons you use can really save money.

[eagle]

Jun 30, 2008 11:10:11 GMT -5 WestsideStory said:

Eagle, this is the second time you mentioned washing your hair with baking soda. How do you do that? How much soda, does it sud, do you use a rinse or conditioner, is your hair colored, those sorts of things. A relative who lived through the depression used baking soda for toothpaste. I could never bring myself to do that because of the taste.

I've tried that baking soda as toothpaste in the past. It's too rough on my gums.

Re: hair washing: I keep baking soda powder in a small plastic container with a lid in the shower. When it's time to wash my hair, I add a bit of hot water and make a thick paste with the baking soda. I rub the baking soda paste into my scalp with the tips of my fingers, the same as if I was creating a lather with regular shampoo. Only there is no lather. The fingertip scrubbing is the same as massaging the scalp, by the way, and it is healthy for the scalp. After massaging/scrubbing it into my scalp, I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then rinse with clear water. I do not use over the counter conditioners, but only sometimes I rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar or chamomile tea. Mostly I just rinse with water. And my hair is not colored. It is now short, but it was beyond waist length when I started using only baking soda to clean my hair. The length of the hair made little difference as it is the scalp that gets dirty. The rest of the hair was never really 'dirty' or oily beyond a half-inch or so of the scalp. However, that is because I do not use other products on my hair, either. If I used hairspray or mousse or whatever, it would be different.

The research I did before starting this, suggested that there would be an adjustment period while the scalp got used to the change from using traditional products and this was true. It took a few weeks before my scalp adjusted. The transition period was not comfortable, but it was well worth it for me, as I am very pleased with the result.

[WestsideStory]

Thanks, Eagle. The non-plastic bottle aspect of baking soda sounds like an extra benefit. You can be clean and green with the same product!

I hope things have calmed down for you and DH at the restaurant. Sometimes I check out the accountability partners thread and remember you were working too hard and trying to find some more hard workers. Hope you've found good staff and can relax a bit now.

WestsideStory