Ways to save money?

[piisfish 140]

Quote

- Stop doing coke
- Stop paying for sex
- Stop throwing bills in water fountains for good luck in winning the lottery

-get paid for sex

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[wmw999 2,577]

I have years of experience of hating to budget stuff rigorously, but living within my means. John's list is good.

Make sure you have a roommate; that stretches your rent dollars. Turn your A/C up when you're gone. Way up. If that means you have to pony up for a programmable thermostat (about $30 for a base model) so be it. Totally worth it.

Learn how to use a crock pot; knowing that you have a pot of beans or stew waiting for you makes you much less likely to go out on the spur of the moment. Learn how to cook in general. Better food, less money. And you can invite people over for dinner; they'll bring the wine.

When you feel a strong need for retail therapy, go to the 2nd hand store. For years, most of my clothes came from there.

Have at least one (preferably inexpensive) thing that you do that makes you feel right and pampered. Could be nice soap for baths, could be a subscription to a magazine that you love to read. If you make it a conscious luxury, then you'll focus on how much you're enjoying it when you do it. Makes a difference.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Gawain 0]

**Stop buying water. Buy a Britta 2-gal filter and reuse water bottles.

**Change where you shop for groceries, most of the big-name stores are not competitively priced. If there's a Trader Joe's nearby, try it, you may find that you're able to buy more food, better food, for less.

**Use coupons.

**Invest in flourescent or LED light-bulbs to save on utilities.

**Contribute money to savings vehicles which allow you to deduct from your taxes.

**Change your bank to one with on-line-centric services and that offer higher interest rates on savings/checking accounts (i.e. CountryWide and ING Direct).

**If more than one cell phone user in house, consolidate to "family" style plan.

**Keep your land-line phone, you may really need E911 someday. If possible, reduce plan to the
low-measured-rate.

**If you have DSL, reduce to lowest plan, or seek a CLEC-style provider to assume the line (i.e. DSLextreme).

...just some ideas off the top of my head...

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[skysmurf2 0]

figure out how much you want to save per month/week and budget backwards from there.

Decide an amount you want to spend per a week - and stick to it!! withdraw that amount at the beginning of the week and then put your debit card away. credit card only for emergencies.

write down everything you spend (incl. $2 for a newspaper or gum or whatever small money expenditures we all make without thinking.)

[skymama 37]

I think most people spend the bulk of their income on rent/mortgage and food. Focus on reducing those things.

I can't agree enough with the people who posted about coupons and shopping from the grocery store sale flyers. I took 5 min. to cut coupons before I went to the store the other day and saved $14.00. Once you start saving like that, it starts to become a game and you try to see how much you can get for nothing! I scour the flyers for buy 1, get one free deals and sometimes that will be the only thing I'm buying when I dash into a store. The dinners I cook are usually based on what meat was on sale that week. It sounds like a hassle, but it really doesn't take that much time to be organized like this.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[2fat2fly 0]

Wash and reuse condoms

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[Sutton 0]

Quote

Wash and reuse condoms

So thats what was hanging on your clothes line when I drove by the other day....

-Sutton

[Muenkel 0]

I think this is basically what skysmurf was saying; Pay yourself first. Decide on a fixed amount each week/month whatever. Put that aside into savings of any kind. Then learn to live on what is left over. You would be surprised at how much money we waste when it is sitting in our wallets or we're hitting the ATM machines.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Decide on a fixed amount each week/month whatever. Put that aside into savings of any kind. Then learn to live on what is left over.

Even better, have a savings account that's a little harder to get to. Money that's in my savings account at the same bank as my checking account is fair game for withdrawal at the ATM. I have one of those ING accounts, also, and I have my paycheck split so that a certain amount of every paycheck is deposited straight into that ING account. I never see it, I can't get to it with a debit card ... it just sits around growing and earning modest interest as a savings/emergency fund. Of course I also sock away lots more into long-term stuff like my 401(k) but this is my liquid but not easily abusable slush fund.

(And Kelly, I'd be glad to make a referral for one of the ING accounts... I think both you and I get a little extra money if we do it that way.)

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Muenkel 0]

Quote

Decide on a fixed amount each week/month whatever. Put that aside into savings of any kind. Then learn to live on what is left over.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Even better, have a savings account that's a little harder to get to. Money that's in my savings account at the same bank as my checking account is fair game for withdrawal at the ATM. I have one of those ING accounts, also, and I have my paycheck split so that a certain amount of every paycheck is deposited straight into that ING account. I never see it, I can't get to it with a debit card ... it just sits around growing and earning modest interest as a savings/emergency fund. Of course I also sock away lots more into long-term stuff like my 401(k) but this is my liquid but not easily abusable slush fund.

You just have to be the smarty-pants...don't you? What part of 'put that into savings of any kind' did you not understand. Atleast I gave Kel the benefit of the doubt and assumed she would choose the type of savings account that would best suit her needs.

Ahh, who am I kidding? We're talking Kel here. Better she follows your detailed instructions.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Ahh, who am I kidding? We're talking Kel here. Better she follows your detailed instructions.

Especially the part about the referral for the account, then it's a win-win for both of us.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[kelel01 1]

Ok, so question: if I use one of those accounts and DON'T do direct deposit from my office, how else can I put money in?

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Ok, so question: if I use one of those accounts and DON'T do direct deposit from my office, how else can I put money in?

You can transfer from your regular bank account. Your bank might be able to do a auto-transfer each month on a specified date. Edit to add that I looked and the ING account can do that for you - set up an auto-transfer from your bank account.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Muenkel 0]

Or, you can send me the money each week and I will make sure it makes it into my...I mean, your account.

Chris

_________________________________________
Chris

[2fat2fly 0]

Quote

Quote

Wash and reuse condoms

So thats what was hanging on your clothes line when I drove by the other day....

If you could see my condoms from that distance, I'd be in another line of work

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[stitch 0]

Bury your money in Mason Jars to avoid bank fees.

"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

[Broke 0]

crock pot cooking

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[gonzalesna 0]

Instead of paying for porn on the internet, watch your neighbors or just take the free tour...

Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

[wildfan75 1]

Quote

crock pot cooking

If you need recipes, PM me. They don't call me "Crock Pot Lynn" at the dz for nothin'!

[Milo 0]

If you *Must* smoke (you know who you are)

Look into rolling your own.
I can roll two cartons for less than $15. That is less than 3 packs in Michigan.

I buy my tubes and tobacco over the internet from here: http://pipesandcigars.com/ryocigprod.html
I was spending $5-$6 a day and now I am down to $1.20-$1.50 a day.

The machines work by shoving the tobacco into a premade tube/filter combination. I can roll a pack in 10-15 minutes. The machines cost $10-$30.

I prefer home rolled to store bought now.

Of course not smoking at all is the best alternative.

[Mark24688m 0]

Take silverware from restaurants for camping utensils.
Take sugarpacks and ketchup packets.
Take napkins from fast food restaurants.


And if your realllly cheap like me:

Refil a jug at mcdonalds with iced tea instead of buying it.
Sell stuff you got for free on ebay. (I was at a movie theater where they were giving away free posters to promote casino royale. I literally grabbed a stack of them. Sold every one on ebay for like $6. boom couple hundred right there.)

Theres free stuff everywhere, and somebody is somplace will almost always be willing to buy it.

[Muenkel 0]

Quote

Take silverware from restaurants for camping utensils.
Take sugarpacks and ketchup packets.
Take napkins from fast food restaurants.


And if your realllly cheap like me:

Refil a jug at mcdonalds with iced tea instead of buying it.

There's your answer Kel...stealing!

And if you're really bad at it...which I'm sure you would be....you'd get yourself thrown into the pokey. No more rent, no more food bills, no more utility bills, no more clothing bills and the sex would be free.

_________________________________________
Chris

[kelel01 1]

Ok, well, I don't steal tea, but back in college we made it into a contest to see who could go the longest without buying toiletries or utensils/condiments. We even took toilet paper from the campus bathrooms.