What are some money saving tips that you use?

V-Fusion: What are some money saving tips that you use?
I would like to know what things that you do in order to save money? Things like saving money on buying certain things such as household things like soap, tissue, or anything that you do that saves you or your family money.

Answers and Views:

Answer by zeuz
Rule #1: I spend less money than what I make.
Rule #2: I live by the motto, “The solution to my problem is to make more money, not to reduce expenses.”

Results: I save $ 6,500 per month.

Answer by muncie birder
I go to the local WalMart and Meijers and write down the prices of each item that I buy and compare those prices. The stores are only 1/2 mile apart. I shop in each store for the items that are less costly in that store. Meijers has great sales every week that WalMart does not have. I take advantage of those sales. Some items in WalMart are considerably less expensive than Meijers.

Answer by ask a question, get an answer
I do as much maintenance on my cars as I can. Changing my own oil saves about $ 25 every time.

I go to Costco to buy foodstuffs in bulk that have a long shelf-life. Like rice dinners and soups and pasta and bottles of sauce. Stuff for the pantry, not the fridge.

I bring lunch to work instead of buying it. When I cook, I make sure to fix plenty of leftovers. I always keep a few easy-to-reheat meals in the fridge ready in case I get home late and hungry so I don’t have to get fast-food.

I ride my bicycle to work about 7-8 months a year and take the bus in the winter.

Whenever I get sent out of town on business, I fill a bag with the motel toiletries and amenities. On car trips I bring snacks with me.

I program our thermostat to keep the temperature setpoint high in the summer and low in the winter. We open the windows or wear sweaters.

We only use our cell phones, no home phone and no cable TV.

We borrow DVDs from friends and family, or check them out of the library (books too).

We trade services with friends and family. A friend watched after our pets and house for a weekend, so we had her over for dinner afterward and I gave her a case of homebrewed beer.

Thrift stores and second-hand stores are great places to save on clothes and other items.

Answer by saberhilt
Eat in more often. If you spend $ 6 a night at McDonald’s, you could take that $ 42 and probably buy enough food for all three meals through out the week.

Buy less gas. Curtail your driving as much as you can. Going to the grocery store a couple of blocks away? Walk it or ride your bike rather than just drive.

No more lattes! Stop the Starbuck runs. Sure it might only cost $ 3 for a cup, but 3 cups a week for a month? We’re talking $ 40 right there!

Want to go to the movies? Wait the movie out. Once it’s on DVD, you can rent it for the whole family to watch for $ 5 rather than spend $ 12 per person plus snacks at the theater.

Still need a night out? Try going to a local community theatre. Not only are you supporting local performers, the tickets are usually less and you can save a mint on consessions alone.

Drop the cable/sattilite. Especially in our world of online TV, most networks put most of their big shows online for your viewing pleasure.

Internet? Now I am all for internet, but if you have a cell, rland line and dial-up, you’re paying 3 seperate bills. Drop the phone line and go to a cable modem, or get a network card for your laptop through the same company that you’ve got your cell phone. I pay less than $ 100 a month for high pseed wireless and my cellphone.

Reduce your cell phone plan. Lower the number of minutes. Remove texting. Maybe even step it back to a regular phone and drop the data service on your iphone.

Answer by lynnbodoni
Before I spend money on anything, I ask myself whether I need it or just want it. If I just want it, then I will refrain from buying it for at least a couple of weeks. Amazingly, I often change my mind about what I want, and by waiting, I save a lot of money.

I consider the quality of items I buy, not just the price. For instance, my husband buys his shoes at the big box discount store that everyone knows, and he has to buy one or two pairs a year. On the other hand, I bought a pair of high quality shoes which have lasted for ten years already, and they’re still going strong. He pays about $ 15 to $ 20 dollars for his shoes, while I paid about $ 100 for mine. Over the course of the years, my shoes have cost LESS per year than his have. Sometimes the item that is cheapest in price is more expensive in the long run.

There are many, many message boards dedicated to saving money. Do a search on “frugal” or “frugal living” and you will find a lot of them.

One thing that saves a lot of money is that I do a lot of cooking from scratch. In some cases, packaged kits are cheaper than cooking from scratch, but not always. For instance, I will use a cake mix on the rare occasions that I make cakes, because I don’t buy cake flour and the other stuff that the mixes have in them. Also, note that I cook, instead of eating out. I like to eat out, but it’s very expensive, and meals out are not a durable item.

Take tight control of your credit cards. It’s going to be harder now, but try not to put anything on your cards, and if you have a balance, make sure that the balance is on the lowest interest card you have. It might be worthwhile to take out a low-interest loan and pay off the credit card.

Use a credit union instead of a bank. Credit unions offer many of the same services that banks do. They charge less interest on loans, pay more interest on savings accounts, and are just generally more willing to work with you than the big banks. The downsides to credit unions is that they won’t give some sorts of loans (like business loans) and they usually don’t have a gazillion branches. However, I’ve found that my debit card and my checks are accepted in so many places that it’s not terribly inconvenient. Also, my credit union offers online banking, just like a bank does, so I can do a lot of stuff whenever I have online computer access.

Answer by sassy2
We do not carry balances on charge cards thus no interest payments
That is saving us at least 25 cent out of ever dollar
Menu planned around supermarket specials. I cook from scratch. I can turn 6 boneless chicken breasts, costing 7, into 18 chicken cutlets providing 6 meals. Combine errands to save on gas, Use ammonia and white vinegar in cleaning saving at least 30 to 50 a month on those expensive ones selling for 6 a bottle. Don’t buy take out coffee or lunches, bring our own. Lots of little things that just add up into great savings. Easy if you keep a daily journal and realize where you are spending unwisely and eliminate the waste.

Answer by Antonia R
1. I say clip coupons all the time and buy sale items.

I once helped my family turn a $ 200 grocery bill into a $ 80 bill for scan and clipping coupons. trust me it is worth it.

2. Put all coins in a jar then cash them in.

3. Buy out off season clothes for cheap at places like plato’s closet

4. research sales online

5.research the lowest gas prices in your area (www.gasbuddy.com)

6. have a set amount you put away if you have a job like 15%

7. set financial goals

8. rent movies from the library
______________________________________
SHOPPING RULES

1. never carry credit cards

2. make a list

3. don’t carry all your money with you

4. look at different store prices

Answer by $so fresh so clean$ (3 for 3)
pay with cash instead of credit, save as much as possible, don’t spend frivolously, all very easy