Things you do to save $$

[notfarnow]

We've never been BIG spenders, but just the same we've been trying to tighten our belts lately.

I always like hearing tips & tricks to save a few bucks. Some of you guys must have some ideas...

Here's what we do:
- Use a drying rack for laundry, seems to be saving us $30-40/mth in power and it's easier on the clothes too.

- I don't buy new shirts. Ever. I'm too hard on clothes to justify buying new, when I know they'll have coffee or oil stains within a month. I go to the used clothing store every few months and load up on long-sleeve button-up shirts. I'm sometimes able to find some nice khakis too

- Use a wood stove for heat, supplemented by electric baseboard. Best we can figure is it saves us ~$1000-1300/yr. Good exercise too, stacking 4-5 cords of wood... probably saves me a gym membership too.

- I do all my own car work. Saves me at least a grand a year, probably more if you consider savings on parts from shopping around.


What do you guys do to save a few bucks?

[legion]

-Bring my lunch to work. I can count on one hand the number of lunches I buy in the cafeteria in a year.

-Discuss major purchases with the spouse. This goes both ways, and we often remind each other of other big expenses coming up and may decide "we don't need that right now".

-Don't go out a lot.

-Occupy my time with inexpensive hobbies. I go to the gym 3-4 days a week. The membership costs the same regardless of how often I go.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by legion

-Bring my lunch to work. I can count on one hand the number of lunches I buy in the cafeteria in a year.

Forgot that one. I used to buy lunch pretty much every day @ $5-7 a pop. Now my wife packs my lunch every day. I am pretty spoiled that way.

Originally Posted by legion

-Discuss major purchases with the spouse. This goes both ways, and we often remind each other of other big expenses coming up and may decide "we don't need that right now".

Yeah we are working on that. I have to admit I'm the spender in the house. We put EVERYTHING on the Visa, then pay it off every month. Makes budgeting a lot easier, and makes it easier to go back down the list and see where we're overspending. Usually it's trips to the convenience store for snacks, but often it's "scope creep" on household DIY projects. I have a hard time stopping once I get started on a project.

Biggest budget buster lately is gas in the 4runner. It's a pig

[svandamme]

i stay single

[126coupe]

1. Called my newspaper delivery company, said I was canceling, they gave me a 25% discount.
3. Cancelled water delivery service.
4. Dropping land line.
5. Cable Company is next, ( I need a discount from my $233.00 per month bill)
This service covers high speed internet, Cable TV, All movie stations, and 2 digital land lines)
6. Found comparable pet food for 50% less.
7. Dinner out less
8. Lunch out less
9. Wash my own cars.
10.

[126coupe]

Oh yeah, stay married, (29 years)

[gtc]

Learned to cook... don't need a wife or a cafeteria...

[Jim Richards]

walk to work most every day, once in a while take the bus
limited dining out
no impulse buying
exercise at home / around neighborhood instead of joining a gym

[legion]

Speaking of cell phones....

Two years ago my wife and I cancelled the landline, and consolidated our cell phones under one company under one plan with 200 anytime minutes. (We're not big talkers.)

So now, instead of paying $40 a month for a landline, $70 a month for my cell phone, and $45 a month for my wife's cell phone, we pay $55 a month for a single plan for both of our phones.

That saves us around $100 a month from where we were before!

[pwd72s]

quit drinking. Then get sick for a month or so, go nowhere do lots of nothing. Great, although not recommended, way to see money pile up in the checkbook.

Well, the quit drinking is probably a good thing. Looking back, I can't think of much positive that came out of the practice. Now that I have type 2 diabetes, it's definitely off the "things to do" list.

[jhynesrockmtn]

• I ditched the landline
• Bring lunch to work
• Don't buy coffee at Starbucks or similar
• Ride my motorcycle in decent weather to save gas. Used to bicycle commute but new office location makes that not feasible with crime/parking issues
• Don't have kids, mine are killing me right now with teenager and college expenses
• Don't get married, if you do stay married, my ex is sucking me dry right now and not in the good way my Fiance' does - I know I'm going to break that rule again
• Don't do other things I'm doing right now like have too many cars, vintage racing, etc. The only reason I can even think about that stuff is I have no debt at all including house payment and even then it's a big stretch
• Don't have two labradors getting old with vet and food bills

[legion]

I used to carpool with my wife to work also, did that for two years. She was moved to another building about six months ago and that no longer makes sense as we are headed in opposite directions in the morning. I do ride the motorcycle now when it is warm.

[jorian]

I married right.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by legion

-Bring my lunch to work. I can count on one hand the number of lunches I buy in the cafeteria in a year.

-Discuss major purchases with the spouse. This goes both ways, and we often remind each other of other big expenses coming up and may decide "we don't need that right now".

-Don't go out a lot.

-Occupy my time with inexpensive hobbies. I go to the gym 3-4 days a week. The membership costs the same regardless of how often I go.

Sweet Mary and Joseph why not just hop in a casket and call it a day!

[DARISC]

Nothing.
Costs nothing.
Boring though.

Actually, ate my canary.
No more cheep food.
That ain't chicken feed.

The monkey's next.
Expense may be peanuts,
but hay! It adds up.

Speaking of hay...
I have a horse
(on my menu of course).

[126coupe]

Race Car is on jack stands until my kid is done with college. I sure miss it

[legion]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Sweet Mary and Joseph why not just hop in a casket and call it a day!

I stil have some expensive hobbies:

-Shooting guns
-Reloading ammunition
-Electronics

I just can cut back when I need to.

[126coupe]

Originally Posted by legion

I stil have some expensive hobbies:

-Shooting guns
-Reloading ammunition
-Electronics

I just can cut back when I need to.

I stopped my most expensive hobby, racing, only to replace it with a new expensive hobby........Really good wine.

[legion]

Oh, and there's collecting guns too.

Which reminds me, I have another order to place...

[jhynesrockmtn]

Race Car is on jack stands until my kid is done with college. I sure miss it

Race one of these while he's in school