NTTCALR: Saving Money Tips

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

Does anyone have any money saving tips that they use that they recommend?

mlmtgg · February 2010

in what area?

We are cutting our eating out way back in 2010 - trying to stick to one take out a week, and no eating out for lunch (except once in awhile). Also, we're bringing our coffee from home instead of stopping for it on way into work/midmorning.

I actually love coupons for grocery shopping and have gotten back into them, and remembered how much you actually save.

there a bunches and bunches more . .but not sure what area you're interested in.

ColindaP · February 2010

Every Sunday I plan out the week's meals carefully, like what to make when in order to be able to use the leftovers for lunches or in new dishes. And I make my husband stick to the plan - he ALWAYS wants to be lazy and just go out. But planning everything out saves a lot because we actually use all of the food and none of it goes to waste, and it prevents the last-minute nothing-to-eat lets-just-do-takeout.

kona08 · February 2010

don't eat at Zinc... hehe

I think bringing lunches is a big one, and the coffee too. I am not too good in this department, so I am going to be checking back on this post!

((hugs)) friend

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

mlmtgg:

in what area?

Any area really. We are trying to save to buy a place and we have our work cut out for us if we want to be able to get something we will really like.

I think food is our #1 expense that can be significantly reduced. A while back, I estimated that we spent about $1600-$1800 a month on food. Yikes!

michrocc · February 2010

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

ColindaP:
Every Sunday I plan out the week's meals carefully, like what to make when in order to be able to use the leftovers for lunches or in new dishes. And I make my husband stick to the plan - he ALWAYS wants to be lazy and just go out. But planning everything out saves a lot because we actually use all of the food and none of it goes to waste, and it prevents the last-minute nothing-to-eat lets-just-do-takeout.

That is a really great idea. I wonder if I have the discipline for this. I might give it a shot on Sunday and see how it goes. Thanks!

ColindaP · February 2010

Oh, I also buy a lot of my clothes at a consignment shop here that only takes good-quality clothes (Banana Republic/Ann Taylor is the lowest end stuff they accept) in excellent/new condition. I got some never-worn $500 Taryn Rose pumps for $45. And DH and I buy furniture and stuff from craigslist or consignment shops (not beds or sofas, obviously, but wood furniture). We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

simbajsp · February 2010

michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

This. DH is all about the budget! We allot money into certain categories and we each have our own "pot" of money to spend on what we want, like sports tickets, clothes etc. It really makes me think hard about what I want to spend my "Julie money" on, and it keeps us on track with our spending in general.

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

ColindaP:
We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

Indifferent Wow. We still rent, so this isn't our issue yet, but this would NEVER happen with us. DH is wonderful in many ways, but handy...no. He makes up for it with his charm and good looks Wink

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

What's the name of the program? I did this a few years ago by hand and it really did help us. But, without a program, it was too much work to keep track of everything.

ColindaP · February 2010

OCIrishBruin:

ColindaP:
We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

Wow. We still rent, so this isn't our issue yet, but this would NEVER happen with us. DH is wonderful in many ways, but handy...no. He makes up for it with his charm and good looks

Hehe, then just don't buy a fixer-upper like we did! I am lucky to have a very useful and handy husband. he's an engineer, so he's quite a bit more useful around the house than, say, um, like a lawyer or something Stick out tongue

mlmtgg · February 2010

I'll just keep writing b/c I'm so bored with work I could poke my eyes out.

some are "green" living related, but do save $ too. In past year I stopped using papertowels (only use rags now - found cut up old t-shirts and pillow cases work best -- reuse, don't buy new!). I also have drastically reduced my use of plastic ziplocks - use tupperware/containers exclusively for things in the fridge (before it was baggies or foil), and for packing lunches. small savings, but actually adds up. (same thing re: plastic wrap/foil).

We also really watch our electric/gas/water usage for green purposes, but it's resulted in $$ savings too. by using grey water (like I empty my cat water bowl into plants instead of just dumping out), shutting off lights, putting chargers/etc on power strip we turn off when not in use, reducing temp at night a lot - we actually have seen our bills go down. . .

mlmtgg · February 2010

ColindaP:
OCIrishBruin:

ColindaP:
We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

Wow. We still rent, so this isn't our issue yet, but this would NEVER happen with us. DH is wonderful in many ways, but handy...no. He makes up for it with his charm and good looks

Hehe, then just don't buy a fixer-upper like we did! I am lucky to have a very useful and handy husband. he's an engineer, so he's quite a bit more useful around the house than, say, um, like a lawyer or something

hey! watch it! my 2 lawyer house fixes everything ourselves! Since owning our "oldie" I've learned to install light fixtures, we replaced a bathroom sink and the disposal, tons of painting and laying of kitchen floor - all on our own! Our motto is try it - if it doesn't work -- then call someone. So far so good. (and know your limit - we didn't put on our roof or new driveway!)

skroops · February 2010

Well, aside from things that the other ladies have mentioned like trying to trim/cut out certain expenses and stick to a budget, I find that the easiest way for me to safe money is to have a certain portion of my paycheck direct deposited into a separate savings account. I have an account set up with the credit union from my work for just this purpose. I don't have a checking account linked to it, and no ATM card to access it, so if I really need the money, I have to actually walk in there to withdraw it. This works really well for me because since I never actually "see" the money in our regular checking/savings account, I don't miss it.

ColindaP · February 2010

mlmtgg:

I'll just keep writing b/c I'm so bored with work I could poke my eyes out.

some are "green" living related, but do save $ too. In past year I stopped using papertowels (only use rags now - found cut up old t-shirts and pillow cases work best -- reuse, don't buy new!). I also have drastically reduced my use of plastic ziplocks - use tupperware/containers exclusively for things in the fridge (before it was baggies or foil), and for packing lunches. small savings, but actually adds up. (same thing re: plastic wrap/foil).

We also really watch our electric/gas/water usage for green purposes, but it's resulted in $$ savings too. by using grey water (like I empty my cat water bowl into plants instead of just dumping out), shutting off lights, putting chargers/etc on power strip we turn off when not in use, reducing temp at night a lot - we actually have seen our bills go down. . .

Can I kiss you? Or at least introduce you to my husband so he doesn't think I'm the only whack jobs who harps on these things?

mlmtgg · February 2010

ColindaP:
Can I kiss you? Or at least introduce you to my husband so he doesn't think I'm the only whack jobs who harps on these things?

why yes. on both counts! (and secretly the fact that I haven't bought ziplocks in a year makes me giddy. i have no idea why that's so monumental.)

my next green/savings goal is to switch over to homemade cleaners for somethings. I can't for everything, but things like sink and shower cleaner - such a money drain and bad for mama-earth!

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

mlmtgg:

I'll just keep writing b/c I'm so bored with work I could poke my eyes out.

some are "green" living related, but do save $ too. In past year I stopped using papertowels (only use rags now - found cut up old t-shirts and pillow cases work best -- reuse, don't buy new!). I also have drastically reduced my use of plastic ziplocks - use tupperware/containers exclusively for things in the fridge (before it was baggies or foil), and for packing lunches. small savings, but actually adds up. (same thing re: plastic wrap/foil).

We also really watch our electric/gas/water usage for green purposes, but it's resulted in $$ savings too. by using grey water (like I empty my cat water bowl into plants instead of just dumping out), shutting off lights, putting chargers/etc on power strip we turn off when not in use, reducing temp at night a lot - we actually have seen our bills go down. . .

I love these ideas. Might not be huge savings for us, but a little bit helps. I try to be a good "green" citizen as much as possible, so I will incorporate these ideas. Thanks!

Camicat · February 2010

ColindaP:
Oh, I also buy a lot of my clothes at a consignment shop here that only takes good-quality clothes (Banana Republic/Ann Taylor is the lowest end stuff they accept) in excellent/new condition. I got some never-worn $500 Taryn Rose pumps for $45. And DH and I buy furniture and stuff from craigslist or consignment shops (not beds or sofas, obviously, but wood furniture). We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

I want to know where this shop is!

When you do buy use Craiglist like she said for some furniture. You can get great deals. Don't forget to try and sell your stuff too! And you would be surprised at how many projects you may be able to do yourselves. My DH surprised me with what he's doing in this house!

I always clip coupons and when out shopping I stop and think, "Do I really need this?" I get caught up in sales but all the little items add up and clutter the house. I try to remember that.

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

ColindaP:
OCIrishBruin:

ColindaP:
We also do all our home improvement work ourselves.

Wow. We still rent, so this isn't our issue yet, but this would NEVER happen with us. DH is wonderful in many ways, but handy...no. He makes up for it with his charm and good looks

Hehe, then just don't buy a fixer-upper like we did! I am lucky to have a very useful and handy husband. he's an engineer, so he's quite a bit more useful around the house than, say, um, like a lawyer or something

Lucky you!

celestej619 · February 2010

simbajsp:
michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

This. DH is all about the budget! We allot money into certain categories and we each have our own "pot" of money to spend on what we want, like sports tickets, clothes etc. It really makes me think hard about what I want to spend my "Julie money" on, and it keeps us on track with our spending in general.

This is what we do too. We literally have envelopes for things like gas, groceries, and our individual spending money. We've been doing this since we got married and it's worked pretty well for us. It also really makes you think about what you are spending your money on.

ColindaP · February 2010

Oh, AND I get my hair done at a cosmetology school. And when I get pedicures, I get them done there too. I don't get them regularly (to save $$) but I do when I have a wedding or something, or when I need pretty summer toes, or when they have one of thier fab $10 spa pedicure specials.

I'm getting my hair cut there on Tuesday for $5 on this $5 after 5pm special. They are students, so it is slower, but they do a bang-up job.

michrocc · February 2010

OCIrishBruin:
michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

What's the name of the program? I did this a few years ago by hand and it really did help us. But, without a program, it was too much work to keep track of everything.

I'm not sure what the name is. I just emailed him to see if he can email/fax me a template or more info. Will let you know...

michrocc · February 2010

OCIrishBruin:
michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

What's the name of the program? I did this a few years ago by hand and it really did help us. But, without a program, it was too much work to keep track of everything.

I'm not sure what the name is. I just emailed him to see if he can email/fax me a template or more info. Will let you know...

KristysRedBarn · February 2010

1. Make a budget, it really helps.

2. Meal plan, it saves a ton

3. I clean with vinigar and baking soda, much cheaper

4. I use white vinigar instead of fabric softner, better for my clothes, my allergies, and my budget.

5. Use dish rags instead of paper towel.

6. Use cloth napkins.

7. Don't use paper kitchenware

8. Call your telephone company and ask them for a better deal, it almost always works.

9. Use the library for books and movies. If you have netflix think about useing redbox instead, huge saving here.

10. For fun money, stick to cash only, then when your out, your out.

michrocc · February 2010

OCIrishBruin:
michrocc:

I'm a firm believer in budgets. Each month DH and I create a spreadsheet of expenses and we keep track of all we spend and compare each month. If we go over we factor that in the next month and have less to play with. If we go under we put anything extra into our savings account. When we first started doing this I was just shocked at how much money we spent on food and eating out. We've literally cut that to 1/3 of what it used to be. DH uses this program he found at work. If you're interested PM me.

We also have been really working at creating menus each month for dinner and sticking to them. It's really cut down on last-minute trips to the store to pick up odds and ends for dinner.

What's the name of the program? I did this a few years ago by hand and it really did help us. But, without a program, it was too much work to keep track of everything.

Sent you a PM with the info

KristysRedBarn · February 2010

While I don't use it, I hear lots of good things about mint.com for online budget software.

madladybride · February 2010

Everyone has ideas that DH and I already do. The other things we do that may or may not be listed are

stop buying convenience foods (at least to the extent possible, i.e. I make pizza dough on the weekend and freeze it. We thaw it out on days we want pizza. We also buy dried beans, cook ahead of time and then freeze) Of course if you don't like to cook, it could be a problem.

wash out/reuse ziplock bags

turn your thermostat down a few degrees

Use fluorescent bulbs.

Good luck!

OCIrishBruin · February 2010

Wow! You guys are good. I have a lot to think about. Thank you!

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