best advice to save money?

[locolorenzo24]

Eat out less....
Entertain at home more often....
When you're not in a room, turn off the lights!

All from me......

[Ima saver]

We drink a lot of water. I like water and my husband takes a big jug of it every day in his cooler. Our water is "city" and does not taste good. About 10 years ago, I bought a big machine that distills and purifies our water. I run it several times a week, so we never have to pay for bottled water. I keep about 10 big jugs on hand all the time. It has saved me money!!

[contrary1]

All these tips are great, but I think the thing that helps me most is being around others that are savers too. This list, for example, keeps me focused on what I consider important. Fortunately, most everyone I am in contact with in my daily life is of like mind, so I'm not having to swim upstream all the time!

Having a support system is always good, and it feels like this list is giving me an army of "personal trainers" re; my finances! What a gift!!

[Ima saver]

You know contrary, you are right, it is nice being around savers. I live in a small town and we have a local forum. Most of the others on the forum think I have had all kinds of advantages because I live in such a nice house and drive nice cars. Actually I was brought up very poor and learned to save my money at an early age.
It is nice to be able to say something on this forum without being jumped on, like I am on the local forum. I guess they think I inherited a lot of money or something, but it has been just a lot of plain old hard work.

[acezz4e_tish]

i also had read online i believe at about.com about coffee, that a lil salt and cinnamon make coffee taste better, and using room temp water also takes a bitter or burnt taste out.

[Ima saver]

We buy some of our building materials, carpet, cabinets, etc. in another state and do not have to pay sales tax on it.

[coffeebreak]

Here are a few:

Switch to compact flourescent bulbs

Raise the deductible on your insurance; put the savings in a savings account to cover the deductible when needed

Keep the heat turned down and wear heavier clothes

Change your long distance plan so that you pay a little more per call but nothing per month (or very little)

When you are going food shopping, lump it together with buying something else at a store nearby

Go to gasbuddy.com and check gas prices then buy gas when you are doing something in the area where the price is low. You can save 10-15 cents per gallon this way

Choose your times to go out so you avoid traffic; saves gas

Join a club like Costco then buy in bulk. Get a 9-roll of paper towels instead of just one or three

Quite often there are generics of OTC meds, vitamins, etc. that are exactly the same product but cheaper

List your credit cards in order by annual percentage rate then cut the top ones in half and toss them

And finally,
Start a savings account with Emigrant Direct (et al) and have $50/month withdrawn from your bank. The $50 you saved by doing the above.

[BCHGRL]

Having a mini-refridgerator and microwave in my office allows me to bring in my lunch every day. I have a replacement theory. Only eat out on special occassions.

At this point, I have everything I need, anything I purchase is only on replacement basis. If I'm adoring some black shoes I have to ask myself two questions:
a) do I already own black shoes
b) if yes, are the shoes in perfectly wearable condition?
I have to be honest. If I have black shoes in perfectly fine condition, I do not need to replace those. If they are red shoes and I don't own any red shoes, I seriously consider whether red shoes will be worth their value (cost divided by times I will wear them).

Have someone in your family that is not thrifty? My mom always buys books so I read hers instead of buying new. She is my size so we trade clothes. Somehows I always benefit from her expensive taste.

Spend money on long-term items and go cheap on disposable items. Buy cards, laundry detergent, etc. from the dollar store, but buy work clothes from outlet stores. Dress classy, not trendy, and you're clothes won't go out of style quickly. (Dress like Jennifer Aniston, not Jessica Simpson).

Replace one regular meal with Ramen Noodles.

Find your own spirituality and well-being. If you are truly at peace with your life, then you don't care about the Jones', do you?

[Ima saver]

I read about you all using coupons so I looked thru some of this week's newspapers. They had lots of coupons for so much off, but in all cases, i don't buy the product. I find it easier to save money but just not buying something unless I really need it.

[Lostsoul33]

I put my money into a savings account and if I want to withdraw on it, it takes 2 days before I will have the funds in my hands. This has really helped me to remain focused.

[shelbylovesmelby]

ok this isn't a saver but in a way it is.... if we have extra $ @ one point I'll pay extra on my utility bills, so if I over pay it reduces my next bill & if dh's pay is less I've got a smaller bill to pay than if I didn't over pay. There are alot of weeks where my dh gets laid off for a week & if we weren't ahead on our bills we'd be up a creek w/o a paddle some weeks.

[Ima saver]

We go to the same restaurant a lot, but this has worked at other restarurants too. We like to have cocktails with our dinner, so we brown bag it. No restaurant offers diet sprite, so we bring our own, so we never pay anything for drinks cause they are from home. I am buying canned sprite on sale for about 20 cents a can. (we are both trying to cut sugar out of our diets, and my dh has lost 35 pounds.)

[seaar2000]

If you are working go to human resource and have them automatically deduct so much out of your paycheck. I went yesterday and had them deduct $40 more out of my paycheck. I put it in a credit union I very seldom go to this way I am not tempted to touch this money.

[CJsoccerchic]

I gotta say something about the water heater thing..
I hate wasting money and a water heater running all day is a big money waster. Putting some additional insulation around your water heater is not a bad idea and turning it off all day except 20minutes before a shower is a GREAT idea. My power bill went from $200 to $125 Not a bad deal is I do say so myself.

[Ima saver]

CJ, my husband taught me the trick of turning off the water heater all day and turning it on only when you need it, about 30 years ago. I use to go to the garage and turn it off at the circuit breaker. Now, every house he builds, he puts a switch in the kitchen, so all I have to do is flip the switch. You get so used to doing it, you just do it. I turn it on 20 minutes before he comes home and turn it off as soon as he is thru with his shower.
The only other thing I need it for besides showers is to run the dishwasher. I do that about every other day cause we eat out a lot.

[seaar2000]

I looked at my circuit breaker and I don't see anywhere where I can turn off the water.

[acezz4e_tish]

are all of them marked? the water heater should have its own, or is it a gas one?

[seaar2000]

All of them are marked. I do have a gas water heater.

[Ima saver]

I am not familar with gas water heaters. Does anyone know how to turn them off and on?

[Firefly]

I don't know. I have a gas water heater too so it would be helpful to know how to turn it on and off.