How do you stretch your money?

[msi56]

I like to give plants and herbs that I have transplanted from my garden into a pot as birthday or house warming presents.

[Mike75]

I save electricity by turning off unnecessary lights in house, limiting the use of electrical appliance like electric tooth brush, dishwasher and microwave ovens etc.

[rjsmommy10]

1. Hang up my clothes to dry instead of the dryer (my electric bill went from 180 to 80...and we didn't do anything different other than that.)
2. Cook at home instead of going out.
3. Buy non-perishables in bulk, especially if you use it alot.
4. Thrift stores are awesome for clothes!
5. Eat leftovers (hard to do though).

[1milliondollarchallenge]

I do lots of things already mentioned and i so wish we had coupons here!

I menu plan and have a list of recipes I know of the top of my head I can swap if i find great specials.
I make lots of my presents that I give.
I switch things off at the wall.
I do online surveys for grocery and movie vouchers.
I do mystery shopping when we feel like take-away so it costs us nothing
I cook lots from scratch, bread, tortilla's etc... as well as making jams and things from free or super cheap fruit.
I freeze things I get on great specials such as bread and meat and often stew fruits to freeze.
I make my own baby food and use cloth nappies.

There's more I know, but that's what I can think of right now.

[snafu]

I gave up on 'leftovers' years ago and went on to 'plan-overs' a trick mom taught. Nearly everything can be the basis for a new, different meal. For example, small amounts of veggies can be added to stew, soup or chili without anyone complaining. Small bits of beef or poultry can resurface as beef or chicken pot pie. Ham combines perfectly with sliced potato for scalloped potatoes or potato salad. Try cooks.com and add the ingredient you wish to use and it will offer you ideas.http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/i...ons/icon14.gif

[gsibble]

I'll definitely cook at home. Look for items on sale at the grocery store. Turn off unused electronics and lights. Drive a little slower. Pretty much everything that will slow down costs.

[superdad1580]

I agree, you can also put a bottle of water in the back of your toilet to save water.

[NJDebbie]

I hang clothes in drying racks
Wash in cold water
I stretch Max's (my dog) grooming for as long as I can
Buy milk at Costco (it's considerably less than major food chains)
I turn body lotion bottles upside down to get the last bit out
I use swagbucks and Amazon rewards cc to purchase items I want to treat myself (no interest ever
paid)
share a phone plan with my son
don't have a text package on my phone

[rob62521]

Here's a site that has many of the same ideas that have been posted on this thread and then a few new ones:

The Simple Dollar » Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started

[jaine]

The #1 thing that's helping me spend less is my "buy used" challenge the past couple of months. Mostly because I am too lazy to track down something specific on craigslist and drive half an hour to get it. So I end up not buying it at all!

[btacay]

In order to stretch your money, you must need first to regain control with the allocation of your money into the different spending areas of your life.

To do this, you need to set up different bank accounts for the different spending aspects of your life. This way, you're able to allocate the right amount of money into the different areas of expenditures. As a result, you're able to stretch your money to the max!

The Money Skills For Life website will help provide you the necessary tool to achieve your saving goals.

[snafu]

Printed an On-line list of when items go on sale and hold off purchases until sales like school/office supplies August sales. I've been tracking 'cost avoidance' the difference between regular & sale prices with surprising results. If the item I need/want isn't 'on sale' I've asked if there is any discount for cash with considerable success. Watch for 'clearance' as stores bring in lower quality merchandise for their 'sales.' Junk or stuff you don't use isn't a bargain!

[ConquerWithTruth]

I try to reinvest my money toward making more money, not through the stock market, but small stuff such as internet marketing for a tiny asset.

[Tightwad Kitty]

It’s a while since I read some of the forum here.
This old thread does makes interesting reading.
I will have to see if I can come up with something new. Can you.

[marvholly]

Here are some of my more esoteric ideas:

NOT all package items are created equal. Remembered this after buying romaine hearts at veg market. After YEARS of shopping & weighing things at work my hands are VERY aware of and sensitive to even subtle differences in actual package weights. There was actually are 4 oz difference on a labeled 18 oz package.

Someone (on another site, I believe) stated that since she paid her bills online she was using the envelopes to send out other things. I have started using them for my store specific weekly shopping lists AND putting the coupons inside so I have everything together.

Ricotta cheese substitute: I can buy cottage cheese for $1/lb or less. Ricotta is at least $1.79/lb on rock bottom sale price during Lent. Drain the cottage cheese in a fine sieve/thru gauze/cheese cloth. Process in a blender/immersion blender or food processor until smoothe. Use like ricotta.

Portion control is a REAL saver biggie on budgets. No adult needs more than a 3 oz portion of a meat/poultry/fish protein more than 2x/day. Not sure about kids/teens. Fill in w/complex carbs, veggies, salad & fruit. We can ALL eat more of those and preferably the low GI ones. Im just turned 2 bone in chk breasts into 5 meals by useing 3 oz portion control.

[Tightwad Kitty]

I agree with you on the portion control meals, we all eat to much these days.

I am looking into rationing in 1940s now that's an eye opener.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by marvholly

NOT all package items are created equal. Remembered this after buying romaine hearts at veg market. After YEARS of shopping & weighing things at work my hands are VERY aware of and sensitive to even subtle differences in actual package weights. There was actually are 4 oz difference on a labeled 18 oz package.

Someone posted a while ago about the prepackaged "5 pound" bags of potatoes at the supermarket and how they could be off significantly. Ever since, I've weighed the bags before buying them. Any produce that is sold by the piece rather than by the pound should be weighed, like heads of lettuce or bunches of radishes.

[marvholly]

Ds
Even packages MARKED xxlb are a +/- from the marked amount. That was my point on the romaine. Pkg was marked 18 oz BUT multiple pkg varied from 16-20 oz. That is about 1/2 less to 1+ serve.

[nick__45]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

When I go out to eat, I only eat half the meal. I take the other half home for lunch the next day.

That's bad. Don't do it, just enjoy yourself and eat. You pay big money for the meal, which tastes the best while you're out. If you want to be frugal, cook it yourself while listing to a good radio show or TV (not cable or dish though as that costs money.)

Just my 7 cents.

[marvholly]

Sorry Nick
I often do the same thing, especially if the place has an add on or included salad bar. MANY dishes tast just as good quickly reheated (pasta, chicken), some are even better after the seasonings have a chance to meld (gumbo, paella). I do NOT do this w/steak as I do prefer mine RED but will use leftover steak in a salad plate.