Ways To Save Over $100

[jeffrey]

Thought I'd get this started and would like everyone to put their thoughts into this. When it comes down to it, not all savings is the same. That's not to say that saving small amounts doesn't add up over time, but if you're just beginning, the best place to start is with things that have the potential to save you a large amount of money rather than a small amount.

What I'd like to do is get this thread going with your ideas that will save a person over $100. The idea is that doing that single thing will result in a savings of $100+ (as opposed to several small things that add up to $100) so that people who are looking to get a quick jump on saving money can focus on those things that have the potential to save them a lot.

If possible, it would also be nice if you can explain how the savings can be achieved (since what may seem obvious to you may not to other people) which will go a long way to helping those implement the idea.

For example, my mom was paying $79.20 a month for cable, but she didn't want to reduce the package that she had. There were other competing firms offering a free month and $29.95 a month after that for similar service. So I gave a call to the cable company today to see if we could get a better deal for her. I simply called and went directly to the cancel service option. I explained I had a better deal from one of their competitors (they asked which offer and I gave the company name and the offer), but really didn’t want to go through all the hassle of changing if they could give me a similar deal. While they didn’t match the deal, they did drop the rates significantly over what she had been paying.

The exact same service (including the premium channels my mom likes) was reduced to $39.95 a month rather than the $79.20 which is good for 6 months - that’s a nearly a 50% savings a month and a total savings of $235.50 over the 6 months of the offer. Certainly not bad for a 15 minute phone call.

What have you done in the past that has saved you over $100 that anyone else could do?

[Ima saver]

I take the highest deductible that I can on my house insurance and my car insurances. When my car became 25 years old, I paid for an appraisal. Once I had that, my car was classified as an antique and my insurance went way down and so did the tag price. My other old car was already classified, so i get a cheap rate and tag on that one too.

[Broken Arrow]

Well, without a doubt, the fastest way I got my hands on Several hundreds of dollars was to selling all my electronic toys. My computer, DVD player, and LCD TV. All gone. Poof! Of course, I only recovered a fraction of what I originally paid for, so I don't know if that can be counted as a "savings".

However, gone also are the peripheral costs associated with feeding an electronics habit. For example, without my TV, I no longer needed cable! So, poof! No more monthly cable bill! The same is true for any video games or DVD movies that I may have been tempted to buy.

I'd also like to mention that I'm sleeping better now, since I'm not staying up late night playing games or watching movies. So, I benefited from this beyond just money.

The other big money drain on me is eating out. This one... I confess I am still working on. For the most part, I think I am doing a good job, learning to cook for myself. My working food budget is an average of $5 per day. On some days, it can be lower, but it's made up by other days when it's higher. However, it's still a remarkable improvement (for me anyways) coming down from an average of $15 per day. That's a rough savings of almost $300 per month!

To be honest, I don't really have any other vices.... Don't drink, don't smoke, don't gamble, don't hang out at bars or anything. Heck, you guys know EXACTLY where I am most of the time... HERE! Yes, I am a very boring guy.

However, I am also very, very determined to become debt-free, and that's really what I am aiming for. If I am able to pay off my student loans, for example, I will have freed up an additional $400 per month! (It's not that high. I've been budgeting extra.) I Can't Wait!

[Amorphous02]

Changed our Long distance, cancelled daily newspaper, reduced shopping to twice a month. Stopped buying clothes.
Today I cancelled the cell, returned the phone i acquired recently.
$24.00 worth of groceries are going back to the store soon!!!

[Diolla]

I dropped my land line telephone ($40 a month) and switched from a cell phone contract to pre-paid. My plan was $60 a month ($720 a year) and so far I have spent $200 on my pre-paid. Obviously this won't work if you talk on the phone alot, which I don't, or live in an area with bad cell coverage.

[Ima saver]

I do without a cell, I guess that saves me close to $500 a year!

[shengmei]

I replace all the lightbulbs in my apartment with energy-efficient ones. Not only they save electricity by using less electricity, they also save electricity by not releasing heat. A regular lightbulb wastes 95% of the electricity by turning it into heat.

Since I did that my electric bill decreases by $50 a month, and energy-efficient lightbulbs also last longer thus save even more money.

IKEA makes some excellent energy-efficient light bulbs.

I only pay $10 a month on my cell as part of hubby's family plan.

[34saving]

Call an insurance broker who deals with lots of different companies and make that person find you the best deal. I save several hundred dollars a year this way. (And I call my broker at each renewal and make him check the competition again.)

Make every company compete, not just cable. Examples: Garbage dropped $10 a month and I got 3 months free for NOT switching to competition. Phone dropped $6 a month and 3 months free for switching companies. (All switching fees were waived too.) Newspaper dropped $.75 a week (I only get Sunday) for mentioning the competition's web offer. Consider switching every 6-12 months to get the "Intro" offers. Even if you're unwilling to switch you can threaten to and lots of times companies will extend the "intro" offers to keep you.

If you have credit card debt and a good credit rating make companies compete. Lots of times they'll lower APRs/waive fees to keep you.

Go on a 1 month non-consumable fast. If you don't eat it or flush it you don't buy it. At the same time commit to brown-bagging it for one month. (20 days of work at $5 a day = $100)

[asmom]

I ditched my cell phone plan. I was paying $40/month (480/year). Well that was a great deal for Verizon because I never once even approached the montly allotment of minutes. I switched to TracFone and there was an inital start-up cost of $120 for the phone and the wireless card, I have now used the phone for 4 months. So far, I have saved $40. At the rate I use minutes, I anticipate it will cost me no more than $80 for the next 8 months for an additional savings of $240. My 1-year savings: $280!

[Amorphous02]

Hubby has been brown-bagging it for the past 3 years: saved....?
But the thread is great Jeffrey!

Its about what we did today: I have mentioned what i did. This evening's plans are to do a balance transfer.

[jodi]

This won't be an instant savings, but something to keep in mind next time you need clothes. Buy secondhand. I bought nearly an entire wardrobe after dropping a clothing size for less than $100. I made probably 4 or 5 trips to the thrift store and spent $20 each time - the equivalent in new clothes would have easily cost $500 or more. Plus, ironically enough, used clothes last a lot longer for me, as I am not easy on my clothes (wash them all together, dry on high heat, etc). I find clothes that have made it to the thrift store in good shape generally are well made and last me a long time.
Garage sales are a great source of clothes too - especially for kids.

[Ima saver]

My husband has been taking his lunch ever since we got married. saved a lot of money. When i worked, I did the same thing.

[cschin4]

I stay out of Walmart! Every time I walk in there I spend at least $100. We all call Wlamart "The Hundred Dollar Store"!

[PrincessPerky]

We ditched the trash service, saved 300 a quarter, and now when we make a weekly run to the playground we take the trash with us....might not be so easy for others though.

[Amorphous02]

If hubby has been brown bagging lunch , What have I done? I have improved my cooking, experimented with foods that keep well etc. Of course I brown-bagged my lunches for as long as I can remember..
The best was when I cooked enough for three days on a recent trip to a State Park. Our total expenditure on coffee and the occasional ice cream was soo little that even DH is a convert.

[Bookie]

I relocated last year. My new address is within walking distance of my office, a grocery, the post office and a library branch. Because I like to walk, my gasoline savings have been phenomenal, well over $50 a month.

This year, I thought to notify my auto insurer that I was driving much less. I had to document my mileage with oil change receipts, but the difference amounted to $50 every six months.

Finally, I realized that I hadn't missed my daily newspaper. The paper failed to make the change to my new address. I canceled the subscription -- $174 annual cost. Instead, I buy the Sunday edition for the ads/coupons and pick up the grocery insert when I'm at the store.

[Snoopy2645]

TO SAVE A $100 the first thing that comes to mind is drop the cell & long distance I did both these I only use calling cards I get for free for long distance calling another would be drop cable its around $130 a month here for cable & internet & all that together!! Next I would say learn to cook from scratch at first buying all the stuff to make things from scratch is pricy but you will come out ahead!!

[Broken Arrow]

I have no landline, but I do have cellphone. However, it's furnished by my company so.... No phone bills either!

If I ever need a phone though, I'm tempted to try out Vonage since I really don't want to give up my broadband, or perhaps a pre-pay if I want to stick to a cellphone.

Internet access is the only non-essential expense that I pay right now, and that's currently $40 per month.

[Amorphous02]

ISP: $9.95. You can do that too..$40.00!
Hmmm

[Broken Arrow]

You mean dial-up? I can get it for $10 per month, but ... I really like broadband.