Money Saving Tips

[The Budget Man]

We always purchase plane tickets and accomodation on the internet. Good deals are easy to find.

[Ima saver]

I never pay for a drink out. We either brown bag it or drink water.

[rob62521]

I cook from scratch, make a grocery list and use coupons if appropriate. I shop at Aldi and use my grocery card. I try to use "leftovers" for other meals as well.

I'm with those of you who said don't go to stores so you aren't tempted to buy. Amen! It's so easy to pluck it from the shelf when you are there.

We have different accounts for things -- Christmas Club, Vacation, besides a money market savings account. We save up for things and either pay cash or if we put it on the credit card, pay it off when the bill comes. It seems to make us think harder if we really want or need something than to finance it.

[mom-from-missouri]

My parents and one of my sister in laws make all their own greeting cards. My sister in law is creative and uses things like material scraps and buttons to make a flower on the front, where as my parents use a free card maker from the internet.
The last time I bought a greeting card I spent over $1, so if you send several, making your own would save a lot over time.

[mom-from-missouri]

I reuse gift bags, or make my own.
To make my own for larger items, I use odd pillow cases (or make one from left over fabric). Sometimes I get them at flea markets or garage sales. Dye them and add a draw string. I've done this for several years at family Christmas get to gathers. Its fun to watch how they go to family to family each year and sometimes I get them back a few years later.

Also, I make my own out of paper grocery bags. I take the bag apart, turn the bags inside out, fold down the top and before folding it down the final time, I add handles (baling twin-used of course), glue them in. Re glue the bag. Let it dry, then use fabric cut outs to attach my "pretty" to the front. To make my "pretty" I trace an item from a coloring book onto fabric and glue it on. It may be an angle (using white scraps of fabric) or santa, or even cut outs from old greeting cards or magazines.
This really saves money at Christmas time.
If your grocery store bags don't have huge ads or logos on the front of the bags, then you don't need to turn them inside out. Just fold down, attach handles, fold one more time and go from there.

[Junebaby]

Here's a thought for those of you with a car. Learn to do your own oil changes and rotate your tires yourself. Also, a simple tune-up can be done by anyone with a place to park and a few dollars for new spark plugs. I don't know how to do these myself, but Hubby does! He's done dozens of brake jobs, and even replaced a blown head gasket or two! He knows how to spot most problems in a used car, and while we have bought many used cars these 30 years, there have been some surprises. But all in all, we've saved TONS of money! Each brake job has saved us around $500.00, and the oil change saves minimum $10.00.
You can also replace your own exhaust system.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by Junebaby

Here's a thought for those of you with a car. Learn to do your own oil changes,................ and the oil change saves minimum $10.00.
You can also replace your own exhaust system.

Are you sure you are saving money doing your own oil changes??? DH thought we were, until he did some research. It is actually around $10 cheaper for us to take our vehicles to jiffy lube or a similar place.

In our area, we can not buy the oil and filter for less than the jiffy lube price and in addition we also have to pay an oil surcharge to turn the old oil back in (you can't just dump oil--it has to go to a special place). Also, while it is in the jiffy lube, they also top off for free the wiper fluids and do a quick free wash and vacume which is worth another few bucks.

Our Jiffy Lube runs monthly specials at $9.99 one-three days a month. You can't even buy the oil for that price.

[Junebaby]

I don't know what our Jiffy Lube charges, but Hubby buys oil on sale even if we don't need it yet. Also, the local dump takes it for free, but only 5 quarts a week per home.

[snafu]

the 1st 10% of any income, no matter the source,no matter the paltry amount, goes to savings.
At the end of the month, any funds less standard retention, is swept to savings.
I avoid paying interest; paid off mortgage in 12 yrs.
No shopping for entertainment; planned purchasing; appliance replacement a/c underway
To avoid waste, all meals have their 'plan-over' potential noted
At the end of each season I list what will be needed; will buy/replace via sale etc. over 6 months.
Will ask merchant when the item will be on sale, whether they give a discount for cash, will buy an appliance from dent/scratch/display section
Made window insulators from hotel black-out liners bought @ auction. Cut to fit, attached with velco tabs. Eliminated the need for AC
Paying strict attention to investment portfolio, double checking anything the newletter or advisor suggests. Takes time but I've been making money!

[maryannsms]

Money saving can be done via various methods such as depositing a certain amount in a savings account or investing in a safe fund. Putting a check on unnecessary expenditures also goes a long way in maintaining a healthy money saving regime. Impulsive shopping, frequent withdrawals, and lack of any long-time investment plan can further hamper any money saving plans. People can invest in life insurance plans, annuities or mutual funds as a way of making compulsory monthly savings. They can also choose to automate the installments or investments for these plans that will insure that the money is not spent elsewhere.

[msmorrisonspeaks]

Spend less than you earn. While this seems obvious, Americans are notorious for doing just the opposite. Stop spending and start saving.

[swanson719]

I still think MomfromMissouri had the best suggestion yet - get an old sewing machine and make your own blinds, pajamas, pillows, blankets, etc. You can watch TV while you sew, and it's a big money saver.

I grew up in a rural part of the country, and we raised all our own food. Had a vegetable garden, some chickens, a few pigs, and some cattle. The only time we ever used the tractor was to bail hay or in the winter to plow the drive. Otherwise we would just yoke up the oxen and did all the logging with them for firewood, brought all the hay in from the field with them, plowed the fields, etc. It's work, but it sure saves money. I don't remember going to the grovery store except to buy things like mustard, ketchup, flour, and snack food. Always had a freezer full of meat from the farm or hunting, and sold eggs from the chickens.

We live in the city now, and instead of going to the store for meat a lot, which DW doesn't eat much to begin with, we go to the livestock auction out in the country once a year and buy a pig and a beefer and put them in the freezer. Substantially cheaper. That with whatever deer I get, we rarely have to buy meat at the grocery store.

[buildmybudget]

I implement many of these tactics around a carefully managed budget. I use a budget which always shows me where I'm headed so I can see when things are approaching(like car maintenance) and can further cut my spending to cover these periodic expenses.

[rob62521]

[quote=mom-from-missouri;118486]I reuse gift bags, or make my own.
To make my own for larger items,

Also, I make my own out of paper grocery bags. I take the bag apart, turn the bags inside out, fold down the top and before folding it down the final time, I add handles (baling twin-used of course), glue them in. Re glue the bag. Let it dry, then use fabric cut outs to attach my "pretty" to the front. To make my "pretty" I trace an item from a coloring book onto fabric and glue it on. It may be an angle (using white scraps of fabric) or santa, or even cut outs from old greeting cards or magazines.
This really saves money at Christmas time.
QUOTE]

Excellent idea, however some of our grocery stores are getting away from paper bags, darn it.

[cschin4]

I am starting to implement more of these ideas. In the past, it seems we were so busy with young kids and work that I just didn't take the time to do some of those things. Now, we are trying to wind it down a bit and get off the fast track. I realize we have bought too much junk over the years, ate out too often, etc. I don't have any cc debt but can easily see how people get over their heads. I also try to think about what I am buying instead of the mindless spending. It is easy to blow alot of money on little things without even thinking about it.
For my grocery shopping, I am no longer buying more than I need. Buying in bulk doesn't pay off for us as I just don't use things up or we change brands, etc. So, now I try to buy what I am going to use that week and that's it. Whatever is on sale will be on sale again. This has cut down on the grocery bills. Also, I have cracked down on Picky Eating. They get their meal and if they don't like it, too darn bad! No more making multiple meals. I did get stuck in that mode however because my younger son has celiac's and we had to do a strict gluten free for him for quite awhile. I have been able to relax that a bit as he is doing well.

[Junebaby]

I never cooked just for the kids unless we were going out for dinner, or were having something a little costly that they didn't like. But don't force your kids to eat something they don't like.
I want warn you all that sometimes kids say they hate something because they are having an allergic reaction to it. My son did not like peanut butter, but sometimes he ate it to be polite, until the day he told me it made his tongue itch! Then we knew he should never eat peanuts in any form. He's been fine for years, but I'm so glad I listened to him!