Home  Finance Articles  Discussion  Our Blog / Member Blogs           
SavingAdvice.com Logo The SavingAdvice.com millionaire calculator is a fun way to see how long it will take for YOU to become a millionaire.
Teaching you to Save Money

Go Back   Personal Finance Forums > Budgeting Resources > Personal Finance Articles > Shopping

Shopping How to find the best deals and save money when shopping.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 04-25-2005, 11:45 AM
jeffrey's Avatar
jeffrey jeffrey is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4,043
Last Blog Entry: Use Forum Points to Earn Prizes
Points: 372079.80
Donate
Default Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

There's an impression that to save money you can't spend any money. While not spending money on items you don't need makes sense, there are some things that will pay you in the long run to purchase. While these items may cost you some money up-front, they'll ultimately more than pay for themselves in the savings they provide. Here is a list of ten things you should buy to help you save money.

Programmable Thermostat: Manual thermostats tend to cost households more money because of how thermostats are used. When it comes to heating or cooling a room, the thermostat temperature is usually adjusted beyond the true temperature desired. People set the thermostat at a higher or lower temperature than needed in hopes of making the house cool or warm more quickly even though this will not affect the speed at which the room temperature changes.

Manual thermostats also are adjusted more often to get the room to the desired temperature. The temperature is increased when the room gets a little cold, then decreased when it gets too warm. These manual adjustments by hand are rarely as accurate as can be automatically done with a programmable thermostat. The constant manual adjustments cost a great deal of money over time which a programmable thermostat can help save and pay for itself in a few months.

Faucet Aerator: Faucet aerators are small devices you place on your faucets in the house. They reduce the water flow coming out of the faucet by about half but because of the way they work, it may even feel stronger than normal flow. Using faucet aerators will save a typical family of four about 280 gallons of water a month and pay for themselves in less than a year.




Compact Fluorescent and LED Lights: While compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs cost more than regular light bulbs, they use about two-thirds less energy and last years longer than regular light bulbs. A basic guide is that you can save $10 a year in electricity cost for each 100 watt bulb you replace (this includes factoring the extra cost of the light bulb and the longer life it has).

Light-emitting diode (LED) holiday lights cost a bit more than standard holiday lights, but they use 80 - 90% less electricity than standard lights and last more than 5 times as long. Due to the way they are made, they are virtually indestructible which means they won't accidentally get broken or need to be replaced every couple of year.

Things You Use When They Go On Sale: Anything that you use on a regular basis that goes on sale is worth buying. As long as you know that you are going to eventually use it and won't end up throwing out a large portion of it due to it expiring in some way. For a more in depth look at this you can read Instant 20% Returns.

Rechargeable Batteries: Batteries can cost a small fortune if you use them a lot of them. If you go through a lot of batteries or have electronic equipment that are "high drain" devices, purchasing Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries can save you a lot of money. These replaced old-style NiCad rechargeable batteries and have a much higher capacity than NiCad's do. Best of all, they don't suffer from memory effect that could quickly shorten their life.

Safety Deposit Box: While this may not save you money on a yearly basis, it will save you a lot if any type of accident, disaster or robbery takes place. It'll also save you a ton of grief in settling claims since you'll have all the documentation to take care of anything that might arise.

Clothes Line or Clothes Rack: If you are allowed to line dry your clothes, purchasing a clothes line will save you over $100 a year over using a dryer. If you aren't allowed to use a clothes line in your neighborhood, purchasing a clothes rack or two for drying will save you the same amount.

Water Filter If you are concerned about the quality of your tap water and regularly buy bottled water, purchasing a water filter is well worth the investment. A quality water filter will make your water just as pure as most bottled water and will save you a large amount of money over the long run in comparison to purchasing bottled water.

Low Flow Shower Heads: Replacing regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads can reduce your hot-water consumption while showering by as much as 30% and still provide a strong, invigorating spray. An added benefit for those with larger families is low-flow shower heads will make the hot water last longer for multiple showers.

If you use the shower an average of 30 minutes a day, replacing a typical 5-gallon-per-minute shower head with a 2.5 gallon-per-minute flow shower head will save you about $100 a year.

As the above items show, spending a little bit of money up-front can mean long term savings. By taking the time to make a small investment in the above items, you'll shave hundreds of dollars off your budget.

CopyrightCopyright Jeffrey Strain and SavingAdvice.com 2008, All Rights Reserved.
If you find anything inaccurate in this article, please email us.

Also be sure to read our disclaimer.

Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 07-29-2005, 03:52 PM
catlover15 catlover15 is offline
$ Saving Fifth Grader
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 46

Points: 430.00
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

That helped a lot. Thanks.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 07-29-2005, 06:03 PM
mom-from-missouri mom-from-missouri is offline
$ Saving College Junior
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Northern Missouri
Posts: 1,225
Last Blog Entry: Garden --finally!!
Points: 20815.30
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

I'd add a clothes washer to that if I did not have one. A gal I work with, who has 3 kids and a husband, says she spends between $40 and $60 a MONTH at the laundry mat. Her home has a washer and dryer hookup, but she has neither appliance. I told her I would buy a clothesline, wash at the laundry mat only, bring it home to hang dry, then invest that dryer money into a washer. She did the math and told me this morning she is picking up a washer tomorrow that she bought at a garagesale last weekend-for $30.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 08-03-2005, 02:10 AM
Bluezy's Avatar
Bluezy Bluezy is offline
$ Saving College Sophomore
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Citizen of the World
Posts: 789
Last Blog Entry: New job and changes.
Points: 9005.90
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

Nice article! Thank you !
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 08-04-2005, 05:43 PM
lisasayzhi's Avatar
lisasayzhi lisasayzhi is offline
$ Saving HS Freshman
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 117
Last Blog Entry: Need a New Car Battery, Help!
Points: 3211.00
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

thanks for the article!
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 11-14-2006, 12:15 PM
kelsonmk kelsonmk is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 16

Points: 532.00
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

I have been saving up to make a few purchases, but I am wondering when the best time to buy is...for example, what time of year is best to buy a computer and other electronics vs furniture? With the Chistmas season coming up I'd like to know which items I should buy now and which I should wait to get the best deal.
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 12-13-2006, 11:28 PM
Mabuisakura's Avatar
Mabuisakura Mabuisakura is offline
$ Saving HS Senior
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Clearwater FL
Posts: 266
Last Blog Entry: Finally I think he understands!
Points: 3474.74
Donate
Default Re: Ten Things You Should Buy To Save Money

thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 09-19-2007, 03:25 PM
Marketiva Marketiva is offline
$ Saving Fourth Grader
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Daytona Beach/FL/USA - Budapest/HUNGARY
Posts: 20

Points: 155.00
Donate
Default

I find the best deals by my Intelligent fridge - I'm sure you do think I'm stupid, but I can tell you my story. A few days ago I was in a big plaza at Budapest (that's the capitol of my country). I found a very spacious and nice fridge with a buil-in computer. I bought it!!!
This computer has a wifi access so it can be on-line through my native Internet Connection (DSL). My fridge's computer has many sense and software. The software has every information about the shops and their on-line stores which are relative near in my environment. I can choose the foods (milk, bread, butter, fruit drinks, etc.) through the touch screen of my fridge's computer and these stuffs will be delivered by a quick courier. The courier service is not free but I can find the high discount victuals without long walking or transportation With this I can save money and time. The time is MONEY, don't forget it
Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Things People Dont Like To Do = Quick Money jeffrey Personal Finance 24 01-08-2008 06:03 PM
3 frugal things I did to save $2000 Scanner Frugal Questions and Answers 13 02-16-2007 12:21 PM
Saving Money Games: Save Money jeffrey Budgeting & Saving Money 3 01-22-2007 07:14 PM
Save Money & Count Money Games For Kids jeffrey Babies & Kids 2 02-26-2006 12:53 PM
Unplugging things- how much does it really save? DivaJen Frugal Questions and Answers 20 02-03-2006 01:58 PM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:06 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6 © 2006, Crawlability, Inc.
More Links Home Loan | Debt Consolidation Loans | Refinance Home Mortgage | Finance Options | Personal Loans

About Us | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Link To Us | Related Resources | Webmasters | Media | Site Map | Contact Us

Copyright ©2002-2008 SavingAdvice.com. All rights reserved.

Please read our Disclaimer

 

Featured Sponsors
IVA uk definitive guide
Bad Credit Auto Loans
IVA Forum
IVA Book
So what is an IVA?
Private Student Loans
Online Shopping
Dell Coupons
Credit Cards
Payday Loans
moving
Student Loans
Financial News
Online IVA guide
Cash Loans
Credit Card Processing
Back to School
Payday Cash Advance Loans
Debt Consolidation Loan
Apply Now for Personal Loans IVA Advice


Partners
Budget Stretcher
DivaTribe
Thrifty Fun
Money Talk
Online Personal Budgeting
Budget Dial