How to save money?

[Johngate2100]

I want suggestion from people that tell us some ways to save money.

[jpg7n16]

Spend less than you make.

Yours truly,
Captain Obvious

[disneysteve]

I think it is much more helpful to get suggestions specific to your personal situation. Post your budget and expenses and let us point out places where you could trim your costs.

[Fizgig]

Once you decide how much to save, set up an automatic transfer to a savings account with each paycheck.

[cicy33]

I want suggestion from people that tell us some ways to save money.

I think you will open a can of worms with that request!

Anyway, here are a few of my suggestions.

Make sure that all lights are off that are not necessary.
Don't forget to turn off tv's not in use and any fans not in use. These things may not seem like much but they can save more than you think.

Drink water at restaurants when you eat out. by yourself that is a savings of $2. with a family of four that is an $8 savings. I am talking about sitdown restaurants. not mcdonalds.

Buying a case of water may seem wasteful but remember if you grab one of those on your way out instead of getting a soda or even a bottle of water at the gas station it is still a savings. But remember to only use them for going places and drink your home water at home. If your home water is icky and you buy bottled because of it consider a filter.

Others will tell you to cut cable and stuff but I love my cable so I say, figure out other ways.

Limit purchase of junk foods, they cost more than you think.

coupon, coupon, coupon. People will say that there are not coupons for what they purchase and that is crap. Everyone uses shampoo, everyone uses cleaners. Use the coupons to your advantage. Don't focus on what you can't buy, focus on what you can save on. For example, shampoo coupons are almost always a minimum of $1 off per bottle. I find coupons all the time for toilet tissue. and there are some for foods that are not bad for you. Sara Lee has coupons for their bread all the time.

shorter showers.

I will try to think of more.

[maddog21]

I think the best way to save money is to setup goals for yourself. For instance, if you want a new TV you could setup a goal for the amount you need and the date you want it by. Write it down and track your progress on a regular basis. If you have trouble holding yourself accountable tell a friend and have them keep you on the right track.

[jIM_Ohio]

Good looks are only a light switch away... and it saves on the power bill too LOL

[snshijuptr]

Avoid paying interest. Save up the money for purchases. Use the delay this causes to carefully plan out how to get the best deal on your purchase. Put the money into an interest bearing account. Only pay interest when you know that the purchase will make you more money than the interest cost plus the interest on your savings account.

Setup automatic savings accounts. You will always find that the money is gone by the end of the month.

Track your spending. You will realize how many times you eat out every month and other "through the cracks" expenses.

[cicy33]

Save your change. or use it instead of the bank account for little purchases. It is too easy to use that bank card.

[maat55]

Raise the deductables on your insurance policies.
Take a bag lunch.
Make your own coffee.
Stop smoking
Change your own oil
Shop garage sales or Goodwill stores for necessary items(clothes, equipment, etc.)
Pay cash for consumer items(tv's,cars,etc.)
Setup an auto draft for investments(mutual funds like T. Rowe Price)
Eat smaller portions of food
Drink water(as apposed to pop, tea. etc)
Eliminate junk foods like chips, dingdongs, etc.
resign any memberships(golf, gyms, etc.)
Reduce cable to basic(13.00 per month)
Color hair at home
Use less AC and Heating
Buy more fuel efficient cars
Read cheap books for entertainment(personal finance, american history, do it yourself)
Work a part-time job
Have a garage sale(get rid of junk, payoff debt or save)

[Thrif-t]

Nickels and dimes add up to dollars. Lots of little purchases can add up. A lot of people don't see this and spend a lot of money this way.

[rob62521]

Grow a garden
Cook your own food -- don't buy prepackaged or already made if you can keep from it
Eat healthily and exercise...often saves you money in medical expenses
Use the library
Realize that people and experiences are more meaningful than things.

[zakity]

Use cloth instead of paper napkins and use old towels instead of paper towels to clean up messes on the floor.

Turn off electronics at night (tv, computers, router, etc). We save almost $10 a month by doing this.

Buy in bulk where you can. I have three teen/preteen boys. I have to buy lots of things in bulk just to keep food around the house. But, even if you live alone, you can still buy a case of canned corn (if you eat it) and use it throughout the year.

Look into making your own dishwashing detergent and laundry soap.

Use vinegar, peroxide, and baking soda to clean.

Use less of everything.

Plan errands the most efficient way you can. We live sort of rural. If I drive across the pass for anything, I plan on running errands and picking up whatever I need while I am over there.

Buy a good water bottle and take a water with you. On hot days, bring extra water and a cooler with a reuseable ice pack. It saves money because you don't buy drinks while you are out and it also cuts down on the whining from the kids.

If you buy water, look into a reverse osmosis filter (or some other filtration system). I know ours has saved us a fortune. We take water with us every where we go. This was a life saver since one of the boys couldn't have corn syrup for the longest time and most purchased drinks are laden with it. This has encouraged all of us to drink more water. The guys drink tons of it.

Ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Look around your house for something that might work instead. Ask other people what they used instead. Older folks are the best to ask because they have wonderful ideas sometimes (partially because they have lived so much longer than we all have).

Put the word out that you need an item. Sometimes, mentioning things gets you what you need because someone has it laying around. Our kitchen chairs were dying a slow death and we needed new ones (well, new used ones). I was telling my grandmother that they were dying and I was having to go buy some new ones and that I wasn't too thrilled about digging through how many thrift shops to find four new chairs (it's well known in the family that I hate to shop). She had some old ones sitting around and she gave them to us. She got to unload some unwanted items out of her house and I didn't have to buy new ones.

[amarowsky]

Pay off any and all high interest debt. And set up automatic withdraw into a saving account that is less accessible. PreferaBly at a different bank with a high interest. That works for me because of the extra effort required to get the money out. Do that and monitor aha your buying and just try and be more frugal.

[jasonnoguchi]

I personally find no using credit cards the best way to save money. Using credit cards subject you to interest spending on existing debt even if you are not spending more. In fact, my personal spending improved tremendously after I stopped using credit cards. It also makes certain unnecessary luxuries less convenient to get and thus saving more money.