These Lifestyle Changes Can Save You Money.

[clatoden99]

Here are some suggestions of mine:

Stop watching television and paying for cable. You can get whatever you want online. Find the cheapest broadband available. Seriously, you don't need TV.

Live somewhere closer to work/school. This has been proven to increase happiness (by decreasing commute time and rush hour frustration), and, if you use public transportation or walk or bike (biking being my suggestion), you will cut down ENORMOUSLY on cost. Preferably, find somewhere to live where a car is almost unnecessary.

Have a cheap phone. You don't need a data plan. 3G is redundant in a city where WiFi is ubiquitous. Unlimited texting may be worth paying for (maybe), but data plans are a waste of money.

Do things yourself. You don't need a house cleaner, a gardener, a plumber, an electrician, etc. to fix every problem that comes along, or to keep up with weekly maintenance. If you do, you are living in too large a house, or you're too lazy.

You also probably don't need to eat out very often. Cook most of your meals — it doesn't have to be anything fancy, and more often than not, you'll find joy in cooking. It's not for everyone, but I love it. For those who abhor cooking, find microwaveable dinners, or Stouffer's lasagna. That stuff is easy AND delicious.

In general, try and realize that a lot of what you have, you really don't need. You've just been tricked into needing it. As soon as you can wean yourself off of these frivolous niceties, you'll be living a frugal lifestyle. With plenty more money to SAVE.

(p.s. sorry if this sounded at all like I was attacking anyone, but the easiest way to write something like this is in second person)

[Nutria]

or walk or bike (biking being my suggestion)

You must not live Down South. 1/3 of the year you sweat like a pig as soon as you walk out the door, and in another 1/3 you sweat pretty darned soon after walking out the door.

But for those not living in God's Country, can you just imagine pedaling through a snow storm?

Preferably, find somewhere to live where a car is almost unnecessary.

If everyone did that, then we'd all be like Manhattan or Hong Kong. No thanks.

3G is redundant in a city where WiFi is ubiquitous.

Stop assuming that WiFi is ubiquitous.

[dawnwes]

Here are some suggestions of mine:

Stop watching television and paying for cable. You can get whatever you want online. Find the cheapest broadband available. Seriously, you don't need TV.

We added TV back in when cable said it would be $35/mo more than our cable bill. Since we don't spend in a lot of other areas, that is our main form of entertainment. I don't regret it. We can budget it in or cancel as needed.

Live somewhere closer to work/school. This has been proven to increase happiness (by decreasing commute time and rush hour frustration), and, if you use public transportation or walk or bike (biking being my suggestion), you will cut down ENORMOUSLY on cost. Preferably, find somewhere to live where a car is almost unnecessary.

We don't live in a city that is that accessible without spending almost $1M on a house IN the center of the city. Which I guess is doable, but not recommended. For one thing, the schools up there are horrible and I will not put my kids in them.

Have a cheap phone. You don't need a data plan. 3G is redundant in a city where WiFi is ubiquitous. Unlimited texting may be worth paying for (maybe), but data plans are a waste of money.

Yup, need a data plan. If nothing else, for the GPS. It has saved me countless times. And many times I have to look up the address. However, DH's work gives us a HUGE discount on our cell plan though.

Do things yourself. You don't need a house cleaner, a gardener, a plumber, an electrician, etc. to fix every problem that comes along, or to keep up with weekly maintenance. If you do, you are living in too large a house, or you're too lazy.

We definitely do this already.

You also probably don't need to eat out very often. Cook most of your meals — it doesn't have to be anything fancy, and more often than not, you'll find joy in cooking. It's not for everyone, but I love it. For those who abhor cooking, find microwaveable dinners, or Stouffer's lasagna. That stuff is easy AND delicious.

In general, try and realize that a lot of what you have, you really don't need. You've just been tricked into needing it. As soon as you can wean yourself off of these frivolous niceties, you'll be living a frugal lifestyle. With plenty more money to SAVE.

I haven't been TRICKED into anything. All of our expenses are in the budget and planned. I CHOOSE some luxuries and don't make apologies for them.

(p.s. sorry if this sounded at all like I was attacking anyone, but the easiest way to write something like this is in second person)

Sorry, that last response I had to put in bold. For some reason it wouldn't let me put it in pink.

While I agree with you in theory, you really need to run the numbers.

It is less expensive for us to live a ways out and have cars and drive than to live in the city. And this really isn't a walkable city.

And sometimes data plans aren't that much more. Republic Wireless for example. $25/mo with data, but if you use very little, they give you back some $$ each month.

You really need to do your research. There are often ways to get what you want for far less and still enjoy it.

We need the higher speed data for Dh's work, they pay for part of it.

[Nutria]

While I agree with you in theory, you really need to run the numbers.

It looks like he pasted it straight from a web page full of SHOCKING ways to lose 20 lbs in 20 days and use this one simple trick the insurance companies don't want you to know about to save $$ hundreds on car insurance...

[Nika]

A lot of it assumes that your time has little to no value, and that you have unlimited amounts of it. With 2 full time jobs, 2 massive commutes and children, time is very very valuable.