Tell me something you do to save money

[AznAnarchy99]

I try to make sure that I don't send out our sweatpants with the laundry service. They charge by the pound and I can wash the sweats.

My 2018 BWM 530 e is the hybrid model. I can plug it in at night to charge the battery and I also got a $4,788 tax rebate.

I'm 100% going hybrid or electric with my next car. Everyone who has that I know has never looked back.

 

[nakedfrog]

I harvest organs from the homeless and sell them on Craigslist.

That's earning, not saving

 

[Fritzo]

1) Shop around for home and auto insurance every few years. The business is so competitive that we actually knocked $75/month off our mortgage payment and $30/month off our auto insurance for the exact same coverage.
2) Drop cable, get an antenna and a streaming TV service like DirectTV or Sling and pay for your Internet outright. Our TV/Internet bill went from $190/month to about $90 month and we get the exact same programing we had before.
3) If you have a landline, get Ooma. You buy the box, hook it up to your Internet connection, plug the box into a phone jack, and *poof*...you have phone service. The only costs per month are state+federal taxes, which are usually less than $4/month. Free long distance, caller ID, & 911 is also provided.
4) Evaluate your cell phone bill. I have 4 people on Verizon, and was actually paying more for a 16GB/month plan than I would on their new unlimited plan. Also many employers offer 15-20% discounts on service. Check to see if yours is eligible.
5) Change all of your lights to LED- including outdoor lights. If you have a lot of lights in your house, the savings are HUGE. Up to 50% savings from incandescent and 20% over CF.
6) Do everything you possibly can to put $1000 in an emergency savings account. I mean ANYTHING- cancel services, starve, go without bathing...make this a #1 priority. This prevents you from having to use credit when something unexpected pops up. Every credit payment reduces your income- think of it as every time you charge something, you're taking a pay cut. If you have to use any money from the emergency fund, put everything on hold again until it's charged back up. This account is not a savings account- it should be separate and not easily accessible.
7) Drink water. If you got to lunch/dinner a lot, it can save you $1-$3 per visit over getting a soft drink, and it's probably a lot healthier too.
8) Buy used cars. New cars are a huge waste of money. The sweet spot is car 1-3 years old and under 30000 miles. These vehicles usually have some remainder of warranty, looks similar/identical to new cars, will have little wear and tear, and will save you $1000's.
9) Take care of yourself. If you exercise for as little as 15 minutes a day and raise your heart rate to near maximum for as little as 4 minutes per day, you can ward off as much as 90% of age related diseases. This allows you to spend money on yourself instead of medication to counteract your lack of movement.

This is how I live and I'm doing pretty damned well, thank you very much

 

[whm1974]

I buy large bags of store brand cereal instead of boxes of the brand name stuff for snacking.

 

[snoopy7548]

1) Shop around for home and auto insurance every few years. The business is so competitive that we actually knocked $75/month off our mortgage payment and $30/month off our auto insurance for the exact same coverage.
2) Drop cable, get an antenna and a streaming TV service like DirectTV or Sling and pay for your Internet outright. Our TV/Internet bill went from $190/month to about $90 month and we get the exact same programing we had before.
3) If you have a landline, get Ooma. You buy the box, hook it up to your Internet connection, plug the box into a phone jack, and *poof*...you have phone service. The only costs per month are state+federal taxes, which are usually less than $4/month. Free long distance, caller ID, & 911 is also provided.
4) Evaluate your cell phone bill. I have 4 people on Verizon, and was actually paying more for a 16GB/month plan than I would on their new unlimited plan. Also many employers offer 15-20% discounts on service. Check to see if yours is eligible.
5) Change all of your lights to LED- including outdoor lights. If you have a lot of lights in your house, the savings are HUGE. Up to 50% savings from incandescent and 20% over CF.
6) Do everything you possibly can to put $1000 in an emergency savings account. I mean ANYTHING- cancel services, starve, go without bathing...make this a #1 priority. This prevents you from having to use credit when something unexpected pops up. Every credit payment reduces your income- think of it as every time you charge something, you're taking a pay cut. If you have to use any money from the emergency fund, put everything on hold again until it's charged back up. This account is not a savings account- it should be separate and not easily accessible.
7) Drink water. If you got to lunch/dinner a lot, it can save you $1-$3 per visit over getting a soft drink, and it's probably a lot healthier too.
8) Buy used cars. New cars are a huge waste of money. The sweet spot is car 1-3 years old and under 30000 miles. These vehicles usually have some remainder of warranty, looks similar/identical to new cars, will have little wear and tear, and will save you $1000's.
9) Take care of yourself. If you exercise for as little as 15 minutes a day and raise your heart rate to near maximum for as little as 4 minutes per day, you can ward off as much as 90% of age related diseases. This allows you to spend money on yourself instead of medication to counteract your lack of movement.

This is how I live and I'm doing pretty damned well, thank you very much

All good stuff but a comment on #3 - An Obi with Google Voice is completely free. You might not get 911 calling, but just to have a house phone as a supplement to your cell, you can't beat it.

#6 is good, but should be just a start. I'd say at least $1k.

 

[Fritzo]

All good stuff but a comment on #3 - An Obi with Google Voice is completely free. You might not get 911 calling, but just to have a house phone as a supplement to your cell, you can't beat it.

#6 is good, but should be just a start. I'd say at least $1k.

Google voice tends to give you funky phone numbers. Ooma gives normal trunk phone numbers and you can port your existing number over. Plus you can send faxes & use with with things like the Nest smoke alarm and other smart things. Tried them both and Ooma won the show.

 

[Ns1]

I'm 100% going hybrid or electric with my next car. Everyone who has that I know has never looked back.

Doesn't hurt to have a play car. Unless you're baller enough to have your electric car be your play car.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Best way to save money : I personally do not go to bars anymore.
That helps a lot.
I never buy food that i am not going to eat and throw away.
I stock up food that i like that is sold at a discount such as 2 for 1 price.
Especially the expensive cheese that i like, i buy that so i have a 3 months supply (the cheese is storable in the fridge for around 4 months).

 

[ultimatebob]

I use Straight Talk for my phone service. Their $45 a month "Unlimited" plan now has 10 GB of data.

 

[ultimatebob]

Oh... and get a better job that pays more money, so you don't have to do some of the extreme cheapskate measures that people are mentioning here.

 

[William Gaatjes]

It's not just the tongue, it certainly is in the gums too because of bacteria in the pockets.





I now happen to floss AFTER brushing which is not traditional (but I can't stand picking out so much crap before brushing). I still manage to pick food out while flossing after brushing. If you leave that in there, for weeks, months, years - you can only imagine the consequences. Well, I don't have to imagine. What do you think hygenists do when you go in for a cleaning? Get into your gums.

Also, visually, swollen or bleeding gums is a clear sign you're in need of flossing. Some may not need it as much as others since every person (even race) is different and may be less susceptible. Every tongue is different too, which explains the breath issue only in part.

Don't you need to floss before brushing ?

This is the best way :
Before brushing :
Use a toothpick to remove food that is stuck between your teeth.
Use dental flos to remove thin stuff like apple skin between your teeth. Not needed when nothing is stuck.
Then brush with an electrical toothbrush with toothpaste and also the back of your tongue.
After flushing your mouth with water use dental mouthwash for fresh breath.
Do the full regime at least once a day but best is twice a day.


This way, a person can save up tons of money and inconvenience by preventing tooth decay and bad breath.

 

[snoopy7548]

Don't you need to floss before brushing ?

This is the best way :
Before brushing :
Use a toothpick to remove food that is stuck between your teeth.
Use dental flos to remove thin stuff like apple skin between your teeth. Not needed when nothing is stuck.
Then brush with an electrical toothbrush with toothpaste and also the back of your tongue.
After flushing your mouth with water use mouth water for fresh breath.
Do the full regime at least once a day but best is twice a day.


This way, a person can save up tons of money by preventing tooth decay and bad breath.

That is pretty much how I do it (minus the toothpick part), but I floss after breakfast and lunch. Even if you don't have food stuck between your teeth, you should still floss to get rid of any plaque and crud before it has a chance to build up.

Wake up - brush teeth, use mouthwash
After breakfast - floss
After lunch - floss
Before going to bed - floss, brush teeth, use mouthwash

If you don't have an electric toothbrush, get one. They're immensely more effective than any regular toothbrush. Dental insurance is always crap, so take good care of your teeth.

 

[William Gaatjes]

That is pretty much how I do it (minus the toothpick part), but I floss after breakfast and lunch. Even if you don't have food stuck between your teeth, you should still floss to get rid of any plaque and crud before it has a chance to build up.

Wake up - brush teeth, use mouthwash
After breakfast - floss
After lunch - floss
Before going to bed - floss, brush teeth, use mouthwash

If you don't have an electric toothbrush, get one. They're immensely more effective than any regular toothbrush. Dental insurance is always crap, so take good care of your teeth.

I have an electric toothbrush for years now , in the beginning when using it instead of a normal toothbrush i did not like the feeling but that was because my gums were not that healthy. Now i do not feel anything when electrically brushing and i could not live without it. The electric toothbrush is the ideal indicator to quickly feel something is wrong.
I always use toothpicks before brushing because it removes a lot of stuck food that a toothbrush cannot touch. There are toothpicks in different sizes.
I also have an interdental brush to be used between my molars and premolars that i use occasionally because there is more space between the molars and premolars that i have that a toothpick could not clean.
And my premolars are shaped like vampire teeth.

 

[zinfamous]

9) Take care of yourself. If you exercise for as little as 15 minutes a day and raise your heart rate to near maximum for as little as 4 minutes per day, you can ward off as much as 90% of age related diseases. This allows you to spend money on yourself instead of medication to counteract your lack of movement.

This is how I live and I'm doing pretty damned well, thank you very much

You can achieve this same result and lifelong benefits with cocaine, right? Asking for a friend.

 

[zinfamous]

Best way to save money : I personally do not go to bars anymore.
That helps a lot.
I never buy food that i am not going to eat and throw away.
I stock up food that i like that is sold at a discount such as 2 for 1 price.
Especially the expensive cheese that i like, i buy that so i have a 3 months supply (the cheese is storable in the fridge for around 4 months).

Yeah, last week I bought 6 corned beef briskets because of the annual St Pat's day sales. Points were about 60% off, and flats were ~40% off. ...I think I understocked. Will get more next year. Having a small chest freezer, as long as you have space for it, is a great way to eat cheaply. New ones are so efficient, too. I think the cost is something like $20 per year in electricity? Maybe less?

 

[FeuerFrei]

My 2018 BWM 530 e is the hybrid model. I can plug it in at night to charge the battery and I also got a $4,788 tax rebate.

Disgusting. There's no way the government should be subsidizing these things. Huge waste of federal $$$s!

 

[William Gaatjes]

Yeah, last week I bought 6 corned beef briskets because of the annual St Pat's day sales. Points were about 60% off, and flats were ~40% off. ...I think I understocked. Will get more next year. Having a small chest freezer, as long as you have space for it, is a great way to eat cheaply. New ones are so efficient, too. I think the cost is something like $20 per year in electricity? Maybe less?

An extra fridge or freezer or combination of the two is always handy.
Indeed great for storing expensive ice as well like Ben & Jerry's or meat when it is sold at a discount.
Although the gelatelli icecream i bought a few times is good as well.
I am planning to buy a new refridgerator/freezer which has more storage. I will be keeping the old one for now and put it in my electronic hobby room, not for having snack within reach but as back up storage untill i find some poor student or so who could really use a fridge.
I did once learn from a butcher that meat tastes best when it is frozen less than 3 months. If you keep too much of stock and store it for many months the taste will start to reduce.
Has probably something to do with the continued forming of icecrystals inside the meat cells i guess. Puncturing the cell walls over and over.

edit: removed typo's.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I spend less than I earn. Quite a bit less actually.

 

[brianmanahan]

My 2018 BWM 530 e is the hybrid model. I can plug it in at night to charge the battery and I also got a $4,788 tax rebate.

Disgusting. There's no way the government should be subsidizing these things. Huge waste of federal $$$s!

improves air quality, i think that's worth subsidizing a little bit. i'm sick of the constant air quality alerts in my area and can't wait until all gas cars are gone.

 

[Stopsignhank]

I'm 100% going hybrid or electric with my next car. Everyone who has that I know has never looked back.

When it is running on electric it is smooooth. I like how it drives. I like the hybrid part because it is the family car so when we take a trip we can run on electric or gas. We are not limited to a 200 mile range.

As far as the tax rebate, I don't really agree either. I mean the feds are basically subsidizing Tesla and Solar City. However when you pay as much in taxes as we do, it is good to get some back.

As far as money savings, when we cut something out such as our land line. We transfer that same amount of money from our checking account to our savings account each month.

 

[kage69]

I do simple things long term.

Plant a garden. Buy winter clothing in summer, and the reverse. Buy in bulk when possible. This last one may sound a bit childish, but it works. Keep a jar or can where you can dump your change at the end of every day. When it's full take it to the bank and turn it into green, either flip right into an account or what I do, use it to purchase that little something you've had your eye on for months. I end up not touching other revenue sources which enhances my savings.

 

[kage69]

I cook at home a lot.

Unfortunately I also buy a lot of kitchen gadgets, so that kind of negates any savings lol.

One of my weaknesses too.

Hopefully I just bought my last knife sharpener. Because Tormek T-8 beaches!

 

[Brainonska511]

I do simple things long term.

Plant a garden. Buy winter clothing in summer, and the reverse. Buy in bulk when possible. This last one may sound a bit childish, but it works. Keep a jar or can where you can dump your change at the end of every day. When it's full take it to the bank and turn it into green, either flip right into an account or what I do, use it to purchase that little something you've had your eye on for months. I end up not touching other revenue sources which enhances my savings.

I don't get that many coins any more, since I've really cut takeout from my meals (it really helped after I moved to no longer walked past a ton of food places in my way home). Plus, my bank doesn't take loose coins. It's easy enough to self roll, but when I get a ton of coins, I'll usually take them to a local coinstar. They don't charge a fee if you get it as an Amazon gift card.

 

[child of wonder]

Buy things in bulk when they go on sale like pork shoulder, hamburger meat, etc., vacuum seal it, and freeze it.
Drink cheap booze or none at all for a while.

 

[JSt0rm]

1) Shop around for home and auto insurance every few years. The business is so competitive that we actually knocked $75/month off our mortgage payment and $30/month off our auto insurance for the exact same coverage.
2) Drop cable, get an antenna and a streaming TV service like DirectTV or Sling and pay for your Internet outright. Our TV/Internet bill went from $190/month to about $90 month and we get the exact same programing we had before.
3) If you have a landline, get Ooma. You buy the box, hook it up to your Internet connection, plug the box into a phone jack, and *poof*...you have phone service. The only costs per month are state+federal taxes, which are usually less than $4/month. Free long distance, caller ID, & 911 is also provided.
4) Evaluate your cell phone bill. I have 4 people on Verizon, and was actually paying more for a 16GB/month plan than I would on their new unlimited plan. Also many employers offer 15-20% discounts on service. Check to see if yours is eligible.
5) Change all of your lights to LED- including outdoor lights. If you have a lot of lights in your house, the savings are HUGE. Up to 50% savings from incandescent and 20% over CF.
6) Do everything you possibly can to put $1000 in an emergency savings account. I mean ANYTHING- cancel services, starve, go without bathing...make this a #1 priority. This prevents you from having to use credit when something unexpected pops up. Every credit payment reduces your income- think of it as every time you charge something, you're taking a pay cut. If you have to use any money from the emergency fund, put everything on hold again until it's charged back up. This account is not a savings account- it should be separate and not easily accessible.
7) Drink water. If you got to lunch/dinner a lot, it can save you $1-$3 per visit over getting a soft drink, and it's probably a lot healthier too.
8) Buy used cars. New cars are a huge waste of money. The sweet spot is car 1-3 years old and under 30000 miles. These vehicles usually have some remainder of warranty, looks similar/identical to new cars, will have little wear and tear, and will save you $1000's.
9) Take care of yourself. If you exercise for as little as 15 minutes a day and raise your heart rate to near maximum for as little as 4 minutes per day, you can ward off as much as 90% of age related diseases. This allows you to spend money on yourself instead of medication to counteract your lack of movement.

This is how I live and I'm doing pretty damned well, thank you very much

lol 1000 in an emergency account? Whats that for emergency liquor? You need like 5 or 6 months of bills plus living in a savings account.