Your best $ tips & frugal advice!

aippolito1

- To reduce water when I shower, I set an alarm for 13 minutes (15 is usually too long or means I dilly-dallied and 10 minutes isn't long enough because sometimes I have to shave or use extra exfoliating routines to take care of my eczema-prone skin, so 13 is my magic number - lol) and try to get out as soon as it goes off, or before. It's like a race against the clock! Literally!

- I shop at my local Kroger and have a card and at least once a month, when I get to 100 points, I save 10 cents per gallon on my gas (that I will ONLY buy at Kroger because it's the cheapest!)

- Before I make any big purchases, I comparison shop... I check Amazon.com, any and all retail stores I can possibly think of, and buy at the cheapest place.

- I read any and all reviews of any product I buy that I haven't bought before so I know I'm not wasting my money.

- I write out everything I need to buy for the next paycheck and overestimate how much it will cost and if it doesn't fit into the paycheck, I weed out the unnecessary (want or don't-need-right-now items) items or reduce certain things if possible (such as, if I'm taking a shopping trip, I'll reduce how much I'm bringing/spending).

- I don't have a credit card so I never spend money I don't have.

- I try to buy any bread I can on the reduced items rack (thanks to navstar for reminding me!) ... most loaves at Kroger are about $4 but I've been able to get them for about $1.25. Also tried my first Kashi cereal this way. $1.25 for a normally $3.99 box!!

- I buy almost all off-brands. They taste the same, people!! :happy:

- I don't buy any piece of clothing unless it's on sale and most of the time I shop the 60%-80% racks because that's where the best deals are. Hello, brand new CUTE flowy top for $4.80? YES, PLEASE!

That's all I can think of for now!!

megamom

buy fruit in season and freeze them for smoothies. I just bought a ton of berries. Layer them washed on a cookie sheet and freeze them then put them in a baggy or container for the freezer. If you buy them in season they are cheaper. Same with corn and vegetables.

amelia_atlantic

Great ideas everyone! Keep them coming!

If these weren't mentioned yet:

Buy generic whenever possible.

Shop overstock.com/amazon.com for gifts.

KEEP CREDIT CARDS AT HOME for a night out or clothes shopping.

Use consignment stores! You can sell your used (in better condition and usually designer) clothes you don't wear for cash or store credit.

Host clothing (or household goods) swaps! Invite all your friends to bring their used things and trade!

eeelastic9

On non-food purchases, I always consider if i *really* want/need whatever item I'm considering. If you leave it on the shelf/rack and walk away for a few minutes, you'll find out if you miss it or not.

Also, when I went vegetarian last October, I started paying a lot more attention to what I eat, and how much I spend on my food! Vegetarian meals are usually less expensive for the prepare at home meal, and it also makes you pay more attention to finding proper nutrition. It's a win-win!

hmmmm

I earn gift certificates for Amazon and use them for gifts it is a great way to stash some extra cash for holidays, birthdays and baby showers. I know people probably see this all the time and roll their eyes but I have made over $200 dollars this year by doing surveys and another $100 from searching the internet.
copy and paste
for surveys
http://tinyurl.com/366oe9a

or for searching the internet
http://tinyurl.com/25xuzbg

also I use mycokerewards to get all my magazine subscriptions and I check out the free sample sites sometimes I get really good things from them as well.

kayemme

buy fruit in season and freeze them for smoothies. I just bought a ton of berries. Layer them washed on a cookie sheet and freeze them then put them in a baggy or container for the freezer. If you buy them in season they are cheaper. Same with corn and vegetables.

cheaper even still if you can find a place to pick your own berries. even a berry farm if you don't have foraging skills.

hawaiibound

Safeway has 1lb of strawberries on sale this week for .99......and they were good looking berries....great ideas ladies...keep them coming. I'm definetly going to try some of these!

spicy618

I've heard from 2 different people that turning off the water heater every day saves loads of money off your electric bill. :flowerforyou:

chocolateandvodka

another laundry tip - i buy the arm & hammer powder detergent and use about 1/2 of the recommended amount. my clothes are clean and smell good every single time. i also always wash in cold water and my clothes last longer for it.

shower tip - i've started timing my showers for every day immediately after my workout. by then i've usually worked up a good sweat and a cool shower feels great. no using hot water unnecessarily.

tcac

bump

heather62803

I saw this thread today and thought it was appropriate for here!! I never work out in a gym - memberships are just too much right now and I have still been able to exercise for free using a lot of the strategies listed here!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/107771-a-gym-free-cardio-workout?page=1#posts-1486106

I try to walk daily (weather permiting)
I jog stairs
Jump Rope (Very Cheap and effective fitness tool!!)
Dance to Music
Race my 5 year old

and I love the 30 Day shred (only $9 for a great workout!) :happy:

heather62803

Oh and another water saving tip (and time saving) - bathe your kids together - We used to bathe our two boys separately every day - now we find it easier and cheaper to bathe them together and we cut out the everyday bathing - I usually judge it by the day's activities - of course a lot of time outside or running around warrents a bath, but if they have been playing inside all day we will probably skip it!

Phera

These were a bit pricey but I haven't had to buy sandwich bags in over six months and still going strong http://www.lunchskins.com/home.php. If you have a sewing machine you could make them pretty easy yourself. My husband I canceled our gym memberships ($50 a month for both of us) and bought a stationary bike off Craigslist.org ($150 dollars) instead along with some free weights and workout videos. We have an amazon rewards credit card through Chase that doesn't have any annual fees that we use and pay off monthly while building up rewards for Christmas gifts. Netflix through the Wii or Xbox is fantastic. Also, I lowered my monthly car insurance bill by tracking my actual miles driven per month which was lower than the car insurance default. I pack my breakfasts and lunches to work and don't keep any $1s on me because I'll be tempted by the vending machine. I'm seriously debating buying a folding bike off craigslist to ride to the subway when going to and from work to further reduce insurance and gas costs.

EboniA

another laundry tip - i buy the arm & hammer powder detergent and use about 1/2 of the recommended amount. my clothes are clean and smell good every single time. i also always wash in cold water and my clothes last longer for it.

shower tip - i've started timing my showers for every day immediately after my workout. by then i've usually worked up a good sweat and a cool shower feels great. no using hot water unnecessarily.

We use about half the recommended detergent too. There was an article about how unnecessary it is to use the full amount.

Another shower tip a friend of mine uses. Before she gets in, while the water is warming up, she uses a watering can (or a bucket) to collect the water and waters her plants and herbs with it.

SarahEllis28

Sorry if this bit of advise has already been given. I don't have the patients right now to read everything but wanted to offer something that has really worked for me and my family.

I am a stay-at-home mom to two children and I never ever ever thought I would be the type to create a monthly menu for dinner but SURPRISE! I am now. I create a menu with anywhere from 2-4 meals a week, relying on leftovers on the off days or sandwiches, hotdogs and whatever else is easy to make when the leftovers run out. We do our grocery shopping once every two weeks and we save at least $50.00 each trip now.

When you don't have a menu plan, you buy a lot of unnecessary food that may end up going bad before being eaten. And you also have extra food that slowly gets pushed to the back of your pantry, never to see the light of day again, unless of course, you move. With a menu, you know what you need and you don't waste money on "well, maybe I'll cook this next weekend."

Also, we're not buying spaghetti, beans and pasta sauce for all our meals. Last night I made Gumbo, tomorrow night I'm making Ribs, and this weekend, Salmon! Just space out the pricey meals so they're not all on one paycheck.

creativefrugalmom

Also, I cut up old t-shirt for cleaning and dusting around the house. They can be washed and reused.

As for cleaning glass, my hubby taught me this one....instead of papertowels, use newspaper. Trust me, it is streak free and you don't waste the papertowel!

catchtanya

I've heard from 2 different people that turning off the water heater every day saves loads of money off your electric bill. :flowerforyou:

We bought and installed an instant hot water heater- with just two of us in the household and often away - it doesnt make sense to keep heating the water etc. It was a large investment but paid off within a little over a year.

EmmyBee

So many great tips! I just have a few to contribute, sorry if these have already been mentioned:

Cut your own hair. I have been cutting my own for about 2 years now and have just started cutting my fiancee's. I like the way I do it better, and honestly think I'm pretty good at it! You can buy a set of hair trimming scissors at CVS/Rite-Aid/Wal-Mart for super cheap, and even an electric razor if necessary. You'll really see the savings add up!

Pay bills online. Not only does it save money in stamps (those really add up!) but also saves paper and is better for the environment.

I bring fabric bags when I go grocery shopping. Some stores will offer you a 5 cent discount per bag, which might only add up to about $5 over the year, but regardless, it's still better for the environment than all those wasteful plastic bags!

I never EVER buy books. Borrow from the library, or do a book swap with friends and family.

Monitor your thermostat. My fiancee is a thermostat freak! If you're alright with cuddling up with a big comforter in the winter and going light and easy with a single sheet in the summer, turn down the thermostat while you're sleeping.

I heard this tip from Suze Orman: try to go one day a week without spending a cent! No morning coffee, no newspaper, no lunch, not even paying toll roads. Even if it means going a few minutes out of your way to avoid a toll, reading the news online, making coffee at home in the morning, you'll feel really good about not spending a dime! We've actually tried to sometimes go for 2 or 3 days a week. Once you see how easy it is, it'll become a habit.

Another tip I read somewhere (don't remember where though) is to post your financial goals. I actually have a post-it on the inside of my wallet with some goals written on it (Pay off the house in 10 years; Pay cash for our entire wedding - no credit cards to rack up the debt etc.). Everytime I'm tempted to dig out my wallet and do some frivolous spending, I'm reminded of what I'm really saving for. Whatever your financial goals are, actually seeing them posted somewhere helps keep them in mind.!

hjackson6

bump for later. Lots of great ideas!! Thanks

solvig

My husband and I have saved loads of money by shopping at the 99cent store for canned goods, dry beans and they even carry produce now, which is great! We also will frequent Big Lots for any bargains we may need and thrift stores can be your best friend. We have gotten so many kitchen utensils, baking pans, etc from there and saved a ton! Also something cool we figured out, you can buy spoons there for about $.25 each, hammer the spoon part out, drill a hole in the center and bend the end of it to form your own hook. They are super strong and you only pay $1.00 for a set of four that would cost you maybe $3-4 in any store and they look cool!

Craigslist is also your best friend. I have found so much free stuff or really cheap stuff on there it's insane. I found an ad last year for a local hotel that has pear trees on their golf course and let you come and pick all you want. We filled 4-5 5lb buckets with pears and I canned a bunch of them in a very light syrup and he made a batch of pear wine. Both turned out awesome. All it cost was a little time and effort. Can or freeze excess fruits, and make huge pots of vegetable soup with the season's bounty to be used later in the year.

Once you get stuck on the bargain train you will find yourself stalking thrift stores and estate sales for the best deal on anything you need and loving that what you bought usually comes with a story and a little piece of history.

heather62803

All you frugal mommas out there - where do you get your diapers and which brands do you use? We were using pampers $$$$ and its time to stock up again - poor guy only has about 10 left and thats one thing you don't want to run out of!! We tried Luvs and they were pretty good and a lot cheaper than the pampers - just curious as to what everyone else uses and which store has the best price - I won't have time to shop around tomorrow!!

amandasilva

Bump-o-doodle

hawaiibound

Has really gotten into cooking ahead of time...I buy the big pkg's of ground beef and brown it all at the same time. Throw in some beans and taco seasoning. Then after it cools I seperate it into smaller bags and freeze it. Perfect for taco salad's, tacos, nachos, burritos....just throw the bag in the microwave for a few mins....saves so much time and $ on those late night cravings for tacos lol. I've also thought about switching it up and making an "italian version" for pasta and casseroles.

**Question for the day: whats your best money saving tip for storage? We moved into a new house with no closets in either of the kids rooms....i'm looking for cheap, easy and yet cute ways to store all kindsa stuff....please help!

maddox22

Regarding credit cards:
A common tip is "don't use a credit card". If you have no control, this is definitely good.

However, the rule I follow instead is "pay it off IN FULL every month." I never, ever carry a credit card balance. It works out to the same thing as paying cash or using a debit card, but I do it because:
1. I earn cash back on my purchases. 3% on gas, 1% on everything else. It works out to $100-$200 per year for me (and I don't spend a whole lot of money either; when I had a long commute, I would earn big $$ every month on the gas).
2. A credit card is more secure than cash or debit. If someone steals your card number and uses it, your liability on a credit card is limited to typically $25 (or $0 on some cards). On many debit cards, your liability stops only once you report the card used--so someone could take out all the money in your bank account, and you'd have a really hard time getting it back. And obviously, if you lose cash, you're out cash!
3. If you keep your money in an interest-bearing bank account, then you get to earn interest on it during the month while you're using your credit card. As long as you pay off the full balance of the card before the due date every month, you essentially earn free money. This is a concept that every bank and employer knows. Why do you think banks put a 3-5 day holding period on any money you deposit? Because they earn interest on that money as soon as it hits their accounts. If they can force you to keep it in your account for 5 days, that's 5 days of interest they earn. Have your paycheck deposited into an interest-bearing savings account. A week or so before your credit card bill is due, transfer the necessary funds to your checking account to pay the card (or, if you can, just link the savings account directly to the card).

A few other tips that I haven't seen yet:
1. Bank online. You can often get much better interest rates from online banks (e.g., ING or Everbank) than from banks with brick & mortar buildings. I have an account with a brick & mortar bank that accepts all my paychecks, but I transfer the money from there into ING because ING pays me much better interest.
2. If you have a high interest rate on your credit cards, or you're not getting rebates, call them up and ask them what they can do for you. You can often get them to give you lots of benefits if you just ask.
3. I haven't tried this, but have a friend who did it: if you're paying full price for your cable/internet/phone, call them up and tell them you're switching to a competitor to get the intro rate. Chances are they'll give you the intro rate even if you're a longtime customer. My friend said that she's done this several times and gotten the "new customers only" deal renewed each time.
4. If you have Netflix (I LOVE it), carefully evaluate your usage. The default account type is three out at a time, unlimited, but they now have ones as cheap as $4/month. If you only watch one movie per week anyway, switch to a one-at-a-time plan. I did this and save something like $10/month.
5. If you already have high-speed internet service, investigate VoIP phone service (e.g., Vonage). It's a lot cheaper than most landlines. I pay $20 or so per month for unlimited calls (local and long distance), 3-way calling, and voice mail.
6. Check your cell phone/text usage and make sure you have the right plan. You should be able to see the actual minutes you are using; make sure you're not paying for time you're not using!

Sallyismyname

I eat plain oatmeal every day. I add peanut butter or fruit if I am in the mood. After my morning walk, I am so hungry, it tastes amazing and fills me up well into the lunch hour. A $3 thing of oats and a $4 dollar thing of peanut butter lasts a month. So my breakfast is covered for $7 a month.

I use vinegar to clean. It works amazing (polishes sinks, stoves, countertops, fridges, especially glass- you name it!). And how cheap is it compared to harsh chemical cleaners that are horrible for your home!

I also use diluted laundry detergent in cold water and add a bit of baking soda if the load is really dirty

I use an old milk jug, fill it up with H20 and put it in the fridge. No more wasting $ on water bottles...

Ride your bike to work, or walk! Healthy and FREE! I enjoy riding my bike to work. Down by the river in the morning is so peaceful. It is a beautiful commute to work... free and fit!

Yard sales... I love going to them! So many people ask me where I get my stuff... yard sales!! Especially kids items. Most babies grow so quickly that they don't wear half of the stuff, so it's brand new!! Toys!! OMG, throw them in the dishwasher... voila. Disinfected and a $20 toy is a buck! My daughters have $2 dollar bikes from yard sales and love them! I ride a very fancy $20 bike from a yard sale. Then, when it's time to de-clutter, throw your stuff into the cycle and have a yardsale of your own!!

Don't drink coffee at home if your job has a coffee pot and provides it for free

Compare your car insurance. You hear the commercials on TV. It took me years before I tried it and am saving $60/mo.

Cheap family entertainment... picnic in the park, library, rented movies, bike rides... no need to get elaborate. Quality time is free.

Give yourself allowance and leave the rest alone. Budget out pocket money for everyone in the family. Leave debit cards, credit cards, checks, ect at home. After gas, groceries and household supplies are purchased, determine how much pocket money each member gets (kids should earn it ) Then, if you see an item you have to have, get it. But when the pocket money is gone, it's gone! This helped me avoid adding and adding to the cart and swiping!

Freeze food. Double batch cheap, freezable dinners (spaghetti sauce, chicken, hamburger, ect) Freeze the other half, and you've got a meal for later on down the road. Even triple batch. Get friends involved and trade out meals. Makes it fun. Cheap, time saving, and half the cooking!

Challenge yourself to save as much money as you can. Be cheaper than cheap. It makes it fun (and funny) and not such a chore. Every day think about how much you saved. Look at everyone else and there careless spending... hmph. Laugh about it so it becomes a hobby. Deal hunting, coupon clipping, and saving. It can be fun. I go through runs where it is my hobby