Saving Money/ Cutting Costs

DamnImASexyBitch

What do you do to save money or cut costs? I've always been horrible at that. If I wanted something, I'd just get it. I took a lesser paying job recently ( but I secured better benefits and less stress ) so I need to learn. I pretty much just stopped buying anything extra unless I have cash in hand to do so.
I've decided that since I work 5 days a week in the salon, I'm going to save $5 a day of tip money for the next year. At the end of the year I should have saved $1300. Responsible me says cool, pay off the credit card you cut up. Spontaneous me says...ohhhh shopping spree or vacation or something that I probably shouldn't buy/do!
So anyways like I said, share with me what lil tips or tricks you have found useful, please!

Windy_

I don't buy things I can't afford.

links_slayer

Track every. single. penny. I'm willing to bet that you may be surprised where you are spending (wasting) money.

Pay cash for things too. A $60 swipe of the credit/debit card feels a lot different than handing over three $20 bills.

The only reasons we use a credit card for almost every purchase are 1) we love the cashback rewards and 2) we pay our bill off in full each and every month.

NatzC123

Budget,
I do a weekly budget and then I can see what needs to be paid and what's left over to save etc

Capt_Apollo

pick up the book "i will teach you to be rich" by Ramit Sethi. the title is tongue in cheek, as it doesn't do anything in regards to get rich quick, but it teaches you to manage your money and creat spending plans, and make your money work for you.

for instance, credit cards aren't a bad thing many of us think they are. if you spend within your means, you can use a credit card to accumulate points and help you out, such as paying for a hotel room with points on a trip.

they can also give you better insurance on car rentals, extended warrenties on items purchased, and protect you from fraud.

Shrelana

There's usually a little conversation in my head that goes something like:

"This game costs $50, to pay for that I have to work for x number of hours. Do I really want to spend x hours paying for this game? How often will I use it? I think I'll use it y number of times.."

decide if the difference between x and y are good enough to spend that money on...usually ends up that no, they're not

UsedToBeHusky

Budget! Make one. Stick to it.

HeidiMightyRawr

For me, most of my money wastage goes on food. When I go shopping now, I always bring a list of things I need so I rarely get anything else, if I do it's just a couple of things. More planning = less food wastage, better food choices AND more savings. Win-win-win!!

Also, paying in cash helps as I'm more likely to think about what I'm buying.

Someone said budget, I thought that would've been the first choice that everyone does automatically unless they're made of money, but I know that's not true. So if you don't, do! I've always done one, even before I moved out of home when my only real bills were my mobile one and the gym. I'd write down what I had to/planned to buy and then every month I'd know what I could have for random purchases or savings.

trophywife24

Food got to be a major expense in our house. We recently overhauled the way we shop/eat and it's saving us, so far, about $70/week, that extra $280 a month will be nice. I do spent a lot more time in the kitchen now but it's been worth it.

I also had a bad drive-thru coffee habit which I kicked a while ago. My husband took over handling the finances and surprise, surprise, we have a lot more money when I have to fess up to how much I spend. lol.

Crankstr

www.livingrichwithcoupons.com


some will laugh, but I have gotten so many things I need for so much less money.


and no, I dont buy 200 of everything.

I buy 2-4 newspapers a week, and there are tons of printables

sconns21

We live really cheaply by being less materialistic. We stopped watching television and you don't see all the advertising. I have a monthly budget and keep track of everything I spend and what I spend it on. We make all of our meals from scratch and most without meat (which is expensive in the UK).

The main thing is when you see something that you're going to buy ask yourself do you "need" it or do you "want" it. Also putoff buying it for 30 days. If you can go without for 30 days you usually forget about it. If not then buy it.

d3mon4ngel

You could use this to demotivate you from spending: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/demotivator/



But other than that, like others have said, track every single thing you spend down to the last penny. Work out a budget and stick to it. If you have annual bills, work out how much they would cost if you were to pay them monthly, and put at least that much to one side each month so you have the cash ready for when the bill comes round again.

taunto

A street dog goes from place to place in search for food. Always worrying about it. Just running around.

A Cheetah on the other hand is a lazy as hell animal and if game happens to come nearby, it'll only then pounce on the opportunity else it'll just keep sleeping.

I am a Cheetah. I don't worry about saving etc. I live with minimal means as it is and somehow, I have never went to bed empty stomach.

Best advice, learn your needs vs. wants. Focus on your needs and when they're fulfilled, focus on leaving some money for rainy day and THEN get to the want

Good luck

FITnFIRM4LIFE

Track every. single. penny. I'm willing to bet that you may be surprised where you are spending (wasting) money.

Pay cash for things too. A $60 swipe of the credit/debit card feels a lot different than handing over three $20 bills.

The only reasons we use a credit card for almost every purchase are 1) we love the cashback rewards and 2) we pay our bill off in full each and every month.

Agree< And it is a great way to have records for deductions if you have a business:-)
Also, make a budget, like you set your fitness goals, and make it important and save:-) Once your accountable for your money, and you have a plan, you will keep it rolling-Good Luck$$

Sla6adm

I get paid to go shopping. E.g At McDonalds last week I got paid £12 and the cost of my meal to eat there, and fill out a questionnaire to say if it was good or not

Gapbuster is the name of the comoany

(You obviously don't have to do fast food) Alexe x

BroiledNotFried

Ask yourself 3 questions every time you spend money.

#1) Can I afford it?
#2) Do I need (as opposed to just want) it?
#3) Do I already have something else that will do the same thing?

Only if you answer yes, yes, no . . . can you actually spend the money on it.

GeekyGirlLyn

bump

cvsaunders

- Always make your lunch for work, take it each day.
- Plan your weekly menu and shop accordingly, don't shop more than once a week as you will buy extra things you don't really need
- Have meals prepared and frozen for those days you don't have time to cook or can't be bothered..no trips to take away shops

seren7189

1. Make a budget
2. track your dollars just like you'd track calories
3. check out using coupons... just don't buy stuff because you have a coupon, lol
4. see if you can reduce your cable/phone/internet etc bills
5. Go through all your stuff, you might find things you didnt know you had

ArroganceInStep

I married a budget analyst, and told her to fix it.

100k in debt 4 years ago, down to about 5k now.

It was worth the cost of the ring

Ivyzmama

We live really cheaply by being less materialistic. We stopped watching television and you don't see all the advertising. I have a monthly budget and keep track of everything I spend and what I spend it on. We make all of our meals from scratch and most without meat (which is expensive in the UK).

The main thing is when you see something that you're going to buy ask yourself do you "need" it or do you "want" it. Also putoff buying it for 30 days. If you can go without for 30 days you usually forget about it. If not then buy it.

This. Also, don't go to malls. There's nothing you need at the mall. When shopping, think, "could I buy this in a grocery store?" If you couldn't buy it in a grocery store, then it isn't a necessity, so don't buy it at all. (Even so, there are some things at grocery stores that aren't necessities - but you know what I mean.) I shop at Target, for instance, and tend to throw a lot of clothes into the cart along with the necessities - and that's a big No No that I have to stop. But basically, don't shop anywhere that you don't NEED to be.

Do you have cable tv? We dropped our cable and put an antena up on our roof. They now make flat antenas that don't show from the ground. Yeah, I miss some shows but who has time to watch all that tv anyway? With all those commercials for things you don't need? Perhaps make dates to go to friend's houses to watch specific shows with them.

Also try not to eat out. It's cheaper and healthier to have friends over to your place for a dinner you make yourself than to go out. I know people have crazy diets but if you put out a "salad bar" or "taco bar" you can probably satisfy every special diet well enough for a dinner.

And then some people, like me, take 2nd jobs to earn extra cash, when we can (for people who have little kids it's not really doable, though).

windycity_ali

Been there. Still there. Here's what I did.

1) cut cable channels but kept Internet service. I stream what I want to watch and it is still cheaper than cable
2) evaluate your cell plan and car insurance. Are you over paying?
3) eliminate mag subscriptions and stop buying books, just go to the library
3) stopped buying beauty products because i wanted them (I'm a sucker for cool packaging/design), now I buy what I need when I run out.
4) grocery shopping iis planned around what is on sale and in season. I use coupons if they apply to what is on the list and gives me the best deal. Sometimes they aren't the cheapest. Do not be embarrassed to use a calculator to figure out cost per unit at the store.

Good luck to you!

BroiledNotFried

I totally agree with planning your meals, and not going (severly limiting) out to eat. The restaurants all serve junk anyhow.

If you shop at Kroger or Publix, use www.iheartpublix.com or www.iheartkroger.com. These websites match the weekly deals to coupons (both online and newspaper). Publix in Florida - you can use 2 coupons for every item purchased. A manufacturer's coupon and a competitor's coupon. If it's buy 1, get 1, then you have to get 2. But, if it's 2 for $5.00, then you only have to buy one. Know your state's coupon rules. The stores rotate their deals. Yogurt is almost always on sale, and speghetti sauce and cleaners run alot on sale too.

Buy the newspaper. The website swill point you to the date of the newspaper and packet company that had the coupons.

On the newspaper, take out the coupon insert. I don't cut coupons, but I do label the packet with the date. I keep them in a drawer for about 3 months. After that, they are stale.

But, with couponing . . . . only buy what you need and what you will need before it goes bad.

Meat goes on sale on Sunday & Monday nights at most grocery stores. At the specialty "green" grocer, their organic meats are 50% off on Tuesday night.

Costco is a big saver for me. Wines, especially Kirkland, taste super great and are super cheap. Also, best place to buy frozen salmon and other fish & greens.

In the summer, go to a farmer's market for your fruits and veggies. One $20 bill gets me a fridge of fruits and veggies there.

If you have to rent a car, don't ever rent at the airport. Better to take a cab to a nearby rental car company. Example. Rented a car in Los Angeles for 10 days. At the airport - it was almost $2,000. At the same company in Torrence (5 miles), it was $600.

If you have kids, don't take them with you (LIIMIT) shopping.

RunIntheMud

I've got a few things I've done throughout the past couple years that have helped....

1 - Budget (and stay within it)
2 - Stop drinking Starbucks (it went from daily to weekly to a once a month treat)
3 - Comparison shop for groceries....seems petty, but we have 3 grocery stores within 5 miles of the house. I go to 1 for my meat and another for everything else. The third is closest to the house and I only go if I'm in a hurry.
4 - Find cheap/free events in the area and go to those. Our Children's Museum offers $1 night once a month instead of the normal $8 admission. We also have a lot of different festivals and events that don't cost anything to just attend.
5 - Cut down to the lower level of cable. I found that we didn't need all 1000 channels....so we're down to 200+.
6 - I have a prepaid cell (Straight Talk). After issues with Verizon, I needed something fast while looking at other carriers. 3 years later, I'm still with them. I pay $45/mth for unlimited talk/text/web. The downside was that their phones are a little outdated but they've recently added the Galaxy. They also started a new program where you can bring in any phone that is compatible with AT&T or T-Mobile (to include the iPhone). You pay $15 for the SIM Card and you're set.

Anyway, just a few things that work for me. Good luck!

twentytwelve12

having a budget
don't buy things that I don't need

Darkskinned88

be single *rimshot*

LMT2012

I am following a facebook post I saw this year. Save $1 first week of January, $2 second week, so on and so on up to 52 weeks. That will add up to about $1400 bucks. If you do that religiously, you can still pay off stuff at end of year.

cheerforsteelers

Plan your meals at home and don't eat out (save up for it if you want to). Pay cash for things. Set a budget. Don't buy things you don't need, run errands all at once instead of mutiple trips during the week...of course other things may come up that you'll need, but try. Do your own nails, switch to a cheaper phone plan, cancel anything that you pay for and rarely use.

MyChocolateDiet

Largest bags of frozen veggies.

Start using rewards cards at your favorite stores where you shop already.

Wait for sales on good quality items.

When buying something on sale ask yourself if you'd pay full price for it, because if you're buying it JUST BECAUSE it was half off but you don't need it or really love it, it's not a bargain, it's just wasting more money.

Choosing quality over quantity.

When you get to that 1300 dollars goal. 1) You could use half to pay down the credit card instead of paying it off. And use the other half for the shopping spree. 2) Or pay it off completely and then shopping spree on half the card if it gets you rewards points and then you could pay it off and cut it at half the year if you're sure you can manage that.