Thrifty , money saving top tip and fun ideas?

junior_j

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Heya , there might already be a section for this so if there is I apologize in advance. I am a active member of money saving expert so thought we could have our own little bit here.

SO

have you got any money saving ideas that you use in your house hold
x
 

trouts mom

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We use the jar system. All of our money is in jars so we keep track easily and don't go crazy on the credit cards/debit cards without noticing.

Also, we don't buy anything on the credit card unless we have the money for the item to pay it off right away.

We have a strict budget that covers every imaginable expense as well. It's pretty cool! I have a clothing budget so I don't feel guilty when I buy clothes!
 
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junior_j

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Thats such a good idea , i am training for my level 3 child care so i only get 400-450 ish a month and i end up skint within 2 weeks , i am taking out my own phone contract in augest as my mums has paid it for me for the past 3 years or more because she got it before i was 18. now i am 18 with a income there is no excuse i suppose lol.
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krazy kat2

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I put my bill money on my debit card, and use it only for rent and bills. If I don't have the cash to buy something, unless I really, really need it, I don't get it until I do have the cash.
Saving change is also a good way of saving money. I never gave change much thought until I got a five gallon jug and started dropping in my loose change. We used it for dh's birthday and our anniversary, which are about 6 months apart. We never touched it, and in about 3-4 months we saved $210 dollars just in loose change. It did not look like there was hardly anything in that big jug, so it did not look worth bothering. I was amazed at the amount we saved in such a short time. We did not need to use it for either occasion this time, so we are still saving it. It is about 1/4 full, and I can't wait to see how much is there.
 

-_aj_-

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i have a sealed money box that all my loose change goes in and anything i win like the lotto or the quizzes at work

im also on MSE theres great advice on....one that i do aswell to put in my sealed tin is whatever i save on the shopping i put in to mounts up quickly

the old saying goes...if you look after the pennies the pounds look after themselves
 

c1atsite

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I add water to juices to make them last longer. I can now say I even like the weaker taste. To save even more, add more water.
 

swampwitch

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We save all of our receipts, they go into a drawer in the front room of the house - when we get home, we dump the mail and any receipts into the drawer. Receipts and bills are brought out and paid, and balances are reconciled every Saturday morning. All receipts, bills, deposit slips, etc. are collected into monthly envelopes labeled by month and year. If anything we purchase ever breaks or needs to be returned, we have the receipt, plus we always know our balance(s).

We cancelled our basic cable and kept only the internet, and 2 months later we were offered free cable for 6 months, with no installation fee. We are going to cancel it after 6 months. I plan our meals around the sales of the local grocery store and every other week we shop at Costco, buying only what we will absolutely use, no extra stuff.

We have a credit card for internet purchases only, and pay the full balance right away (the next Saturday). We don't replace electronics until they wear out, then we pay cash for whatever is newest and greatest at that time. We live below our means and save as much as we can.
 

otto

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Originally Posted by c1atsite

I add water to juices to make them last longer. I can now say I even like the weaker taste. To save even more, add more water.
I water a lot o things down, too. Not just juice, but laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo. GMTA
 

otto

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I use my credit card for everything and pay it off every month. This helps greatly with budgeting, because it is so easy to track my spending. I do make and keep a budget.

In addition I get "rewards" back, in the way of cash on my credit cards. I have a discover card too, that offers different promotions at 5 % cash back depending on the month (other times its 1 % which is the same as my visa) I time certain purchases to coincide with the 5 % promotions and use my discover card at those times.

I carry NO credit card debt. That's really what eats away at a budget. My only debt is my car payment, and I pay extra on the principal every month so it will be paid off about 2 years earlier than the 5 year loan which saves a ton in interest.

I have two savings accounts, one is for vet bills only. Based on my monthly budget, I deposit at least $5 a month in that account, but usually more. Even $5 a month adds up. This account is not for routine stuff, which is worked into my regular budget, but rather, if there comes a big expense, if a kitty needs a surgery of some kind, or a kitty has a costly emergency.

I drive very carefully to get the most mileage out of my car. There are many little tricks to improve mileage, which saves money.

I, too have a change jar, and a piggy bank. the small change, dimes nickels and pennies, go in the change jar. The quarters go in the piggy bank.

I try to remember to use coupons, and now that I have a printer again for the first time in 12 years, I have been printing off coupons for stuff I buy regulary.

One more little trick I have. If I see something I want but don't need, I wait to buy it. Usually, after a week or two the desire to have whatever it is goes away. I then put the money I would have spent into my regular savings account.
 

Winchester

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We are on a budget. And we keep meticulous track of where every penny is spent, using Quicken. That software seems to work the best for us.

We use credit from time to time, BUT we must pay it off at the end of the month....no excuses.

We try not to eat in restaurants anymore, unless it's for a special occasion; we can save a lot of money by cooking at home. And since I love to cook and bake, it works well for us. There's no need to eat out even once a week. And when you only go to a restaurant for a special occasion, you appreciate it more. At least we do.

All leftovers go into the freezer and I keep a list of everything that's in our freezer; the list is on the refrigerator door. When we use a food, it's immediately crossed off. When we buy groceries, everything is immediately written on the freezer list. I haven't had to discard anything from my freezer since I've started keeping a list. And I try to keep it so that we could eat from the freezer for about six months or so, if we had to. Baked goods, casseroles, baked beans, soups and stew, chilis, etc....they're in there. (Our darling son even comes up to the house on occasion, just to "shop at Mom's".) I've found that you can freeze almost anything and it will be fine.

I don't buy broths....I make my own and throw the containers in the freezer.

I use as many coupons as I can. I've always been an avid coupon-cutter. I try to buy only what's on sale or what I have a coupon for. Sometimes I can't, but I try. I try to keep track of prices, too, because sometimes those BOGO (buy one, get one free) offers aren't as good as the store would like you to think.

If I have a coupon that can be doubled, I'll take it to a store that doubles. If not, I'll go to Target and use the coupon there. Often Target is cheaper for paper products and cleaning stuff than the store. (Some say WalMart is cheaper, but I won't shop at WalMart.)

Both DH and I have change jars. I bought my Bowflex 2 years ago using change. I'm almost ready to buy an elliptical. (In the long run, buying my own equipment is cheaper than gym fees and I can exercise whenever I want to and don't have to leave the house.)

There are a lot of other things we do to try to save. Sometimes I think it's a lost cause because everything just keeps increasing and increasing. Even with just the two of us (and the furkids), we still spend close to $100 weekly for groceries, including food, cat supples, cleaning supplies, etc. I usually save $30 weekly by using coupons and taking advantage of offers. But it's still difficult.
 

subconsciousme

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mint.com is a great resource! Not sure if it available outside of the US though. It basically tracks what you spend on whatever cards you enter and your spending trends. It's useful.

My savings account is in a seperate bank than my checking. I do not want easy access to it!

Use coupons
Buy off of craigslist (we bought a $85 Sherpa carrier on there for $15!)
Use our own water bottles (don't have to buy bottled as much)
Go to Costco/Sams whenever possible
Go to low-cost kitty vaccination clinics
Go to pet thrift stores to get kitty needs

We do not have a car, so using public transit helps immensely. Though I realize this is not an option in some cities.

I know there is more, but I just woke up
 
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junior_j

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Good ideas guys


I need to try to use these ideas x
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by otto

I water a lot o things down, too. Not just juice, but laundry detergent, dish soap, shampoo. GMTA
I don't see the point of watering down things that you add to water. Just use less detergents.
One standard sized bottle of plain dawn lasts me around 10 months.


I save some money by buying in bulk, then dividing and freezing. Or reusing leftovers - you can get several meals out of a roast or a whole chicken, for example. You can also freeze that precooked meat for a quick meal later on.
Some veggies are ok to do this with, too. Such as bell peppers if you can get them on sale. I only wish it worked for onions.

Learn to love cabbage - yes it sounds crazy, but you can make some very cheap and tasty meals with cabbage.

One of the best things you can do is to learn how to repair and maintain things yourself. Service calls of any kind usually cost you anywhere from $40-90 in labor - sometimes more if it's busy and you need them in ASAP or on a weekend.
Baring that, see if you have any friends that can help. Repay them by helping them with something, a meal, etc.
 

catlover19

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I am really bad at saving money. For a long time, I had no money in my savings account so I closed it. A little over a month ago, I went to re-open it and signed up for what my bank calls 'simply save.' Everytime I use debit, they transfer .50 cents into my savings account. You can choose to transfer from .50 cents to 5 dollars every time. I just started off with the lowest amount. I already have $55 in the account in just over a month. It may not be much but its more than I had before.
 

crazyforinfo

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I follow several blogs and forums for some slick deals.

I have been signing up for samples b/c they usually come with higher value coupons than you get online or in the paper.

Rebates! I am getting $100 to date. Best way to do a rebate is when it's on sale and with a coupon. Schick just put out a rebate for their hydro razor. I used a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon. Sometimes the rebate says after coupon but some stores don't print whose coupon you are using.
SCJohnson allows up to (3)$5 rebates when you buy 3 of their products. Target is famous for pricing these items generously on sale and with a store coupon to match the manufacturer coupon. SCJohnson doesn't care if you paid $0 for the 3 items, just that you purchased them.

Drugstore deals. I have gotten over $400 this month for nothing after their rebate program and other mail in rebates (MIR).

Amazon and medco have been running some slick deals
too. Medco had a few codes that were $10 off any order. I got $40 worth of stuff for $4.50(shipping mostly). A few months later they corrected it to $10 off $25 order. Amazon has a few sellers that offer discounts if you sign up for automatic shipping. Just place your order with a subscription to mail at a future time(I did 6 months). Then after you receive your order cancel the subscription.

Stockpiling. When there is a good/free deal I buy what we can store. Last week I shopped Acme Markets during their Conagra Catalina deal. Spend $20 and get $10 for your next order. I kept getting these products using coupons and their store coupon. I spent $30 for $170 worth of stuff.
10-snapple 6pks
10-MarieCalender Al dente pasta
4-Dixie plates
2-dixie napkins FAC
5-Hunt's ketchup
5-snack packs
3-Pam sprays
At the week's end I still had one $10 coupon which I used for this week's sale on yogurt.

The trick with Acme is the $20 you must spend is NOT based on the sale price but the pre-sale price. Not all grocery stores do their deals this way. This is why I shop at the most expensive grocery store during these deals.

Meal planning. This is something I don't get involved in since I am not the cook. This works best when you have a list of rock bottom meat prices so you know when to shop. Make a meal list around what's on sale or what you have frozen previously.

Recycle bank. Earns points by recycling. You can redeem your points for valuable coupons.

These are a few things I have been involved in over the last year. All thanks to my preggo board that taught me how to save.
 

c1atsite

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

I don't see the point of watering down things that you add to water. Just use less detergents.
One standard sized bottle of plain dawn lasts me around 10 months.
maybe she means if a bottle of bodywash gets very low, fill it 1/4 way with water, then shake really hard to get more use out of it, etc.
 

strange_wings

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^ I do that with liquid foundation depending on the container it's in.

Originally Posted by c1atsite

maybe she means if a bottle of bodywash gets very low, fill it 1/4 way with water, then shake really hard to get more use out of it, etc.
That's not a money saving tip. That's a "oops, I forgot to buy more and suddenly ran out" solution.
I think everyone does this? - rinse the bottles out, not the forgetting part.
 

Winchester

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Crazyforinfo, I stockpile whenever I can. I try to use coupons for everything I buy or at least buy it when it's on sale. One of the things DH put in our basement is a large closet where I can store cans and jars of cat food, tomatoes, sauces, bottles of ketchup, mayo, etc. When paper products go on sale, I can store extras there, too. Same with cat litter. Target is wonderful for those store coupons. Plus, here we get gift cards for some of the things we buy. (For example, buy two bags of cat litter and receive a $5 gift card. They don't do it all the time anymore, but I take advantage of it when they do.)

I use rebates whenever I can. I like getting products for free.


Also worth mentioning is....don't use convenience products. Don't buy Manwich, for example, when you can make your own barbecue. Don't buy chicken noodle soup; spend an afternoon in your kitchen. You spend a lot of money for that convenience. Not only is making your own healthier, but it's cheaper, too. (And I admit that's difficult for those who truly hate to cook.)

I bought a bunch of bar towels. Instead of using paper towels when I prep and cook food, I flop a towel over my shoulder and use that for wiping my hands or an utensil. Saves on waste and when I'm finished, I throw the towel in the laundry to be washed; I'm doing laundry anyway, so it's no big deal. When they get stained or otherwise in too bad a shape, I'll buy a few more. For the price of a few bar towels, I save a lot not buying paper towels.

When I cook with juices (V8, apple, tomato, etc.), I don't buy it by the cans or bottles. No way can I use that big container and I don't want it to go to waste. So I'll buy a six or eight-pack. That does cost more money, but in the long run, it's better because I can open a small bottle as I need it. The rest gets stored in the basement.

I always rinse my bottles of shampoo, conditioner, dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, etc. out before recycling them. I can get enough for two or three more washings that way. For laundry detergent, it took me awhile to figure out exactly how much less to use and still have clean clothes, but I can tell you that it's a lot less than most people think!

I'm the chief cook, so I always have the week's menu sheet on the front of my fridge. As I'm going through the grocery flyer and sorting through coupons, I'm also looking through cookbooks to figure out what I want to make for the following week. I have found that having a menu means that I don't come home from work and wonder what I'm making for dinner that night. I already know. And when I know, I'm also prepared, so then I don't have to call for take out or delivery.

Store your flours in the freezer in freeze-proof containers. They'll last longer. Store your rices and grains in the fridge. In jars. With the date you bought them written on the lid. Spices that you don't use much of, but still need to keep on hand....store them in the fridge, too.

We don't use paper plates or cups, unless it's a huge picnic. We always use regular dishes and glasses. Even when we have company for dinner and we have dinner outside on the patio, it's still regular dishes.

ETA: As for watering down juices, some will tell you now to go ahead and do it. Not a lot, but you can add water to juice. It helps to cut down on the number of calories in a serving. The "experts" (and I'm not really sure who they are) say that you're better off to buy the regular juice, instead of the light, and water it down a bit yourself. I've read that in a few magazines, now. And I think there was something about it in Consumer Reports, too. (I realize that not everybody trusts Consumer Reports.)
 

crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by Winchester

Crazyforinfo, I stockpile whenever I can. I try to use coupons for everything I buy or at least buy it when it's on sale. One of the things DH put in our basement is a large closet where I can store cans and jars of cat food, tomatoes, sauces, bottles of ketchup, mayo, etc. When paper products go on sale, I can store extras there, too. Same with cat litter. Target is wonderful for those store coupons. Plus, here we get gift cards for some of the things we buy. (For example, buy two bags of cat litter and receive a $5 gift card. They don't do it all the time anymore, but I take advantage of it when they do.)
The cooks are taking over my stockpile section. LoL I can't tell you how many pots, pans, and gadgets they collect. They each have their own favorite and I can't get them to downsize. haha

How much do you pay for litter and for what size? I find getting cat supplies cheap to be difficult. We pay $8.99 for 40lbs of litter at BJ's.

I can't tell you how many scrubbing bubbles I have from Target. LoL The gift cards come in handy too. They are smart in making you come back to their store for the savings plus they don't expire.
 
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