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Post by calgaryscrapper on Jan 5, 2024 6:25:42 GMT
Thought I would start a thread on ways to save money. We made turkey soup today. We used some onions stored from our garden. We grew and froze some of our herbs and added it to the soup. When we have more onions, peppers, herbs etc than we can use right away we will cut it up then freeze it. Instead of using celery in the soup we grow lovage (it grows back every year) that has a flavour similar to celery and freeze some of it to use later.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jan 5, 2024 6:49:43 GMT
Even I buy large packages of chicken and hamburger meat, separate and freeze. The prices can be over $2 less per pound.
I don't have room for Costco size packages though.
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,760
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Jan 5, 2024 10:30:52 GMT
My advice would start with analysing where you spend your money. Then see if there is anything there you can adjust down. E.g. Did you set up an annual subscription that automatically renews but you don't need any more?
Shop from your cupboard and freezer more, all that stuff is already paid for.
Only buy a new item of it is going to be used straight away or replaces a well used broken item.
Depends on local prices but have more vegetarian dishes.
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Post by uksue on Jan 5, 2024 11:01:53 GMT
The biggest saving for me over the last 18 months ( we've had really high energy and gas costs) has been to wash most of my laundry on cold. I use Aldi cold wash detergent or eco wash which you can use in cold, and have been surprised that my washing actually seems fresher. Cold wash seems to get my two lads sweaty gear cleaner than using hot for some reason, I think the heat 'sets' it. I use a special anti-bacterial detergent on 30 degrees if anyone is ill and on my two oldest's gym gear, but everything else is on cold.
I never use a tumble dryer- either things are dried outside or I use my dehumidifier under the airer with a sheet thrown over. I've eliminated food waste by making shopping lists and looking at use by dates to decide what to cook each day. I also ignore a use by date of I can tell something is ok ( never been ill yet!)
For cleaning I only use hot soapy water, koh bleach and white vinegar depending on what I'm cleaning. I used to have a stack of different cleaners under my sink but not anymore. I use old t-shirts cut up as cleaning cloths and they work great, especially on windows and mirrors. I do have microfibre cloths but won't replace them as I now know they leach micro-plastics into the water supply. Bamboo alternatives have a production process that's very damaging to the environment so I won't buy them either.
I did do a spending diary years ago to see where I could cut down, plus I don't have my debit card linked on any of my'danger' sites anymore. To make it slightly more difficult to check out. I have to wait 24 hrs to complete a purchase- often by then I've forgotten what I thought I wanted😁
My daughter and I have completed 2 years of buying Preloved clothing and only what we actually need. The only things we've bought new has been underwear and shoes, but again only as needed not just because we want something. She has even found her quality running gear in a local charity shop and on eBay. It's her biggest expense, but buying Preloved clothing allows her to get the running shoes she really needs for her distance running.
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Post by melanell on Jan 5, 2024 12:21:53 GMT
Don't keep all of your streaming services at once. For instance, DH & I love The Amazing Race, and so we turn on our subscription to Paramount+ for the season of the show, but in the past, we'd just keep the subscription for the rest of the year, and after awhile I found myself asking if anyone in the house was actually watching that channel, and everyone said "No".
So then I started asking that about every other streaming service we had, and found that we were watching very few regularly. Most services allow you to pay by the month, so now we just turn them on & off as we actually want them, and we save a decent amount of money in doing so.
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Post by melanell on Jan 5, 2024 12:23:52 GMT
Also, I know some people are very brand loyal when it comes to their phones & phone plans, but there are smart phones & plans out there that are so much less expensive than others. So if you're not that fussed about the brand of your phone or the company you use for your plan, you may be able to save a bundle by making a change. Another idea is to join your local Buy Nothing group. I don't know if all groups allow you to post In Search Of (ISO) posts or not, but ours does, and so many times I see people save money by asking if anyone happens to have something. Especially in cases when they only need the item briefly. Such as "my kid needs a such and such for their school presentation. Does anyone have one they don't want or that we can borrow.", and inevitably several people will have the item, and then the parent doesn't need to run out and buy something for one day of school. Same for items for a party or that you'd like to try to see if you like it. We often see people ask for used items to try a new hobby or sport, and then if they decide they like it they can go buy items, but if they don't like it, then they didn't waste any money.
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kitbop
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,382
Jun 28, 2014 21:14:36 GMT
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Post by kitbop on Jan 5, 2024 12:37:29 GMT
I definitely shop the flyers and stock up on necessities on sale. Coffee, meat, beans, tomatoes, pastas, broths, peanut butter, butter, cheese, mayo, cereal... We also use costco and I really watch prices. We were so poor for so many years that this kept us afloat. Now that we're not, I'm trying to stay frugal because that money can be put to bettter good than lining the pockets of big companies! Other thoughts: - I put a post-it note with the unit price on single-unit packaged items such as bottles of protein shakes (my oDS is a gym/protein freak) so that he knows they are $3 each and doesn't drink 3 in a row! But I also find if I put them on rice krispie squares/granola bars, even apples! my kids are more aware of what they are mowing through. - don't let DH do the shopping - don't own pets
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Post by lisae on Jan 5, 2024 13:01:43 GMT
I'll second the analyzing what you spend. Track all your spending in categories. there is probably an app for that but you can use a spreadsheet and easily see it everything at once. You will be surprised what categories add up.
We also turn streaming services on and off - catching up for a month or two and then moving onto something else. Ads don't bother me. Netflix does very few ads so that one is easy to have the ads option which is quite a bit cheaper.
Use Tracfone or another provider for a cell phone that is far cheaper than a contract. You can get unlimited minutes plans. Just keep the data turned off and only turn on and use as needed or use WiFi.
I think grocery pickup saves money because you aren't tempted as you go through the store and you have to plan ahead for ordering. In the summer, find a good farmer owned produce market.
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pantsonfire
Pearl Clutcher
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 4,740
Jun 19, 2022 16:48:04 GMT
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Post by pantsonfire on Jan 5, 2024 13:23:23 GMT
Meal plan.
Make a grocery list.
Stock up on sale items you known your family uses.
Keep track of food prices so you know when there is a good sale and when certain items go on sale (like stocks or certain canned items near holidays, chips near super bowl).
Save your scraps (except for things like broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower) to make your own stock/broth. Also save meat bones.
Shop multiple stores if close. Take advantage of sales and store loyalty programs. I have saved almost $2,700 with the Alberton's app loyalty program. That is in a few years.
Buy bulk meat or when on-sale/managers discount and food saver.
We have Kohls and JC Penny credit cards to save and get loyalty discounts. Free shipping, etc.
Shop non major phone companies/plans. We have Boost Mobile and for 3 lines it is $115 a month. We buy $200-300 Samsung phones out right. Way cheaper than Verizon and Apple.
Eat left overs.
Look through Pantry and fridge/freezer while making your meal plan. Use what you have.
Maintain your vehicle. Lessons costly fixes.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 5, 2024 13:52:08 GMT
Don't have a 15 year old boy hockey player! That kid can eat.
I meal plan for the week, trying to use what I have in the freezer. I do stock up on basics at Costco.
I freeze any leftovers we don't eat. They make for a quick lunch.
If your bill for cable or trash pickup increases, call and ask for a reduction. I've done this successfully.
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Post by Merge on Jan 5, 2024 13:53:42 GMT
For us the quickest way to save is to cook and eat at home as much as possible. Buy produce in season when it is cheaper, or buy out of season items frozen.
Limit the number of items you buy that require dry cleaning.
Oh and stop buying so much wine. LOL. It’s cheaper than drinking out but we tend to buy nicer wines so it adds up.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 5, 2024 14:27:38 GMT
I love our Buy Nothing group, but I also troll Facebook Marketplace for inexpensive or free things that I would otherwise buy new. It’s incredible how many perfectly nice things people put out on the curb for free. I had been wanting an ice cream cone baker thing forever but didn’t want to spend the $40 on it from Amazon. When I saw one pop up brand new in the box on Marketplace for $10 I jumped on it. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
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Post by workingclassdog on Jan 5, 2024 14:40:01 GMT
We pretty much stopped ordering delivery for food.. although I only used pizza delivery.. never used Uber Eats or the other services.. but just getting pizza delivered is insane. Even my son who likes his deliveries have stopped. The last time I attempted to order some pizza for 3 of us was over $30!! For CHEAP pizza. I stopped in my tracks and said nope. Another thing is when we would get fast food, Taco Bell used to be our place to get a bunch of tacos cheap.. not anymore.. another $25 for basically nothing for 3 people. If we get fast food.. I get a kids meal.. or just a burger or nuggets.. no fries, maybe a drink depending if we have something at home or if running around. I admit I HATE cooking.. despise it... so I'm trying to be better.. but usually I just opt for easy peasy meals or I know I will burn out quick if I start trying to do the all out cooking and try to make $2 meals. I will fail.
I am working on cutting out my Starbucks starting next week. Going to switch to just plain iced tea. (not a coffee drinker.. I love Starbucks Chi)
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,534
Oct 2, 2017 23:20:46 GMT
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Post by mich5481 on Jan 5, 2024 14:55:30 GMT
If you live near an Earthfare, see if they do the Tuesday specials. The one near me has boneless chicken breast and grass fed ground beef for $3.99/pound every Tuesday.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 5, 2024 15:22:29 GMT
Limit the number of items you buy that require dry cleaning. My advice is that don't believe every clothing label that says Dry Clean Only. Yes, some things need dry cleaning but a lot of things can be washed on delicate or by hand. Cashmere/wool sweaters do not need to be dry cleaned. In fact, it is better for them if you don't dry clean them. Invest in a good sweater shampoo, mesh bags and a sweater shaver and your sweaters will thank you. If you don't have sweater shampoo, you can substitute regular shampoo because wool/cashmere is hair as well! Sweaters will look better and last longer - without all the chemicals used in dry cleaning. For regular laundry, make sure you are not using too much detergent. Most loads can be cleaned with less than people tend to use, especially in HE machines. Most loads do not need fabric softener either, especially towels. Fabric softener will impede a towel's ability for absorption. If you really think you need something to finish off a load, use white vinegar instead. Switch to wool dryer balls to eliminate the use of dryer sheets. If you have been using the dryer balls for a while, have you taken the time to recharge them?
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,887
Location: PNW
Jul 20, 2014 21:57:23 GMT
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Post by breetheflea on Jan 5, 2024 15:27:46 GMT
Realizing everyone is trying to get you to spend money. Sure, that item is 20% off, but you'd save even more not buying it in the first place... Less than 20% off is barely a sale. Less than 10% off barely covers the sales tax.
I loved curbside picking up my groceries, but when I went back to the bag-it-yourself grocery store, my grocery bill went down $50-$75 a week. I shop once a week, and if the kids eat all the good snack foods in two days, oh well, I grocery shop on Tuesday.
My library has some app where you can read so many magazines (a month or year, I can't remember) online, for free. You have to have a library card to log in but there was some good stuff on there.
I make our coffee at home, and save about ($5 times 7 days a week times 2 people) $63 dollars a week (a bag of ground coffee costs $7.)
Buy Nothing is awesome.
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Jan 5, 2024 17:37:37 GMT
Most of my thoughts on this are related to meals/meal prep:
- We make one big meal each week (ex., next week, I'll make a pan of chicken fajita casserole, and we'll heat up a serving each night). I also try to base each week's meal on what's for sale at the store. - Costco sells big bags of frozen salmon, which we usually have on Sundays for dinner with rice and a veggie (Aldi has frozen veggies for 90 cents-$1/bag). We also get most of the things for DH's lunches the day he's on-campus for lunch at Costco (applesauce, fruit cups, crackers, etc.). - We don't go out to eat a lot. The days that DH is home for work, we usually split a can of tuna for sandwiches, a can of soup, grilled cheese, what have you. Easy things. - I usually don't eat breakfast, but DH eats cereal that we'll buy in bulk. On weekends, he likes homemade waffles or eggs. - Not meal-related, we took a little bit of money from our savings account and paid off our car earlier this week. Bought it in mid-October, did a nice down payment, made some payments throughout the rest of 2023, and took care of the rest this past week. The car is also saving us money because even though it's not a hybrid, it gets great gas mileage. - DH cancelled his parking pass (that he has to pay for) at work, and now either I drive him if I need to do something near where he works, or he takes the bus ($2/one way). - Our only streaming service is Amazon Prime. We do have a subscription for Spotify and I have one for Cricut access, but that's the extent of our subscriptions. - We stock up on non-perishables when we go to Costco, and that's saving us from having to buy one-off items at the store (mouthwash, body wash, toilet paper, Lysol wipes, cat litter, etc.). - We only buy clothes and similar items when we absolutely need them. I hate clothes shopping as it is anyway.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,408
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Jan 5, 2024 17:52:08 GMT
We pretty much use Costco as our grocery store and supplement with grocery store stuff as needed.
We actually started eating our way thru the freezer after Thanksgiving. Just this week there was NO protein left! So, to Costco we went. Salmon, tilapia, pork loin, chicken breasts, shrimp all found their way home. As well as some quick breakfast stuff for the kids.
We were working on the fridge too- so many left overs that we didn't have to cook for 4 days!
Pantry got emptied and reorganized yesterday- we're good with pantry stuff for a while.
We had to get eggs.... in CA (home of "ethical" animal raising) we paid almost $7 for 18 eggs at Costco and they ONLY had those- none of the 5 dozen packs or the normal 24 packs that we pick up! I about died! We eat lots of eggs here so we needed them. Friends in other states are saying they can get eggs for $1.50/dozen. I haven't seen those prices in YEARS here!
A tip for saving at Starbucks if you get frapachino's (I can't spell it)- take a reusable cup (ours are venti size) and order a grande. There's ALWAYS left over in the blender that they dump - this now goes into your cup giving you a little more and the whipped cream fits better. Also, you get 10 cents off your order and 25 stars.
I was EVERYTHING on cold. Dryer for everything but ours is gas so it's a little cheaper to run.
Get solar- PG&E is RIDICULOUS here- we have been using solar since march 2019 and it paid for itself in march 2022. 20 year life expectancy on our panels.
Gas- fill gas cans and take then to the lower mileage car to fill it. We live 45 min from Costco (get all our gas there) and my car gets better mileage at 28-30 mpg so when I fill my car (I'm in the town where Costco is 2x a week) I also fill 12.5 gallons worth of gas cans that we dump into the 16 mpg SUV that doesn't go to that town often.
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Post by guzismom on Jan 5, 2024 18:40:36 GMT
Prescriptions: even if you have insurance, it may be cheaper to use a 'coupon' from GoodRx. Just this morning we had a meeting with an insurance professional who is helping us navigate signing up for a Medicare supplement for hubby; she compared prices for medications at a number of area pharmacies and mail order service vs using a GoodRx coupon and for MOST of hubby's medicines (typical meds for someone with HBP/high cholesterol) it is cheaper using GoodRx.
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Post by fiddlesticks on Jan 5, 2024 19:57:28 GMT
We are so much better about what we spend when we are tracking it, so that would be my number one tip. Also, I listen to a few podcasts about frugality and thinking about value based spending which keeps it in the forefront of my mind. People would think we are CRAZY for how much we spend on dance for our daughter but it holds a high value for us. I will give up haircuts, manicures, buying books, etc to make sure she can have it. Some people wouldn't. Shifting my thinking about this has really helped.
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Jan 5, 2024 20:13:13 GMT
We are billed for every drop of water that comes in and out of our home. We have six rain barrels that we water the garden, flower beds etc in the summer. Between our garden and ds’s garden we planted over one hundred. And twenty cloves of garlic in our gardens last Fall (we share with neighbours, family and friends). ds starts onions, tomatoes,herbs,marigolds etc inside from seeds. We grow lots of tomatoes (and freeze some), herbs (freeze and dehydrate some, other vegetables and potatoes. We store potatoes and onions in ds’s cold room for use in the Winter and have enough left for seed potatoes in the Springtime. When the weather is nice I hang clothes to dry outside (even in the Winter). I have a pull out rack to hang cotton fabrics etc downstairs. I also use dryer balls. Thank you to Gypsygirls post and link above I will check into recharging them.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 5, 2024 20:17:24 GMT
Prescriptions: even if you have insurance, it may be cheaper to use a 'coupon' from GoodRx. Just this morning we had a meeting with an insurance professional who is helping us navigate signing up for a Medicare supplement for hubby; she compared prices for medications at a number of area pharmacies and mail order service vs using a GoodRx coupon and for MOST of hubby's medicines (typical meds for someone with HBP/high cholesterol) it is cheaper using GoodRx. One caveat on using GoodRx rather than going through your insurance if you have a high deductible plan. If you use GoodRx it will not count towards your deductible in most cases. Run the numbers if you think you might make your deductible and make sure it is financially advantageous for you to use GoodRx. We have a high deductible BCBS insurance plan that pays 100% of all costs once we meet it. In years past we never met that number so I used GoodRx frequently. That has changed for both DH and myself due to some health changes and we both hit the deductible cap in Mar/April. Last year I didn't realize that GoodRx didn't count towards my deductible and ended up spending $1,000 extra on meds than I should have last year.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,408
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Jan 5, 2024 20:30:57 GMT
We are so much better about what we spend when we are tracking it, so that would be my number one tip. Also, I listen to a few podcasts about frugality and thinking about value based spending which keeps it in the forefront of my mind. People would think we are CRAZY for how much we spend on dance for our daughter but it holds a high value for us. I will give up haircuts, manicures, buying books, etc to make sure she can have it. Some people wouldn't. Shifting my thinking about this has really helped. Absolutely agree on the dance thing. I have a 12 yo competitive gymnast. We spend $$$$ on it and so much driving! I will give up so much more so she can have that. Thankfully my 8 yo DS does baseball and it is much more affordable (for now) and everything is close to home. My parents gave up so much for myself and my 3 siblings to do our sports and activities growing up. I’m forever thankful they did. ❤️
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 5, 2024 21:04:41 GMT
seaexplore Do you have Target near you? About a month ago I didn’t buy eggs at Costco where I usually get them because no one put them on the list. Since I was at Target anyway, I thought I’d pick up a couple dozen. They had a 30 pack of their Good & Gather large eggs for $4.59! A 24 pack at Costco is $4.69 so Target was the better deal.
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Post by imkat on Jan 5, 2024 21:22:20 GMT
If you haven't done so in a long time, reevaluate your internet and cable. We switched to a lower cost internet, and are just streaming. We save over $100 per month, have faster internet, and have more subscriptions (Hulu, Netflix, etc.), including a good live option with all of the news shows we watch. It took a while to figure it out, but I'm pretty happy we did it.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jan 5, 2024 21:49:33 GMT
We pretty much use Costco as our grocery store and supplement with grocery store stuff as needed. We actually started eating our way thru the freezer after Thanksgiving. Just this week there was NO protein left! So, to Costco we went. Salmon, tilapia, pork loin, chicken breasts, shrimp all found their way home. As well as some quick breakfast stuff for the kids. We were working on the fridge too- so many left overs that we didn't have to cook for 4 days! Pantry got emptied and reorganized yesterday- we're good with pantry stuff for a while. We had to get eggs.... in CA (home of "ethical" animal raising) we paid almost $7 for 18 eggs at Costco and they ONLY had those- none of the 5 dozen packs or the normal 24 packs that we pick up! I about died! We eat lots of eggs here so we needed them. Friends in other states are saying they can get eggs for $1.50/dozen. I haven't seen those prices in YEARS here! A tip for saving at Starbucks if you get frapachino's (I can't spell it)- take a reusable cup (ours are venti size) and order a grande. There's ALWAYS left over in the blender that they dump - this now goes into your cup giving you a little more and the whipped cream fits better. Also, you get 10 cents off your order and 25 stars. I was EVERYTHING on cold. Dryer for everything but ours is gas so it's a little cheaper to run. Get solar- PG&E is RIDICULOUS here- we have been using solar since march 2019 and it paid for itself in march 2022. 20 year life expectancy on our panels. Gas- fill gas cans and take then to the lower mileage car to fill it. We live 45 min from Costco (get all our gas there) and my car gets better mileage at 28-30 mpg so when I fill my car (I'm in the town where Costco is 2x a week) I also fill 12.5 gallons worth of gas cans that we dump into the 16 mpg SUV that doesn't go to that town often. If you have an Aldi near you you might want to check it out. They were cheaper than Costco for a while. They were under $2 a dozen - also in SoCal. I haven’t looked the last few weeks as we haven’t needed any but they have been cheaper along with butter. I am shopping there more often lately. We also do most of our shopping at Sam’s or Costco.
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Jan 5, 2024 21:54:48 GMT
What I do or don't do:
Eat at home. I only get fast food or take out, if I have a gift card. I don't like cooking, so I pre-make then freeze meals. I prefer to cook all in one afternoon or evening, rather than every day or every other. If you work outside the home, bring lunch or a snack....or if possible keep a stash at work. (I always have a box of cereal bars at work).
Don't buy fountain drinks or fancy beverages (coffee, juices, milkshakes). Daily beverage costs can add up quickly. Don't buy individual bottles of water. Buy a portable cup and fill it at home and bring it with you.
Plan errands, so I don't waste gas.
Watch the ads, and buy on sale. I use higher priced cosmetics and skin care. I wait for the coupons and sales, then I stock up. I try to never pay full price.
Use store coupons.
Use free resources.....like the Library. I read ebooks on the Library website for free. There are many community events that are free or low cost.
Don't impulse shop. Before any "want" or frivolous type purchase, I ask myself do I really need this? I mix and match clothes. I have less clothes, but mix and matching makes it appear like I have more than I do. Be realistic about clothing purchases. How many coats and jackets or cardigans....does one person really need?
Several years ago.....I saw a quote thingy on social media or pinterest. It said something like $27.40 a day for one year (365 days) is $10,000 (technically it's $10,000.01). $13.70 a day for 365 days = $5000.50. How much money is spent daily on random things (a beverage, fast food, take out, dinner out, a piece of clothing, a lipstick, a magazine, a book, going to do an activity (movie, bowling, concert, out for ice cream, etc...). Daily expenditures.....it all adds up. This above piece of information, changed my thought process and spending habits.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jan 5, 2024 22:06:53 GMT
An easy way to save is to eat at home vs going out or getting takeout. I am not a fan of cooking lately though.
Looking at the weekly ads is also saving us money. Knowing prices helps. For us Sam’s is usually cheaper than Costco but not always. I will often check prices in the Sam’s app while shopping at Costco. We stock up when things go on sale. You can save quite a bit that way.
I think something that saves money is taking care of your things. I wash my leggings and socks separately on delicate and then hang dry on a collapsible dryer. Clean your filters often, clean out your dryer vents as they start to clog snd then your clothes take longer to dry snd becomes a fire hazard.
I try snd combine errands whenever possible. I also use curbside as it saves extra items going into my cart - I do this at Walmart if I have $35+ in items which is getting pretty rare as I don’t shop there much lately. I also do this at Sam’s especially if we have any heavy items. We are getting an Aldi on our side of time and I am excited. I have been shopping there more and more lately.
Working hard to eat all of our leftovers so less waste.
Avoid sale emails as they just tempt you. I keep getting tempted by candle sale notifications. I went through my stash and I am not allowing myself to buy any more until I work through my stash a bit. Also seeing way too many tempting craft ads. Trying to put blinders on.
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Post by Crack-a-lackin on Jan 5, 2024 22:13:48 GMT
One thing that has helped me recently is being very mindful of money management and recognizing areas I can save/earn money. Sometimes I don’t return items to the store in time, especially when I’m on the fence about whether I want to keep it so every time I do I tuck that money away in one of my separate savings accounts. I do this whenever I sell something as well and any other time I get money with just a little extra effort. Seeing how quickly this adds up motivates me to be more mindful, where in the past I might just shrug it off because it’s only $10-15. I recently canceled several subscriptions and used my cash back rewards on items I would buy anyway so I moved that amount of money into this account as well, and savings from a night or two when we really wanted to go out to eat but decided to cook at home from pantry or freezer items. It could be tracked on paper or excel of course, but seeing that account balance increase throughout the year had a bigger impact on our family mindset.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,519
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Jan 5, 2024 22:19:38 GMT
We had trash amnesty the day after Christmas, we're normally allowed 2 bags per week but on amnesty week we can go up to 14 bags. I did a deep clean out of the freezer and got rid of the truly freezer burned stuff/bags of fries etc that had been left open or not sealed properly and re-organized everything else.
We have been eating regularly out of that stash since then and I'm proud to say I haven't bought anything but ground beef (I'm picky and will not freeze ground beef. I will own this) and fresh veg since Christmas. I hope to keep going with using what we have as we run out. I'm really good at picking things up when they're a good price but then I forget about them and they get lost in the depths of the deep freeze. I hope as we use up what we have down there that as it gets replaced I can keep a better inventory.
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