Saving money

[zoeysmama2011]

I was wondering what other people do to save money on their household budget each month. Do you just put aside savings or do you do more like saving change, cutting back in shower tie, making all your meals. Does anyone go to extremes to save money like the people on Extreme Cheapskates?

 

[limcid]

Well, having a budget is a first big step. A lot of people will budget, but don't actually have a defined budget (spreadsheet, etc.).

To save on water, you need to know what the minimum usage is for your city. Any amount of usage up to and including that maximum value is billed for the same amount (minimal billing). I worked for the water department so I think all cities are pretty much the same. Until you know this information, you won't know if you'll be saving money or not. If you're single, with no kids, then you probably are only using half of the water you are allowed as a minimum. IOW, you could be taking showers for twice as long without effecting your bill! Find out how your bill is calculated and what is the minimum usage.

 

[sking]

I make all of my meals I rarely go out. I write out a budget every month.

 

[Mommiesbiz1]

I use coupons as much as posible and I stick to a tight budget. This year I am growing a vegitable garden. I think my biggest costs are fresh foods. My family and I figured out that we were spending $200 a month for a family of 4 on eating out.

 

[winnifred]

I have sold, given away or gotten rid of many unnecessary items like dry cleaned clothes, shoes and other items that needed alterations or were too expensive to maintain. I had 2 tag Sales and made over $100. Every little bit helps!

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I think a lot of people are trying to find ways to save some money, while still having a good lifestyle, and not going without necessities.
One of the things that I do is watch for sales, and stock up as well as I can afford when there is a sale on something that I use. I set up a shelf out on the back porch where I can put extra cans of food, and I have the plastic storage containers that I put dry food (bags of rice, etc) into.
The grocery stores will often mark down perishable foods like bread, fruit, veggies, and even meat items after the weekend, so you might find half-price on these items by shopping mid-week. They want to clear the old produce out' and on Thursday, will be restocking for the weekend, so Tuesday or Wednesday are good days for sales. You have to watch the stores where you shop, and see if they have markdown specials or not.
Another important thing, that I have discovered, is to check your receipt, and make sure you were actually charged the correct price for the food you bought. I find that the sale prices sometimes don't get into the cash register, so you think you got something on sale, but were actually charged full price. Some stores, like Kroger, will give you the item free if they ever charge you, so that makes it even more worth checking the prices.

 

[winnifred]

I am also looking for freebie websites like freestuff.com. I am amazed at the samples that you can get for free. I have received, facial and bathroom tissue,
lotions, granola bars, teas, coffee,and many other freebies. Every bit helps!

 

[limcid]

Yes, couponing! How in the world did I not think of that earlier? I'm a huge fan of couponing. Take the time to learn how to do it, and it will do wonders for your budget.

Yes, it takes time getting organized and everything, but the amount of money that you save can be viewed as your salary for doing the work. It can become a pretty well-paying "job" if you do it well.

 

[Loopyloo]

We have a budget and a monthly menu. It makes shopping so much easier to have a list and know what I need to buy. I try to plan the menu out so that most of the perishables are used up in the first part of the week. To get around this we make a lot of freezer meals and cook most of our meals from scratch. We get a produce basket from Bountiful Baskets (BountifulBaskets.net) once a week which has helped too but as gardening season is coming on we home to cut back on that as well. Every penny adds up.

 

[ACSAPA]

I grow my own herbs, combine sales with coupons, cook at home as much as possible, when I do eat fast food, I use coupons, I make some of my own cleaning products, sometimes I bake my own bread, I order all the free samples I can get my hands on and sometimes I shop at Dollar Tree for certain items.

Also, certain drinks are just stupid cheap. You can get a 100 teabag box of black tea at Walmart for $1 and a big bag of cheap sugar. If you use 4 teabags per pitcher of tea, the iced tea costs you 25 cents per pitcher unsweetened or about 45 cents sweetened, which is cheaper than a 2 liter bottle of soda.

 

[brittany]

There are many ways to save money, but it can be hard in this day and age. I'm on well water,so we don't have a water bill at my house. I also try to buy certain things in bulk that can be saved a while. I recycle what I can. I try to use energy efficient products to save on the power bill. I used to try to save a dollar to a jar every now and again to see it add up, and it always comes in handy during a cash shortage. I also save my change during the year as long as I can, and then I cash it in. It makes for some pocket money in an emergency or indulgence.

 

[ACSAPA]

I was wondering what other people do to save money on their household budget each month. Do you just put aside savings or do you do more like saving change, cutting back in shower tie, making all your meals. Does anyone go to extremes to save money like the people on Extreme Cheapskates?

I watch Extreme Cheapskates and most of those ideas wouldn't work for average people because they are too far out.
The only thing I do that I saw Jeff Yeager do on Extreme Cheapskates ,is to have a No Spend Month where I don't spend any money apart from paying bills. During that month, I use the groceries in my stockpile, use up my free samples of toiletries and and only go to free entertainment events.
For people who are used to going out to eat and shopping a lot,
a month like that would be torture. For me it's just like being on a temporary financial diet.

 

[Dorothy]

I was wondering what other people do to save money on their household budget each month. Do you just put aside savings or do you do more like saving change, cutting back in shower tie, making all your meals. Does anyone go to extremes to save money like the people on Extreme Cheapskates?

I don't go to any real extremes to save money, but I do always shop for the best values in order to save money and make most all of my meals at home and don't go out to eat very much, try and keep lights or other electric items off when not in use, don't use a/c unless it is really hot, things like that. Any change I get back after making a purchase I save in a jar for whenever we are short or in between paydays. Every little thing works, but I don't go overboard with it.

 

[happy_tammy]

There are lots of small ways to save money. Like, I open the windows to let the natural light to come in and the air to pass through. By that, I do not have to turn on the lights and the aircon and that saves me lot in the bills. I also make sure that the water is used wisely and nothing is put to waste. I recycle my food in the fridge instead of throwing it away. Like, if there is a left over spaghetti sauce, I use that as a bread or chips dip instead of throwing it out. I rarely buy things that I do not need. I stick to what is only essential and necessary.

 

[Lilley1]

I think everyone mentioned the most effective ways to save money on your monthly bills and groceries. I also like to leave my husband home when I go to the store.

I am horrible at using coupons. By the time I get to the register, I forget I had them. Some places will allow you to go back with your receipt and coupons and return the difference. I have also changed a lot of the foods we eat at home. Meaning, we make recipes that use very little ingredients so we do not need to purchase as much. I also try to make 'one dish' meals. There has been studies shown (heard on 'Intellegence for your life with John Tesh) that we tend to eat less when there is less of a variety of foods. By adding your veggies and proteins together, you will (or possibly) end up with left overs for another meal.

I also make my own laundry detergent and dishwasher soap. Its very easy can has worked well for us. I also try to teach my children how to conserve energy and food. Kids are picky eaters and waste a lot of food. I give them very small portions of food and tell them if they are still hungry after finishing everything they are welcome to have more. Sometimes they do want more but they have become accustomed to small snacks which is also healthier for them.

There are also a few money saving tricks at the grocery stores, so I've heard. The least expensive items are higher or lower on the self because we look directly at the middle of shelves. So always look up and down. Stay away from end caps, they are not always cheaper. Also, buying the bigger size of the product does not always save money. Learn how to divide the cost of the product into the amount your getting. You may be surprised you are paying more the big value size.

 

[limcid]

Extreme Cheapskates. I've never heard of that before, I presume it's a tv show (I don't watch tv). That does sound like my kind of show, though. Hopefully, there are some episodes on Youtube or Hulu.

One day "cheapskates" will rule the world because we'll be the only ones with money and food,

 

[ACSAPA]

Extreme Cheapskates. I've never heard of that before, I presume it's a tv show (I don't watch tv). That does sound like my kind of show, though. Hopefully, there are some episodes on Youtube or Hulu.

One day "cheapskates" will rule the world because we'll be the only ones with money and food,

Yes, there are 3 or 4 episodes of Extreme Cheapskates on Youtube.
Here's part one of Roy Haynes who is ridiculously cheap and reuses dental floss.

Part 2

 

[ACSAPA]

I have sold, given away or gotten rid of many unnecessary items like dry cleaned clothes, shoes and other items that needed alterations or were too expensive to maintain. I had 2 tag Sales and made over $100. Every little bit helps!

True, I don't keep any clothes that are dry clean only.
There are a lot of perfectly presentable clothes in my closet that are machine washable. Dry cleaning clothes is just another extra expense that I don't need in my life.

 

[Suplex790]

If I need to save money I used my PayPal account to store all of the cash. Basically you can use that as a second bank account and no interest is charged for keeping it there. It takes less than 15 minutes usually for the money to be deposited to your bank account at any time you wish, and you can always keep track of how much you have saved simply by logging in.

 

[ACSAPA]

If I need to save money I used my PayPal account to store all of the cash. Basically you can use that as a second bank account and no interest is charged for keeping it there. It takes less than 15 minutes usually for the money to be deposited to your bank account at any time you wish, and you can always keep track of how much you have saved simply by logging in.

In the US, you receive interest for keeping money in your bank account, you don't pay interest for it. And in the US, it takes 3 days for the money you withdraw from Paypal to show up in your bank.

But I'm glad that you've found another use for Paypal that works for you.
I like Paypal for paying for things and I think the Paypal debit card is the best thing ever.