Saving money

[mommy42]

We don't set a budget - per se. But I do try to buy when things are on sale. I'm not as good about that at the grocery store - for some reason I just hate having to use coupons. Or, I don't remember to bring them with me! :0 But, when I shop for clothes or any other household items - I am all about the coupons!!! LOL
My family laughs at me (not in a mean way) because I am the coupon queen!
We eat most of our meals at home too. We do go out but try to only do it once every couple of months.

 

[cherza]

The Extreme Cheapskates sound interesting to watch. I haven't heard of this show before. I have a budget to help me save money. I keep receipts to help me budget. I do not eat at restaurants a lot. Eating at a restaurant is very expensive. I try to shop for items I need.

 

[cmckinney01]

I try to stick to a budget and use coupons when I can. I'm also big on leftovers. I don't like to waste any food. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day or sometimes dinner the next day. I also try to shop off season for items. Last week, I bought a winter coat for $42. The same coat was originally priced at $180. By February, the prices of winter coats, sweaters and other winter items are way down.

 

[randee555]

I love saving money and am always looking for a good deal. I use coupons and I have a stockpile but it's not super big like the people on Extreme Couponing. I do have enough shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste until 2015 though!

 

[ACSAPA]

Now that I'm approaching 40, I admit that a lot of the purchases I made in my 20's were aspirational, like the online writing course I spent $800 on but never completed, or the scrapbooking supplies I bought but never used. I wasted a lot of money trying to find myself and figure out what I was good at. I'm glad that I at least have a handle on who I am now, because I don't waste money on things I might want to become later.

I saw an episode of Hoarders where the woman clung to rotted pianos and rat chewed law books because she aspired to be a lawyer and a pianist.
It's not good to spend money on a bunch of stuff and have it sitting around because you might want to learn how to do that activity someday.
I learned that the hard way. The $800 I spent on that writing course a few years ago, would be a month's rent now.

 

[forextraspecialstuff]

I withdraw cash for household expenses and put it in an envelope, they're labelled "groceries" "cleaning supplies" etc. Once the money runs out we are done until the next pay period (I get paid every two weeks). So far it has worked really well because it makes me think about what I am buying and seeing an empty envelope really drills home the saving money aspect.

 

[sweetkymom]

I extreme coupon and search for deals to be had. I stockpile anything and everything that has a long shelf life.

 

[Tina Nord]

I am not an extremest when it comes to saving money...although I am sure my family would beg to differ. I clip coupons each week and always hunt for sale priced foods. I take advantage of the 10 for $10 sales to stock up on noodles and stuff like that. I also make frequent trips to Costco and we avoid eating out as much as possible.

 

[wicked pops]

I’m not saying buying your home is never a good idea.there are a lot of small ways of money.

 

[loraanna]

I find that the best way to save money is to make a budget and add the amount you want to save to you're list of bills. I add savings to my list of bills and it comes off top. If you make it a priority you will start to see your accounts grow.

 

[LindaKay]

I cannot stand that show, Extreme Cheapskates! Some of them are more than cheap...they're nasty!!!

I use a lot of coupons to save money. I've gotten pretty good at couponing and have built up a pretty nice little stockpile. It really helps not to have to pay full price for things because I already have them on hand.

I also try to budget, but it can be tough. I'm self-employed, and my work kind of comes in waves. I try to mostly pay all of my bills on the good weeks, that way I am a bit more secure on the not-so-good weeks.

 

[Tina Nord]

Self employment can be scary as you never know if you are going to hit a dry spell or when it will come. The best way to save money is to start out small and the build up as you can. If you have something in your saving account it will actually encourage you to build upon it.

 

[ACSAPA]

Self employment can be scary as you never know if you are going to hit a dry spell or when it will come. The best way to save money is to start out small and the build up as you can. If you have something in your saving account it will actually encourage you to build upon it.

It's true. There are weeks where I don't make any sales on eBay, so on weeks when things are selling, I try to get ahead of my bills and put a little money aside.
When you're a single parent sometimes you have to choose flexibility over a steady paycheck because someone has to be home to take care of the kid AND bring in the income.

 

[Cheesy Potatoes]

I do my best to budget my money. Whenever I get my allowance or my salary from my online jobs, I take like 30% and squirrel it away to my savings bank or I keep it in my Paypal. I think thrice before buying something, and I find cheaper alternatives.

 

[LetThemEatCake]

Self employment can be scary as you never know if you are going to hit a dry spell or when it will come. The best way to save money is to start out small and the build up as you can. If you have something in your saving account it will actually encourage you to build upon it.

This is so true...I worked solely at home independently while I was in school because it was convenient, but you never knew when you'd hit that dry spell... now I've found a job working in my field (hospitality and tourism) that starts in a few weeks, so yay for consistent income!

 

[LindaKay]

I like working from home because I'm in school. Plus, I really do make more money doing what I do online than I would make with the crappy jobs around here. I wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world, but it kind of sucks not having a consistent income. It makes it tough to stay ahead.

 

[dandeliion]

I use coupons (not in the extreme way, I just use them when I find them and don't actively go looking for them!) and have the Safeway mobile app where you can download coupons straight to your card and that alone helps me save a ton of money on groceries! I also pack my breakfast and lunch to work and school almost every single day and don't eat out very often.

 

[LindaKay]

I use coupons, too! I actually use them in a pretty extreme way, although it isn't as extreme as the people on TV. I definitely agree that it's critical to use coupons if you want to save as much as possible. It's a good idea to eat something from home when possible; you can save a whole lot of money that way. Plus, it's healthier for you.