Here is the full list of the top 25 ways that I save money. The expanded versions of each set can be found in
25 Ways I Save Money: Part 4 and
In each section I gave a little bit more detail on what I do and how it has caused me to save money in my daily living.
These are things that I actually do myself to save a penny here and there and they have all worked for me. Try them and see what happens.
Top 25 ways I Save Money: Part 1
- Do not buy things from vending machines
- Buy in bulk
- Use Compact Fluorescent bulbs
- Use natural light
- Open the windows
Top 25 ways I Save Money: Part 2
- Order free samples online
- Use candles
- Turn off unused appliances
- Make my lunch
- Pick up pennies
Top 25 ways I Save Money: Part 3
- Automatic savings plan
- Pay bills online
- Reduce interest rates
- Take the bus or walk
- Cook for multiple days
Top 25 ways I Save Money: Part 4
- Use coupons
- Buy generic
- Keep extra money in high yield savings instead of checking
- Use the library
- Wash dishes by hand
Top 25 ways I Save Money: Part 5
- Re-use plastic shopping bags as trash bags
- Use a water filter
- No cable
- Use paypal for purchases
- Make lists…and stick to them
This is my top 25 list. What are YOUR tips for ways to save money?
I got rid of all credit cards and sew some of my clothes. I get cast off clothes in second hand shops because in DC people get rid of GREAT clothes.
Hey Willster thanks for visiting. I have not looked at the book swap thing because I am satisfied with the selection from my library so far.
Econo Girl…thanks for visiting as well. I am not into sewing so that option will not work for me. I have been trying to get rid of the credit cards and I was doing well but then some recent events will be forcing me to use them again soon.
Here’s two we’ve used in our apartment:
In the winter, placing towels and blankets around the edge of our front door. I would do this normally to prevent a draft, but our door is just slightly off alignment which results in a gap. Every night this winter I stuffed an old towel to keep the cold out/warm in.
In the spring/summer/autumn, use a fan to circulate the air. (Goes with the open windows idea.) We don’t do this 100% of the time, but it helps.
I dont agree with the he paypal suggestion. I think credit cards give you good enough cashback rates and some cards like discover even go to 5% on certain types of purchases. I would also advise against using checking card as a credit card becuase if in case of fraud, you loose hard cash and dont have a layer of protections which credit cards provide.
Oh, youth and foolishness! You might be getting 5% cash back on a few purchases, but consider th fact that you are being CHARGED INTEREST on ALL PURCHASES! Also, if you use a debit card and choose to have your purchase processed as a credit, you will have the same “layer of protetctions” that you’d get using a credit card.
Actually since I do not carry a balance on the card I never pay interest so I am making a profit. The card is always paid off in full every month…I have payments that out every week so the card never gets to where I would carry a balance so this is a GREAT strategy for me because I am making a profit.
One of the things we do is instead of using cloth dryer on cold/wet winter days, we place the clothes on racks and place the racks over the central heating vents on the floor. We also wash our clothes in the evening night with off-peak rates.
When morning comes, the clothes will be dry.
yes , small savings turn out to be big gains if you add up
In response to Tehnyit:
Well the central heating and cooling vents in my apartment are on the walls up near the ceiling so that tactic would not work for me…but thanks for sharing. 🙂
In response to I dunno:
I used the paypal card for cash back before I got the credit cards that gave me good cashback rebates. it worked well for me at the time because I could see my cash immediately instead of having to wait for it to reach a certain amount before I could redeem it.
Hi Lulu,
We also use the library now instead of buying books.
The savings are incredible as we read tons of books in a year.
We do also use the off-peak hours for the laundry.
Keep the furnace not too high in the winter and the AC not too low in the summer.
Rarely buy Take-Out foods anymore. Huge savings.
Try to eat a little less. Also good for the waistline.
Do not buy magazines anymore. They just recycle stories from other magazines in different months anyway.
Those are some of the things we have been doing to increase our savings.
Maire
Hi Marie,thanks for dropping by.
I use the library also because I am an avid reader. I love getting magazines and there are a few sites that give you a free six month or one year subscription so I look around for those. A good place to get magazine subscriptions for free is through Start Sampling.
Eating our neighbors saves us tons of money!
Rather than investing in gold and silver, I’ve stocked up on toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, shampoo, canned food, and coffee. With the US dollar dropping in value, coffee is likely to increase in price (again) since it is all imported. (Has anyone noticed how expensive decaf coffee has become in the past few months?) I’ve replaced most all of my incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, Aldi Foods has a great deal, Sylvania 13 watt CF bulbs, for $4.99 per 3 pack. I can remember paying as much as $23 for a single CF bulb 15 years ago!
I really hope you mean eating AT the neighbors…:-)
I wonder if they are eating their neighbors with ketchup or mustard????
Marie
I prefer ketchup myself…yeah that was funny.
Yea that is funny!
How about getting your hair cut for free by being a hair model at a local salon or hairdressing college?
Swapping is a great way to get rid of your clutter whilst getting new things. Have a clothes swap party where you invite a few friends to bring over the clothes they don’t wear or want! The satisfaction of getting a new wardrobe doesn’t have to cost you a penny!
I always swap to clear my house. Its great way to socialize too.
I think “buying in bulk” needs to be paired with restraint. I have gone into Costco, and I find myself buying things I normally don’t buy (like a gallon of salsa one time). I bought it in bulk, heck yea. But then I had to eat so much of it over the next two weeks so that it wouldn’t go bad. Thus, I spent a bunch of money on salsa over two weeks and forced myself to eat a bunch of it when I normally don’t eat that.
I agree with you Flimjo that one has to apply restrain
on shopping in bulk.
Otherwise, it only brings a person to eat more and in the long run, it’s not a saving.
Marie
@ Flimjo and Marie:
Yes it is good to remind readers that they should not buy things in bulk JUST because they can get the bulk prices.
I would only buy things that I know I use. One thing I really liked about living overseas was that I could get canned milk by the carton which was much cheaper than getting individual cans.
So I get things like toilet paper, socks etc. that I know I will be using.
Flimjo: funny about the salsa dude! 🙂
Nice money saving tips. We save our cans and bottles for a few months, then return for the deposit and treat ourselves to lunch!
This is so useful but very hard to follow esp. if there are too many temptation inside the mall… How about not going to the mall?
@ Personal Development:
Well I don’t go to the mall anyway so I did not think to put that one in there..but if you need that then go ahead and add it as # 26 🙂
In regards to purchasing in bulk, freeze in portion sizes, then you can save items to eat when you are really in the mood for it. Salsa freezes well, and so do a lot of other items. Enjoy
@ Bud:
Thanks for the suggestions. I actually do this with most food because my mother taught me that way. It saves time to just defrost what you are going to use than to defrost a giant bag of stuff and then have to refreeze it. Great tip!
We get our hair cut at the local beauty college- much cheaper than the hair salons, and they do a very nice job, too. Haricuts are only $6.00, as compared to $12 and up at the other salons.
@ Mommyof4:
That is a great tip to save money. Thanks for sharing!
Great series and some really good tips to save money!
Well I messed up with #1. I’m a junk food junkie. I have gotten better about packing lunches though.
I go to SuperCuts for my 6-8 week haircuts. There’s usually at least one stylist who can cut and style my hair.
@ Sabrina: stop carrying cash for a week. That way you will NOT be able to get stuff from the vending machine..even though you are salivating at the thought of a pack of skittles.
And you can’t ask anyone for quarters either.
Then come back and let us know what happened. 🙂
The top ways I save money is:
1. Gave up soda. Now I drink ice cold homemade sweet tea instead.
2. Wash and reuse zip top baggies
3. Make my own on-the-go snacks and lunches.
4. Make homemade cleaners and laundry detergent
5. Make homemade facial scrubs and masks
6. Never afraid to try the store brand!
7. Ask for a rain-check when on-sale items are sold out.
8. Rebates Rebates Rebates Coupons Coupons Coupons
9. Mystery Shop retail and food and hair cuts!
10. Shop only with a list and appropriate coupons.
11. Stay out of stores in general, as often as possible.
12. Only shop for clothes at second-hand stores, and only on their 50% off tags days!
thanks for all the tips. At work, I just bring money for my lunch. I will bring drinking water from home and my husband will sent and fetch me everyday. My friend said, I’m like a ‘school girl’. For me, that’s is one of the way to ‘save money’. Right?
@ Cricket
Thanks for giving us your list. I like most of the things you do but I am not frugal enough to make my own laundry detergent. 🙂
@Cricket – Man, I thought I was the only one that washed zip-lock bags! My wife always rolls her eyes at me when I get the soap out with a pile of bags. I also gave up the soda habit. I was doing 3-4/day for the longest time, and now I’m saving that $1-2/day for going cold turkey. The financial benefit and health benefits are both great.
Wow, what a list. I think you have covered everything. I was going to do a post on a similar topic, but I think I will just reference this post.
Andy.
@LuLu Gal Making your own laundry soap is super easy – Why pay upwards of $11 a bottle when for $11 you can have enough to last a year? I only make mine a few cups at a time it’s super concentrated.
@MrDebtbeater yeah my Ryan looked at me strange when I washed out the ziploc baggies. Seriously SODA is evil pure evil. What do you drink instead? (water? Tea?)
Great Idea! Do you have a recipe for homemade laundry detergent?
@ Cricket:
Ok you got me. I have not made my own detergent because I am lazy! It sounds like work and I just did not want to do it. Boy you put the thumbscrews on me on that one. Now I am all embarrassed to face the other bloggers. 🙂
@ Debtbeater:
I used to wash out ziplock bags too for a while but then:
1. I am lazy
2. I heard you are not supposed to wash out baggies and bottled water bottles and reuse them.
@ Cricket – I drink a lot more water, or whatever else is around for that matter. AND I chew an awful lot of gum to keep my mouth occupied.
As for the bags, I don’t reuse anything that had raw meat in it or liquids, and I don’t wash them more than a few times before tossing them. I sure remember my mom making us reuse bags dozens of times though. LOL
Oh my gosh, this response had me rolling on the floor laughing for a good 5 minutes!!!
HL Says:
July 24th, 2007 at 3:57 am
Eating our neighbors saves us tons of money!
I really needed the laugh!!
As for the plastic baggies, I was them too if it only contained non-icky stuff. I’m thinking if I should continue to use disposable baggies. I have a bunch of tupperware I can use instead. That’ll save money instead of buying box after box of ziplocs.
These are some awesome suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Need lawn chairs? Garbage pick them. Spring time is perfect, because people throw away stuff like that in the spring and get new ones. Half the time, they are in great shape, and just get thrown away for no real good reason.
Top 10 Ways I Save Money in this Ridiculous Economy!!
1) Own your assets instead of renting and/or leasing
2) Carpool
3) Take banks up on offers for $50 or $100 bonuses when you open a new checking account. Most banks allow you to maintain a small minimum balance(perhaps $500) and often the time limit for keeping the account is only a few months. Open several of these accounts each year and switch them when allowed.
4) Use coupons (I save an average of 15-20% each time at the grocery store)
5) Instead of going to an insurance agent who takes a cut or the companies that have quotas to make for certain areas, check out this site that tracks good deals:
6) Exercise or play a sport for entertainment instead of going to the mall or the movies
7) Drink a glass of milk or eat an apple each time you’re hungry for a snack instead of dropping $4-5 on a value meal.
8) Don’t get in credit card debt! Be willing to eat peanut-butter and jelly for a month straight rather than fall into the death cycle of credit card debt…
9) Watch for sales at outlet stores like Kohls and TJ Maxx. You can score big on already discounted name-brand clothes when they put on 30% off sales.
10)Make it a concrete rule to put 20% of each paycheck into a savings account.
11**) Give 10% of your earnings to charity or as a tithe to your church/religious institution. It all comes back in the end.
Save money? Here’s how I save money.
Live well below your means….and the only means is passive income….so that the extra passive income can be saved for capital on more passive income.
It’s like being unemployed and enjoying your life…how novel.
Take that homecheese. Let’s see if any of you can live like me 🙂
One of the ways I save money is by reading other people’s money saving blogs! 😉 Lots of great tips here!
@ Frugal One:
Thanks for stopping by and I hope the tips here help you to save even more money.
1. I bake my own bread, not in bread machine, but I knead the dough and bake in oven – total cost about 30 cents and lasts two days for family of four. Actual work time to mix dough and knead takes about 10 minutes but rise and bake time is about 2 hours.
2. I buy sliced bone in ham when on sale for 99 cent/lb. Then I cut up in smaller portions and for use in sandwiches. I put rest in freezer and will thaw in refregerator as needed. I save bone and use to make base for soups, which leads to my number 3.
3. I use crock pot to make soups using scrap meat/bone from ham from above, with leftover veggies and dry beans. Dry beans are $1/lb and can feed family for 2-3 meals. When combined with home made bread, cost per meal is under 50 cents.
4. I launder in cold water overnight and line dry. I look up weather for next day to make sure it’s sunny and dry and clothes are dry in 4-5 hours in the sun. Sometimes on weekends, I wash manually by filling bath tub quarter with water, put laundry with 1/2 recommended detergent and stomp (like stomping grapes for wine) for 10-15 minutes. Drain, and rinse same way (except, without detergent). I get a workout out of it as well. Only difficulty is wringing water, so I use only spin cycle on washer to get water out afterwards.
5. Cut out meat consumption and cook from scratch. Most of my deals are vegetarian. Typical weekly grocery bill for my family is between $30-$50 and consists of flour, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. I rarely use coupons as most things I buy do not have coupons as I almost never buy processed foods. During warmer months, I make my own yogurt.
There are other things like take public transportation and walk but they may not be practical in rural areas. However, above steps can be taken by just about anybody and can save quite a bit.
My favorite way to save money is by going to http://www.dynamicshops.com before I purchase anything online. Almost every major store is listed there, and if I use their link, I get Cash Back on my purchase! If my friends make a purchase, I get a commission, too. What a fun way to save and earn money!
The best way I know to save money is….
Get a job that pays LOTS of money, live within your means an d spend responsibility. Then put money in a bank.
In my mind that’s a hell of a lot better than making your own detergent ;-
@ Jamie
It is not always possible to just ‘get a job that pays LOTS of money’. If it were that easy then we would all do it.
Making your own laundry soap really isn’t hard!! I’ve done it for years. For a laundry soap recipe and others go to http://www.savemoneytoday.net!!
To save money on my dental expenses i go to http://www.dentalpricecompare.com. It shows the average prices for dental procedures based on your zip code. That way you can see if you’re getting a good deal or being charged more than necessary.
I use the library for everything–books, cd’s and dvd’s (they have new ones that are the same as any rentals) and they have a coupon swap box were you can take or leave coupons.
Another MONEY SAVING tips that I can share is this 1-800-411 SAVE. I just learned about this service and its really free..Now, I can save huge from my phone bill especially when searching for information thru an operator…I actually had a great time searching for my old friends yesterday using this free service. didn’t imagine I can get in touch with most of them that’s why I also would like to thank those operator who patiently assisted me even if am not sure with the information i gave them. Well to my amazement, they found most my them fast and accurate. Thank you reallv!…….one more thing I would like to share is the directions that they provided me when I got lost finding that restaurant where we used to dine in years ago.That was awesome!!.. And I got those informations for FREE. Isn’t that amazing?
always shop around and look for better deals on your utilities.
this market is very competitive and you should do regular comparisons to ensure you are always on the most competitive tariff.
I get many enquiries through my website with people paying a primary rate of 22p for each kilowatt hour ont heir electricity. In many instances I have brought this down to a flat rate of approximately 10p each.
the rising cost of energy is hitting every home owner in the pocket so more disposable income, a pay rise and and excellent cost free investment is worth it.
regards
All great tips so far! I came across http://www.smarthealthbuyer.com . It says that its a way to compare health prices and get the average price based on your location for things like chiropractic, cosmetic surgery, dental, and other things too.
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Thanks for the list! Interesting on the candles. Do you have a feel for how much you save by using candles for light? I definitely have found savings by buying generic as well. Check out my list of savings tips! I’m going to add some of yours to my list.
Thanks
This is great stuff. I have one thing to add. I joined DirectBuy in 2006 and have found it to be a great money saving tool. My husband and I buy just about everything for our home at DirectBuy. Check them out for yourself at http://www.directbuylosangeles.com.
Going to my parents house to eat their food saves me quite a bit.
My mums buys me buiscuits and i dont think i should be eating so many, so i end up not going there so much.
I save money by giving the old heave ho to AT&T for local and long distance services on my residential landline. I switched to VoIP.
Cheap residential phone costs compared to your local telephone service provider and great for long distance.
I don’t buy soft drinks at fast food or dine-in restaurants. I drink free coffee, tea and water at work all day. I buy generic 12-packs of soda, such as ‘Big K’ at Kroger – they have flavors that taste like Coke, Sprite and many others. I take those with me for lunch when I want a drink – they cost about 20-cents each. At dine-in restaurants I order water with lemon. I can’t stand to pay for a drink plus a tax and a tip on top of that. I think I save a lot of money every week on drinks!
5 steps that my wife and I took to trim about $300 off our monthly budget by doing the following:
1)Quit the Gym (doing more walks, hikes, pushups, etc)
2)Dropped Qwest home phone and switched to Comcast Digital Voice (almost free since we already have cable and internet bundle)
3)Got cheaper auto insurance at one of those online quotes sites http://www.insurancequotehelp.com
4)Cancelled Sprint cell phone plan and switched to a pay as you go plan (we dont use much mins anyway)
5)Instead of buying books, we go to library.
We are really no worse off at all from these cuts but certainly it helped our budget.
Good for you and your wife Van.
Nice article, another way to save money is with the new CDRP just released in the US and approved in all 50 states. The CDRP Collision Deductible Reserve Plan can save a family up to 40% on their auto insurance.
Also make sure you max out your companies 401K deductions. Once you start you will not miss the money and if your company matches a percent then you have an immediate gain already set aside for retirement.
I save about $120 per month on pain meds and massage for my back and sciatica by using these Advita Energy Bands for pain and recovery.
Not sure how they work but when mine first arrived my sciatica was hurting real bad I put on a comfort band got in the car to go to lunch and when I got out of the car 5 min later my back did not hurt. I could not believe it. I have never had this happen with the pain pills which make me feel slow to boot. I stopped using the bands one week just to see and the pain was back so they work for me.
They do offer a 30 day guarantee and I use the sleep discs to help insomnia too.
this list was very helpful. i was impressed. it opened my eyes to many things i do everything that i can do in different ways to save money.
@lynette, after reading this blog,I have learnt a lot on how to deal with my finances. Even with my experience as a risk analyst,I still visit Lulu’s blog to get some tips.
@ Current Accounts
Share some of your strategies with us. I am sure as a professional you have a better insight….than someone like me who just stumbled along making mistakes and then writing about them. 🙂
Great list!
Pascale
Should have added Invest in retirement program before taxes.
Bill M’s last blog post..Investing 101: True Cost of $1,000 Computer
@ Bill
I cannot add that in the list because it is not something that I have PERSONALLY done. this list is the things I do every day….not a list of what everyone should do.
When I start investing I guess I can list that…but thanks for the tip.
I use coupons, raised the deductable on my car insurance so the monthly payment is cheaper, watch free TV online, pay $5 a month for my cell phone service and lots of other things. You can see more in my article here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4618264_spend-less-save-more-money.html
Cindy’s last blog post..Watching Free Movies Online – Legally
I use coupons, raised the deductable on my car insurance so the monthly payment is cheaper, watch free TV online, pay $5 a month for my cell phone service and lots of other things. You can see more in my article here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4618264_spend-less-save-more-money.html
Unfortunately I cannot raise the deductible on my car insurance because the terms of my loan forbid it. Bah!
Hi Everyone!!
I just found this website and I must say, it’s awesome meeting new people who are frugal. I am trying to do my best at cutting down my expenses and paying off the dreaded credit card bills. Hopefully with everyone’s suggestions I will be able to do that asap.
My favorite way of saving money is CVS. Their bonus bucks make it oh so good. I once had a total of $75 and after all the extra care bucks, it came out to be $1.10
I take the cooking food for a week one step further, I usually make enough plates for 5 meals a week for a month. That way I am only cooking 2 days a week, not only does it save money but time as well. I also use my credit card like a debit card so as soon as the charge shows up I pay it. Just a tip about PayPal, if you use your bank account for purchasing goods PayPal usually charges a $1 fee per transaction so a lot of purchases could end up costing you a lot of lost money to the PayPal bank account.
After reading your post I want to sign up for a ING savings account. COuld you please email the invite for the bonus?
thank you
Jenn
I:
stopped using paper napkins and use cloth ones
make my own laundry detergent
opened a high interest savings account at a “virtual” bank online
buy dry cat food in bulk
ASK for lower rates (I lowered my phone bill by $25/month just by asking!)
do market research sessions ($100 for one session next month)
fill in rebates
use coupons (only for stuff I’d already buy) combined with sales
sell old stuff on ebay
donate other stuff (helps folks and lowers my taxes, too)
buy bulk toilet paper, tissue and paper towels from janitorial suppliers online
ALWAYS search for online coupon/discount codes when shopping online (saved $20 just by googling for one today)
make my own bread
makes pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, etc. instead of buying RTE cereals
I created spreadsheets analyzing costs for toilet paper, tissue, and paper towels. Sounds crazy, I know BUT I found out (for example) some tissue costs over FOUR TIMES another tissue — 400% more for something you just wipe your nose with and throw away!
For all of these paper items, manufacturers use different sizes (even for toilet paper sheets!), different number of sheets per roll or box, etc. that make it difficult to judge one against another. Now with my spreadsheets I can really see COST PER AREA of these items. It was eye-opening to me.
A few ways we’ve saved:
1. We didn’t cut the cable, (we have bundled high speed, cable and phone service) we called the company and asked for a “rebundle” of the same services. sure enough, same services, but $30/mo cheaper.
2. We called our credit cards and asked for a lower rate. Excellent results.
3. We started buying green (unroasted) coffee at a local African Market and roasting it ourselves. Better product $2 per pound.
4. I got laid off. Initally, I thought this would be our financial demise, but it’s saving a fortune, even though I had a good job. I now cook meals at home, shop in bulk (with restraint), have the kids out of daycare and we don’t ever eat out due to overtime. While we’re making 1/2 of what we were, it feels like 2x as much. In just three months we’ve gotten ahead in paying off our debts by $16,000 and we’re months ahead of schedule.
5. We track everything we spend in Mint.com and we’re accountable to it. (Slashed our food budget twice in half in successive months this way).
I’ve blogged about our experiences both cutting spending and starting savings at http://www.pennywisefamily.blogspot.com. Love your blog–these are great tips.
Great article! One way that you can save money is by using gas and grocery certificates and rebates. Every time you shop at select stores, you can receive either a gas or food coupon. Also, if you’re a business owner, you can offer your customer rebates.
WATCH OUT FOR THESE. Most of these gas and grocery rebates are SCAMS. If you don’t believe me, Google “Tidewater Marketing”, “BBZ Resource Management”, “Incentive International”, “My Free Travel”, etc., and maybe add the word “scam” or “fraud” to your search to see for yourself.
ALL of the above companies were in the gas and grocery rebate business, and they took a LOT of money from businesses and in some cases, they took money from consumers in the form of an “entry fee”, and they never deliver the rebates they promise before going out of business. These scam artists then open up a new business in a new location and start the same scam operation all over again. Evidently, they can’t be sued personally because they hide behind LLCs. It’s hard to prove that they DELIBERATELY defrauded their customers because they can claim that they thought their business model will work, but they just weren’t prepared for the demand for the rebates and they just couldn’t keep up. You’d think the repetitive pattern of excuses would eventually make it quite obvious that their fraud is deliberate — I’d love to see some of these scam artists go to jail. Crystal Clark, the CEO of Tidewater Marketing, might end up there — her case appears to be pending as of this time.
We have also enjoyed the benifts of a one income family. But living in a lower cost of living area has made a cheap life possible. How else could a family of five live off $2000 a month and still have extra? We have found making a menu based off store sales flyers has cut grocery budgets. We dropped a second car and bought a motorcycle ( my hubby still owes me for that one). Try using viegar as a fabric softener (there is no funny smell)
Nice post
A budget is a spending plan that includes everything you will spend money on. A good budget is a spending plan that includes everything you will spend money on and stays within your income.
Budgeting tips, information, advice, and resources to help you set up a successful budget and stay motivated.
Budgeting is something that many of us don’t like to consider as we think it will tie us down. But if you really stop and think about it, budgeting is simply a means of looking at your income and expenditure and deciding on what is most important to you.
When I run the dishwasher, I run it at night and I set it to air dry… doesn’t take the electricity to heat the dishwasher to dry the dishes & they are pretty dry by morning when I put them away.
There is a great money saver out there that does not require a major sacrifice…purchase a “Navy Showerhead” with a “soap up shut off valve”. It will save you several hundred a year on your water bill without having to hurry out of the shower. The shut off valve is great for when you are trying to shave your legs…that way you can keep the shaving gel on your legs instead of it rinsing off. If you search for low-flow shower head on the internet it will come up with a very small plain looking showerhead…that is the one. It usually only costs $10.00—and it is sooo worth buying!
Hi LuLuGal, First time here and I’ve enjoyed along with gathered many interesting ways to say money. Some I already try to stick to and some I’ve never even thought of, so it was a fun list & educational. I didn’t get the PayPal concept though but I will have to go over to my PPacct. and check out what you all are talking about. I do agree with the buying in bulk, one must watch itself on that one. I know a certain someone who was stuck with loads of rice enough to feed a village. I won’t mention any names but she did learn her lesson, and yes she did help feed part of a village so to speak. Thanks for the helpful list. JJ
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For me, the biggest obstacle in saving money seemed to be credit card. However, by now I’ve learnt how to use it to my advantage. I also learned how to get those 0% cashbacks, it’s my time to rip off the banks! Hehe..:p
That’s valuable stuff right there. Just started a blog and I think that I would learning further from this blog!
Tips To Save Money’s last blog post..5 Ways To Save Money While Getting Out Of Recession
To save money at home I turn off any light I don’t need.
I know it sounds dumb but a lot of people leave the kitchen light on or use two lights in one room. You have to turn the light off as soon as you leave a room.
Also, I don’t use anything that needs plugged in like the air freshener or night lights. I unplug anything I don’t use (and it prevents fire.. I remember this story about a toaster that caused a fire and burnt the house down ..)
Also, I don’t turn my heat on as soon as it gets chilly, I put a sweatshirt on!
At night I turn my heat down too (or when I am not home), I add a cover. I sleep way better that way and it saves me money.
Ooh i like this list!
I totally agree with the one about sticking to a list that you have made – straying from that list is the easiest way to start building up the debt!
oneadvice’s last blog post..Planning a Debt-Free Wedding
If you are around a college town or big city, you can earn a few extra bucks by participating in experiments or donating plasma. Experiments usually just consist of answering questions, and usually pay about 7-10 dollars an hour. You can look for a close BioLife location to donate plasma. In our town, they pay over 25 dollars every time you visit, and you can go twice a week (though I can’t go that often…).
Great list! I will start doing some of these things.
Another way to save money is to always consider Total Cost of Ownership when buying an equipment. A good example is when you’re buying a printer. Don’t just make a purchase based on the printer’s price, but also consider the cost of the printer’s ink. Sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with replacing the cartridges. Make sure that does not cost you a fortune. See my post about Total Cost of Ownership here —
PrintCountry’s last blog post..PecoBOO Watches Your Energy Use
Good ways to save money. Try to avoid restaurant food and save money. Thanks for information.
Will Part 2, number 4 save you or me money 🙂
Joking aside, this is a great list.
“Do not buy things from vending machines” But but… Alright if you say so 🙂 On another note the last few times I used a vending machine the machine stole my money, talk about throwing your money away…
Shop at the supermarket just before it shuts. Often meat, fruit and vegetables or bakery items are marked down.
Another way I try to save money is washing & reusing plastic baggies…I try not to buy them at all but sometimes you need to to freeze things. I also unplug appliances & chargers that are not in use. I like the generic product idea as I have been doing that for years. (Sometimes you can’t tell the difference, sometimes you can!!) And I ALWAYS save my pennies! 🙂
This is such an impressive list – and the recommendations from readers is amazing. I’ve noted a few of the tips like clothes swapping and total cost of ownership is another great point that really gets overlooked in the purchasing process. Thanks for the tips Lulu and all your readers!
I posted “NO SOLICITING” signs on both my front and back doors. This way the peddlers give me a pass. In the past I’ve been a sucker for those aggressive door to door salesmen selling their overpriced goods and services.
I always pay off my credit card balance in full each month, but haven’t used my credit card in over a year. I always pay cash for local purchases, since local is where a lot of card fraud happens. And I always pay cash at restaurants, even if out of town (again, lots of card fraud occurs at restaurants), but have cut way down on eating out.
Cool list! Which is the top 3 that saves you the most amount of money you think?
Great blog! Very Educational!
Thanks for giving us your list of such nice ideas of money saving tips. I agree with you, there are so many ways to save money; we just have to educate ourselves and live better live without Financial Problems.
In my opinion every ideas that you mentioned here is valuable, for me the number #1 is get rid of credit cards
There are other very easy ways to save money like; Cut down on eating out try to cook at home often, avoiding restaurant food and save money
Man!!! This information on savings is awesome and really helpful.. Much appreciated on this!
I think I will print this off and stick it to my toilet door on the back! 🙂
the best way to start saving money is to pay off all your debt if you look at how much interst you loose when you owe someone money its horrible. work out a budget to pay extra on all you debt every month don’t stray away for any reason if you have to be extremely frugal because you’re low on money that’s a good thing because in the end once your debts paid off you will have a ton of extra cash that you can know use to put in savings and investments.
buy generic everything as far as food it taste pretty much the same.
As far as clothes go if you don’t need them don’t buy them i haven’t really bought any clothes in the last several years if you take care of your clothes you wont need to be constantly be buying more. And as far as the latest styles go…. WHO CARES!!! shorts and tee shirts or jeans and tshirts have yet to go out of style and they last a very long time.
electricity—don’t run the AC or heater full blast all day turn your AC up or heater down when you are at work it saved me a ton of money over the last year.
don’t ever pay full price for anything buy things on sale and if they are not on sale ask for a discount make something up keep egging the cashier on for a discount they’ll give it to you. exp. i bought two bottles of tommy cologna for less then the price of one bottle i just kept asking the girl if that was the best deal she could get me!
don’t eat out at all this is a huge waste of money. $6 for breakfast $10+ for lunch just for one person add that up over a year that’s $5840 you wasted which you could use in saving or paying off debt!
Quit drink Alchohal!! I did it and it has saved me soo much money a cheap 18 pack of beer is $12 buy that once a week and you wasted $624
If you do eat out DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP!!! a beer is $5 and bottle water is like $3 or more!
also don’t buy appetizers you don’t need them all they do is make you FAT if you think you need them because you don’t get full off your meal then just go hungry!! chew some gum! drink some water you’ll loose a ton of wait and not be hungry all the time.
By the way if you drink a ton of water, chew gum and stay BUSY all the time you won’t think about eating and you’ll not be hungry thus saving money by not “literally” flushing it down the toilet plus you will loose wait! TRUE FACT
If you don’t need to have it don’t buy it!
Don’t go to BARS this saved me hundreds a month!
get a hobby so you’re not bored like for me i play guitar. i stay home i don’t spend money and i have something to do.
lower your cell phone bill try to find a carrier who offers everything you have at a cheaper rate.
there are more things you can do you just have to think them up yourself these are just things i do.
Great post Ellis!! Very right in what you say…. pay off that darn debt!
My local used book store has a rental club. You can rent any paperback for 50 cents and any hardback for a dollar. It has a three week return policy, but she doesn’t enforce it (I rent a lot!). Check your used book store to see if they have a rental club. The library is also a great place to not only check out books but videos too!
lol i cook with candlelight, it gives food a nice smokey flavor.
You have some great practical tips here and a lot of people have added more. That is good. Here is one more.
You probably already are aware that there are new credit card laws now in effect. Be aware, however, that new ways to rip people off are already on the way from the companies that are now taking a big loss. Stay tuned to news articles that reveal some of these tricks to avoid paying more money than you should.
Here is a link to an article entitled Six Powerful Money Saving Strategies. Find it at:
building-personal-savings.suite101.com/article.cfm/six-powerful-money-saving-strategies
i put as much $$ on my visa worldpoints credit card as i can every month (and promptly pay it all off) and i use my bonus points to pay for all of my nice work clothes at authorized stores. i shop at a nearby banana republic outlet, around the holidays when all items are discounted another 40%, and pay with my banana card which gives me additional savings and points toward free giftcards at banana republic. it’s really a steal!!
Great way to make the most of your points!!! Just be careful not to overspend just to bump up that point bonus in the end.
I way I have been saving money is by swapping my cellphone contract for a prepaid deal. I use net 10 and pay 10 c per minute for my calls. That way I have no extra minutes that I pay for but don’t use, or suprise charges at the end of the month.
@Ben- I know my comment is coming a little late, but I agree with you that switching to NET10 is a great way to save. This is a rough economic time for all, but my husband and I recently decided to not renew our contract and go with NET10’s unlimited plan. We both pay $50 a month, but get unlimited talk, text, web, email, and 411. It’s a small price to pay when we’re both trying to start a business and need to be available to potential clients at all times. They’re also quite flexible. Since there is no contract, you can change the kind of plan you have each month. In December I’ll be taking it easy and going to visit my mother, so I will switch to the $25 a month plan for 750 minutes. Then in January when business picks up again, I can go back to the $50 plan without penalty. It’s nice to see that someone else is saving with NET10. I’d recommend it to others looking to save as well.
Using candles, picking up pennies, washing dishes by hand. It sounds like you really know what you’re doing when it comes to saving money. I love it!
Cooking for multiple days is a fantastic tip. Not only does it save money, but also lots of time aswell, and it’s nice to know that at the end of a long day at work you don’t have to stand in the kitchen making a meal!
-Pam.
Yes I think that is one of the reasons I ate out so much. I hated coming home and there was nothing ready so it was easy to call Dominos Pizza.
These are all great tips! In general I try to look for ways to make a big sale work for me, rather than hope that the items I want will be discounted when I need them. For example I will scan a grocery circular to see where the big discounts are, and then think about planning my shopping and meals around those items. Likewise if I am in the market for a new product of some kind, and have some flexibility around brand or features, I will wait to see where the best discounts are being offered and target those opportunities.
Oh man, if only i could follow all of these on a consistent basis i would be loaded. I think if i can just identify a number of highly effective items that i can focus on ill surely get ahead soon. Thanks for the list.
my top tip is get magic jack if you have home phone service
That is an excellent tip! I do not have home phone service but I did get one for a relative who lives out of the country and I would certainly get one if for some strange reason I ever needed to get a house phone again.
I have used magic Jack. It is great and cheap. I only got it so I could have a fax line. I love how cheap it is and I don’t have to pay a monthly bill.
I have always enjoyed following you posts. This is buy far something every one should look at and consider when trying to save money,.
Definitely agree that the Magic Jack is the best for saving cash especially in this recession.
Yeah, I second that. Magic jack is great
Point 4. Use Natural Light is interesting. It’s amazing how much sunlight can heat my house. So, I make sure it shines in during cold weather and is blocked during the summer.
Hi, i just came across your website and love your savings list. My favourite saving tip listed is – Use The Library. We save ALOT on books and even the cost of dvd rentals from dropping into the library on the way home from work, it’s fantastic.
Good point on the vending machines as you not only save money but save a few more bloated pounds. For saving money on my phone bill I switched to a VoIP service (Magic Jack) and haven’t looked back.
I am a big spender and I need to come to this site more often 🙁 I never learn my lesson.. always spending money, especially on food…its true if you buy in bulk you save and if you cook at home you save!
great site with lovely articles 🙂
What about renting college textbooks! My family saved a lot of money this year by renting instead of buying the books we needed for classes. It came out to over 400 dollars in savings in one semester! If you or someone in your family are attending college you should check out the website we used!
http://www.becca.bookrenterstore.com
Love the ideas!
Calling the cable company really does work when asking for cheaper service.
Recently I even called my doctor’s medical network about paying a bill and since I offered to pay it all upfront they gave me 30% off!
Set a Budget
Make a List
Stick to your goals!!!
Hi, i just came across your website and love your savings list. My favourite saving tip listed is – Use The Library. We save ALOT on books and even the cost of dvd rentals from dropping into the library on the way home from work, it’s fantastic.
Hi I just came across your site and love the tips! I’ve negotiated better deals on my cable and cell phone bills for a total savings of $100.00 a month. I then signed up for an esco about 3 yrs ago to lower my gas and electric bills. In the beginning I was saving about $30.00 a month on both bills combined, now I save $ 105.00. The reason I’m saving is the company offers a referral program. Through the years I referred some family and friends and once I reached 15 people they averaged their supply charge and send me a check for that amount. I also received a free hotel voucher when I first signed up.
Another way I save is using sites that “recycle” items. We’ve gotten building supplies when we were working on our home and a shed for the yard all free. I’ll list the sites. Just type in where you live and the offers for your area will come up.
FREE Household Goods:
Freecycle.org
ThrowPlace.com
ReUseItNetwork.org
6DoS.net
TrashNothing.com
That’s an awesome list with really unique ways to save money, I will certainly try to use as many as I can…
This is such an old post, but man was it good! I need the reminders on how and when to save money.
A few of my favorites:
1) Wash laundry only in cold water
2) Incorporate beans into your diet and cut back on meat.
3) Crock pot meals! Then use the leftovers to store away for lunches.
4) Unplug appliances when not in use and turn the water heater down a notch or two.
I have a great way, get a pellet or gas stove. My family got one and in ONLY two years it payed itself off. You buy pellets/gas before winter, one payment, then you sit by the nice cozy fire all winter long with no heating bills to be payed, we save hundreds each year. Fans and open windows during the summer, simple. Save gallons of water a day by shutting off shower or sink water between shampooing/conditioning/brushing your teeth. It also saves the hot water for when you want that hot cocoa by your warm fire. Meat is so expensive while beans which have as much nutritional value is far less expensive. 🙂
That is a great list of ways to save. I don’t think I could stick to everything on the list, But I do a lot of what you do already.
A good way to save a few bucks at the grocery store is to pick up the cooked bone out ham from the meat section when it is on sale and have the deli slice for lunch meat for free. When you get home separate it into sip top bags and freeze. It is a lot cheaper then buying deli meat and is better quality then the cheep deli meat.
Go to the warehouse stores to buy bulk with a friend. Split the bill and the items. That way you can get the bulk prices on different items and not end up with more then you can eat before it expires.
If you carry any debt, focus on consolidating it to a lower interest and paying it off as soon as possible. Money paid in interest is money thrown away! Why spend your hard-earned cash to make the financial institutions rich?
I try to buy in bulk more than the others. Most of those things I already do by habit. This was helpful though.
Couple of good suggestions. I would say not buying things on a whim (vending machines) and waiting for a good sale is an easy way for people to save few extra bucks a week.
A good way to save money that I use is whenever i get a little extra money I pretend I don’t have it, that way I always have extra money if I need it.
That is an excellent way to stay on budget and build up a buffer for those rough times.
This list will be on my list this coming 2013. Thanks for the share, I hope this will work for me.
Thanks for stopping by Edward and I do hope that some of the tips help you out in the new year!!!
Love the free samples idea! I know that whenever I order anything from Sephora they give me a selection of samples to choose from – I usually get to pick 3.
I read about the foam insulation kits for electrical outlets and light switches on exterior walls. So I looked at the HD website and found the packages of 14 was $2.48. So I went to the store and the only had packages of 6 for slightly less money. So, I ordered them online and had them shipped to the store for free. However, the child safety plugs for the electrical outlets was cheaper at the store than online.
The moral of the story, shop around and that includes both online and brick and mortar stores.
I also get a penny back for every dollar spent online at the store through swagbucks.
This won’t make me rich, but it is one thing that I can do.
I saved my money reducing my unwanted costs such as buying clothes every month, using public transportation services. Thanks for these valuable ideas. Now I’m gonna reduce my unwanted costs more.
That’s great you were able to save money like that. I moved to an area where the public transportation system is dismal and I have to work early so it just won’t work for me.
I like the article. It’s very useful. Great job. keep it up. I read the article top to bottom.
One of the ways I save money is by reading other people’s money-saving website! ? Lots of great tips here!
Thanks for stopping by. I am glad you found something useful.
Great article about saving money. I read the article twice. I like the article. Great job. keep it up.
Thanks for sharing amazing post
That’s an awesome list, really like it. Thanks for sharing