Ways in which you save money every day..

[Ryland]

Buy stuff that you always use in bulk, soap, toilet paper, cheese, pasta, oat meal, lumber, it often costs much less and even if it costs you the same per item if you know you are going to use it then it saves you a trip and can mean that you can ride a bike next time because you don't need to stop at a store.
Trade skills and time, I helped teach a friend to fix his motorcycle, he helped me cut firewood, we both came out ahead.
Cook with others, it creates fewer dishes to wash, fewer ovens are turned on and there is someone to talk to while you eat.
Share, not everyone needs to own a truck, or a trailer or alot of other big items that tend to spend alot of time sitting.
Buy quality, I stopped shopping at Advanced Auto and to Wal-Mart for the same reason, that is I spent to much time returning products to them that were of substandard quality.

[trebuchet03]

Food is an interesting subject.... Crap in, crap out... The better the quality, the healthier you'll end up - this, of course, within limits. The point is, eating crap isn't saving you anything.

I stopped eating ramen noodles from those 10 cent prepackaged bicks four years ago... Ya, it's freaking cheap - but my new diet (which isn't just removing ramen) has really paid off in the number of times I get sick... I used to get sick about 4 times a year (1 really hard core, then 3 annoying colds). I've now skipped the whole nasty cold part and only have a nagging annoying cold 1 or 2 times a year... This is, perhaps, causality - but it's 4 years in the running That, and I don't think anyone is going to argue that eating crappy chemical and overly processed foods is good for you. You're not saving any money if you're not maintaining good health.

So raw foods are cheap! Cooking yourself is just awesome in that I can get Broccoli in San Francisco for 75 cents a pound Florets go into stir fry - stalks are shaved for brocoslaw

And I second the water comment... Although, variety is the spice of life So throwing in juice, beer, or perhaps the occasional soda should be fine as long as it's not habitual (perhaps avoiding caffeine is recommended). You have to weigh it yourself - Quality of Life versus Quantity of Dollars

2. Stay unmarried. If men looked at marriage as objectively as everything else, jewelry stores, bridal shops and divorce attorneys would be out of work tomorrow.

Meh - just be objective with relationships Eventually - I'd like to get married... I've been dating the same woman for three years and don't have a thing about buying all that crazy garbage... Nor does she expect it. We do, infrequently, get each other gifts - but it's small and practical stuff and as I said, infrequent


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This hasn't been mentioned.... Thrift/goodwill stores Last week I got a 32oz Nalgene bottle for 50 cents! WooHoo Urban Ore in East Bay!

You can totally drop cable service I've been living without TV for awhile and am totally loving it Aside from right now (on an adrenaline rush from a bike ride), I go to bed a little earlier and am generally not sucked into it.... It's been awesome. Several friends of mine don't have TV's in their house at all Save time, electricity and monthly cable fees.

And lastly, dumpster dipping for the win When I'm in east bay, I stop behind an organic bakery and grab some fresh day old bread... Everything is in paper (occasionally plastic) bags - I'll grab some for me, then the office - throw it in a bag on my bike and head off A friend of mine gets dough nuts from some dough nut shop in Orlando - I guess that's fine occasionally, but that's a lot of crap in a deliciously addictive package Checking out local universities (if applicable) at move out time will yield some awesome stuff too... I scored a sweet vacuum pump that was in the trash It weighs 85 pounds (without motor) and pulls a vacuum down to .19psi from absolute zero (this is a 10 torr pump). And yes, I've been in the market for a vacuum pump

[Arminius]

2. Stay unmarried.

[Compaq888]

AHAHAHHA I like where this thread is going!

At walmart I only buy higiene products, and movies for dirt cheap.

I like the unmarried part.
I have a motto

no pets, no girlfriend, no wife.
I'd like to be in a relationship but all my friends convinced not to get into one and I've never had so much fun. I don't have to call anybody and tell them where I am, why I'm there or what i'll be doing later. And pets you got to buy them food, shower them with attention and take them to the vet.

I have a LCD tv but the only time it gets used is when my friends come over and want to play some video games. It usually just sits there and collects dust. I had cable but it was $30 a month, I barely watched it and it's a waste of time when I can study for the next exam or go out and exercise.

I got to agree on the credit card balance, if you got one then you got to think how many hours do I have to work to pay it off...I could be saving money!

[Arminius]

Hey, what about the credit card rebate. That's worth $$$. Just pay off the balance each month.

[tasdrouille]

I don't think marriage and family should be regarded with a financial perspective. I'm getting married in 5 weeks, and although getting married surely costs quite a bit, you gain something else. As a bonus, you might get to live longer.

Anyway, if you're going to say staying unmarried is a good money saving tip, not having kids is an even better one.

[JohnnyGrey]

no pets, no girlfriend, no wife.

I'd like to be in a relationship but all my friends convinced not to get into one and I've never had so much fun. I don't have to call anybody and tell them where I am, why I'm there or what i'll be doing later.

Exactly! When you're in a relationshi*, your cell phone becomes a ball and chain.

And pets you got to buy them food, shower them with attention and take them to the vet.

Well certain pets have their merits. If I lived alone, I'd consider raising a German Shepherd pup. They're a good balance of brains, aggression and muscle, that make for a good companion and watch/attack dog. When I'm away at work, the house would be empty and an otherwise inviting target for thieves. At night, I could sleep well knowing that the dog would wake me up in time to grab the AR if something should go bump in the night. Plus, he'd always be happy to see me.

I don't think marriage and family should be regarded with a financial perspective. I'm getting married in 5 weeks

And that's why 60% of people like you end up losing 70% of your net worth and earnings to women who hate you and kids you don't see. I know, you're special, you're not like those other people. You have a true love nobody could possibly understand. Nothing gets you into more trouble than the belief that you're somehow different or special from everybody else. You still have time, and you owe it to yourself to read this book. Please, it could save your life.

As a bonus, you might get to live longer.

How long you live has nothing to do with having a document sitting in the courthouse with your name on it. Remember that we do not have data of what happens to people our age and how long we're going to live. The only data we have is from boomers, who were married in another time, that may as well have been another planet.

This is why your article is basically a crock of poo:

Married couples are more likely to live to an old age than their divorced, widowed or un-married counterparts, a new US study claims.

1. The statement applies to married COUPLES not married MEN. Stressful jobs reduce our life expectancies. If you're married and working your tail off to buy the wife things, put the kids through school and make payments on a McMansion or SUV, you will likely work yourself to a heart attack. She'll probably live longer on your life insurance to cancel your shortened life expectancy out though.

2. The data is tainted because it includes the deaths of men who were younger than typical marriage age. Plenty of 18 year olds die. Whether they intended to marry later in life is not quantified. Exclude men who died under the age of 35 and then get back to me on who lives longer.

3. The data is only relevant for boomers. A lot of things have changed since their time that will likely affect how long you live. Attitudes towards marriage, divorce, etc. The fact that women back then knew how to cook nutritious meals. If you marry a modern American woman, you'll probably be eating the same crap the average college guy eats, which will close that gap.

4. Research the statistics related to male suicides. Look at how many divorced men off themselves vs how many unmarried men do. Then realize that there's a 60% chance that you will fall into the divorced category, and that you have zero control over this due to no-fault divorce.

5. If you have any risky hobbies like motorcycling, your wife will probably put and end to those. If you need someone to tell you what's dangerous and what's not, it's far cheaper to move back home with your mother.

Besides "might get to live longer", what other benefits are you reaping by putting your entire life and net worth on the line?

[esmith2039]

Originally Posted by Arminius

I'll admit I laughed.. but seriously my wife is fairly frugal. Now my kid is one month old and I'll be paying his hospital bills for many years

[Compaq888]

JohnnyGrey is right.

My depression, and health improved after I stopped giving a **** about woman. I used to think will she call me, why won't she go out, or why are those girls quiet today, did I do something wrong?

Now I just don't care. If she doesn't call then another one will call me. There are plenty out there. All marriage is you signing a paper that she can take half your ****. There are plenty of couples who live with each other and are not married. Women basically invented marriage.

[tasdrouille]

It looks like quite a lot of people here have had bad relationship experiences in the past. Couples spending their lives hapilly together are not all that uncommon you know. Well, not around here at least.

As far as losing 70% of my net worth in the event of a divorce, I'm not too concerned, she makes twice as much as I do.