Ways in which you save money every day..
 

I want to see if I can pick up some ways and maybe you guys can too..

-eat at home
-hypermile
-carry only cash in the wallet
-look for great deals(online deals, crazy sales)
-bike around the city instead of driving the car
-shop at walmart(stuff is super cheap)
-buying what you need, not what you want

If you eat out drink water. Or just cut out soda and stuff period.
Take home box if you eat out. They always give you to much food and you can have it for lunch the next day.

I'll spend a little more and not go to walmart.

This saved me hundreds of dollars since I adopted this policy in the past year. Not drinking much or any soda at home and while eating out always ordering tap water.

The biggest thing I've done though has to be cutting my electronics habit back...

I save money in just about every part of my life. I buy a lot a stuff at yardsales/ebay/craigslist. Also, I make a point to take a bike ride around the neighborhood on garbage day (I almost always find something cool).

The biggest thing about saving money is getting out of the habit of buying. Shopping for hobby is a bad thing.

I almost bought a flash drive today for $20. I thought:

"do i really need this?" -well it would be nice to have

"can I get it cheaper?" -I guess I can wait it isn't really that important. Maybe i can find on for chap on ebay.

why? Walmart is so cheap.

here is an example a one pack of gum costs 1.29 everywhere, not gum but those things like dentyne ice and yada yada.. at walmart they sell a 3 pack for $1.88

everything in walmart is cheap..i will use any method to save money, even to go somewhere with my parents that way i don't have to go there myself and save a lot of gas.

Here's some info for you to make your own decision. For me it's not always about the money.

Communist Walmart! lol

I hate shopping there because of the long lines of clueless dumbasses that go there.

Here are some of the things I do...

1. Eat wonton soup for lunch. $2.49 for soup, noodles and a 20oz drink! It's hot, filling and will keep you going.

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.

3. Live with other people to share expenses and pool resources. During college, I got by in Philadelphia on $500 a month for years, with enough left to keep beer in the fridge.

4. Cook. During those college years, I kept my wallet full and my waistline small by shopping at the supermarket. You'd be surprised how much more energy you have when you eat green stuff and fresh meat rather than the usual beer and pizza diet.

5. Never, ever carry a credit card balance.

6. Get a cashback credit card. I'm getting 6% back on fuel, supermarket and drugstore purchases for a full year. If you combine this with #5, you end up making money off the credit card company.

7. If you shoot, look into making your own ammo. Ammo prices have gone up faster than gas prices lately!

8. Hang up your clothes to dry outside in good weather. Then throw them in the dryer with an anti-static sheet for 5 minutes with the heater turned off to decrustify them. With the possible exception of A/C, nothing in your house uses more power than the dryer.

9. Consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage on your car. All the insurance company does is spread the pain over a few years via increased premiums. Any claims you file will go on your CLUE report and your rates will go up no matter which company you switch to. Instead set aside some money for the possibility of damage to your vehicle. If you can't afford to fix it, you can't afford to drive it.

Ditto on avoiding Chinamart. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Set your hot water heater at the temperature you take a shower at. Not hotter.

Best place to save money is to look at those regular monthly costs. Do I need more than basic phone service, cell phone, cable TV. As said above, do I need that much insurance.

For groceries, some non-brand stuff is as good as the brand stuff, some isn’t, if you don’t try new stuff you will never learn.

The don’t go shopping suggestion is really the best one. Or you when about to buy something ask yourself do I really need this? or do I need more (shoes, shirts....)

Stay out of the convenience store/vending machines and when you go out don’t spend on the extras. There is nothing like being gouged for a coke at the movies/golf course etc.

Eating out is one of the easiest things to do and the one service that everybody knows how to do themselves. Yet people still spend big money on it.

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.

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 :D 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 :D 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 :)

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 :p


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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 :p 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 :D 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 :D

:eek:

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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:

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?

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 :eek:

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.

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.

There are only two kinds of people, those that have had bad experiences with relationships, and those that will. The fortunate ones had them early when the stakes were low.

What does spending your lives together have to do with getting married? You can do so without the massive exposure.

Yes, but how much does she have, how much does she owe, and how long will she continue to make twice as much as you do?

Relationships are easy if you've got your prioities right and go slow.....real slooow. Measure twice, cut once.

That's got to be the quote of the day. That comment is so true, you have no idea!

:eek: I could find a couple dozen fantastic gals for every guy on here. I can't find the same number of guys for the gals, however. You gotta know who to look for and how to find them. Hint: They are NOT in the bars (usually).

I make a monthly/yearly budget and divide all my expenses into very specific categories. Then I look for ways to minimize each one. A great website I use (it's actually my home-page) is http://www.expenseview.com/

You're the ulimate money saver with no car.

Poop at work. Take the extra milk from school lunch home. Make one trip to buy gas, milk, eggs, cheese, bread, hash browns, and vegetables. Even though I drive more, I save probably a dollar or 5 compared to going to the closer grocery stores.

Now that's cheap! If we're going that cheap, I should probably add recharging your laptop at work.

Don't eat out! Being smart about that can save tons. Dec and Jan my gf and I were on the road a ton, vacation back to Michigan, I had some work travel, we were just gone a lot. So we were eating out on the road, and when home didn't really bother to go grocery shopping because we knew myself or both of us would be gone again by the end of the week. We each spent over $300/month on meals out those 2 months. That's insane! I know people at work that eat lunch out everyday at decent resturants, they probably drop $15-$20 each day on just lunch. I pack mine whenever possible, or eat at the cafeteria.

As for marriage stuff, it's not for everyone, but it works great for some. I know couples that have been together 50+ years, I know others that didn't make it 6 months. You also have to realize that 50% of marriages fail, but that doesn't mean 50% of people that have been married get divorced. Some people try it multiple times. I know one guy at work says his dad is on wife #7!

I not sold on the whole marriage thing for myself though. Used to think I'd get married, have kids, all that jazz. I'd vent, but I shouldn't.....

If you find a stingy hot woman, I don't see how you could use more money. I can't remember how many times I've found food rotten because I had to buy too much. Don't buy many vegetables because unless I ate the stuff everyday, it would be bad before I could eat it all. On the flip side, I spend probably 3-5 dollars on food for dinner when cooking(150 yenfor alfredo sauce, 98 for brocolli, and probably about 80 in chicken), and I can go to the conveyor belt sushi restaurant, and eat for $4.

Do you live with your parents with no utilities to pay?

Sadly, not quite yet. My dad and I have come to a tentative agreement that since the Tempo is our household's "only 2nd car" (even though we do have a truck, and a bunch of collector cars filling the garage), we're going to keep it as an 'emergency vehicle' for a little while longer.

The good news is since I only use it when my dad needs me to do an errand for him, he's paying for the insurance. I still pay the gasoline though. So far this month I've only spent $81.60 in all my expenses and $54 of that was filling up the Tempo at $5/gallon gas :eek:.

So how do you do it? What's your monthly budget like? I'm starting my career in about 12 hours, so I need all the pointers I can get!

My roommate and I went 14 weeks on one roll of toilet paper doing this last summer. Man it feels good to not only save money but get paid to poop.

Seriously, 2.5 rolls a year, until the GF came along. Now it's more like 2 a month, depending on how often she comes over. Funny thing is, I got 16 rolls for my newspaper subscription. Still have a few of them left. A lot of them were given to new teachers two years ago. I don’t think I have ever bought toilet paper since I moved here.

Have roommates a few years until you get your house paid off. Then keep them if you want for some spare income or have a house paid off in no time. Eating out is also a huge expense. If your friends go out, start eating appetizers and water. Its what I do, I usually spend about 4$ including tip for a meal.

Thats still too much.

The biggest thing is not having credit, and living off about 80% of what you make.

Also, I'm completely in line with Johnnygrey. Please folks, listen to the guy. My fathers a divorce lawyer.

My grandpa was a police officer and soldier, and my father deals with people who steal money from their handicapped or mentally challenged parents. Doesn’t mean that everyone is that way. My parents have been married for 30something years, and the GF’s have been married the same.

It just depends on one's definition of marriage.

Living frugally is worthwhile, until it starts becoming a chore. While marriage is arguably a bad thing, I don't think relationships are. Finding love (guy, girl, whatever) is one of life's great opportunities. To keep costs down, go dutch, date women cheaper than you, and realize marriage not a prerequisite for a life-long relationship.

Remember, you only live once. Don't piss it away being cheap. Live smart. Live well.

The best article I've ever seen on the subject.

- LostCause

Read The Millionaire Next Door. Every library has it. There are more millionaires than you think, and they aren't who you think they are.

Many women are stingy... with their own money. Hot women get tons of advances from guys. Guys with money. Guys who offer to spend that money on women, and hot women can afford to shop around. If somehow you end up marrying one of these women, she will still be stingy with her own money, but she'll spend yours like she stole it... which she did.

When you as a man get married, you give up a lot of things...

-The final word on how your money is spent (denying your wife money is now considered domestic violence).

-Your independence. Kiss your friends, hobbies and fun cars goodbye.

-Your money. What you don't realize is that after the flowery ceremony, the two of you form a government-approved corporation. If this corporation is dissolved, not only will you lose at least half of your assets off the bat, but you'll be responsible for maintaining her standard of living as yours is turned upside down. Even if you never get divorced, good luck finding a woman who understands economics, saving, investing, stocks, etc. Most women are emotional spenders and advertisers know this. She won't care that driving a used four cylinder is more sensible than a BMW SUV, her friends have one, and she should have one too. Does she care that it might delay your retirement by 4 years? "2 can live as cheaply as 1" does not apply to marriage, it never did. It's true for male roommates, and true for female roommates, but never for married people. Nobody is more concerned with keeping up with the Joneses than American women. Sorry, but it's true. Mr. Jones is leveraged up to his eyeballs. You really want to keep up with him? Then you have to worry about the vast social network she brings with her, inlaws, friends, nephews, nieces, etc, etc, etc. Don't worry about your weekends, you'll have plenty of weddings, birthday parties, graduation parties, baptisms/bar mitzvahs, anniversaries to attend and buy presents for. How exciting! If you work overtime to pay for all these things, you'll be "emotionally unavailable" and "neglectful". If you don't, you're "unmotivated" and "lazy". The Arabs had a saying... "Women want fried ice".

-Your kids. Father's rights are not respected in this country (whether you're married or not). Unless she happens to have a needle in her arm while in family court, SHE WILL GET THE KIDS and there's nothing you can do about it. Look on TV, women are considered the more parental, responsible sex while men are walking wallets and doofuses. The courts feel the same way. Don't be fooled, just like your money, your kids belong to her and you'll see them only as long as she's gracious enough to extend you the privilege.

Also, if you think you'll get a fair shake in family court because of the gender-neutral language, think again. It's gender neutral in theory, but if you want to see the practice, read that book I recommended. Like I said, it could save your life (I'm talking to you, tasdrouille! There's still time, man.)

So after all these huge liabilities I've listed, I challenge someone to tel me: What benefits does marriage give a man that he can not get while unmarried?

Man, I agree with this stuff for sure!

My gf decided to get a new car (we had been sharing my Jeep since moving out to AZ). We talked about going the next weekend, she had an idea what she wanted and a budget. The next day I came home to a new car in the driveway. It was about double what she intended to spend, and a color she didn't want, but she went at lunch break to look at what they had and just had to get it.

In her defense she'll probably drive it till they don't sell gas anymore. She had her first car 9 years, and every vehicle her family has they bought brand new, including the mint 74 Chevy 3/4 ton truck, mid 70's Vega, 1981 TransVan, and on and on. She was taught to take care of stuff and hold on to it.

And for keeping up with the Jones's, totally right there. Sometimes feel like it's a race between her and her friend's who's going to get married first, and I catch all the grief when someone gets engaged (and probably half of them split before getting married so far). And a house. I agree we need to get out from renting, but do 2 people need to look at $200,000+ 4 bedroom home?

Here's the man-cave I dwelled in before she came along
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...Picture813.jpg
I don't know if that's something to be proud of or not, but I sure liked it. 380 sqft painted concrete floor, slept on the couch for almost a year, and could wrench on my bikes without having to go outside. It was like a garage with a bathroom, which is all I need!