Saving Money, Tips and Tricks.

[arakboss]

Ever since I was a kid money has burned a hole in my pocket. I am finally moving into a period of saving money with the help of my wife. Other than firearm related stuff, I have felt like I have been pretty frugal. But as @FATAL125 pointed out in another thread, there might be some room for improvement.

What have you guys done or are you doing in your lives to save money?

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[nammac]

Control impulse buying. Just stop impulse buying cold turkey. And I'm talking about ALL impulse buying, including those cookies at the grocery store you want but know you don't need.

 

[MTpockets]

Easiest way to save currency, is to not spend it...

<-- My avatar proves that I am an authority on this matter.

 

[CountryGent]

To quote Teddy Roosevelt, "With self-discipline most anything is possible."

 

[Certaindeaf]

Ever since I was a kid money has burned a hole in my pocket. I am finally moving into a period of saving money with the help of my wife. Other than firearm related stuff, I have felt like I have been pretty frugal. But as @FATAL125 pointed out in another thread, there might be some room for improvement.

What have you guys done or are you doing in your lives to save money?

Don't spend money on trinkets and whatnot.

 

[oremike]

The best way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

 

[icarus]

Cutting CC spending and shopping at a discount grocery store like winco. WinCo's pricing is 20-30% cheaper than comparable stores for similar goods, which is non-trivial if you're on a tight budget.

 

[Colt Carbine]

Or

If you don't spend it, you have double the money if you had spent it.

ETA: Awesome somebody beat me to it while posting.

 

[Joe13]

Ever since I was a kid money has burned a hole in my pocket. I am finally moving into a period of saving money with the help of my wife. Other than firearm related stuff, I have felt like I have been pretty frugal. But as @FATAL125 pointed out in another thread, there might be some room for improvement.

What have you guys done or are you doing in your lives to save money?

Well you could quit your job… that will make you start to budget in a real hurry.

BUT when I am working, when I get paid I have a certain amount of money that goes into a separate account in a separate bank that while I have access to it, I do not touch it unless there is an emergency and I have no choice.

The rest goes into a joint account with my wife.


Honestly if you are asking this question then you should search on YouTube for "How to budget your income" to get the closest thing to free professional help if you are not willing to pay one to help you set up a budget.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Eliminate credit card debt. Use CC sure, but make sure the amount is = or less than the income you get.

Stop eating out every week, unless its your marital duty (wife), then don't tell us

Buy used, not new. Or go to liquidation stores. But never pay full prices except groceries, and even then, you can find better deals, say, Grocery Outlet. Winco/Waremart, BiMart.

Sign up for coupons from these stores as well as Roth's IGA, Safeway and Fred Meyer. These places usually will honor most coupons, or try to compete with each other for prices.

Look on Youtube for "extreme couponing"; its somewhat similar to gambling or day trading

 

[arakboss]

Well you could quit your job… that will make you start to budget in a real hurry.

BUT when I am working, when I get paid I have a certain amount of money that goes into a separate account in a separate bank that while I have access to it, I do not touch it unless there is an emergency and I have no choice.

The rest goes into a joint account with my wife.


Honestly if you are asking this question then you should search on YouTube for "How to budget your income" to get the closest thing to free professional help if you are not willing to pay one to help you set up a budget.

I am mostly looking for examples of what other's have done or are doing to save money.

 

[Nosferatu]

Change to lower quality hookers and blow.

 

[Kruel J]

Stop spending money on things you don't need.
Forget about retiring early since you clearly don't have the means.
Prioritize your family over instant gratification. Be less selfish.
Stop spending money on meaningless firearm "experiments".

And lastly, as previously mentioned, cheaper hookers and blow.

 

[JackFrost]

We haven't had a cable/satellite subscription since 2015.
Drink our coffee at home (grind our beans) drip pot.
Haven't been to a restaurant in several years.
No wifi or router charges monthly.
We drive older vehicles so no payments and lower insurance rates.
Don't upgrade our cellphones until we absolutely HAVE to, my wife finally had to get a new phone 3 years ago when her iPhone 6 from 2009 stopped making receiving calls due to Apple stopping support altogether for it.
Sew patches on clothes when they tear/rip etc. Can't remember when the last time I bought a pair of pants.
These are some of the things we do, they aren't popular and when people find out we always get the "are you serious"? . No Starbucks? No sports? No No and no!
Good luck, being frugal is becoming increasingly important and equally difficult.

 

[MTpockets]

The U.S. Dollar has been losing value at an alarming rate, but if you are interested in saving monies.....

• One way is collecting $100 dollar notes. Instead of having a plan or list of the things you will purchase as soon as funds are available, have a cash stack that you can obsess over. Every pay day, or plasma donation, check your cash stack to see how many of those $1's-$5's-$10's-$20's that you can turn into crisp Hundo. Once your stack starts to look healthy, make the goal to put a band on it... and you will have $10,000.00.
• If your current income is low, start by obsessing over making stacks of $20 notes. Band 100 for a nice starter stack of $2000.00

• A way to help keep those monies in the stack pack, is only leave the house with a list of necessary items and leave with only the funds to purchase what is on that list. Also make a mental note (list) of the best route to drive...back tracking wastes monies. Only stop at the businesses on your list. You seem like someone who is a decent list maker.
• Limit your exposure to advertisements. This can help with all kinds of habits...including eating foods that are not good for your health. TV, Internet, Email, Phone Alerts, etc...blast that crap endlessly. (If you need background noise, stream ad-free music)

• Figure out your actual "cost of living" (hint...don't do this if you are suffering any sads). Once you know the average cost of your typical day, it is easier to figure out if you actually have any monies for other items. You can even estimate how much it costs to have that pile of boxes sitting in the corner of the spare bedroom. Housing cost divided by square footage... example $2,000 monthly costs for 1000 sqft = $2/mth per sq ft. Those boxes take up 3 sqft. You are paying $6 per month to have them sitting there.

Once you start obsessing over all these details... You will be able to physically see the monies that you possess. You will know what the average daily cost of living, and also know that bringing unnecessary items into your home requires you to pay for the space that they occupy.

Stay Tuned for MTpockets Money Saving Tips. Monthly Subscribers get access to MTpockets Money Making Tips for just $19.95...order in the next hour and receive a Free Friends and Family Subscription.

 

[Jay Walk]

Get rid of all payments, including the mortgage.

We did it by switching to cash as a monthly budgeting tool.

Out of cash, out of spending money.

 

[nammac]

I am mostly looking for examples of what other's have done or are doing to save money.

Spreadsheet all spending and categorize them accurately, this will give you a picture of your current spending and places that are ripe for conservation, like dining out.

Then make a committed budget and stick to it, everyday, every week, every month.

When grocery shopping, make a list of what you need, stick to that list, don't deviate. It takes lots of discipline, lots. But can be done.

Best of luck on your quest!

 

[HiFi Magnetics]

Control impulse buying. Just stop impulse buying cold turkey. And I'm talking about ALL impulse buying, including those cookies at the grocery store you want but know you don't need.

That's what happen to me. When I got my house, I started buying anything, everything I need and extras. By the time I need the extras after 5 years later. t take a good day to find it and sometimes its not even worth looking for it and I have to buy another one. Funny thing is, t shows up after when you don't need it. There are so much things to organize and catalog that are more pricey like the spare parts for my Austin Healey besides #1 nail, screws or caulking tubes you'll get from home depot. Honestly I easily blew over 30k just for miscellaneous over the years.

 

[arakboss]

The U.S. Dollar has been losing value at an alarming rate, but if you are interested in saving monies.....

• One way is collecting $100 dollar notes. Instead of having a plan or list of the things you will purchase as soon as funds are available, have a cash stack that you can obsess over. Every pay day, or plasma donation, check your cash stack to see how many of those $1's-$5's-$10's-$20's that you can turn into crisp Hundo. Once your stack starts to look healthy, make the goal to put a band on it... and you will have $10,000.00.
• If your current income is low, start by obsessing over making stacks of $20 notes. Band 100 for a nice starter stack of $2000.00

• A way to help keep those monies in the stack pack, is only leave the house with a list of necessary items and leave with only the funds to purchase what is on that list. Also make a mental note (list) of the best route to drive...back tracking wastes monies. Only stop at the businesses on your list. You seem like someone who is a decent list maker.
• Limit your exposure to advertisements. This can help with all kinds of habits...including eating foods that are not good for your health. TV, Internet, Email, Phone Alerts, etc...blast that crap endlessly. (If you need background noise, stream ad-free music)

• Figure out your actual "cost of living" (hint...don't do this if you are suffering any sads). Once you know the average cost of your typical day, it is easier to figure out if you actually have any monies for other items. You can even estimate how much it costs to have that pile of boxes sitting in the corner of the spare bedroom. Housing cost divided by square footage... example $2,000 monthly costs for 1000 sqft = $2/mth per sq ft. Those boxes take up 3 sqft. You are paying $6 per month to have them sitting there.

Once you start obsessing over all these details... You will be able to physically see the monies that you possess. You will know what the average daily cost of living, and also know that bringing unnecessary items into your home requires you to pay for the space that they occupy.

Stay Tuned for MTpockets Money Saving Tips. Monthly Subscribers get access to MTpockets Money Making Tips for just $19.95...order in the next hour and receive a Free Friends and Family Subscription.

? "(hint...don't do this if you are suffering any sads)"

 

[FATAL125]

Change to lower quality hookers and blow.

Ok, now you've crossed the line... this is the worst advise I've ever heard.

Quality hookers and blow are imperative to a long happy life and therefore should not be skipped on. Find other places to cut back, but not here.

If you stick with your favorite suppliers of each of the aforementioned, there are often frequent flyer discounts.