Saving Money, Tips and Tricks.

[Colt Carbine]

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

Learning the skills and purchasing the tools necessary to repair your own vehicle and being the general contractor for all your home maintenance, repairs and remodeling will save a person tens of thousands of dollars over one's lifetime.

The return on investment from the tools purchased far exceeds the purchase price.

Acquiring the knowledge necessary is time well spent learning something one can add to their ever expanding toolbox.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Learning the skills and purchasing the tools necessary to repair your own vehicle and being the general contractor for all your home maintenance, repairs and remodeling will save a person tens of thousands of dollars over one's lifetime.

The return on investment from the tools purchased far exceeds the purchase price.

Acquiring the knowledge necessary is time well spent learning something one can add to their ever expanding toolbox.

Having a garage space to do all this helps immensely.

 

[P7M13]

Back in'em oldern days… we usstah says… Penny blow'n on yer penny whistle was a gūd time.

FIFY

 

[Catfishmoon]

About 1/3 of my income comes right off the top of my paycheck for taxes, deductions, retirement account contributions..... The best financial lesson I've learned, based on that math is "For every dollar you don't spend, it's a dollar-fifty you don't have to earn." If something costs $10, that really means I had to work $15 to pay for it. If something costs $100, that really means I had to work $150 to pay for it. If something costs $10K, that really means I had to work $15K to pay for it.

That lesson really helps you be more frugal in day to day spending and also helps put the value of "DIY" into greater perspective. If an auto mechanic is going to charge me $500, that's really $750 that I had to earn on the clock to pay for that repair. If the part is only $150 and I can do the labor myself, that's really like saving $525 of earned income, not the face value $350. I was quoted $1,000/cubic yard of soil that needed to be dug out of my crawlspace. I spent ten days on my belly digging out ~20 yards of soil. That's like not having to earn $30K, not just saving the face value of $20K.

You make a very good point, but I think it requires making even more than $15 in order to have $10 you can spend...
In addition to the 1/3 that comes right off the top, there are multiple mandatory expenses involved in earning the $15. I have to travel to the worksite, I have to eat while I make that days wages, I require shelter that night so I can return to work the next day, etc.
I have to earn quite a bit to have $10 of disposable income.

 

[Jay Walk]

CASH ONLY, for all discretionary spending, Will save you a butt load.
Too much pain when you are parting with actual currency and can feel it disappearing.

That being said, if I could somehow get banned from the Bi-Mart ammo counter, that would substantially increase my mad money reserves.

 

[nforest]

Figure out what you want and work backward from there. Buy what you want by saving up and getting exactly that.

Don't be cheap with items between you and the ground. Boots, beds, tires, etc.

Cook at home and enjoy it.

Buy a vacuum sealer at a thrift shop, buy bags online in bulk. Buy food in bulk and partition up and seal.

Prep by buying the items that you already use in bulk, not things that you are not going to use/eat.