topic Re: favorite way to save $$$ in SmorgasBoard

favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:35:04 GMT

Hi Everyone- I was wondering what everyones favorite way to save money is? I know mine are the local Aveda Institute (Hmmmmm scalp massage!) and food programs like angelfood ministries.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:45:02 GMT

Coupons!

I've literally cut my grocery bills by 2/3 by reading coupon blogs and following coupon plans. Store coupons + manufacturer coupons + double coupons = almost free food. The other day I bought 2 boxes of quaker granola bars for $0.25 each!

The other thing I've done is only dine out at a place that is on the rewards network or has a coupon from restaurant.com (and I buy restaurant.com certificates through a portal, cashbaq.com and get a few % back too) I've also started to use opentable.com to get rewards for booking my reservations online. If you can combine 2 or 3 of the above services, then you've got a GREAT deal (Sucks for the restaurant owners though)

I also bought a tumbler for going out for coffee, that usually saves me $0.10 per cup. (on a $4 tumbler I still have a ways to go to recoup my investment.)

Re: favorite way to save $$$

bicknar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:15:21 GMT

My Wife Does the coupons thing, and saves a Ton of cash. I've learned a bit too. But my favorite way to save money is to not spend it.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

laz98 — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:14:05 GMT

we use some coupons, we cut back on our starbucks (my gf doesn't work there anymore), we stopped eating fast food all the time, we shop sales & clearance, we don't buy our textbooks at the campus bookstore, we compare prices & take advantage of online promotions, etc.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:09:42 GMT

My favorite way to save money is to let my casino host pay for everything (which he willingly does while I'm busy with my favorite way to lose money)!

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:24:00 GMT

I have gotten uber-thrifty and its starting to effect my marriage. lol We no longer go out to eat, we "skipped" christmas, anniversary, and birthday presents for each other this year, i make a grocery list and stick to it, i clip coupons, i made a budget and have given us both an "allowance" for our daily needs like gas and lunch, we got netflix and watch instantly over our blu-ray player rather than go out to movies, I shop online every chance I can and use coupon codes for all of it, etc.

I also horde money away in different places for different things. home safes, several savings accounts, etc. Each has a different purpose, and each is added to every week.

If I don't lighten up a little bit my husband might start stealing from me. lol

Message Edited by newstart2010 on 01-21-2010 10:24 AM

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Jazzzy — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:24:13 GMT

My absolute favorite way to save money is by maximizing my credit card rewards.

This year so far I've gotten a $315 credit on my National City Travel Rewards VISA for an airline ticket.

I have at least two more free flights coming from the AmEx Delta Skymiles that I've built up.

We are now up to over $50/mo cashback from our PenFed VISA.

We use the Discover cashback promotions (x 2 cards), so that adds up to a couple of hundred each year.

Credit card rewards add up to real money, and, for us, it's simply meant making moves like having our Verizon bill charged to our PenFed card rather than having it come directly out of our checking account like we used to do. We still have more bills to transfer over, so the rewards are growing. We don't do it if they want to charge a premium for using a credit card (as our city utilities wanted to do).

And by paying our cards in full, we don't pay interest. I should add that during 2009 I also got > $1k in refunds from our credit card for disupting charges. Credit cards, if used wisely, are great for utilizing rewards and are wonderful protection.

It's a great point in your life when you can go from your credit cards costing you money to the point where they make you money.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:11:55 GMT

@LynetteM wrote:
My absolute favorite way to save money is by maximizing my credit card rewards.

This year so far I've gotten a $315 credit on my National City Travel Rewards VISA for an airline ticket.

I have at least two more free flights coming from the AmEx Delta Skymiles that I've built up.

We are now up to over $50/mo cashback from our PenFed VISA.

We use the Discover cashback promotions (x 2 cards), so that adds up to a couple of hundred each year.

Credit card rewards add up to real money, and, for us, it's simply meant making moves like having our Verizon bill charged to our PenFed card rather than having it come directly out of our checking account like we used to do. We still have more bills to transfer over, so the rewards are growing. We don't do it if they want to charge a premium for using a credit card (as our city utilities wanted to do).

And by paying our cards in full, we don't pay interest. I should add that during 2009 I also got > $1k in refunds from our credit card for disupting charges. Credit cards, if used wisely, are great for utilizing rewards and are wonderful protection.

It's a great point in your life when you can go from your credit cards costing you money to the point where they make you money.

Thats fantastic!! I hope to use the rewards card we are getting through US Bank to pay all of our bills, groceries, gas, etc. we can pay it off each month, but being able to funnel all of that usage through the card will build up greattravel rewards for us!!

Re: favorite way to save $$$

daisyduke — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:09:25 GMT

1. I use all of my products and do not waste anything. I will cut open tubes of toothpaste, facial cleansing products and lotions to get the very last drop. No wasting. I used to be a "beauty junkie" - I'm reformed now, no more excessive products. One bottle at a time is my general rule.

2. I do not eat a lot of food....i pack my lunch every day which is a stupid salad and chix and eat an english muffin for breakfast. I bet I could live one week on $20 if I had to - never buy junk food. Eating less keeps you thin and have more money to spend in other areas...I'd rather have a nice bottle of french wine than bags of cheetos and chips...

3. I try to find the best price on: clothes, only buy them on sale and gas, I research the best prices for fuel..I usually try to stay out of the mall, too much temptation.

I'm probably not saving too much but I try...

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:58:32 GMT

I write a meal plan every week and only shop for things I don't already have, that are necessary to that plan. It has dramatically cut down on the waste. We no longer throw away tons of spoiled/forgtten food from the fridge and pantry.

I organize all of my errands to be run on the same day so that I can cut down on gas.

Also, until this past year, I always paid my credit cards within the grace period so I never paid interest. Of course, then we moved to Europe and paid for it all on my AmEx and Master Cards. We're still paying off that move. Only a little farther to go.

And finally, I have a savings account attached to my checking account and 10% of anything I deposit, I imediately tansfer to savings. You'd be surprised how fast the balance will grow doing that.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

BungalowMo — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:24:38 GMT

My favorite grocery store has finally finished building their associated gas station. I buy all my stuff there & I save .10 per gallon on every $100 I spend in the store. When things I use a lot go on sale, I stock the pantry & the freezer. Last month, my gas was $2.16 per gal for mid grade, which adds up, when I drive 500 miles per week for work!

ALL my change goes in a jar. I roll it & deposit in savings. I also receive a $250 check every mo from work for my vehicle...that goes in savings too.

Things I cannot give up....my mid grade gas & my hot breakfast. A bowl of cereal lasts me about an hour then I'm a low-sugar mess

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:28:45 GMT

My favorite way to save money is not to spend it.

Yes my wife calls me a scrooge!!!

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:44:13 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
My favorite way to save money is not to spend it.

Yes my wife calls me a scrooge!!!

and it's marinevietvet FTW!! Best answer ever.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

keith021 — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:41:32 GMT

I use coupons and consider generic/store brand products. Most generic/store brand products taste the same and sometimes are actually the same products with different labels! My mom worked for a bakery before and said Hostess and Winn Dixie cookies were the same, they just changed the packaging. She brought home a pack of Hostess chocolate chip cookies and Winn Dixie brand; and they taste the same.

I'm picky with which items I do buy that are generic/store brand. EX: yellow American sandwich cheese is something I wouldn’t buy generic/store brand because of the sweet taste; Kraft only! Things like eggs, milk, rice, etc. still pretty much taste the same so why waste money?

Re: favorite way to save $$$

fused — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:45:29 GMT

I do the following to save money:

When I need cloths, I go to second hand stores or dumpster dive

For cheap eats, I buy canned goods, rice, dried beans and frozen meat

When its hot, I don't run the AC or turn on a fan, I like it hot

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:16:19 GMT

We bought a professional set of clippers and I cut my DH's hair ever 3 - 4 weeks.

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:31:37 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
We bought a professional set of clippers and I cut my DH's hair ever 3 - 4 weeks.

I guess that's OK, as long as he's got just that one...

(Couldn't resist, sorry...I was a victim of the infamous "Flobee Experiment" by DW some years back. My barber never lets me forget that!)

Message Edited by Uborrow-Upay on 02-10-2010 07:31 AM

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:18:41 GMT

Uborrow-Upay wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
We bought a professional set of clippers and I cut my DH's hair ever 3 - 4 weeks.

I guess that's OK, as long as he's got just that one...

(Couldn't resist, sorry...I was a victim of the infamous "Flobee Experiment" by DW some years back. My barber never lets me forget that!)
Message Edited by Uborrow-Upay on 02-10-2010 07:31 AM

Orginially we bought a pretty cheap clipper with guide combs to see if this was something I could do. DH has a beautiful head of hair and I was always worried I'd mess it up. We used the cheap set for almost 4 years so when it was dying we decided to splurge for the good clippers. Both our sons have the good clippers and raved about it.

We always wondered about the Flobee...so they don't work?

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:34:26 GMT

mod-moose wrote: "...We always wondered about the Flobee...so they don't work?..."

Oh, the Flobee worked just fine...unfortunately, the "what's in the box" did not include a competent operator, or a "practice head".

Wanna know what I ended up with? Think old gangster movies, at the end where the bad guy finally gets strapped into Ole Sparky. Remember the bald spot on the top of his head where they put his "electric hat"? That's pretty close...

Sounds like you've had plenty of experience to learn how to do it the right way. Good way to save a few bucks, around these parts, a haircut goes for $14 + tip.

mod-moose wrote: "...DH has a beautiful head of hair and I was always worried I'd mess it up..."

My DW doesn't worry about such things!

Enough said.

Message Edited by Uborrow-Upay on 02-11-2010 06:34 AM

Re: favorite way to save $$$

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:43:33 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi Everyone- I was wondering what everyones favorite way to save money is? I know mine are the local Aveda Institute (Hmmmmm scalp massage!) and food programs like angelfood ministries.

Well, I finally got around to doing something I meant to do a few years ago. I replaced every lightbulb inside and outside the house with a CFL. Did this in mid-January.

Got the bill for January's electric, and saved a little over $26 already (and that's for just half a month)! I'm actually looking forward to seeing February's bill now.

Total out-of-pocket for the bulbs was $138. Most of that cost was for the outside floodlights and the inside, dimmable floods. The rest of the bulbs I actually made money on when I bought them because of discount coupons...Lowe's purchase price $7.92, discount coupon included in package: $10 off next purchase.

Figured I'd pass this along.

And I wish I'd done this when I first meant to do it, I bet I'd have at least an extra grand in my pocket right now!