Frugal Cheapskate → Discussion•
Tips to save   11-13>|


elmiraladyNov 1, 2005 11:52am
What are easy ways to save money that you do? Post them here.

-Never buy bookmarks, you can get them free everywhere.
-comparision shopping, garage sales and buying used stuff or borrowing instead of buying new.
-using both sides of the paper.
-using credit card points instead of real money to buy stuff.
-using cash instead of plastic to pay; easier to keep track of how much you have spent so far.
-using the containers of butter for leftovers after they are empty (they stack well).
-not eating out that much.

Sponsor
fantmNov 1, 2005 12:42pm
I disagree with the cash vs credit cards. I use plastic for just about everything, because then I have a record of what I spend it on. We pay off our card each month, though, and if you don't, then it's not a moneysaver. I use my card for everything since I get points for every dollar and then I get that back in the form of cash or gift certs or airline miles.

Wolf-AvengerNov 1, 2005 12:55pm
library for books/films (my library has a very nice interlibrary loan program that will ship any book in the county to my town). Films can be rented for free or very cheap.

Sponsor
nutmegNov 1, 2005 1:15pm
I'm not sure if all of this has any relevance for those of you outside of the UK --

I have a (very good value) broadband contract that also includes free weekend calls to landlines within the UK. This means I don't pay for calls to family and friends - which saves quite a bit.
Still on phone charges - my boyfriend works overseas. I can save a great deal by using a company such as Onetel. However, he pretty much always calls me (he uses inexpensive phone cards) so I save loads that way ;-) If he had broadband we'd save even more!!!

I rarely buy books at cover price. I either look for offers or buy used -- I'm lucky to live close to an excellent used book shop. Buying books is an addiction of mine so I need ways to keep the cost down! The library is good, particularly for fiction by authors I haven't tried yet.

I too buy most things on plastic in order to keep track of what I've spent and where. A monthly direct debit takes care of repayments so I never pay interest.

Paying utility bills online also saves some money.

Sponsor
fantmNov 1, 2005 1:30pm
I buy used CDs and books nearly all the time, from half.com. Very good prices and selection.

I use my cell phone to call long distance as long distance calls (in the US) are free on my plan.

Check out books from the library

Buy foods you use frequently when they are on sale at the grocery store

Sponsor
DMAltermanNov 1, 2005 2:35pm
I use Discover Card to buy everything I can, and they pay me about $250 a year in cash to do so. I always pay the entire bill each month. Do not purchase items unless you have the cash for them up front except for homes and cars. This way one does not pay interest.

-cut coupons.
-the "$20 dollars is $20 dollars rule". One might go around town to save half price on a $40 piece of clothing, but would you try to get $20 off of a car purchase? "$20 is $20 dollars".

- purchase books, DVDs and many other items used. One can learn the real value of things by going to an estate auction...

Sponsor
orderfireNov 2, 2005 7:40am
I used to work at a college bookstore and have friends who still work there in the general books department. Publishers send free copies of new books to bookstores for review & to pump sales before release - these review copies are marked "not for sale, no retail value", etc. We used to get PILES of free first-run, pre-pub books! Still get them now and then when my friends find something they know I'd like. That, the library and used copies from Amazon & Alibris mean never having to pay full price. I hate to undercut sales (knowing that very little of the $$ actually goes to authors) but, hell, I can't afford new books.
So...if you know someone who works in a bookstore, ask them to pass along their review copies to you.

Sponsor
twochrisNov 6, 2005 5:08pm
How about eat non-processed foods. They are usually way cheaper, and way better for you. Instant oatmeal for example is so much more expensive than minute oats and the instant is full of salt, sugar and other preservatives. Minute oatmeal on the other hand is cheap as dirt, and literally cooks up in a minute or two. Eat foods that are in season whenever possible too.

Use re-usable containers to bring things in your lunch. They cost a little more at the start, but they last a very long time.

Breastfeed your baby. In Canada you save more than the cost of two new appliances every year by feeding your baby human milk instead of formula feeding.

Don't buy bottled water. It is a huge waste of money and it is often tap water that has maybe been filtered with a charcoal filter. I heard an interview with Tom Standage about bottled water. He said that if less than a quarter of what we spend on bottled water globally to get safe drinking water for developed nations. My jaw dropped at that. You can read his article here iht.com/articles/2005/08/01/opinion/edstandage.php [iht.com/articles/2005/08/01/opinion/edstandage.php]. He has a blog too tomstandage.com [tomstandage.com].

You people have some great ideas! I have really enjoyed the websites recommended in the discussion in this group too. Thanks for all your input. :)

Wolf-AvengerNov 6, 2005 6:13pm
Bottled water in my town is not a waste of money as we've had multiple scares in the past 3 months. Right now we're waiting test results because they think we have an abnormal amount of E. coli in the water. Yum.
Grains in bulk, oats, rice, pastas are good deals as they keep well and are pretty inexpensive.

Sponsor
twochrisNov 6, 2005 6:48pm
That is pretty scary Wolf-Avenger. Have you considered a UV water treatment system for your house? There is a good article about them on the CMHC site here: cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/burema/gesein/abhose/abhose_069.cfm [cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/burema/gesein/abhose/abhose_069.cfm]. They are pretty pricy but I imagine they are cheaper than bottled water, and the advantage is that if you get a whole house system you are washing your dishes and yourselves in clean water too. I have read that bottled water is often not as safe as municipal water supplies because the testing requirements for bottled water are not a stringent as it is for municipal water. Although if I thought my water had e-coli in it and a UV system was out of the question then bottled water is a good alternative. I feel for you. Contaminated water is a pretty scary thing to have to deal with.


Tips to save   11-13>|