Ideas to save a little (or a lot) of money

I know from reading the posts here and from my own experience that money is very tight for many people.  Some of us can't work or can't find work.  I thought it might be helpful if we started a thread on how to save money--even a little here and there.  I have a few ideas:

--I'm planning a garden and growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, some herbs, peas, beans, and strawberries.  I plant as many as I can in pots on my deck, since it's handy to step outside the kitchen and grab what I need.  There are lots of 'container gardening' seeds available.

--I'm very fussy about any lights that are turned on in the house and don't need to be.  Saves a tiny bit of money to turn them off.

--Thrift stores are great!  We have a local one here and I even found a nice kitty bed for my cats for a couple of dollars.

--our church has a yearly clothing swap--$1 per bag.  Super deal!

--I line dry my clothes after washing them and in the winter I hang them on racks in the basement to dry, then the next day, I put them in the dryer for about 10 minutes, to soften them.

--Am working on some crafts to sell (hopefully) but it's slow going.  Still, I do some every day, if possible, and having a goal keeps me moving!

--hate to buy garbage bags, so I save any other large bag that works. Over-sized bags from Wal-Mart are a favorite.  I've even put garbage in empty birdseed and cat food bags, then stapled the top shut.  And if I get a 'donate' bag in the mail, and I have nothing to donate at the time, I use the bag for garbage. Would rather spend my money on other things than garbage bags!

-I sign up for 'freebies' on sites like Wal-Mart and Target (many other freebie sites online, if you do a search).  One thing about that, though, is that evidently one of the sites I signed up for a while back (not sure which) passed my address, phone and email on and now I get lots of junk mail and telemarketing phone calls.  Still not sure which one; however, they started in like crazy after I requested to be removed from a senator's newsletter. Hmm....

--instead of buying music CDs or tapes, I listen online to my favorites.  I like the Monkees top 100 playlist!   

I hope I can have a real garden this summer, for the first time ever. I have been spacechallenged my adult life. But,Ihope to steal a portion of my brother's garden.

Right now, the basics, tomatoes, eggplants, cuke, squash, and then some fun, swiss chard and melons, and I was salivating over fennel a few days ago. Though that will be too hard for a year one.

We have always done herbs in pots, for years. Thye save money, taste far better.

What a wonderful thread! I too use dogfood bags for garbage. It works well. I save egg cartons and buy farm eggs, they are more expensive than some, but are good and free roaming chickens.

I often buy things in bulk. Make my own jams. I use to can from the garden, but it is hard work now. I still do if I am feeling up to it. I always plant my own beans, though the rabbits got them last year and the cut worms. So that didn't work, but we tried.

I grow my own herbs. That saves a lot of money. Basil, rosemary, thyme and sage. They are so good fresh out of the garden. I keep the rosemary in a pot in the south window. I have had it for two years.

I can't wait to read other good ideas. Wonderful thread!!!

Hugs, Karen

PS I even save scrap paper for writing lists on. I had a cute little memo book that I got from Hallmark as a free gift. But it ran out.

If you have a Kindle or other e-reader, you can get free books to read at www.ereaderiq.com/. Click on "Today's Most Popular Freebies." They also show books that are discounted. They used to have a list that came via email every day, but I guess Amazon shut that down. In all honesty, most of the books I've gotten haven't been that great, but a few have. The history ones are decent. I read a lot of murder mysteries. You just have to weed your way through them. However, if you are a voracious reader and are broke, it's a good deal.

When we eat out (which isn't often now), we drink water. That saves a lot of money. Also, when we eat out at steak houses for birthdays or anniversaries, I order the largest steak and then save most of it to eat later, so I get two meals out of one.

Another thing we do is to use the same bath towel several times in a row. I can't see using a new towel each time we shower.

We try to keep the freezer stocked with meat that we've bought on sale. We'll buy a large amount and repackage it into ziplock bags and fill the freezer up. I sure wish sirloin would go on sale. We haven't had any steak in about 5 months!

For those of you who garden, on Pinterest (careful, it's addicting) they have directions for how to turn a 55 gallon drum into a potatoe planter..you cut a hole in the front so you can opine it and pick your potatoes, then close it up and grow more...

We coupon too.. I love doing it.. one of our gorcery stores just had chicken leg 1/4's for 77 cents a pound... I was all over that like a fat kid on candy :) I paid $55 for meats, and once I split it up into meal portions, I got 16 meals out of it.. Not bad for a small family.

BWFM, THanks for the tip on books for the e-reader!! We just got our daughter a kindle for her birthday, and while she has gotten some free books, I always loke exploring other sites that offer them :)

Also, I know these are not essential, but if you like to do museums and stuff...check with your local libraries.. I just found out our library has a "pass" you can borrow to make the cost of getting into one museum only $6 a person and NOT $35!!!! HUGE savings!!!! So, it is just a thought for everyone else too.. as warm weather approaches ( I am convinced we will get it eventually), it is nice to know what you can do for cheap!!

There are several email freebie ereader lists. I get Pixel of Ink and eReader News Today emailed to me every day, but you can also just visit their websites. Do web searches and you'll turn up tons, even ones with specific genres like Christian or Sci Fi. Read them carefully though because they'll contain free and reduced price books so I always double check before downloading them that the price is truly $0.00. I have over a thousand books now on my Kindle, more than enough to keep me busy!

For those that don't know, you don't have to own a Kindle to make use of this. Amazon has a free Kindle app you can download to your computer or Smart phone and use to read the free books. One thing that I love is that if I'm reading a particular book on my Kindle, for example, I can "sync" it when I stop reading and then pick it up on my phone, or computer at the same place. Great for waiting in line or at the doctor's office if I forget my Kindle, I'll have my phone.

Cable is outrageous! I bought a Blueray player for my husband at Christmas last year. With that we can connect through internet connection to Netflix ($14.99 a month) and our Hulu account (7.99 a month) and see nearly everything that we are interested in. We can also view those with our computers and our smart phones. My friend recently got Netflix and her son discovered "They don't have commercials!"

We got rid of our landline house phone and are using our cell phones and Skype as our home phones. I've not tried VOIP phones, but my husband is looking to set that up for my Mother-in-law. I figure as long as I am paying for an internet connection anyway I might as well get as much use from it as possible.

My teens get a clothing allowance each year. When it is spent, they don't get any more clothes or shoes until next year. They've learned to look for bargains and sales for the clothes they have to have new. My younger daughter has learned that hand-me-downs are not so bad after all! The best thing is that now I never get those emergency requests "I need shorts for PE" or "I need new shoes." They've learned that if they spend all of it at once, they'll have a great wardrobe for just one season. If they've spent all of their money and it is a true need like they've outgrown their swimsuit and we're going on vacation then they'll either use their regular allowance, get one from a friend (I'm lucky that both of my girls are shorter than all of their friends) or we're off to Goodwill!

Shoes is one splurge I have to have. I have a lot of pain in my feet and if they hurt I won't walk...which then means the rest of me hurts! I have wide feet and have learned what brands at Zappos are comfortable. I also buy them at SAS. In both cases a pair is over $100. BUT I've learned the best way to take care of my shoes. Never wear the same pair two days in a row. Shoes, especially leather ones need a day to "rest." This will make the shoes last for YEARS. I'll buy two pairs of shoes and switch them off every day, they'll last for three years or more. I figured out that I'm spending about the same amount as I was when I got shoes at Payless or Walmart and my feet almost never hurt now.

Namian,

Nope, I have that last disease too (teenagers) and man that is THE toughest one to deal with :)

But, for phones, we took out our traditional land line and went with the verizon home thing. It kind of works off cell towers, but is only $20 a month for unlimited local/long distance/call forward/call waiting/call id.. WAY better than the original line that was $70 a month for basic local calling!!

We did shut off our satelite dish, and I would LOVE to get Netflix..but until we go unlimited with our internet, that's not going to happen :(

ANd we do own over 300 movies anyway...just a collection we have been adding to since our kids were babies.. IT just keeps growing.

Budgets are great!! One thing I find that helps us the most is a meal plan. I make a menu, and shop only for what I need on it. BUT, if there is a good deal, and I have coupons, I do stock up. Like today after work I'll head to Price Chopper as they have Ronzoni Pasta portions on sale 10/$10...and I have coupons for $1 off 2 boxes...so that makes them 50 cents a box...and they are great for when I am working and hubby and 11 year old have to cook...takes the gues work out of "how much do I make"..and also helps them portion better (as we have been trying to get healthier about portions).. But, yes, a meal plan is indespensable!

Great hints for free books!!! I don't have a kindle (YET) and am always looking for books :) I do have some that I will only buy in print to complete sets, but I am also setting up a book swap at my house for family and friends to trade out with each other..

For those who prefer real books over electronics check out Paperback book swap (do a web search) you can list any books (not just paperback) or books on tape on the site, and if someone requests it you get a point to request a book from someone else. You can create waiting lists so if someone lists a book you want they'll email you. You can get many books for just the cost of mailing the books out to other members.

Yes, I LOVE to read and because I have to pay to use the city library I decided to find other sources of books.

Joy

Natalie,

Great idea for change! My parents kind of do that too..they save all their change for the year, then turn it in in like October, and what they have accumulated is what they have to spend on Christmas gifts for each other :) They have done it for years and love it!
But I am thinking of doing it, then turning it in every couple of months for a night out with the family..whether we buy a new dvd and get snacks, or go out for ice cream..just something simple..

When times are hard, as they are now, I have to pay a lot more attention in general (Attention? What's that?) :0

Goodwill and ARC, IF I need clothes...which I pretty much don't.

Access to a library: priceless.

Coupons and sales for the grocery....going through the ads with a much finer-toothed comb these days.

Need to look at cable to see if we can cut some things out; and credit card accounts to see what's hiding there (I had over $200 on a Rewards card I hadn't even known about. They just deposited it in my checking.)

No eating out. If I'm out at lunchtime, I have my pb&j with me. Coffee from home, too: no more Starbucks for the foreseeable future....well, maybe once in awhile ;)

Debbie

Joy,
great idea, house sharing! IF I had a bigger house, I would love to be able to have my parents live with me..would stop constant trips to their house to help :) lol...

Myself,

I just saw a thing on facebook for a garden that is made out of pallets!! Line the inside with black cloth and plant your plants in the open spots..eliminates weeding!!! And I don't know about you, but the less time I spent bent over, the better :)
I am going to try this with my daughter and mother in law.. lluckily I have SEVERAL options for free pallets where I am :)

I actually do use one credit card for most all purchases as it gives me "points" and cash back. I just pay it off every month and treat it like a debit card. But this way I get a lot more "bang" for my buck:)

The only time I use cash is for a clothes purchase in a place like the mall. If you go on a Sunday afternoon/evening before they close and ask the manager if you will pay cash what other discount can you get. They usually take another 10% to 15% off just for not having the credit card fee to pay.

I am also a huge coupon clipper, scanner, and most all stores, especially Walmart will match a price for anything in their store if you find it cheaper anywhere else.

For any large purchase I always research online when the best time of year to buy is. Obviously this can't be done on emergency things....And I always ask to speak to managers of any store and tell them my situation, and ask if there is any possible way to get a manager's discount or any other way to lower the price. I do so with a kind and gentle manner with lots of flattery as well as tell them I will let people know how great a the store is or the salesperson!!

All they can do is say "no"...but I would say 9 out of 10 times I get an extra discount, even on sale items. It takes a bit more time and patience but well worth it.

Even in regular grocery stores I ask if there is any type of "bulk" purchase for 6 or 12 items for non perishable things. Since many things I like aren't found at places like Sam's club...this is easier to do at my local grocery store.

As others have mentioned....swapping things with neighbors or friends...trading services are great.

I also use my AAA card for a lot of different discounts..I always check online to see if the store accepts this.

Even at local, smaller family owned restaurants...I ask to speak to the manager and owner and see if there is anything that the chef is wanting to "try" out like an appetizer or dessert that they may offer for free or cheaper price. I always tell them I never skimp on a tip though!!

So...my motto is it never hurts to negotiate and ask for help!

Great thread!

This is a goodie, too:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/