Easy ways to save money.

[tonesforjonesbones]

I cancelled my cable tv. I buy books and cd's dvd's from amazon (used) or ebay. I recently got Pat Buchanan's "The Great Betrayal" off amazon used for 1.50..3 dollar shipping..OR I use the public library. I shop at discount grocery stores and don't use name brand items. I go to the flea market to get my avon products...lower than the brochure prices..and I shop clearance stuff. I go to wal mart gas station as much as possible because they are usually 3 cents or more lower than anywhere else and if you go inside and put what you want to spend for gas on a wal mart gift card they give you another 3 cents off per gallon. tones

 

[Kludge]

http://www.nissinfoods.com/chowmein/

No insects in them so far, easily under a dollar, tastes better and cooks faster then traditional Ramen packets.

 

[boethius27]

I don't know much about it because my fiance does all of it, but there is a yahoo group called "freecycle" and people just give away stuff they don't feel like trying to sell on craigslist. We are here in Boston and the group is tailored for our community, but I guess there are different lists for all over the place.

We have gotten some awesome things from there for completely free. Plus, we've given away quite a few things that had run their course of usefulness to us.

 

[Ozwest]

The best way to save money and remain financially liquid, is dump your credit cards.

Believe me, you won't miss the monthly statements.

 

[Ozwest]

A debit card is as good as a credit card when making purchases or using facilities.

Except..

The money has to be in the bank.

 

[noxagol]

A debit card is as good as a credit card when making purchases or using facilities.

Except..

The money has to be in the bank.

It's kind of like sound money for governments.

 

[Ozwest]

It's kind of like sound money for governments.

Only problem is...


Their Maxed!
​

 

[noxagol]

Only problem is...


Their Maxed!
​

Good thing they can raise their own credit limit then aint it! /facepalm

 

[TastyWheat]

My article on refilling Braun shaver cartridges, if you own the shaver.

I also found a neat article on common edible "weeds".

 

[FormerDemocrat]

There two big coupon sites on the web I recommend.

One of them is free (coupon mom)

www.couponmom.com

www.thegrocerygame.com

 

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

my perspective

I was an auctioneer for years and there are tons of ways to save a lot of money and to make a lot of money out of public auctions

1.) look in your classifieds or go to www.auctionzip.com and find an auction near you

2.) when you get to the auctions, check out what are commonly called "box lots". They are a great way to get entire sets of dishes, new silverware sets, toys, appliances,etc for often as little as $2 a box

3.) Gold and Silver often sell well under value at public auction. The more backwoods the auction seems than the better your chances for getting precious metals for next to nothing. I cannot begin to tell you how many gold and silver coins I have purchased at auctions over the years for as low as $1 each and in one instance I got a handful of gold for $5

4.) A lot of people make a living by consigning to auction houses. They will advertise that they buy estates and will put forth the money to buy said estate. You keep what you need and then take the rest to public auction and if you have a good eye than you will make a lot of money off of crap you never wanted and you get the good stuff for free.

5.) Avoid auctions that charge a "buyer's premium"

6.) If you consign with an auction house, offer to do advertising in your community in exchange for no com. fee... I did this with several clients and it was a win-win situation

On a less serious note, I also save money by giving to Ron Paul as much as I can because I will save a ton when we are victorious and get rid of this idiotic income tax and get rid of the Federal Reserve and on an even less serious note, if the conspiracy crowd around here is correct, I will be living in a fema detention camp soon anyway and you dont get much cheaper than having uncle sam pay for everything.

 

[angelatc]

Buy frozen juice and add your own water. That's a huge savings.

I don't buy any pre-mixed cleaning chemicals, with the exception of oven cleaner. I buy bleach, ammonia and alcohol.

I have ceiling fans in every room and wouldn't even use the AC except I have a husband.

I run the discharge from the washing machine out the window in the summer and use it to water my garden.

I buy almost everything used.

Next I am going to try making my own laundry soap: http://www.thehowcafe.com/forum/showpost.php?p=47231&postcount=22

I Illinois I belonged to an awesome Yahoo group where people posted deals. Combining coupons with store sales, sending away for free things...stuff like that. The coupon queens there get stuff for free then sell it at yard sales. It's a full-time job, but they post their haul at the end of the year and end up making about $15,000 per year.

 

[angelatc]

5.) Avoid auctions that charge a "buyer's premium"

I love auctions! I hate buyer's premiums, but IMHO they're pretty much a regional issue. If you live in some regions, nobody charges a BP but if you live in other regions almost everybody charges one. I do agree that if you can avoid them, then do so.

Another auction tip - I find better deals in the summer, because a lot of buyers are out doing yard sales instead.

 

[angelatc]

A debit card is as good as a credit card when making purchases or using facilities.

Except..

The money has to be in the bank.

No, because a lot of credit cards come with things like extended warranties that debit cards don't. Renting a car with a credit card usually gives you rental car insurance. Stuff like that.

Also, you have more consumer rights and protections with a credit card. Although Mastercard and Visa claim that they'll give you the same protections, in reality they don't.

A long story short: I ordered something that didn't arrive. If I had used a credit card, the money could have been recovered. But because it was a debit card, the bank wouldn't get involved.

Note that I think the federal consumer protection laws are bunk. But if they exist, you might as well be aware of them. If we use them, eventually the lobbyists will make them go away.

 

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

somewhat

I love auctions! I hate buyer's premiums, but IMHO they're pretty much a regional issue. If you live in some regions, nobody charges a BP but if you live in other regions almost everybody charges one. I do agree that if you can avoid them, then do so.

Another auction tip - I find better deals in the summer, because a lot of buyers are out doing yard sales instead.

To some extent the buyer's premium is regional but there are many auctioneers (myself included) who refuse to use a buyer's premium even when everyone else in the area is doing it. They tend to be the old school country auctioneers. A lot of buyers are busy in the summer but so are consignors and you tend to get more junk which is great for bargain hunters but for those looking for investments than go around the time of holidays or specifically seek out estate sales.

Oh, another way we save money is through fishing. I am an avid fisher and crabber and when I get a keeper I always save the remains and freeze them. They often make good fish bait or chum. For those of you who eat crabs, save the shells and any other part you dont eat and crsuh it up, it makes one of the best fertilizers you could ever use.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Easy way to save money: Don't spend any.

 

[JoshLowry]

Blimp

 

[acptulsa]

Park your car, cancel your gym membership, and get on your bicycle. Right, RPH?

 

[satchelmcqueen]

Second best way to save money:

Don't breed like rabbits. Kids aren't these wonderful innocent bundles of joy. They are selfish, needy, annoying, expensive, time consuming projects who need a LOT while being incapable of giving back!

Each child costs $22,000 per year and it's getting tougher for Americans to afford them without some form of assistance.

Oh sure, kids can add meaning and purpose to your life but you'd better be financially ready.

On a serious note, I am identifying two major contributors to poverty and financial crisis in America.

like you were in your younger days as a kid.

water heater timer, gas water heater, line dry clothes, use blinds on windows in accordance with sun and temp/time of year,

 

[acptulsa]

use blinds on windows in accordance with sun and temp/time of year,

Why didn't I mention this? *kicks self*

I have no north windows, no overhang on east windows or my plentiful south windows, and a deep overhang over my west windows. Perfection! The east windows let in the sun to warm me up on cool mornings, and the west window overhang keeps the sun out of them until almost sunset to help in our hot summer evenings. The south windows are just wonderful because they catch the southerly summer breeze and the southerly winter sun, but don't catch the northerly winter wind or the northerly summer sun. Northern exposure windows suck!