[jessesgirl2]

Loving this topic!!

Here's how I save:
1) I never buy a new car. Mine is 13 years old, paid cash for it, and it still runs and looks great - have not had a car payment in years.

2) I wash laundry in cold water - except for sheets (need to be washed in hot to kill any bedbugs - need to be dried on high too).

3) I love to travel so I have several credit cards that I earn miles on. I pay them off every month (not worth it if you carry a balance) and use them for all bills, groceries, gas, etc. to rack up miles. We have been to Hawaii twice and are going to Paris this year - all on miles. Also, instead of getting an expensive hotel room we find a rental on vrbo.com which saves a ton and we have mores space plus a kitchen so we do not have to eat out as much.

4) I always shop the back of the store first - that's where the biggest discounts are. Also I buy clothes at the END of every season for next year - huge savings. I once got a $300 winter coat for $30 bucks by purchasing it in March and using a store coupon.

5) We do not eat out much, but if we do I try to use restaurant.com and wait for an 80-90% off sale.

6) I check out movies and books at the library instead of buying - movies at my library are only $1 for 5 days - great deal - and I can recheck them out again online if I want to save fees if late.

[mommasully]

@ ERICLOVESSARAH
too bad we can't do without, but we are in heartworm alley....and i love my poochy too much...

[missteena]

Wow! After reading some of the posts, I realized DH and I do more "money saving" things than I thought!

-Buy used instead of new cars
-Trade things that I buy with coupons for other things I want/need (I give stuff to my parents in exchange for them printing me more coupons from their computers. I give stuff to our neighbors in exchange for "day old" breads, etc. from Panera)
-Cut my own hair and DH's hair. (former beautician.)
-Make my own laundry detergent. And when I run out of dishwasher tabs I will make my own dishwashing detergent
-The only "paper product" we own is toilet paper. No napkins, no paper towels, no tissues. TP works as a tissue and we use cloth napkins and dishrags to clean up.
-I make everything from scratch (soup, bbq sauce, cheese sauce, desserts, etc.)
-We subscribe to unlimited streaming from netflix so we pay just $8 per month for unlimited television shows/movies instead of a cable bill
-I always shop second hand stores or clearance racks
-Ebay & craigslist if we're looking for something (electronics mostly)
-There are some things I refuse to buy used (appliances) unless I personally know the people who owned them because you just never know how people take care of their stuff. If we do buy something at regular price, we always shop around for the best possible deal. My DH works at Best Buy but we recently figured out that if we price matched the price of our new stove to Sears and used some certificates we earned from previous purchases, combined with a promo to spend $500, get $50 gift card, we would save more than if we bought the stove with his employee discount.
-We rarely eat out anymore (only for special occasions). Ours birthdays are April & May so we decided to combine and do one joint birthday dinner for both of us rather than go two times within a month. Saves us $50+ per year just for the birthdays.

[cpnsrgr8]

Originally Posted by kittycatinkc

We save all of our fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grings with filters, egg shells and dryer lint. It all goes back into a corner of the garden and get's covered up with garden dirt. Then in the spring it's tilled into the garden as homemade mulch. I also put the dirt from the bagless vaccuum and whatever I sweep from the kitchen floor into one of my flower beds. It's mostly dog hair so makes a great mulch and keeps the critters out of my flowers and pepper beds.

Sounds like great advice! One question: is there anything "special" you need to do to the clippings, scraps, etc.? I have never made my own compost, but I know you're supposed to keep it moist, among other things? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I want to start my own garden this spring, and would love any insight! TIA!

[birdlady6262]

Originally Posted by kittycatinkc

We save all of our fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grings with filters, egg shells and dryer lint. It all goes back into a corner of the garden and get's covered up with garden dirt. Then in the spring it's tilled into the garden as homemade mulch. I also put the dirt from the bagless vaccuum and whatever I sweep from the kitchen floor into one of my flower beds. It's mostly dog hair so makes a great mulch and keeps the critters out of my flowers and pepper beds.

I just started putting all our veggie scraps in a bucket to take outside. I'll remember to put the coffee grounds and filter in there tomorrow am and the dirt and hair from our vacuum. Thanks for the tip on the dog hair keeping the critters out of the garden beds. We have a BIG problem with rabbits.

Thanks everyone for your savings tips.

[missteena]

Human hair works well for keeping the critters away too. For those of you who clip your own hair/your family's hair...save it!

[nowpoints]

Anyone have any more tips?

[Jakejake]

Once my dryer sheets are used up I'm going to switch to homemade dryer sheets. I got 3 bottles of gain fabric softener for free, it looks like they might last for years this way: dilute with 50-50 fabric softener and water. Dip flannel squares into it, air dry them. Toss them into the dryer. (lots of minor variations online for the process).

I read that diluted hair conditioner also works.

[jlondon]

• I have a HE washer - it cost more at first but we are on a well and the electric and water savings rock!! -
• I use regular detergent most of the time and cut it by 1/3
• I freeze TONS of sale items that I got for free or close (bought a big freezer from lowes at 20% off and with a $75 rebate)
• I grow veggies when I can (3 month growing season here in my climate)
• If I get free tuna with a coupon - my cat is happy (cheaper than cat food most of the time)
• Rebates, rebates, rebates.. I live in NBPR state.. I'm a BIG fan of trading for them and doing them all if I can
• I give lots of freebies I get to people I know that don't coupon... and when they get a windfall of extra stuff (my friend get's veggies for free from somewhere) - I'm the first on her "share" list.
• I do use paper towels in the kitchen (can't help it). It's my splurge thing. I do use a towel for the appropriate things
• I use bleach diluted to clean with most of the time. I'm big on sanitation. Just don't wear your favorite dark shirt or pants while using this.
• I eat light bread and you can't make that at home can you?

I do what fits in my life style
J

[schoward]

I love this post!

I cut my kids hair
Cars are paid off (older vehicles)
We do our own home repairs
Garage sales for things we need and we don't buy it unless we really, really need it
And we met with a financial advisor and he saved us tons

I'm sure there are lots of other things I do. I'm getting some great ideas from everyone! Thank you!

[daisey_may]

I'm bumping this to read other people's ideas for saving money!

I checked out a bunch of books from the library about frugal living and now the gears in my head are turning...

[ahoykhara]

A few things I've done to fatten my wallet and shrink my waistline:

// Drink water instead of soda.
// Drink from my own reusable water bottles instead of buying water bottles.

// I stopped buying Starbucks drinks and drink coffee from home.
// Bought reusable K-cups instead of one-time-used K-cups.

// Reduce how often I buy food at school, and when I do bring my own lunch I try to use reusable containers instead of plastic bags. (Still working on this one :P)

// When my husband and I go out to eat we try to hit up Happy Hours more often, and split appetizers or entrees.

Other things I do:

Like someone mentioned above, I also watched YouTube videos and learned how to clip my Pomeranian's hair so that we make less trips to the groomer.

I check sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and Mandeals because they always have awesome offers for all kinds of things.

Unless you have some really sweaty,stinky folks, most clothes don't have to be washed as long as however far the dial on the washer goes. Use less detergent and wash clothes on a shorter, gentler setting and they won't fade as quickly.

The Goodwill is also excellent for finding gently used things like wall decorations or board games for grown ups.

[prep54]

Originally Posted by RoxykinsIII

I put organic vinegar in my pets water. 1 tablespoon per gallon. It works systematically to repel fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice, mites, etc. Vinegar also works to boost their immune system and acts as a natural deodorizer. It's an old farmer's trick - they used it for chickens, but it works for all animals (people too ). No more buying expensive flea medications. It was costing me over $500 a year.

I don't buy alot of clothes, but JC Penney is my best friend when I do. The children get (sometimes new with tags) hand me downs from their cousins. My oldest doesn't have older cousins so I buy all his school clothes from JCPenney during their Oct. Columbus day sale which is his birthday gift too. Grandma & Grandpa get him the fun stuff.

I hang laundry outside during the warm weather and in our family room where we have the pellet stove during the cold months. Adding a half cup of white vinegar to your wash keeps fabric (especially towels)from getting that stiff feeling from line drying.

We have cell phones, but we are on my sister's plan so we only pay $50 a month for two phones with unlimited everything and insurance - I am accident prone.

We buy Christmas gifts throughout the year when we find great prices - Soon all the winter stuff will be on clearance - great time to get some gifts. My supermarket does the 10 cents off per gallon for ever $50 you spend and sells gift cards (they give you 20 cents off per $50 spent) so that's where I buy gift cards for the people who are impossible to shop for. If we are planning on eating out anywhere we can buy gift cards there for most restaurant chains - it helps ALOT on gas.

I have a shark steam mop (free) so I don't have to buy floor cleaner, and it does a fantastic job on windows and mirrors too!

I use either a water/vinegar/thieves oil mix or baking soda to clean just about everything. Baking soda on a damp rag works just like a mr clean magic eraser - does a great job taking crayon off the walls without taking the paint with it like mr clean does. I have been getting practically free dw soap but before that I used borax and baking soda. Same thing with washing clothes. There are recipes online for these things.

I use a mix of baking soda/honey/water to wash my hair. I use a apple cider vinegar/water mix rinse after. My hair is so much healthier now. I don't get as many split ends.

My MIL cuts hair - FREE - she would be quite offended if we didn't let her

I make my own baby wipes - recipes online

We have a garden. Saved us a TON on produce. I save tp and paper towel rolls for starting seeds - they work just as well as those plastic trays but since they are bio degradable you can just put them right in the ground with the seedlings. We have a compost pile - we use 1/2 the garbage bags we used to and it's great fertilizer.

I have silicone non stick baking liners so I don't have to use baking spray - when I do need spray I have a spray bottle of olive oil.

I water down juice for the kids - they really don't need all that sugar to begin with.

I cook and bake most things from scratch - but we all have lazy days or super busy days. I buy cheap cuts of meat on sale and use the crock pot.

I've never had a new car (sniffle) - I buy my mom's cars when she is getting rid of them - about 4 years old with low mileage. My Dad won't give up his Subaru - it'll be a cold day in h*ll. Doesn't hurt that I have a hand in helping Mom pick her new cars

In the future we want to move out of town onto MIL & FIL's property where we can have chickens. There is a farmer's market where we can sell the extra eggs which will cover chicken feed with a little extra. It will also save us about $3000. a year on property taxes - we pay almost $5000 a year now.

We will also be purchasing solar panels and and a wind mill with they money we have left over from selling our current house to cut the cost of electricity. Its expensive to start, but you get about 1/2 of the money back from the federal government. We will also be using firewood to heat the house - which is in abundance on the 45 acres - lots of work but it's FREE.

OOPS!!! I think I went a touch over 3 - hope I helped!

Ah Ha!!! So this is where all your good tips are, LOL!!!

[Kayhold]

Thanks for this. I really need to cut our spending down - even with insurance I've got about $60k of medical bills and one I had to put on a CC is about to garnish my husbands wages, so we're unfortunately looking at bankruptcy, but the bankruptcy payment is going to hurt, so we've got to get our budget under control.

[Kayhold]

Originally Posted by birdlady6262

I just started putting all our veggie scraps in a bucket to take outside. I'll remember to put the coffee grounds and filter in there tomorrow am and the dirt and hair from our vacuum.

I have a worm compost bin in my kitchen, it works great and it's a great learning tool for my 5 year old!

[littleprincess]

Some of my money saving things are--

Veggie gardening. I also grow strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, blackberries & raspberries. Last summer we also planted some apple trees.

Herb gardening (dried spices can get expensive)

I collect the seeds from my flowers/veggies for use the following year that way i don't have to buy new plants. I also trade plants with my SIL.

I home can my fruits and veggies. (I especially like to make my own jellies, jams, salsas and applesauce)

I shop local outlet stores to get great prices on things like meats, breads, pretzels etc.

I shop for clothes on off seasons (especially for my little one) Great deals to be had on those clearance racks.

We use a brita pitcher and reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water.
We have a soda stream which we use when we want soda.

I open the windows and use the ceiling fans as much as possible to save on the a/c bills.

We installed eco-flow shower heads on our showers and use a front loading he washing machine to cut down on water usage. Also line dry laundry as much as possible.

I think one of my big money savers is shopping for Christmas presents all year round. You can pick up a lot of great items on sale or clearance ( I never leave a store without checking out the clearance section first) plus it cuts down on the anxiety of last minute christmas shopping.

Sorry it's more than three. I kind of got on a roll!

[tratra]

For the vinegar for dogs. How do you get the dogs used to drinking water with vinegar in it? I'd like to try this for one of mine that has a terrible flea allergy. He's on the topical flea medicine from the vet and has been on steroids already this summer. Would love to give him one more thing to protect him from those nasty critters.
Thanks!

[brownie16]

1. Hang clothes on the line; try not to do laundry unless weather is conducive to this (with the exception of winter)
2. Sacrificed for many years to be debt-free. Not having to pay interest saves a ton!
3. Wait until I find what I need at a garage sale. I recently needed a new hamper. The kind I wanted was about $60. I got it at a garage sale for $12!
4. Freeze fruit that's about to go bad for use in fruit smoothies.

[mousework]

Awesome tips! I cut my dryer sheets in half, my cleansing cloths into fourths and when my washing detergent bottle is half full, I fill it up with water to make it go a little further.

[matica]

this is my favorite thread on this site. I also want to make my own compost but read you have to do it right, it needs to heat up or something. I don't want to spend money on buying one of those containers that you turn periodicly, does anyone compost without buying fancy equipment and how do you do it?
TIA

[kittycatinkc]

I put mine directly into the garden soil about 4 inches deep. Every week when I'm out in the garden, I use my trowel and turn the soil. The soil get's direct sunlight so its pretty warm. Now that we have veggies growing in the garden, I just put it in a corner that's about 1'x1' square, thats plenty enough room. I just keep adding to it and turning the soil. It must be working because we've never had such ginormous (is that a word? LOL) night crawlers in our garden before. Not only are we composting but we're saving money on bait by just hunting for them in our garden and not paying high walmart worm prices. Plus the fish we catch with them are free!! LOLHubby and I are so redneck!!!

[ericlovesarah]

Originally Posted by tratra

For the vinegar for dogs. How do you get the dogs used to drinking water with vinegar in it? I'd like to try this for one of mine that has a terrible flea allergy. He's on the topical flea medicine from the vet and has been on steroids already this summer. Would love to give him one more thing to protect him from those nasty critters.
Thanks!

We just started with a small amount and then over a week made it a larger amount. Now my 7 dogs actually will not drink their water without it in there.

[jennrn915]

I love all the great ideas!
1. I bought a Kindle--in the past 2 years I've saved hundreds NOT buying books. There are so many free options I rarely buy a book anymore.
2. Use the local library.
3. Search out free/ cheap entertainment for the family.
4. Buy meat packages at discount from the local butcher
5. Use my freezer--try to cook double and triple recipes to eat in the future.

[ctryslowdance]

Has anyone else tried bartering bills? I didn't know that could work...

[Goddessoflubbock]

We never buy new cars, only ones we can pay cash for.
On an all cash system, broker was shocked when we applied for mortgage 9 years ago that we were debt free.
Carried lunch to work every day last 17 years I worked.
Only meal we eat out is Saturday night. My kids (16 and 11) are unfamiliar with a drive- through.
We never waste food. Leftovers are lunch, even dinner.
For years I sewed most of my and my daughter's clothes.
My husband does our oil changes and routine car maintenance.