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What frugal practice do you do (or have done) that saves you big money? Money that is noticeable in your budget.
I know many say to ditch the cable/satellite TV and go with watching on the internet. In my area, my satellite TV is $60 a month. For me to have high speed internet it would be $50 a month. So the $10 savings (which really isn't $10 after all the taxes and stuff) would just not be worth the hassle to me. I don't have a computer, only an ipad to watch the shows on and then there's the day or two delay.
I would really be interested in things you've done that shows a noticeable return.
1) Choice of vehicles. I needed a new one earlier this year, and I wound up settling on a 2007 Prius (used, of course). I drive almost 30,000 miles a year. I average 50 MPG as opposed to 25 for a regular car. Assuming gas is $3.50 a gallon, that's $2,100 a year.
2) Ditched the cable. It was $47.95 a month for the 'intro rate', probably somewhere in the low 50's after taxes and fees. If I absolutely want TV shows, I can just subscribe to Netflix for a fraction of the cost. (I haven't felt the need yet. Even with football season approaching, that's what a pair of bunny ears is for.) That saves me $600 a year.
3) Landed a package deal for land line and internet - $30 a month from Time Warner. A far cry from the $62-63 I was paying for Cincinnati Bell (and their DSL is a fraction of cable's speed.) So about $380-400 a year there.
4) I currently live in an apartment that's in the middle of the block - that is to say, there's an apartment on either side, and one on top as well. That goes a long way towards saving on my HVAC bills, although it's more difficult to quantify exactly how much.
1) Rent: Just rent the cheapest place you can stand to live in. In California, there are lots of people renting out guest rooms in their homes.
2) Car: I'm still driving my 13 year old Honda Civic (that was a present for my 16th birthday.) I have more than enough money to buy my "dream" car new with cash at this point (a Prius) but I'm still gonna wait until my current car cannot be driven anymore without expensive repairs. I have over 170,000 miles on that car and I can't remember a single year I spent a noticeable amount on repairs, insurance, or gas.
3) Don't get a landline if you have internet and a cell phone. Go with Virgin Mobile (they even support iPhones now but you gotta buy from them.) If you don't normally talk a lot, then get a plan with few minutes and always use VOIP if calling from home (Google Voice is FREE.)
Ditching cable was a money-saver for me, because I was paying for high speed internet and for cable. We have a digital antenna to get the local channels, and I pay $10/month for Netflix.
Grocery shopping is my big money-saving area right now...I make menus and do grocery shopping for a month at a time. It costs me about $350 to feed a family of four for a month. I was spending $600 a month when I shopped every week. My $350 includes paper goods and toiletries too.
I also learned to cut my husband's hair. He was getting it cut every week for $15 (yes, it does grow that fast). So we've saved $60 a month, for the last 12 or 13 years.
Quitting smoking...if you're a smoker and you quit, you can see the difference in your wallet every day, right away. We quit five years ago and hubby and I were both pack a day smokers. If you figure $5 per pack times two people times 365 days, in the last five years, we have saved $18,250 by not smoking.
[QUOTE Quitting smoking...if you're a smoker and you quit, you can see the difference in your wallet every day, right away. We quit five years ago and hubby and I were both pack a day smokers. If you figure $5 per pack times two people times 365 days, in the last five years, we have saved $18,250 by not smoking.[/quote]
Smart choice!! Not to mention the potential future savings on medical bills for COPD or lung cancer! I wonder how much $$ I've saved in the 16 years since I've quit?
4) I currently live in an apartment that's in the middle of the block - that is to say, there's an apartment on either side, and one on top as well. That goes a long way towards saving on my HVAC bills, although it's more difficult to quantify exactly how much.
I've heard this is an excellent thing to do. My GF rents an apartment on the 2nd floor, so she gets heat in the winter from the apartment below her. Unfortunately, I own my own home.
What frugal practice do you do (or have done) that saves you big money? Money that is noticeable in your budget.
I know many say to ditch the cable/satellite TV and go with watching on the internet. In my area, my satellite TV is $60 a month. For me to have high speed internet it would be $50 a month. So the $10 savings (which really isn't $10 after all the taxes and stuff) would just not be worth the hassle to me. I don't have a computer, only an ipad to watch the shows on and then there's the day or two delay.
I would really be interested in things you've done that shows a noticeable return.
if you wouldnt use the internet at all otherwise then you're right the savings is only 10 bucks
For me personally I watch a ton of sports which is the only reason I still have cable
If i didnt i would just stick to netflix and hulu and ****can the cable
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, Marc Eisenson's The Banker's Secret, Andrew Tobias's The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, and Stanley & Danko's The Millionaire Next Door all have great advice.
And then there's my plan, which I call The 6 Dont's:
Don't Smoke
Don't Drink
Don't Do Drugs
Don't Gamble
Don't Borrow Money
And perhaps most important of all: Don't Drive More Than 6,000 Miles a Year!
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, Marc Eisenson's The Banker's Secret, Andrew Tobias's The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, and Stanley & Danko's The Millionaire Next Door all have great advice.
And then there's my plan, which I call The 6 Dont's:
Don't Smoke
Don't Drink
Don't Do Drugs
Don't Gamble
Don't Borrow Money
And perhaps most important of all: Don't Drive More Than 6,000 Miles a Year!
I don't do any of those 6, plus I don't have car payments or have credit cards. All that goes a long way to helping the budget.
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, Marc Eisenson's The Banker's Secret, Andrew Tobias's The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, and Stanley & Danko's The Millionaire Next Door all have great advice.
And then there's my plan, which I call The 6 Dont's:
Don't Smoke
Don't Drink
Don't Do Drugs
Don't Gamble
Don't Borrow Money
And perhaps most important of all: Don't Drive More Than 6,000 Miles a Year!
Hi mshultz--
Sadly I'm guilty of several of these behaviors. Although I often tend to rationalize and convince myself that those behaviors are OK.
I gamble, but only at a house game of poker with $10-20 buy in's with a bunch of buddies from college.
I drink, but when I have a beer - I have a beer. Great Lakes, Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada... none of that cookie cutter crap.
And I drive... a lot more than 6,000 miles a year. I think I've driven 6,000 miles in a month before.
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