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Don't try and keep up with everyone else. Most of the time they can't afford it anyways. If it ain't broke, don't fix it or buy a new one. We have a microwave that is pushing almost 25 years old and a refrigrator that is almsot 40 years old. Both are in great working condition. The microwave still heats up food and the fridge still keeps everything cold or frozen.
I definetly agree with living below your means. Live WAYYY below your means if you can.
"Avoid college costs and courses that won't benefit you later. Your major needs to be relevant to earning a living. You can enjoy learning liberal arts throughout life. On the other hand, travel while you are young. You can do it cheaper, enjoy it more, and broaden your perspectives."
1. How was I supposed to know that my college education--in business management--was going to be of no use to me later?
2. Why travel, when you can read about travel?
First, your business management degree was probably far more useful than my anthropology degree.
Second, reading about travel is NOTHING compared to actually doing it.
Living way below your means helps a person survive paycuts. I have a friend who has TIVO, ringtones, full cable including movie channels but has trouble paying her mtg. Hello!!
First, your business management degree was probably far more useful than my anthropology degree.
Second, reading about travel is NOTHING compared to actually doing it.
I have known a number of people who have business management degrees. From my observation, their education is consistently a hindrance to their getting ahead.
I agree that you can cut costs in so many areas but I'm not sure I agree w/this whole coupon clipping thing. (sorry "CouponJack" ) It's time-consuming and I think there are better ways to save. Plus, coupons are often for higher priced/smaller packaged convenience foods I wouldn't normally buy (like for chips instead of lettuce). This is how I prefer to save $ when shopping:
- Buy produce in season
- Buy holiday items, classic clothes, sporting equipment, etc. at end of season
- Buy generic if possible
- Buy store-sale items like Buy 1 / Get 1 Free (rather than mgf. coupon items)
- Shop at warehouse clubs like Sam's Club, Cosco or discounters like T.J. Max, Marshalls, etc.
There are so many ways to save. I just got back from a carpet store today and saved over $600 because I'm using discounted carpet remnants for one of our rental properties....
Trust me, its not just about cutting coupons. I know the prices of everything I buy. Shop at 2 different stores during the week to get best prices.
I haven't paid for tootpaste in 6 months (aquafresh) because I have so many 75 cent coupons that my supermarket doubles...
I also have a vegetable garden so I'll do better than you and eat my veggies for FREE.....
Not trying to start an argument, but the coupon thing was just about "habits" mainly, that's all....
At one area where we were stationed, my wife had been using coupons a lot, and the local grocery store changed their store policy. They said that if you were purchasing over $200 of items you now have to actually spend over $6. She had gotten so used to coupon clipping, and she could go in there and come out with two shopping carts of stuff; either without spending money, or by spending two or three dollars.
She was very offended when they changed their policy like that. She had to actually pay them $6, to get her two shopping carts of stuff.
Double coupons on marked down items, rings up as a positive on the cash register rather than a negative. She always had it all worked out, so that each shopping trip, she could fill the car and come as near as possible to breaking even.
Then once a month triple-coupon day.
After they changed their policy, one of us would have to walk down an aisle and grab something at random, to find $6 of stuff that she did not have coupons for. It did help while feeding five children and us.
Now in this area none of our stores do double coupons.
If you could've done ONE thing (or several things) differently before you "Got smart about money." what would that have been?
This is going to be a little different from everybody else's advice but ... the smartest thing I ever did was change careers midlife and go into nursing. I just wish I had been smarter and done it a lot sooner.
Because all of these money savings tips can only go so far ... you also need income. If you're not in a high demand profession and not making good money, you're constantly being laid off, especially during recessions etc., it's really difficult to get ahead financially no matter how cheap you live.
I finally figured out that I needed to get into a profession where there was a labor shortage, the entry barriers were high, and where my job couldn't be exported overseas. Nursing was one of those jobs and, luckily, it's turned out to be a much better bet than I thought it would be.
Trust me, its not just about cutting coupons. I know the prices of everything I buy. Shop at 2 different stores during the week to get best prices.
I haven't paid for tootpaste in 6 months (aquafresh) because I have so many 75 cent coupons that my supermarket doubles...
I also have a vegetable garden so I'll do better than you and eat my veggies for FREE.....
Not trying to start an argument, but the coupon thing was just about "habits" mainly, that's all....
I also have a huge vegetable garden which, of course, has many benefits including saving $. I agree you should have many cost-saving as well as income-producing "habits." For me, the time spent clipping coupons and time/gas spent driving to different stores isn't worth it. But it's great it's working for you. I've just found other ways to save.
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) It's time-consuming and I think there are better ways to save. Plus, coupons are often for higher priced/smaller packaged convenience foods I wouldn't normally buy (like for chips instead of lettuce). This is how I prefer to save $ when shopping:
