Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
One of the grocery stores I shop at gives credit for gasoline based on how much I spend for the groceries. I recently saved 40 cents a gallon which feels awfully good to me. I think one time I got almost $1 saving for each gallon I bought.
Due to a desire to change my spending habits I have sworn off using credit cards. I can't begin to tell you what a victory that is for me. I'm going bankrupt due to a very high balance I owed, the fact I was never able to pay more than the minimum payment on any bill, struggling for about 20 years with this problem. Pride kept me from doing it before.
I'm noticing I really think hard about a possible purchase. Do I really need it? Or even want it? Being aware of what I am feeling when it comes to spending money has been a huge help to me
This new behavior has only been in practice for a couple of months. And I'm hoping and praying I am able to stick with it. I am so afraid to use a credit card. I can't get into another jam.
I don't know that I'm primarily watching spending more, so much as realizing I'm getting close enough to retirement to start doing some real math, and because I'm older -- by default -- I'm spending less on material things, because I have them already....(and need to get rid of some of what I have.)
How many pairs of shoes, or tops, or handbags do I need -- when I've got DOZENS of all of those things still with tags on it?
I've never been a big spender, just didn't gauge spending -- with an eye on eventual retirement. And as I said, simultaneously I've come to ask how much stuff do I really need. I may not even be spending less. Just spending 'differently.' I'm much more likely to ask myself do I REALLY want that? Or do I need that.
Where as before, for example I maxed out my 401K, but if I saw something I wanted, I also bought it. I was willing to max the 401K and let doing that and the accumulation of years take care of the retirement planning. Now I'm close enough to retirement -- and learning about -- the tax torpedo, how my Social Sec might be taxed, how much LTCI (and the care itself) might cost.
My retirement planning was on auto-pilot. Yes, I think that's a way to put it. Where as now that I see the landing strip, I'm paying more attention to a safe landing. My younger years were my flight years (and think about it while you're flying it's all good. You don't really think about the landing. But as you start circling the runway....now maybe you really starting thinking, "okay, how are we going to bring this baby home and touch down."
As one aside, OP you said you thought gas could go up UP TO 35 cents a gallon yet did your math on the savings at 40 cents a gallon. How's that? It's great that you saved. But you may not have saved as much as you think you did. Sure, the price spread when you went out was 40 cents. But even if you'd waited, you might have only gotten gas at a .10 or .15 cents more price and saved $3 or $4.50, or something more like that.
As one aside, OP you said you thought gas could go up UP TO 35 cents a gallon yet did your math on the savings at 40 cents a gallon. How's that? It's great that you saved. But you may not have saved as much as you think you did. Sure, the price spread when you went out was 40 cents. But even if you'd waited, you might have only gotten gas at a .10 or .15 cents more price and saved $3 or $4.50, or something more like that.
GasBuddy alerted that gas could go up $0.35 but many had already started when I got the alert.
Knowing both vehicles were down to a quarter tank or less this got me to looking and the stations closest to home were $2.39 already. Looking at gas buddy there were a few stations still at $1.99 the closest being about 4 miles away which meant traveling an extra 3 miles for the cheaper gas.
We went to one station that was $1.99 and filled the suburban but when we went back 30 minutes later with the wife's car, it was $2.01 so we went to one down the street that was still at $1.99.
I figured I saved $0.40/gallon because two years ago I wouldn't have looked at prices... just filled up at whatever price they wanted.
Now there is only one station left at $1.99 but that was reported 14 hours ago so I am thinking they may all be gone.
I use GasBuddy also. But I mostly just get the cheapest gas that's already on one of my regular routes.
Not that I never go out of my way for gas. Just not often.
I'm also in an area where prices stay awfully close to each other in price. Unfortunately, no dirt cheap, no name place anywhere near me.
ETA: Plus, I have a small tank. 12 gallons MAX. I do usually let it get all the way to fumes before I fill up. But even then -- 12 gallons times 20 cents a gallon difference is what? $2.40? Another reason I'm only willing to go but so far out of may way. My time is valuable also. I hate being in an area where there are no deals on gasoline! But it is what it is, I guess.
From 2009 onward I was long-term unemployed and then under-employed thanks to the Great Recession.
During this time I learned to live frugally and simplify my needs. It was very hard at times, but became a way of life over time and became quite freeing.
It certainly prepared me for living off of SS income now on a modest budget. We want for nothing and are happy for what we do have.
No more worries about lay-offs and not being given contract assignments.
Life is good now.
Last edited by HappyDogToday; 07-28-2017 at 08:07 AM..
I save$0.08 every time I fill up over market price.
We have a reward card that gives us 3cents off, then if you have and use their CC, you save an additional 5 cents, so 8 cents off total.
If I buy Enough groceries at a local grocery store, I get 10 cents off at a Sunoco for every$100 I spend, or an additional 10 cents if you buy certain combinations of product. Occasionally they double or triple that. BUT, the Sunoco is higher price than the regional I usually buy and get the 8 cents. So you really need at least 30 cents off for it to matter. And I don't usually spend that much at that grocery store.
Any gas savings can amount to a good hill if beans for retirement.
One of the grocery stores I shop at gives credit for gasoline based on how much I spend for the groceries. I recently saved 40 cents a gallon which feels awfully good to me. I think one time I got almost $1 saving for each gallon I bought.
Due to a desire to change my spending habits I have sworn off using credit cards. I can't begin to tell you what a victory that is for me. I'm going bankrupt due to a very high balance I owed, the fact I was never able to pay more than the minimum payment on any bill, struggling for about 20 years with this problem. Pride kept me from doing it before.
I'm noticing I really think hard about a possible purchase. Do I really need it? Or even want it? Being aware of what I am feeling when it comes to spending money has been a huge help to me
This new behavior has only been in practice for a couple of months. And I'm hoping and praying I am able to stick with it. I am so afraid to use a credit card. I can't get into another jam.
I filed bankruptcy 5 years ago & have never gotten a credit card since. If I can't pay for it, I don't get it. It's amazing how quickly this becomes a good habit.
From 2009 onward I was long-term unemployed and then under-emplo
Snip
No more worries about lay-offs and not being given contract assignments.
Life is good now.
I feel your joy since the end of May what I started working part-time with 2 weeks on followed by two weeks off. I love it this way and it is preparing me for retirement and have come to the realization that I am ready.
What a big difference 3 years makes when I turn 66 I couldn't imagine retiring but here I am just short of 69 and I just don't want to work anymore. I am done!
I especially feel this way immediately following the period of two weeks work as soon as I get home.
I filed bankruptcy 5 years ago & have never gotten a credit card since. If I can't pay for it, I don't get it. It's amazing how quickly this becomes a good habit.
Thank you Meo. I can't believe how good this feels. I was very depressed owing all that money and knowing I would die with a huge debt. I am also realizing that moving is going to just be a dream. It costs a lot of money to move (as you well know!) and I would need to put it on credit. Not worth it. Now I can visit places when I have some extra money put away for it. No more charge!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
