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Ways to Save Money and Improve Budgeting !!!

beacowboy

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After just writing that I Phone Reply, I wanted to ask this forum if any of you have found good ways to safe money in your monthly budgeting.

I may just forgo cell phones, eating out, health club fee, wean down utilities,
Nix my cable tv, pay off my house, but keep my cable modem, lease a safe car, exercise more, eat better, and get off my darn meds.....

I am all ears as I am trying to actively safe money...

Moving to a warmer climate and that Corolla is looking better and better each day.:D

WhooHooo. :)
 

Andar

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The best way to save money is to spend less than you make. Do a realistic budget and start from there.
 

falmouth3

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Switch to fluorescent light bulbs, get rid of call waiting and all those special features on your telephone service.

Pack a brown bag lunch...

There are routinely articles on things you can eliminate and/or change in your life and they have estimated savings.

Good luck!

Sue
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Pinch Those Pennies & The Dollars Will Take Care Of Themselves.

I wanted to ask this forum if any of you have found good ways to safe money in your monthly budgeting.
Buy timeshares resale.

Buy everything used (except toothbrushes & underwear).

Shop for sale items at the supermarket & pharmacy.

Pay cash for everything (except it's OK to take out a mortgage loan to buy a home).

Eat at home.

Pay off your Visa & MasterCharge & American Express & Discover Card every month -- i.e., don't carry credit card debt.

Sell off unwanted & unneeded items via eBay & Craig's List.

Cancel all newspaper & magazine subscriptions & stay informed & entertained via Internet instead.

Forget about iPhone, etc., & instead make do with older model cell phones -- either what you already have or something from 2-3 years ago via eBay. (Those fancypants phones from back then still have all the features they had when they were new. Ignore the temptation to go with the very latest models -- i.e., most expensive -- of consumer electronic items.)

Stay out of casinos & bars. Don't buy lottery tickets. Quit smoking.

If you're old (i.e., AARP age -- 50+ ), ask for Senior Citizen Discounts. (Some places have'm, some don't -- no harm in asking.)

Give usable items that you're finished with -- the 1s you don't sell, I mean -- to charitable organizations. Keep records of those "in kind" contributions & include them as income tax deductions on your federal & state returns.

Marry a smart, thrifty, attractive, & loyal woman -- & do whatever it takes to keep her interested in you.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 

falmouth3

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Marry a smart, thrifty, attractive, & loyal woman -- & do whatever it takes to keep her interested in you.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

When I started dating my husband and I suggested going to the $1 movie theater (OK, this was 18 years ago), he knew I was "the one". We're always looking for bargains. :D

Sue
 

bobcat

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When I started dating my husband and I suggested going to the $1 movie theater (OK, this was 18 years ago), he knew I was "the one". We're always looking for bargains. :D

Sue

Take a pad and on the first of the month write down everything you spend on. Have your wife do the same. a candy bar, lunch, gas, newspapers, etc. You get the picture. Also write down how much income comes into the house. Each month will diiffer. like, if you live in a cold state heating bills will be high. Warm state a/c bills will be high. Take a total and compare each month. You may find you spent 100.00 on papers and candy bars. Maybe, you spent 100.00 on coffee cups. Then you can cut out things and save. It is the only way to do it right I found.
 

LUVourMarriotts

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get a wife/husband in finance

My wife is very good at keeping us on the right track. She does the check book ever day from debit card purchases, etc. She also uses Microsoft Money to set monthly limits on certain items. For instance, we have a monthly limit on eating out. If we get close to that limit, she lets me know, and we make sure not to pass it. Obviously these limits were calculated after monitoring every penny in & out for a month or two.

Another great thing that she has set up for us is our direct deposit pay. Each of us have at least 1 other account that money goes into when we get paid. For instance, we know that it will cost us $XX per month for our car payments, $XX for our yearly taxes and homeowners insurance, etc. Calculate that out over a years worth of pay dates and send that money directly into another account that you don't use directly. Then, when it comes time to pay those yearly/monthly bills, you either write a check from that account, or transfer the funds to your normal checking account. That way, you aren't missing that money when the bill comes, and you put yourself into a bind having to pay more than you have that month. This is what causes a lot of people money problems (at least in my opinion).
 

geekette

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We've never had cable, don't eat out a lot (I like to cook), are on the 'drive them until they die' car plan. I grow veggies every summer (I like to laugh at the prices grocery stores charge for tomatoes), we mow our own lawn, do as much of our own home maintenance as we can handle, use the library instead of renting or buying movies or books. I divide and transfer my own plants so don't buy any (guy that had the house before us was some kind of master gardener, so really set us up well with hostas, in particular). I freeze the bulk of the raspberry crop.

We have dial-up at home, mostly because DSL is not yet available and we refuse to feed the cable company execs (we are likely to spring for satellite for internet and tv soon). We replace our pcs only when we need to, not when something better is out (something better is always being unveiled). I'm allowed to take home monitors that are heading for the recycler so I haven't bought a monitor in at least 10 years.

I don't have a cell phone (I do have a pocket pc that is my on-call device), make my own coffee in the morning, wash my own car, have a portion of my pay diverted to savings every pay day. I shampoo my own carpets and clean my own house. We barter with neighbors for plumbing and tree services.

Neither of us chase the latest technology, care about the latest fashion, or buy concert tickets. There is plenty of free entertainment in many bars and restaurants here. We don't buy a lot of cds.

I don't color my hair and can usually manage to cut it myself. I bring my own lunch. I make my own croutons (it's hard for 2 of us to make it thru a whole loaf of bread so it's better than tossing half the loaf out).

I use coupons and stock up at Buy 1/Get 1 grocery sales. Having an old fridge/freezer in the garage allows me to Really Stock Up. We're on well/septic so don't pay for water/sewer except the electric required for the water pump (and aren't subject to boil orders!) We don't run the AC unless it's really hot and humid - we have a wooded lot so get a lot of shade, and have 4 ceiling fans. I'll grill out on a hot day rather than use a kitchen appliance. I will not dry my clothes outside - don't like the smell or texture of the clothing.

When hubby and I met, we were both very poor and economizing is just a way of life for us, even as our household income has increased significantly over time. We don't tend to need a lot of the things many people consider necessities. Our lifestyle isn't for everyone, but it fits us quite well.
 

julie

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budget

14 years ago, our income dropped dramatically when we moved from overseas jobs to Tennessee. I made up a 'spreadsheet' with everything we might spend money on (rent, electricity, groceries, etc...) and for years we wrote down everything we spent. It was quite amazing to see where our money went. The 2 things we immediately dropped were: 1)eating out at restaurants so much and 3)trips to Walmart where I might go in needing 1 thing and came out with 5 etc. Just seeing where you're currently spending money I believe is a great start.
A book I'd recommend is "Financial Peace" by Dave Ramsey or find a radio station that covers his show.

By the way - 14 years later I don't keep a spreadsheet, but my husband and I think alike and cut corners when possible, save as much as possible and are still able to travel a lot with our timeshares. :)

Julie
 

DTLE949

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Buy timeshares resale.

Pay cash for everything (except it's OK to take out a mortgage loan to buy a home).

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Hi,
While I agreed with what Alan said, I don't agree with "pay cash for everything". Whenever possible, we pay everything with our credit cards and pay off everything when it's due. This way we don't incur finance charges and the credit cards that we have give us points for the charges that we make. While we don't think we are big spenders (we usually charge about $2,700 to $3,200 a month), we are able to get 4 airline tickets to Cancun free of charge from the last 2 years. We already have enough points for another 4 airline tickets trip to cancun next year. :cheer:
Trang
 

ciscogizmo1

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Hi,
While I agreed with what Alan said, I don't agree with "pay cash for everything". Whenever possible, we pay everything with our credit cards and pay off everything when it's due. This way we don't incur finance charges and the credit cards that we have give us points for the charges that we make. While we don't think we are big spenders (we usually charge about $2,700 to $3,200 a month), we are able to get 4 airline tickets to Cancun free of charge from the last 2 years. We already have enough points for another 4 airline tickets trip to cancun next year. :cheer:
Trang

I second this motion and if you own your own business charge even more. It is has been over 5 years since we have paid for an airline ticket to Hawaii. Or even a few nights stay in a hotel room. But you have to be careful and not to overcharge. We use online banking and you can basically see everything online as you charge. So you always know if you are going overbudget if check at least weekly.
 

DeniseM

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The easiest way to save money is to set up an automatic deposit from every paycheck and then make a promise to yourself not to draw out of it except for planned purchases like cars or major appliances, or family emergencies. Even better, set up several accounts and dedicate each one to something specific.

We have the following:

Retirement Accounts (tax deferred)
Vacation - all vacation expenses except timeshare
Timeshare - all timeshare revenue and expenses
Christmas - enough for gifts, new clothing, and extra groceries purchased
General Savings - cars, appliances, emergencies

When Christmas, or a vacation, or an emergency comes around, we already have the money saved, and don't have to use credit. But we do buy everything with a credit card, pay it off monthly, and use the points for free airfare for our major vacation each year.
 
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swasuth

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Hi,
While I agreed with what Alan said, I don't agree with "pay cash for everything". Whenever possible, we pay everything with our credit cards and pay off everything when it's due. This way we don't incur finance charges and the credit cards that we have give us points for the charges that we make. While we don't think we are big spenders (we usually charge about $2,700 to $3,200 a month), we are able to get 4 airline tickets to Cancun free of charge from the last 2 years. We already have enough points for another 4 airline tickets trip to cancun next year. :cheer:
Trang

I also charge everything & then pay the entire bill when it comes in. I just got a msster card from US air but the only thing I put on there was my upcoming trip. I guess I should find out more about other rewards or points that I can use & build up free flight tickets.
 

dioxide45

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The one thing that will help is to pay yourself first. Treat your savings as a bill, if it comes out first directly in to a savings account, you won't even miss it. You will just spend less that month.
 

itchyfeet

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Pay as many bills as possible online or electronic deduction from your account.
It's amazing how those 41 cent stamps add up!
 

DTLE949

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I also charge everything & then pay the entire bill when it comes in. I just got a msster card from US air but the only thing I put on there was my upcoming trip. I guess I should find out more about other rewards or points that I can use & build up free flight tickets.

Hi Sheila,
If you have time, try the following web sites:
http://www.freefrequentflyermiles.com/index.htm
www.flyertalk.com

I have learned or gained so much (in terms of points) from these 2 websites. Of course, needlessly to say, I also have learned so much from TUGS:)
Trang
 

Rose Pink

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As other tuggers have intimated, it is not just cutting down on spending but sometimes in increasing earnings--whether that be more earned income or more "free" stuff such as airline miles, etc. You might want to ask yourself if it is possible for you to bring "more" home and, even more importantly, is "more" something that would interest you?

When I read about earning points or miles or ways to find discounts such as with couponing, rebates, etc I always feel a little twinge of guilt for "throwing away" all that free stuff because I don't participate. On the other hand, when I spend the time it takes to educate myself, set up and monitor these ever-changing activities, I feel guilty about using time that (for me) could be better spent on other activities such as learning a new language, reading a good book or catching up with friends. It is an inner conflict I have between these two things. For example, I've just spent a couple of hours reading one of the links in Trang's post. There is a wealth of information there for those who enjoy the hunt of tracking down and capturing all those free points, etc. I find that as I grow older, I can't find the thrill in the hunt. I used to. Once upon a time I was big on couponing, rebating, and hunting down the best buys. I just can't get up the mental energy for that any longer. And the thought of checking all those accounts to see if my points got credited (and then calling the company reps and being put on hold for eternity to dispute the statements) exhausts me just thinking about it. It is an individual thing that may or may not change with your circumstances. For some people it is a goldmine. For some it is quicksand.

My point is that, perhaps, while you are setting up your budget, etc (and tuggers have already given all the suggestions I would have such as tracking) I would also suggest a deep self-inventory of what your values are. What is it that you find satisfying (vs merely pleasurable). What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of home environment do you want to have? (not talking about decor here but rather the feeling in your home) I think that by sorting out your internal values, the external (financial ones) will come into focus and that will help you know where you can pare down and where it is worthwhile to splurge; where it is worthwhile to go on the bargain hunt and where it is more satisfying to simplify and just let it go. I got a chuckle out of your OP and all the things you were considering abandoning. More power to you! I'm not there yet.
 

beacowboy

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Much Gratitude to all.

Thanks....I am making a concrete list now and correlating this with a careful in depth self analysis of my needs, wants, future goals etc.

Thanks for your continued responses... TUG is such a wonderful site.

Other thoughts....

Increasing efficiency at work and home (time and efforts).
Learning new useful skills that can be applied to new career venues.
Improving preventative health measures.
Focusing on really being w family/ friends vs. passive entertainment viewing.
Learning new recreational skills.
Buying a good reliable vehicle with decent safety specs and fuel economy.

With regard to this last one (I am now 1 year away from being in the market)...

?Odyssey
?Kia new vehicle (just saw commercial)
?Toyota Corolla
?Honda Civic
?Good American Made (Reliable?) option? (anyone?)...

Thanks again Forum....:wave::cool: :doh: :D ::shrug:
 

SallyMagoo

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I love this subject, as I have always tried to be frugal and save money, yet enjoy life. I have employed many of the tips mentioned in this thread. My parents set the example.

We always pay off our credit card bills monthly, and if we couldn't be doing that, then I'd know we are spending too much. Sometimes, I take longer to pay off if a store offers interest free financing -- but you have to be very careful to make all partial payments which are required by the due date.

I am proud of my ability to manage money; after 22 years of marriage, my husband and I are comfortable with a decent net worth, although we are not doctors or lawyers -- (he's an electrician; I'm a paralegal). The key is to achieve balance.

Our worst financial mistake was buying a timeshare from the developer. Then I found TUG and learned to buy resale. I wish I had the money we wasted on that first one.

We love to eat out frequently and travel -- these are our biggest splurges. As we've gotten older, we have found a good way to save money in restaurants. We split many meals. We are both interested in not eating so much and saving money on restaurant meals; sometimes restaurants will split the meals for us, and sometimes give us a little more - even for a small charge, it's worth it, and we usually walk away satisfied. I also take advantage as much as possible with local coupon deals as well as coupons from restaurant.com.

I think it's so important to teach children not to expect to get everything handed to them, and to adopt money saving habits too. A good book on this subject is "The Millionaire Next Door".

My real problem now is a friend and some relatives who spend/earn very foolishingly and create problems for themselves. It really bothers me to see them make such financial mistakes and lead such difficult lives financially when they could have been more comfortable, in my opinion.

My two cents.

Sally
 

susieq

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Buying a good reliable vehicle with decent safety specs and fuel economy.

With regard to this last one (I am now 1 year away from being in the market)...

?Odyssey
?Kia new vehicle (just saw commercial)
?Toyota Corolla
?Honda Civic
?Good American Made (Reliable?) option? (anyone?)...

Hello there,

With regard to this last question, I may be a little biased as my DH is in the business. (He's a Warranty Administrator for GM ~ previously 20 years with Chrysler.) When I first bought my car, for convienence sake we leased, knowing we'd buy it out in the end. (No dn. paymt. because he was in the business) BIG MISTAKE ~~ you're paying for something for years that you don't even own! There are other drawbacks too ~~ when it comes time to renew the registration ... surprise! you're not the owner ~ depending on where the home office of the leasing agent is ~ can take time. We did buy out the car afterward, but ended up paying twice as long. My next car will be an import ~ simply for the Warranty. I don't put many miles on my car, (85000 on my '94 Shadow), so a 10 yr/100000 mi warranty works for me! GM is beginning to offer 5 yr/50000 mi., but the 10 yr works better for me. Hoped this helped some ~~ JMO. :D

Sue
 

caribbeansun

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A couple of interesting points in your post:

- your comment about leasing a car and paying for something you don't own - I suspect this would matter considerably less if you drove more miles as your ownership term would like parallel your leasing term. In that case you're simply renting the use of a vehicle for a period of time. Financially speaking I always figured it worked out reasonably close over a 5 year period provided the residual of the lease approximates actual fair market value at that point in time. Of course if you're driving a 13 year old car buying is the obvious answer in your situation.

- I don't think that you are advocating the purchase of a 10 extended warranty but I wasn't 100% sure - I've always believed that extended warranties are the most abused of over insurance coverage available and also the most costly. The assumption I make on this is that GM (and every other manufacturer and after market reseller out there) that sell extended warranties make a profit so the cost of the actual repairs can't exceed the premiums on the warranty.

I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts on the above.

I'm also surprised nobody waded in here with - spend it now because you never know what tomorrow brings! An ongoing debate in our household - do we spend a bit more now and enjoy it or save a bit and maybe have a bit more to spend later on down the road...



Hello there,

With regard to this last question, I may be a little biased as my DH is in the business. (He's a Warranty Administrator for GM ~ previously 20 years with Chrysler.) When I first bought my car, for convienence sake we leased, knowing we'd buy it out in the end. (No dn. paymt. because he was in the business) BIG MISTAKE ~~ you're paying for something for years that you don't even own! There are other drawbacks too ~~ when it comes time to renew the registration ... surprise! you're not the owner ~ depending on where the home office of the leasing agent is ~ can take time. We did buy out the car afterward, but ended up paying twice as long. My next car will be an import ~ simply for the Warranty. I don't put many miles on my car, (85000 on my '94 Shadow), so a 10 yr/100000 mi warranty works for me! GM is beginning to offer 5 yr/50000 mi., but the 10 yr works better for me. Hoped this helped some ~~ JMO. :D

Sue
 
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geekette

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- I don't think that you are advocating the purchase of a 10 extended warranty but I wasn't 100% sure - I've always believed that extended warranties are the most abused of over insurance coverage available and also the most costly. The assumption I make on this is that GM (and every other manufacturer and after market reseller out there) that sell extended warranties make a profit so the cost of the actual repairs can't exceed the premiums on the warranty.

I thought the reference was the supplied warranty, not buying an extended. The included warranties are getting longer - FINALLY!!

I'm also surprised nobody waded in here with - spend it now because you never know what tomorrow brings! An ongoing debate in our household - do we spend a bit more now and enjoy it or save a bit and maybe have a bit more to spend later on down the road...

Totally have to disagree with this. One of my greatest fears is being old and poor. The more thrifty I am in my working years, the less chance I have to work full time in retirement. "Spend it now" is not something I'll be doing until I'm well into my 80s. For me, that's many decades away.

When it comes to necessities (which I believe a car to be), I'd far rather own than lease. With 0% financing widely available and prices dropping, buying makes more sense now than ever before. Payments eventually end and the car is then yours to do with as you please - we drive them until the end of their useful life is in sight. No mileage limits, either. I still drive the first new car I ever bought and will for at least another 5 years, God Willing. BUT, we aren't people that "need" new cars. If you "must" drive new cars, leasing makes sense, but I don't believe it's the most economical option overall.
 

Rose Pink

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Thanks....I am making a concrete list now and correlating this with a careful in depth self analysis of my needs, wants, future goals etc.

Thanks for your continued responses... TUG is such a wonderful site.

Other thoughts....

Increasing efficiency at work and home (time and efforts).
Learning new useful skills that can be applied to new career venues.
Improving preventative health measures.
Focusing on really being w family/ friends vs. passive entertainment viewing.
Learning new recreational skills.
Buying a good reliable vehicle with decent safety specs and fuel economy.

......Thanks again Forum....:wave::cool: :doh: :D ::shrug:

WOW! Looks like you are in the midst of a complete life reappraisal. I admire (and envy) your energy. I wish you a very successful outcome. Perhaps you could blend your focus on family with your goal of learning new recreational skills--ie something you can do together. Do you have small children, teenagers? What kinds of things do they like to do? I don't know where you live but what about boating, water skiing, downhill skiing (all expensive hobbies though). I love aikido and that could also work in with your health goals as well as family activities. How about dance classes through your local school district's adult program? They usually are inexpensive Take your sweetie to tango lessons--or take the whole family to tap dancing or line dancing or square dancing classes. If you are near outdoor areas, you could also take the family on nature walks/hikes and together learn more about your local flora and fauna.

I may need to get off my duff. You have inspired me.
 

Bill4728

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One thing we do is always brown bag our lunches. It is amassing how much a lunch a day can cost.
 

jackio

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Resorts Owned
Sand Pebbles, Sheraton Broadway Plantation, Hawaiian Sun Holidays
We always lease our cars, for a couple of reasons. First of all, the payments are very low. In 2004 I leased a Monte Carlo for under $200/month. I could not have bought a car for payments like that. We use the GM credit card and accumulate points on it. We use it for everything - food, gas, college tuition. When it comes time to turn in the lease, I always have enough points that I don't put any money down on a new vehicle. The points pay for the tax, 1st payment, etc. I just write a check for the registration fee. Thirdly, I get a new car every 3 years. The downside is I will always have a car payment. I don't mind because the payment is half of what I would pay if buying a car. I always have a bumper-to-bumper warranty for the length of the lease, so I have no repairs to make. Also, when I owned cars and kept them for longer than 3 years, I had to replace maintenance items such as brakes, tires, batteries, etc. When leasing I never have to lay out money for these things either. All I do is have the oil changed and tires rotated. Leasing may not be for everyone but it works for us by keeping the cash outlay to a minimum.
 
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