Twenty-five ways I save money
September 28th, 2006 | by mbhunter |If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
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Dawn over at Frugal for Life started a money-saving link-fest with the topic above. Here’s my shot at it:
- Brew my own coffee
- Go easy on the accelerator when I drive
- Refrain as much as possible from buying things in vending machines
- Buy cars used, and consider buying just about anything else used as well
- Change my own oil
- Drink water in restaurants instead of soda
- Go to thrift stores, yard sales, and auctions
- Comparison-shop online
- Dilute ultra-concentrated dishwashing soap
- Stock up on sale items when I can
- Negotiate, wheel and deal
- eBay!
- Buy generic over name-brand
- Collect change and deposit into savings (away from checking)
- Cut extended cable service
- Buy used toys (our toddler will outgrow them so fast anyway!)
- Frequent pawn shops (with caution)
- Get maximum matching out of employer retirement plan
- Pay more than the minimum on our mortgage
- Do automatic withdrawal into our ING savings account
- Get big carrots and peel them instead of pre-peeled baby carrots
- Re-use plastic bags of all sizes
- Buy used computer books online or in Books-A-Million discount rack
- Take advantage of continental breakfast at hotels
- Weave doormats out of tire rubber thrown off from semis on I-95
Just kidding on the last one. Check out Dawn’s and the others here!
20 Responses to “Twenty-five ways I save money”
By ~Dawn on Sep 28, 2006 | Reply
I notice the number 2 (Go easy on the accelerator when I drive)
I should make this my number two as well, sadly, it is more of a 37 or 38. Perhaps this winter the habit will kick in more and it will move up in ranking.
You named a few I forgot and reminded me of a couple I should do more, thanks!
By Amelia on Sep 30, 2006 | Reply
I’m always amazed at the number of people who won’t change their own oil! Unless you drive something like a Mercedes, it’s not that hard, and you can save $15 *easy*. I’ve heard so many horror stories of lube places that forget to actually add oil or don’t really change the filter that I’m nervous when I pay for an oil change.
The pawn shop tip is a really good one. I needed a hammer, and was ready to hit the hardware store when my husband came home with a pawn shop one he picked up for $1. I’ll have to browse them more often when I need something.
By beloml on Oct 1, 2006 | Reply
I’ve challenged myself for the past few months to buy clothes only via eBay. I’ve saved a lot of money and gotten good brands–Coach, Calvin Klein, Anne Klein, Banana Republic, etc. (Of course, if you don’t need new clothes, spending ANY money isn’t wise.)
By WH on Oct 6, 2006 | Reply
Great list…sadly, I never remember to get my foot off the gas until i’m ON it. So to make up for that, I ease onto the brakes slowly from farther away. I’m curious about your pawnshops saving tip - what do you get and why the caveat? Thanks!
By Trying To Make Money Online on Nov 5, 2006 | Reply
Those are some great money saving ideas. What I really like about your money saving ideas is that not only do they save money, but the environment as well. Going easy on the accelerator saves money on more than one way(ie. speeding tickets)! I like your idea to collect change. I have started doing this and it is truly amazing how much money this can save over time(especially here in Canada where we have loonies and toonies). I am currently on medical leave and have come up with Eight Easy Ways To Save Money. Not nearly as many as your 25 though! Read a few blogs today on ways to save money and I’m amazed at all the great ideas people have for saving money.
By Conundrum & Bugle Corps on Apr 14, 2007 | Reply
Hey, here’s a tip that I’m amazed I don’t see on such lists more often: Recycle the other side of all those reams of printer paper we use every day! Most things we print out from Web sites, e-mail and drafts of homework and reports will be tossed or (maybe) filed anyway.
I even bring home cast-off sheets from the office printer and copier (non-sensitive of course!) to use in our 3 home printers.
Oh, and to save ink, make sure your printer is set to “fast draft” or whatever the lowest setting is. All 5 of us in my family use computers and the savings really adds up.
Obviously, if you’re printing out a resume, final report or business letter, temporarily switch back to the good paper and higher print quality.
By Sreeseshan on May 2, 2007 | Reply
Hi, Recently I found a great list of 15 ways to save money constructively, through one of the forums. When I started using the same I was amazed to find that could save lot of money . This taught me one thing that if one wisely handle the porfolio, the savings will be mind boggling. Browsing internet everyday will help in finding many unknwon information hitherto not known.
By Dave on Jul 17, 2007 | Reply
I already do alot of these, while alot of deals can be found on ebay, one can also pay more in the form of shipping fees. Some ebay sellers charge exorbitant fees for shipping.
By Alta on Jul 19, 2007 | Reply
I already do a lot of these but I am wondering about the last one. Hmmm….How does one do it?
By Steve on Aug 5, 2007 | Reply
Save money by getting a 100% free prescription drug discount card at http://www.superrxcard.com. It can be used at over 54,000 pharmacies.
By James on Sep 9, 2007 | Reply
Great post!
You can also free coupons for things you buy, just by searching for them on Google, and you can also find a lot of legitimate free downloads using bittorrents!
By Jens Dalsgaard on Sep 19, 2007 | Reply
The doormats really made me chuckle. It is those small simple things that makes all the difference.
By sylvia on Oct 24, 2007 | Reply
what the heck…weave a doormat with rubber u found on the road??? who DOES that?! lolol
By Jerry on Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
I’m glad to see so many comments about the doormats! I never thought of that one, either. I was pleased to see that our family does most of the things on the list already. We live very frugally and it has made a huge difference in our lives. We don’t feel deprived either. Not only do we buy used but you’ll find us turning around and selling those used items on ebay. In fact, we bought a used baby bjorn carrier for our daughter on ebay. My wife found a nicer one at a thrift store for $1.99. We turned around and sold the other one for what we paid for it! Now, THAT’S insurance for brighter financial future.
Jerry
http://www.leads4insurance.com
By ~Dawn on Dec 1, 2007 | Reply
I was wondering if you could correct the link back to http://frugalforlife.com/25-ways-i-save-money/ as that would be very helpful. Thanks!
By Susan on Dec 1, 2007 | Reply
I never thought about doing #9 (Dilute ultra-concentrated dishwashing soap). I will now! Thanks for the other great tips as well.
By Rich on Jan 27, 2008 | Reply
Here’s something that is so easy and makes so much sense. Everyone will pretty much need to purchase cartridges so…I came across information through a business customer and looked further into it. Here is what I found, ”
Over 700 million cartridges were thrown away world-wide in 2003 - and since more and more people use inkjet cartridges this amount will continue to grow year after year.
Empty cartridges contain residual toner powder, ink, a plastic casing, aluminum and other parts. These parts are all non-biodegradable and they will take more than 1000 years to decompose in landfill sites.
The remanufacturing of cartridges as an alternative to producing new ones currently reduces world demand of oil by 300,000 barrels and saves 17,000 tons of aluminum as well as 10,000,000 tons of timber. Besides helping to reduce carbon emissions, a major cause of global warming, it conserves resources and reduces waste.
1.5 pints of crude oil are needed to produce one cartridge. In the last 6 months alone inkjet cartridge recycling has saved more than 50 million liters of oil, more than the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989.”
Wow, so my whole point is this client twotonellc.com remanufacturers ink and toner cartridges and considering the above information it only makes common sense to buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges. You save money, get a higher yield (more prints) and save the environment.