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Due to recent and rather unexpected circumstances, I'm even poorer now than I thought. Think "wondering if I'll get to eat lunch tomorrow" kind of broke. We're having a super low budget wedding already, our parents are helping with most of it, and what we are paying for is already paid for, so there's nothing I can do about that now.
But I'm sure some of you Bees have been in as tight a spot (or tighter, at least I don't have kids and some of you do) and have some great money saving tips. Which I will be using, and maybe some other Bees can benefit too.
So... what are your best money saving tips? List as many as you want, and anything you want.
A few of mine:
Plastic bags from grocery shopping as garbage bags
Look down- I find a lot of lost change that way ;)
No cable TV
Don't go grocery shopping hungry
There are tons...
No home phone.
Turn lights off
Keep freezer full of ice if not food- less energy
Was clothes in cold water
Rewear clothes you can
Rice and beans...
Think about transportation. Can you ride share? Walk further and not pay for parking or other expense
Get a part time job/ do studies found on Craigslist/ etc jobs etc
Short showers
Call your cell plan and see what you are actually using. Can you downgrade?
Callyour insurances. Can they cut you a deal?
@galloway111:A couple days ago I was in the check out line at a grocery store and I watched the girl in front of me knock $42 off her $92 bill. She told me that she goes on vendor websites and prints coupons....
Those are good ones. I find that we save money when we need to by doing cheaper date nights (eg. skating, hot chocolates & a walk, at-home dinners). I also find that when I'm tight on cash, I let my roots grooooow baby grow, haha. Meaning, I don't go to the salon to get my highlights done. Last year when I was more broke-ass (we were saving for a downpayment on our house) I dyed my hair a darker colour in between colourings just so my roots wouldn't be as noticible in the mean time.
Other than that....turn off the lights, run the laundry/dishwasher/etc at night, & don't drive around wasting gas! Look through the weekly flyers when planning your meals.
Reduce the money you spend on shampoo by washing less frequently (rinse in between) or eliminate shampoo altogether and just condition in between rinses.
Have your SO give your hair a trim or go to the hair dresser less frequently, and vice versa (as in you cut SO's hair).
Hand clothes to dry.
Layer up to avoid turning up the heat.
Oatmel is very nutritious and has an incredible amount of servings. ($4 well spent)
Freeze all food items you can!
See if you can find a part time job--I photograph houses for a realtor and it brings me a few extra hundred a month. Dog walking places around here are always looking for help, and with the holidays coming, you could probably get some seasonal retail work.
On a short-term basis, I would suggest making chicken and yellow rice--very inexpensive, filling, and tasty. See if your local store sells bargain fruits and veggies--they might be bruised, but are still good. I got 3 huge bags of mushrooms for 50 cents each a while ago. Used them in spaghetti sauce, stir fry, and salad.
@BayStateBride: Yeah, I save so much on shampoo and conditioner because i only wash my hair once a week. That's mostly because I have curly hair and that's what works best for me anyways. It's really nice. I bought a huge Dove shampoo and conditioner for $6 at Costco in September and it's still full..
Meal planning and shopping with a list are HUGE savers. That way you get what you need and that's it.
Definitely call your car insurance to see if you can get a lower rate, especially if you haven't looked in awhile. Ask about good driver/good student type discounts. Got a clean driving record? Have they looked at that lately? I just saved myself $50 by doing this.
What about your car loan (if you have one?) I recently called and had them "refinance" my car loan to 2 monthly payments (less interest that way). It got me a new APR (a whopping 3% less), with the same payoff date as my previous loan, and I'm saving $35/mth.
Don't forget to turn your thermostat off or turn it low. Grab them sockies!
And for me - I always pay my bills whether they are do or not RIGHT when I get paid. If I think bills first, I end up spending less money on frivolous things because there's no excuses like, "well my phone bill can be a little late".
That's all I have...
Ditto on the coupons. they are amazing!
Some of my tips:
Cut the cable. Most of the shows you can catch online. I would cut the internet (with so many wifi hotspots available everywhere), but I need it for work.
Make a list when you go grocery shopping and stick with it! Giving in to buying "little" treats adds up.
When possible, buy generic store items rather than brand names--food and medicine especially. The FDA requires generic manufacturers to include the same active ingredients as those brand names.
Buy in bulk for items you know you will use. Though bulk items may seem to carry a higher price tag than the convenience size, the price per ounce/unit will be less.
Make your coffee at home!
Use distilled vinegar for a multitude of uses. It replaces most harsh chemical cleaning products. Can be used in laundry to brighten colors. It has homeopathic uses, such as treats ear infections, athletes foot, and inflammation.
Find free alternatives for entertainment. Instead of buying a book or magazine, go to the local library. Look online to see what activities your community centers are offering.
If you find you can't live without some perks in life like Starbucks coffee or whatnot, enroll in any privelege program the company may have. After so many purchases you get rewards.
Thanks for all the quick repsonses :)
I'm sure these tips can help a lot of Bees out, they're great. For me personally... the only thing listed that I don't do is buy and bulk and freeze because I have almost no freezer space, it's super tiny. I was thinking of investing in a mini freezer but that's not an option anymore. And thanks to my super well insulated apartment, I haven't turned the heat on yet :) No idea how that happened. I don't even pay for heat though, lol.
And I do work 30+ hours a week, but my rent cost is basically the exact same as my income. I'm also in school full time... at this point debating skipping another semester for financial reasons (I already did this for a year though) and just working...
@Miss Longcoat: Do you have photography experience or were they looking for anyone? And how did you get a job like that?
If you have student loans you can maybe change your repayment plan? government loans have like 6 repayment options ranging from standard to extended, graduated, or even income-based depending on your circumstances. That could be a big chunk of money if you could switch to a lower-cost plan right now (you will pay more interest in the end so I wouldn't leave it that way longer than necessary, but it could get you through a rough year!).
Also of course couponing, etc. And I find meal planning really saves money. Plan to use the same ingredients for multiple meals so you don't waste anything. Like, if I plan to use half an onion for tacos, I also plan to make a pizza that takes half an onion later in the week so I don't waste half my onion. I also buy meat in bulk and cook it up at once then portion and freeze it in single-meal servings. Also check out Aldis if you have them near you. You can't really do ALL your shopping there but you can get non-perishables for cheap and you don't need a membership.
And if you're REALLY strapped for cash maybe call some local hot-spot restaurants or wedding venue type places and see if they need valets. My friend used to valet randomly when he was broke. A lot of people will hire people on a per-day basis and you can make $100+ in tips in one busy night. And you can always sell your plasma. I know it sounds super creepy but its not much different than giving blood except it takes a little longer and you get money for it.
Hope it all works out for you!
Unplug appliances when you're not using them - you save electricity that way. DH and I unplug our TV when we go away for anything longer than during the day and it does save you money.
Vinegar is a great fabric softener and super, super cheap.
Are there any discount grocery stores in your area? Here is a list by state. Boxes with dents, flavors that weren't popular (but still good), things close to expiration but still fine, etc. I go there frequently and easily save 50%. For example, I just got boxes of Crystal Light packets for .50 a box.
Can you pick up babysitting jobs on the side? That's an easy way to make some extra cash, plus it's a very flexible job.
Do any grocery stores offer a gas rewards card? The one I go to for my dairy/perishables offers one that gives you points based on what you spend. I also have one connected to the gas station where I buy my coffee in the mornings. Between the two of them, I rarely pay full price at the pump and usually save .10-.20 a gallon.
@galloway111: I have a tiny freezer too. I ran out of room once. I'm looking into the mini freezer idea as well. I love going to Costco and buying meats and such in bulk. It really does help though the prices are higher. It saves me from going to the grocery store so many times and end up buying more things than I need to.
@galloway111:Is finding a better paying job or moving to a cheaper place an option?
@galloway111: My friend is a realtor and she needed help making open house brochures (she's hopeless with the computer). I noticed that all of her photos were fuzzy and told her I'd be happy to take pictures for her with my point and shoot. She pays me $20/hr and I log my time. She emails me when she has new listings to photograph and we tell everyone I'm her assistant. I do all of the brochures at home on Powerpoint, then she emails them to Kinko's to be printed. See if anyone you know has any connection to a realtor and go from there. You save them A TON of time and it's something they don't really think about themselves.
Also, when money is tight I buy a ox of generic slim fast for lunch or the week, a whole week of lunch for $8, plus I usually lose a couple of pounds!
My husband & I grocery shop at Save-A-Lot. We save TONS shopping there!
Buy cheaper toilet paper. You can get some 4 packs for 80 some cents if you look. Or at The Family Dollar they have a 24 pack for $7.50 that can last you a while.
Turn the heat off & wear warmer clothes or throw a blanket over you.
Buy off brand soda. (If you drink soda.)
When you buy food plan out your meals don't just buy what you see/want you want. lol
We don't have a cell phone. Just had it cut off because we haven't used it in almost TWO MONTHS! Yea. I know! haha Others would say cut the home phone, do that if you use your cell more.
Find the cheapest internet if you must have internet.
Take turns each week riding with someone to school/work then switch the next week.
If you need money now do you have any xbox, wii or playstion games? You can take them to game stop & trade them in for money until you get paid.
Save your change. It adds up. REALLY! My husband saved up almost 80 dollars in a month or two. & He wasn't even saving every penny. You will always have that change just in case you need it later on.
@Mrs.Estep: Change jars, FTW! We had over $200 in the matter of months. It was crazy. I need to start carrying cash more often though because I use my debit card way too much.
@piglet_625: Yes! Unplug everything when you're not using it. We keep our tv plugged in when we are out for the day, but thats it. Unplug kitchen appliances, microwaves, CHARGERS of any kind, lamps, etc. Saves more than you would think.
@MissPumpkinPie: Yes!!!! We started doing it again. My husband did this before we lived together alot. So he came up with the idea to start doing it again. I thought it was great!
coins in a money box - our last money box has $4K (australia has $1 & S2 coins)
@sleepingbeauty88: Oh man. I would stress myself to the point of going insane if I had a late bill, lol. I'm so paranoid about it, it's not normal.
@CorgiTales: I'm a student now actually. I'm having issues getting a loan. Also, I've thought about donating plasma, but FI literally almost died because they weren't paying attention (they don't have to have any official training off the job- scary!) and so now I'm terrified :(
@piglet_625: No discount stores nearby, crap. I do always buy from the discount bakery and discount meat at Walmart though, when I need that stuff. I don't have any experience with kids, no one would ever hire me to babysit. Too many college students with real experience here. I'd love to though.
@lefeymw: Nope. I spent a year looking for a job, applied to over 200 places. And I'm in the cheapest place I know of, with my lease set until August.
@Miss Longcoat: I think that would be great for extra cash! Maybe I'll email a few realty companies.
@Mrs.Estep: You want to know the crappiest thing about where I live? Charter has a complete monopoly. They're the ONLY place to get Internet, and since I live in a college town, Internet is a bigger necessity than food. It's ridiculous how they rip off college students.
Forgot about the finance tips.
Pay cash or use debit cards. Credit cards are tempting especially when there is no income. But remember, unless you can afford to pay off the entire balance every month, the items you are charging cost you more in the long run because of the interest charges.
If you're struggling to make your payments, for example, say a high level of debt on a credit card, you can contact the company and see what other payment options they can assist you with. Trust me, they rather you make some form of payment then constantly defaulting. Often times, you can negotiate to offset your total debt with a lower settlement amount. Though this will ding your credit score, it's a better alternative than filing for bankruptcy or defaulting multiple times and having the APR on your card skyrocket.
For clothing and linens, shop at consignment stores or go to GoodWill. If the items are in good or great conditions, who will know where you got them from?
The biggest tip: If you don't NEED it, don't get it. You'll be suprised at how many things you can live without.
Good luck!
@Roe: Good idea. I don't do that know but I will.
I have a coin jar, the real trick is getting FI to put his change in a jar :P
@galloway111: before you contact anyone, photograph a few places first and create a mock brochure. Tell them that each property will take 1-1.5 hours to shoot, and a brochure takes 2-3 hours with several drafts. It's relatively inexpensive for them, given the amount they stand to make in commission.
Seriously, those coupons can be your best friend. A girlfriend of mine does most of her couponing at the local drug store, on a recent trip she made $43 dollars and filled her huge kitchen table with what she was paid to take from the drug store. She is donating to a local charity what she and her family can't use, but there is no reason that you couldn't sell that stuff really cheap to other college students.
Well here's a quick tip. Right now "Turning Leaf" brand wines have a coupon on them for $3 off any prepared meal or turkey product and you don't need to purchase the wine to use it. Because you don't need to purchase the wine you can take one of the coupons off the bottle and use it. Most prepared meals (food that is cooked a la carte) at my local store costs about $4 for a tray of chicken breast, carrots with glaze and mashed potatoes (other things also but this is what I usually get). Lunch for a dollar! Also, if you get a half pound of turkey breast from the deli that would also be about $3-4. Of course, don't abuse the coupons and there will be no problems.
I suppose it depends on your state but here in NH they sell wine in grocery stores so I can go get a coupon and a premade meal all at the same time. My state-run liquor store doesn't carry the "Turning Leaf" brand so I'm not sure if a liquor store would have the coupons or not. The coupon expires at the end of the year.
I'm pretty damn poor ad you learn how to stretch a dollar! Good luck with everything and don't be ashamed to ask for help if you need it.
It sounds like you'll need to focus on making more money rather than spending less (people can only cut expenses so much)
I'd look for another job. What are you doing right now? A lot of times people stay in a job, because they assume they can't get paid more, but switching companies or industries can make a big difference.
Also, try to brainstorm any ways for extra cash (particularly ones which don't take up a lot of time or allow you to muiltask. Few ideas that come to mind...
Babysitting, writing/editing articles, dog walking, house cleaning, tutoring etc
A lot of people turn hobbies into income. For instance, if you knit... sell scarves. If you work out, become a fitness class instructor. If you take pictures, offer photography services.
In terms of rent, you might consider moving if its fairly expensive for region. Or if you have an extra room, you might take on a roommate for a while.
EDIT: I wrote my post before you commented the last time.
Just drink water, it's free!
I don't know if you pay for electricity/water (I rent and don't).
The only things you need to pay for that come to mind immediately are: rent, food, basic toiletries, medicine, transportation (public is cheaper), laundry (if you're like me, hand wash as much as possible) and maybe phone & internet (depending on work). Don't buy extras.
@galloway111: I think I remember that you are in Madison too. As far as plasma goes if you decide to do it let me know and I will tell you where the better one to go is (there are two). I did it for about 6 months and never had any problems. The place is super clean, so I felt ok doing it. I think it ended up being an extra $60/wk if you do it twice.
Also look into Covance they do trials and you can make a couple thousand for a trial. I know lots of people who have done them and I have a family member that works there.
Sorry, I skimmed previous posts and missed your update. Since you're a student you probably have a few other options. Does your campus have a food bank? The campus ones are different than the public ones and they usually can point you towards other resources as well. You can also usually get emergency bursaries (or at least in Canada you can).
@mrskesslertobe: Ooh yes! This! I"m from WI (Janesville), and my mom actually used to work at a plasma donation center in Janesville that I could recommend. Years ago you got $20/trip, and you could only go up to twice a month I believe. LMK if you want the info.
@Miss Longcoat: I'll probably have to wait til winter break but I will :) Thanks!
@MissShork: I figured :) But I do like the idea of knitting scarves for money... I don't know how to knit but maybe with some practice I could try?
@mrskesslertobe: FI didn't actually give in Madison, so if you'd send me the name of the place you like I'd be willing to give it a try :)
@AB Bride: I've never heard of a campus food bank, and I don't see anything online. I'm not sure those exist in the US? I go to a public school so maybe that's why too.
@galloway111: Sorry, I figured there would be a campus food bank, I know all the universities have them here. Does your school have any financial resources?
When it comes to saving money we don't have cable, home phone, we go to the grocery store only 2 times month, just got our insurance lowered, pay bills off at the beginning of the month, save all change... January we will be doing a 21 day financial fast.
If you don't mind me asking... is the wedding putting you in this situation? what is left you need to do?
EDIT: Have you sat down and wrote out your budget? Have you figured out how much you take in verse how much you spend?
I thought of another one. Clean your car's air filter. It makes your car more efficient, saving you money on gas.
Could you split your internet with a neighbor? We split ours with our neighbor, so it costs us $30 a month, and the cash he gives me goes towards my laundry money. If that's not an option, just cancel the internet. You need lots of things, and the internet isn't one of them. Especially when you can go to Panera or a local library and use theirs for free.
I just suggested knitting as an example. But I have friends that knit and LOVE it. It really just depends what your interests/abilities are. For instance, I edit resume for cash occassionally because I'm an HR grad and I've always had an interest in resume writing.
I also know people who play piano at people's wedding ceremonies. Or bartend or "Ipod DJ" at wedding receptions. My friend was a high school tutor. A lot of those jobs that only last a couple of hours, can bring in big money.
Some people sell home party producst but those aren't often profitable because you have to pay for the all the samples and often end up buying the products themselves.
I would still recommend throwing out resumes if you see some well paying. I realize the job market is worse off in the states, but it would make such a difference for you.
@AB Bride: Well, there's financial aid through the government, but my parents make "too much" to get anything but loans, and even loans have a cap on them. And due to other circumstances it's pretty hard for me to get a private loan right now.
@Sah: What is a financial fast? And no, it's not the wedding. We ourselves actually aren't spending that much on the wedding- maybe $2500 total, maybe less, including the e-ring, our parents are helping with the rest. No honeymoon, no alcohol- the two of us are paying for the church, the reception hall (which is $175), the rings, and to fly in our pastor friend from Canada- he was our good friend and then he moved, and we want him there but can't ask him to spend so much. That's it. And the payments are already made anyway.
And yes, I my rent+electric bill+ Internet bill alone equal what I make. I feel like this thread is only proving to me that I might not be able to finish college...
@piglet_625: My dad's a mechanic- free service :) Thankfully that part of my life is covered. I'm nervous to split because I don't know my neighbors- what if they forgot to pay the bill? What if they locked me out by changing the wireless password? Too many stressful ifs. And as a college student, Internet is more important to me than food. Not joking. I usually do my homework around midnight, after work, so there's no where for me to go- and campus is a 20 minute walk in the dark to get to an open library.
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