Easy ways to save money.

[amy31416]

I was thinking about a couple of things that I do to save money, and thought that many of you probably have lots of similar things that you do as well. Just simple things that you do to save money. For instance:

I water down all the juice I drink because it stretches it, makes it less sweet and increases the water I drink.

I exfoliate using baking soda rather than buying expensive creams. (Get a washcloth, wet it and sprinkle a little on, it's better than the stuff you buy.)

I make my own bleach cleaners for disinfecting (1 part bleach, 4 parts water.)

I make my own glass cleaner (1C water, 1C isopropyl alcohol, 1tsp white vinegar.)

I buy cheap, basic moisturizers, liquid soap, shampoo, etc and adjust the formulation to my liking (sometimes pH adjust with white vinegar, add vitamin E--things like that.)

How about youse guys?

[Zippyjuan]

If you buy "light" juices, you are getting half water anyways (Tropicana's light OJ for example is 42% juice while their regular OJ is 100%- same price) so you are saving money there. I don't have a car which saves tons of money (live close to work, grocery store). Use manufacturer's coupons which in my area they still double the value of (the prices are probably raised to pay for that so I might as well use them). Don't buy things like sandwich bags or storage containers. Use bread sacks for sandwiches or clean tubs from butter or whatever for storage.

[Allen72289]

Want to get a 25% increase in fuel economy?

Use E3 sparklugs which claim 13% more mpg

use a k&n filter which gives on average 10% mpg increase

use mobil1 synthetic 15000 mile oil.

savings with th mobil1 oil is 70 dollars alone not including increased engine life and mpg per year

savings with the the k&n is 400 dollars over the life of a vehicle at current air filter prices.

the e3 sparkplugs are guaranteed for life as well.

[acptulsa]

I can testify that Mobil 1 will save you a little gas and a lot of engine wear.

My favorite is to tell your local cable tv company to get stuffed and break out the rabbit ears.

[Kludge]

Tee hee -- the things I said in my Youth...!

[amy31416]

Good stuff. I only use Mobil 1 full synthetic--and I change it myself, which saves me about $50.

[Mongoose470]

Want to get a 25% increase in fuel economy?

Use E3 sparklugs which claim 13% more mpg

use a k&n filter which gives on average 10% mpg increase

use mobil1 synthetic 15000 mile oil.

savings with th mobil1 oil is 70 dollars alone not including increased engine life and mpg per year

savings with the the k&n is 400 dollars over the life of a vehicle at current air filter prices.

the e3 sparkplugs are guaranteed for life as well.

E3 plugs claim 13%. Yes, over a completely fouled normal spark plug. Over a good plug, there is little to no difference. At 7 bucks a plug, they're a waste of money. I'm a motor enthusiast and most have rejected those plugs. Tests have also confirmed they're more hype than hope.

Same with those fancy air filters. Over a completely plugged normal air filter, 10%improvement possible. Compared to a standard brand new air filter, little to none unless used in high performance or heavy duty applications.

You want an effective fuel saving tip? Emissions permitting, free up exhaust backpressure with a freer flowing exhaust and/or muffler. Tested and proven. More MPG AND power.

[Dieseler]

I have to buy another freezer.
I produced way to much food this year.
I wish I had planted potatoes too.

[LittleLightShining]

I second the coupons. Last week I saved $167 combining coupons and sales and came in just under my $100 budget spending $99 Speaking of coupons, if you are happy or unhappy with a product call the customer satisfaction number and let them know. If they don't offer a replacement for a negative comment ask for one. Ask for coupons for products you like so you can try other flavors/scents.

Where I live the dumps have transfer stations in many towns. People can drop off recycling, trash, bulky waste, electronics, etc. Many towns have little "reuse" buildings. I have been shopping at these for years and find the bulk of my family's clothing this way. My style is pretty casual/classic and my husband has a dirty job so we're not fussy. I got my fancy mother-in-law into and she's never looked better. I especially like to do this in the rich towns I also haven't bought a new book (except for TR:AM) in years thanks to these places.

On the same note, if you have kids, shop yard and rummage sales for them and stock up on larger sizes. I have boys, and again, they aren't fussy. I'd way rather put a used LL Bean rugby or a vintage T on one of them than a shirt/commercial for some dumb movie from wal-mart.

Call your cable company-- and cell phone provider-- and renegotiate for the current promotion.

Buy grains and dry goods in bulk.

I put my laundry detergent in a dish detergent bottle. I give each load one squeeze around and my clothes come out great. I also have used regular dish detergent--palmolive oxy, ivory and dawn-- instead of laundry detergent and I think it's better because you don't need as much. What I use depends on what I have a coupon for.

Line dry clothes.

Collect caps and codes from Coke products and use them at mycokerewards.com for Blockbuster rentals. Tell everyone you know you save them and you'll be watching free movies before you know it.

I posted more somewhere else in here... When I have more time I'll look for it.

[brandon]

Amy, you should compile your list into a database and then charge people $7 to access it. Then those people could make money by referring other people.
Good idea?

Anyway, I grow my own weed and distill my own moonshine.

I steal pens and toilet paper from work

I only shower once a week

And of course, I pirate pornography.

Just kidding(??)

[MsDoodahs]

http://www.tightwad.com/

[Mahkato]

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_to_Reduce_Energy_Usage

[pcosmar]

I roll my own cigarettes.

[amy31416]

Amy, you should compile your list into a database and then charge people $7 to access it. Then those people could make money by referring other people.
Good idea?

Anyway, I grow my own weed and distill my own moonshine.

I steal pens and toilet paper from work

I only shower once a week

And of course, I pirate pornography.

Just kidding(??)

LOL.

Great idea, then I could promote it as THE NEXT BIG THING THAT WILL TAKE THE REVOLUTION BY STORM!

[amy31416]

http://www.tightwad.com/

Good site. Thanks.

Part of me likes reading about the weird little quirky things that people on this board do, plus I've worn out the usual sites looking for innovative ways to live large (that's right MTV Cribs) on as little as possible.

[asgardshill]

Even factoring in the cost of fertilizer, water and labor (i.e. my time), having a garden has saved me at least $300 in food costs so far this year.

I routinely scan EBay for "broken" computer and electronic equipment and fix it myself. The laptop I'm using right now had no working display, no battery and would not POST when I bid on and won it for less than $100. I installed a working display and battery off a junked laptop of the same model and reseated the RAM to fix the POST issue. Voila - a laptop that retails for over $800.00 that now works perfectly, for the low low price of $125.00 including parts.

I haven't bought a music CD in over 3 years. Torrent and Usenet are your friends.

If you smoke, consider ordering by mail/purchasing your cigs from an Indian reservation. They don't charge tax on them, and you can get them for about half of what you'd pay at the corner store.

[driller80545]

I do all of my own repair work- auto, home, ac, anything. I live on the gulf, so we eat lots of seafood that we catch- fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs. I try to keep my wife out of MaoMart. Currently, I am looking to increase gas mileage or try alternative as this is a large expense for me. I don't borrow money. We always have a nice garden.

[LibertiORDeth]

Even factoring in the cost of fertilizer, water and labor (i.e. my time), having a garden has saved me at least $300 in food costs so far this year.

I routinely scan EBay for "broken" computer and electronic equipment and fix it myself. The laptop I'm using right now had no working display, no battery and would not POST when I bid on and won it for less than $100. I installed a working display and battery off a junked laptop of the same model and reseated the RAM to fix the POST issue. Voila - a laptop that retails for over $800.00 that now works perfectly, for the low low price of $125.00 including parts.

I haven't bought a music CD in over 3 years. Torrent and Usenet are your friends.

If you smoke, consider ordering by mail/purchasing your cigs from an Indian reservation. They don't charge tax on them, and you can get them for about half of what you'd pay at the corner store.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=tab%3DSelling

[asgardshill]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=tab%3DSelling

Yeah, that one's on my radar. But I haven't installed anything smaller than 500 gig in a box yet this year. Nice for a starter computer or a kid's system though.

[LibertiORDeth]

Yeah, that one's on my radar. But I haven't installed anything smaller than 500 gig in a box yet this year. Nice for a starter computer or a kid's system though.

Still, a 70$ HDD...

[asgardshill]

Still, a 70$ HDD...

And the best part is, it'll sell for peanuts because the person auctioning it can't get it to initialize (which is usually easily corrected).

[pacelli]

I always shop in the clearance bins at the supermarkets and the home improvement centers. I found cans of israeli pickles in the bargain bin for $1.00 a piece, normally they sell for 4.00 a pop here.

At one home improvement store just today, I found full cans of Rain-X de-icer on sale for .50 cents each, marked down from $3.67 each. Of course the cashier just scanned it and tried to charge me full price. Fat chance.

For outdoor / gardening clothes I shop at the online military surplus shops. 3 heavy-duty, button-down shirts for $12 (and I happen to like the colors 'olive drab' & 'camoflauge'). They last for decades. Same deal with pants. 3 shovels for $18. 5-gallon water containers for $6 a pop and last much longer than anything you'd find at chinese-slave-mart.

[amy31416]

For outdoor / gardening clothes I shop at the online military surplus shops. 3 heavy-duty, button-down shirts for $12 (and I happen to like the colors 'olive drab' & 'camoflauge'). They last for decades. Same deal with pants. 3 shovels for $18. 5-gallon water containers for $6 a pop and last much longer than anything you'd find at chinese-slave-mart.

Great stuff, I haven't been to a surplus store in a long time, I'll have to make a trek down there.

Which reminds me--Salvation Army stores. I've found a real Italian hand-crank pasta machine there for $10 (they go for around $100.) I found Bruno Magli pumps for $30 (use lysol in the shoes with reckless abandon, just in case, heh.) I've also found woolrich sweaters, cashmere, Ralph Lauren, lots of books and cool old scientific equipment, a classic Coach purse that will last forever and never go out of style.

There's a Salvation Army store specifically for old computer stuff in Pittsburgh. Some interesting finds there.

[liberteebell]

Great stuff, I haven't been to a surplus store in a long time, I'll have to make a trek down there.

Which reminds me--Salvation Army stores. I've found a real Italian hand-crank pasta machine there for $10 (they go for around $100.) I found Bruno Magli pumps for $30 (use lysol in the shoes with reckless abandon, just in case, heh.) I've also found woolrich sweaters, cashmere, Ralph Lauren, lots of books and cool old scientific equipment, a classic Coach purse that will last forever and never go out of style.

There's a Salvation Army store specifically for old computer stuff in Pittsburgh. Some interesting finds there.

Thrift stores rule! You can build an entire "new" wardrobe on a shoestring. It's amazing the treasures that can be found for virtually nothing. If you have children, it's a real bonus--they always grow out of clothing way before the cloting wears out.

Also, selling gently used clothing at consignment shops has netted me some extra FRNs.

[amy31416]

I second the coupons. Last week I saved $167 combining coupons and sales and came in just under my $100 budget spending $99 Speaking of coupons, if you are happy or unhappy with a product call the customer satisfaction number and let them know. If they don't offer a replacement for a negative comment ask for one. Ask for coupons for products you like so you can try other flavors/scents.

One question for you: I do all my mother's grocery shopping for her because it's cheaper to buy in bulk and split things up, so it works out for both of us. Plus I do "bulk" cooking and freeze the stuff for her because, quite frankly, she's a lousy cook and will eat crappy prepared foods instead.

Anyways, the question is, where are these coupons? I look in the newspaper and honestly there's very rarely any coupons for anything but crap I wouldn't buy (like very over-priced makeup, occasional tv dinners, etc.) It doesn't seem worth it to me, but then I hear about people saving gobs of money using them.

[Mongoose470]

Easiest Way To Save Money:

Don't Get Buried....errrrrr.....married!

I can get a two dollar ho anywhere on the street. Who needs a HALF OF EVERYTHING YOU OWN HO?

BTW: Can anyone lend me 53 cents?

[Andrew-Austin]

Heres basically what I do already:

-Eat a lot at my parents house: free food
-Fill up a bottle frequently at water fountains
-Buy non name-brand products

[Mongoose470]

Second best way to save money:

Don't breed like rabbits. Kids aren't these wonderful innocent bundles of joy. They are selfish, needy, annoying, expensive, time consuming projects who need a LOT while being incapable of giving back!

Each child costs $22,000 per year and it's getting tougher for Americans to afford them without some form of assistance.

Oh sure, kids can add meaning and purpose to your life but you'd better be financially ready.

On a serious note, I am identifying two major contributors to poverty and financial crisis in America.

[Allen72289]

E3 plugs claim 13%. Yes, over a completely fouled normal spark plug. Over a good plug, there is little to no difference. At 7 bucks a plug, they're a waste of money. I'm a motor enthusiast and most have rejected those plugs. Tests have also confirmed they're more hype than hope.

Same with those fancy air filters. Over a completely plugged normal air filter, 10%improvement possible. Compared to a standard brand new air filter, little to none unless used in high performance or heavy duty applications.

You want an effective fuel saving tip? Emissions permitting, free up exhaust backpressure with a freer flowing exhaust and/or muffler. Tested and proven. More MPG AND power.

No, they had a 5.5 hp gain over performance competitor plugs http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/video.htm they do work better than the stock plugs. and a 606 fuel consumption rate vs. 626 with the other plugs.

KN not better than stock? Pssh. The cotton material flows way more air then paper filters. More CFM means more power any gear head knows this.


http://www.knfilters.com

[amy31416]

Second best way to save money:

Don't breed like rabbits. Kids aren't these wonderful innocent bundles of joy. They are selfish, needy, annoying, expensive, time consuming projects who need a LOT while being incapable of giving back!

Each child costs $22,000 per year and it's getting tougher for Americans to afford them without some form of assistance.

Oh sure, kids can add meaning and purpose to your life but you'd better be financially ready.

On a serious note, I am identifying two major contributors to poverty and financial crisis in America.

Hahahaha. Sounds like you and Asgardshill should go throw a couple back and bitch about the exes.

I have a dog, she costs me dog food, water, the rare vet bill and lots of brushing. In return, she provides some serious security detail work, she does the pre-rinse on almost all dishes before the dishwasher, helps dispose of almost all left-overs.

Of course there was that one time that I took her to the gamelands for a romp and she rolled in a bloated, festering recently dead animal. I have never smelled something so horrible. It took three days of bathing to fully get rid of the smell.