Penny pinching hints and tips (page 2)

Bobbi

I found I can save a lot by doing the weeks grocery shopping all in one trip. I make a list of the deals from each store and plan my meals accordingly.

I have discovered that we are saving approximately $30-$40 dollars a month by cutting out the little trips to the store. You go for milk and end up with muffins, bananas and milk.

I also use coupons, however I have to be careful not to buy something just because I have a coupon.

I take great pride in saving money and getting the best value for our money.

It is also a great feeling when you find an in-store special and you have money left in your budget to stock up. Remember those steaks Para?

Bobbi

BrentR

I roast my own coffee and do not buy it from any stands. I save around $3000 per year and end up with better coffee.

This last six months I started using Mobil 1 oil since I change my own oil but do not enjoy it. I am now getting and extra 4 MPG and considering I drive 60 mi. a day that adds up fast. Mobil does not even advertise that oil as fuel saving.

Most of all the internet has saved me thousands of dollars by being able to shop around the country and not just my local towns.

I buy my beef from a local rancher for $1.20 a Lbs. Not only do I save money but I get better quality w/o hormones, antbiotics, pesticides and dyes in it.

Open mind

LOL @ Gregor!!

dobbie

SadEmo i post on moneysaving expert, hubby loves Martin Lewis hes always reading his books.

Grow your own if poss saves money. Also plan your meals for the week stick to the list, batchcook and freeze different meals.

When we used to shop at Asda they will usually accept any coupons even if your'e not buying that product, sometimes we get away with it at Tescos as well.

Go online to all the samples/freebie sites and get perfume samples sent, you get to try loads and don't have to pay for them. Same with skincare, shampoos too.

Get a cashback credit card, put all your shopping/expenses on it and pay it back in full (have to be disciplined!) then you are getting money back for nothing, we got over a hundred pounds last year.

Keep checking the bank rates for savings accounts, maybe go to an online one for better interest rates.

Use search engines on computer to save money and buy online

Sometimes its cheaper to order groceries online even with delivery charge as you are not tempted to buy extra.

To save money on food, try going down from say top make of something to shops own brand, quite often they are made at the same factory anyway.

SnakesInTheTower

Ah...frugality...a favorite topic of mine. I am frugal but not to the point of being "cheap." I pay for good quality once rather than over and over for lesser quality.

Although I make very good money (on a commission only based job), I still find myself picking up aluminum cans (currently the recycler is paying $0.73 US per pound..which is about 2 ¢ per can.) as I walk to and from my car to customer's houses. I made an extra $15+ from Jan-July doing really nothing. Just kept a box in my trunk and threw the cans in there as I went. Transferred the cans to a bin in the garage when I got home. When I got to 2 bins, took them to the recycler on the way to another errand.

Some may say I waste money and gas by leaving my motor running (and keeping the doors locked while away for a few min) for 8 hours a day as I run my route, but I actually found I savedabout 4 mpg by not starting and stopping my car 50-60 times a day (and it has been easier on the starter as well). Maybe my next car should be a hybrid, then the electric motor would take over when stopped.

Other money saving tips. Keeping the shades closed in the house during the summer. I also left the plastic up over the windows on the inside (from the winter) behind the blinds to keep the cool air in and hot air out. (The plastic is barely noticable, but I am not trying to impress Martha Stewart with my design sense...probably why I am still single. ). Using ceiling fans and floor fans instead of A/C. The hottest it has been in the house is 84 ° F..usually stays about 79 ° F without A/C. My A/C usage has been minimal except for the current and recent hotspells where it has been 95-105 ° F here.

Using a faucet mounted Brita ™ water filter and filling a reusable thermos for work instead of buying expensive bottled water (thus not contributing yet more plastic to the landfills, another pet peeve of mine). Making my own tea at home instead of paying $2/cup at the local cafe.

Paying someone to do a monthly cleaning of the house so I can go to work instead and make even more filthy money. (Of course, I still do the daily cleaning). Not buying multiple types of specialized chemical cleaning products that are ineffective. Using cotton cloths rather than paper towels whenever possible.

Am I saving money? I am paying $1,500 a month toward my credit cards, which will be paid off by this time next year. What do you think?

SnakesInTheTower (of the "pinching nickles so hard the buffalo roars" Sheep Class)

aSphereisnotaCircle

Here in the US we bring our lettuce and other green leafy vegies home form the market in a plastic bag. When you get home, wrap the lettuce in one or two paper towels and then put them back in the plastic bag to store in the fridge. they will last for weeks this way, no more slimy vegies after a few days!

BizzyBee

From Midnight Cowboy:

In a coffee shop, order a cup of tea. Put ketchup from the counter in the cup and pour the hot water over it, add the cream, salt and pepper to taste - voila! - cream of tomato soup. Put the tea bag in the pot and ask for more hot water. Ask for complimentary crackers or look for some left behind by other diners.

Pay for the cup of tea.

Scully

I love making jam and preserves from in-season fruit and vegetables. Speaking of which, it's almost time to make a batch of beets. mmmm

I like making pizza dough at home using my bread machine and putting on the toppings I like.

We have a jar where we stash our foreign (US) change, and this saves us having to pay the exchange rate when we go on a shopping trip to the States.

I do most of my holiday shopping online. Most places offer free shipping with a certain amount purchased (I'm thinking Amazon among other places), so I've saved time going to stores, gas, wear and tear on the car, and frustration of shopping at the busiest time of the year.

I watch gas prices and only fill the tank when the price is the lowest of the week. I work 12 hour shifts instead of 8 hours, saving a round trip to work worth of gas, time and wear and tear on my car. That also means that I work 2 shifts per week instead of 3 (5 days off instead of 4).

I keep packets of Crystal Light in my purse and ask for a glass of water to drink at restaurants. I don't use them all the time, because I do enjoy the water by itself, but if I want a change, I'm not paying $2 for a soda.

With lots of friends who are having babies, I've used my needlework skills to make lovely blankets and outfits that are unique and much appreciated, with only a minor investment in materials. They become heirlooms (or so I've heard) being passed around in families as new babies arrive. I work on my projects while I'm watching TV or I'll take it with me on outings where Mr Scully is driving for long stretches. It sure beats spending $50 or more on a gift. I also put together gift baskets or floral arrangements for friends and neighbours at holiday time, and get asked if I do it professionally. Maybe someday.

I hate throwing food away - brown bananas are made into muffins or banana bread, apples or pears with a couple of bruises on them (which my kids refuse to eat) get made into applesauce, muffins or pies. The end pieces of a loaf of bread get dried to make bread crumbs.

I buy meat on sale (and I check the rack of best-before-date markdowns to save about 50% off the regular price) things like whole chickens and then use it as much as possible. Roast two chickens at once (saves on electricity) - one chicken for dinner, the leftovers for sandwiches, chopped up in salads and some saved for soup or stew or chicken pot pie. Right after dinner, the bones and giblets get put in the slow cooker to make stock for soup, and I'll freeze about half and use the other to make a soup for the next dinner.

I make my own vegetable broth for my vegetarian teenager, instead of paying $4 a carton for the store bought stuff.

Leftover and wilted veggies go in the soups and stews and pot pies and casseroles.

We drink tea at home instead of going out - it works out to something like 15¢ a cup as opposed to $1.60 from the local shop.

Dragonlady76

DON'T waste money on expensive iPods/mp3 players. Simply think of your favourite tune and hum it. If you want to "switch tracks", simply think of another song you like and hum that instead.
Clam

Umm ok, that's kinda hard to do while running on a treadmill.

Dragonlady76

Learn to do things yourself.

I am by nature prissy and hate getting dirty.

Well then I bought a large home and became a stay at home mom, so I have had to learn to do things around the house in order to save and make money.

I taught myself to use power tools.

I put down wood floors in the formal areas of my house, I also did my sons room.

I learned to miter and did trim work, crown ,moulding in my house.

I learned that used is good!

Clip coupons.

By fruits and veggies in season.

Learn to sew.

Penny pinching hints and tips

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