how/what do you save?

[KelseyLaPerle]

I'm setting aside a certain amount of $$ per paycheck from now until our trip and saving all extra income (selling on ebay, side job, etc.). I was going to open a savings account, but I think I'll keep track at home in the safe. We are also planning to return our bottles (about 3 years worth in our garage!), use some Disney gift cards we have and ask for gift cards for our kids' birthdays.

Am I missing any obvious way to save money? We need to only save about $700 before August, which is very doable.

What odd or non-typical ways do you save money?

 

[1Mouse2RulethemAll]

Look for areas to trim in your budget, if possible. I managed to cut my grocery bill some by monitoring sales fliers to get the best prices. I also adjusted my menu,we eat alot of cheap dark chicken meat, rice and canned veggies. Steak when its below $3/lb and pork when its below $2/lbs.

 

[nunzia]

all the obvious of course..I have a small second job and put all I make from that in a box, in cash, for cash for the trip. I then put in little paper clipped bundles what I'll need for all those things that add up..parking, cab, etc. I do the reward sites..Sunshine and Ebates and all that goes into the trip fund. I saw a tip on here awhile ago to save all dollar bills with the letter of your first or last name on it and that worked great for our tip money in Mexico but would work just as well to save for a trip then change into 20s or whatever for the trip fund. Also, every bit of change..I never use change, it all goes into the jar then rolled. I also round up everytime I enter something in the checkbook..to save faster you could round up a dollar plus the change. All these little tricks do add up!

 

[jennyjinx3]

We save by using coupons (yes I am a coupon junkie), rarely eating out, driving an older model minivan, and the one thing that started off our hard core saving was having a separate bank account. Everytime we use our debit card, it automatically rounds up to the nearest dollar and the difference is deposited in this bank account. We also have money come directly out of our accounts when we get our paycheques to go into the same account as above.
Also any extra money we come across also goes in that fund (i.e. christmas money, vacation pay, etc.)

Works for us!!

 

[Scubee]

We found that trimming up our household budget was the easiest way to save. To do that, you must to have an understanding of your income and expenses...I mean down to the pennies.

We use an excel spreadsheet to calculate monthly expenses. We create the budget before the month begins. As the month goes on, I add the actual money spent in each category next to the budgeted amount thus creating a sort of cash flow statement. When we are nearing the budgeted amount in a category, dining out for example, we know sooner than later and can stop spending in that area.

Over the years, we've cut spending in several areas using different methods. A few examples: groceries (coupons and weekly sales), dining out (simply doing it less often), cable TV (called to demand a rate reduction or change providers), household goods (buying in bulk), auto insurance (increasing our deductibles), MD bills (use Flex Spending account to increase pre-tax dollars). That's just a few areas that have changed for us in the past three or four years.

 

[AnninIowa]

If you don't already have a change jar, ypu can start one. Everytime I come home from spending money, I put all of my change and $1 bills into it. The $1 bills really help it add up fast. Some people put in their $5's, but I haven't been able to do that yet.

 

[nichanda]

I started doing the cash system with marked envelopes.

I budget a certain amount for groceries, gas, misc, etc, etc. Each category gets an envelope with the money that's budgeted for the month. I am generous but realistic as to how much money goes in each envelope. I don't want to have to take from one envelope to put in the other, but I don't want to over fund it by alot either. I do still pay all of my bills through my bank, such as the phone bill, power bill, etc, because it's much easier. However, items that can be purchased with cash, are.

At the end of the month, whatever is left in any of the envelopes goes into a jar, and I fill the envelopes again for the next month with a fresh supply of budgeted money.

I find this keeps me frugal. I'm more likely to use coupons, seek out sales in the flyer or not buy things that I don't really need, when I know it will directly help out my jar. Then in turn i can use my jar money on something I really want but can't afford, or of course, a trip!

 

[Schmoodle]

I am de-cluttering my house right now, and anything worth the time goes on ebay. All that money is earmarked for vacation funds. Whatever I don't put on ebay will go to a yard sale in the spring, similarly earmarked. I keep a jar for our loose change, and when I cash that in, I add the $ to our fund, usually about $200/yr. I'm hoping to have about $1000 this way for spending money for our trip to Europe this summer. I have two credit cards, one is the Chase SW card, so I'll use that one when I need to accumulate points for flights (right now I've got enough for the next year or so), and the other one I cash in my points for Visa gift cards, which are set aside for vacation spending money, usually about $800/y between mine and DH's. I charge EVERYTHING, but these two perks can only be used for domestic vacations (like WDW!). In the next 18 months, I've got two trips to WDW planned, so I'm thinking I might pick up a few Disney gift cards at Giant Eagle when they have their double gas perks, but I haven't decided yet if it's smart to tie up much money in advance that way.

 

[bjscheel]

Our vacations have been funded in large part by eBay profits. Since DH got his own semi and often puts thousands of dollars in fuel on a credit card each month, we have a card that pays 2% on fuel and can get up to $100/month in rewards. That goes to vacation also, but I know for most people it's not feasible to charge that much a month! Pop can money goes into a pot for the kids' vacation spending money.

Currently, eBay is paying for braces, so I am using my work bonuses for the vacation fund.

I just try to earmark any side money- eBay, bonuses, pay from playing organ at church, the money we get from taking scrap iron from my parents' farm to the salvage yard. All of that is allocated to savings, braces, or vacation. If it goes in the general fund, it just gets spent on whatever. Otherwise, most of our clothes are second-hand, I always try to have a coupon code for shopping online, and I wash out ziplocs .

 

[KelseyLaPerle]

Our vacations have been funded in large part by eBay profits. QUOTE]

What exactly do you sell on eBay? I often sell clothes that my kids have outgrown, but haven't really found anything else worth selling. The fees on eBay have gone up so much that I've been trying to stick to craigslist and/or a local facebook page for selling stuff. I typically only list on eBay when I get the "free listing today only" email.

I'd be interested to hear what types of items you sell!
Thanks!

 

[bjscheel]

Our vacations have been funded in large part by eBay profits. QUOTE]

What exactly do you sell on eBay? I often sell clothes that my kids have outgrown, but haven't really found anything else worth selling. The fees on eBay have gone up so much that I've been trying to stick to craigslist and/or a local facebook page for selling stuff. I typically only list on eBay when I get the "free listing today only" email.

I'd be interested to hear what types of items you sell!
Thanks!

I started out with my kids clothes. Then I started looking at thrift stores and garage sales for good stuff, mostly clothing. Adult clothes can be more profitable. Over the years and after spending a lot of time reading the eBay clothing discussion boards, and just being lucky, I have found a lot of stuff to sell at good profits. The last year has been less spectacular. I just am not finding that much out there. Tomorrow there is a bag sale at my local consignment shop. Depending on how much I can stuff in a bag, I can usually end up paying less than $1/item.

I will sell most anything if I can pack it- DH has brought me semi parts and other automotive type stuff he was given or had for whatever reason. A pair of semi horns brought $280!

About the free listing emails- I don't remember all the details- I think it is for non-store owners, and is limited to maybe 100 per month, but all my listings have been free for quite some time.