Just a Thought -- Sharing General Money Saving Tips

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

I know we've got a great budget board, but it's my understanding that it's for "Disney" savings and budgets.

Since so many of us feel the pinch, why not have a general thread here with cost saving tips. Sure, all of us know to clip coupons, buy generic, check the circulars for sales, etc. but wouldn't it be nice to have a thread with other tips and such (I KNOW you all are resourceful) and maybe even have posts about special sales and stuff?

For example A&P is having a GREAT sale on Bounty Paper towels this week and Charmaine Toilet Tissue. If you use these items, you might want to go for it (you need an A&P card, but that takes only a couple of minutes).

Also, even though it can be a pain, with all the great sales going on now, why not make a list of people you will have to buy gifts for during the year and keep it with you. Who says you can't buy a sweater now for dad for next Christmas? My brother's girlfriend had no idea that the Minnie Mug I got for her did NOT come from TDS, but from the Character Outlet in NY when it was there earlier last year (I think I got it in February). All she knew was that she loved it (and I got it for less than $3!).

I know there are plenty of smart people out there with tips, sales info, etc. Why don't we share and save??? (if we save enough maybe we can all meet in WDW sometime! )

 

[imgoingtodisney]

umm this is the type of thread I was attempting to create the other day. I have a friend who can use tips so please help her out. thank you

 

[DonnaS]

Not quite what you had in mind...

Develop a budget and stick to it. Include vacation expenses in your budget, but also long term savings for retirement, children's education, etc.

 

[MerryPoppins]

When we were younger and on a tight budget I bought a gift for each of the kids and one for another family member each month. When birthdays or Christmas came around, I only had to fill in with a few other gifts and I was finished. Somehow it was always easy to find something on sale that was appropriate for somebody. Come to think of it, I'm not really sure why I quit. Maybe I need to start up again.

 

[wovenwonder]

I always have a well stocked pantry. My weekly shopping usually consists of buying whatever is on sale to restock and then buying weekly food items such as lunch meat, milk, eggs, etc.

Go to a local vo-tech to have your car or major appliances worked on. You can also go there or to a beauty school to get your hair done. All of this work is supervised by 'professionals'. The culinary schools often serv very elaborate/gourmet meals at reasonable prices during the day. If you have off during the week sometime look up your local culinary school for lunch!

Remember to pay 'yourself' just like you would pay your local electric or telephone bill. Set asside a certain amount that goes in to short or long term savings and pay in to it faithfully.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

If you itemize on your income taxes, this is a great time of year to clean out closets and make a donation to Goodwill.

I always come up with at least a hundred dollars in tax savings with our end of year donation/cleaning spree -- and I don't have to go through the hassle of having a garage sale or selling on EBAY.

 

[aprincessmom]

Bring your lunch to work. Saves lots of money for very little investment of time.

Buy yourself a commuter mug and fill it with your favorite beverage (coffee, tea, water, whatever). Those $2 beverages add up.

Ditto for eating out. In the amount of time it takes to get in your car, get take out and bring it home or actually go to a restaurant and eat in, you can cook a meal. For much less money. To create the illusion of eating out you can tip the cook and waitress

Also, don't buy it if you don't need it. If the old one still works, use it. Just because the advertisers say you need it doesn't mean you really do.

And finally, live within your means. Even if it means fewer vacations, a smaller house, putting a slipcover on the sofa instead of buying new, buying a used car instead of a new one or making repairs to the one you have, using the library instead of buying books, waiting for movies at the video store instead of seeing all of them in the movie theater. Determine what is most important to you and budget accordingly.

A&H Mom, I, too, keep a gift list all year round tucked in my wallet. Helps to save money and relieve stress -- especially around holiday time.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

What I did was write down everything I bought for a month - down to a trip to the vending machine at work - then went from there in creating a budget

 

[AmyA]

This year we ended up having to buy three large ticket items that we had not counted on having to purchase. In total it was $8500 dollars---and we definitely do not have the income that allows us to shell out $8500 at once

Originally posted by Marla Hellwig
What I did was write down everything I bought for a month - down to a trip to the vending machine at work - then went from there in creating a budget

That's what we did, too. We were shocked at the amount of $$ we were wasting on crap each month--our $5/day (during the work week) at Starbucks alone was over $100/month. We have cut out all of our extra spending on junk food/drinks, and we go out to dinner only 1-2 times a month (usually a place like O'Charleys where the kids eat free).

We do still see about 1 movie/month and that is a waste of $$, but that's about it for pure leisure spending. When we rent movies, we make sure we have the coupon from Hollywood that allows you to rent any movie for $0.99 and you can rent 3 movies w/ each coupon---you end up w/ 3 movies for less of the price of one new release. We take the DDs to the library to borrow books, we take them to the park to play, we have their birthday parties at home as opposed to ChuckECheese, etc.

 

[binny]

oh right up my alley!!


cook from scratch! I am really trying to do this more and more , its hard to get out of the "instant" habit but it is so much cheaper and better for you!!


Barter and swap with friends. Need a sitter one night? ask your friends if theyll watch your kids one night and you can watch theirs the next week.

Have a friend who is a great cook? Ask if you can swap duties with her once a week, you can clean for her ( or whatever you like to do) if she will cook one night for you.


What else can you swap with someone?


Consider vactaioning with friends too, if you can stand it , you can rent a condo for half the price and enjoy each others' company.

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Such great ideas...lets have more (cause I do alot of them already).

In addition to packing a lunch, don't forget to pack a drink/soda (if that's up your alley). Soda from the vending machine is 65 cents. I buy Faygo (off brand) small bottles 5 for 2 dollars. It usually takes me 2 lunches to drink one.

If you can't take coffee with you to work, have the fixings at work for coffee. I have my International Flavors instant at the office. Figure it costs about $3.50 per container and that makes at least 2 weeks worth of coffee mugs for me. Sure, sometimes I do splurge at Dunkin Donuts for coffee, but most of the time I make it myself at the office.

Keep those savings coming!

 

[Jenzebelle]

I budget everything!

We have an excel program that keeps running totals of our expenses that I update daily. It helps me keep track of where the money goes, and I am able to budget things months (and even years) in advance.

 

[wovenwonder]

binny's post reminded me of the meal sharing I use to do with my brothers family. One day a week I cooked a meal and delivered it to their family and one day a week my SIL delivered a meal to my family. It wasn't much more work cooking double the day I had to deliver and it sure was nice not having to cook one day a week. If you do not have family close by -- maybe a neighbor would be interested in meal sharing.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I know we've got a great budget board, but it's my understanding that it's for "Disney" savings and budgets

I would not be too sure about that. This am I read about Swanson Hungry Man breakfasts (or something like that), very little to do with Disney.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

There are also financial counselors out there for a very small charge. They can tailor a budget for you.

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

Ok, just back from Costco (got a gift certificate for the holiday). Remember, just because it's in bulk DOES not mean it is cheaper. I saw "4 packs" of 2 liter bottles of coke for $4.50 or so. This past week coke was on sale at the market for 89 cents. Don't get me wrong, I love wholesale stores, just don't assume that the price is cheaper because it's bigger.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm just getting into memory/scrapbooking big time and needed something to store all my stickers, scraps of paper, short border pieces, glue sticks, scissors, etc.. Was going to go to the craft store and see what they had but had to stop at Office Max for something else on the way home.. Well - I found these really neat plastic crayon boxes - kind of like a pencil box but deeper - and they were only 20 cents a piece!! I bought 35 of them and will store them in one larger tote that I have..

May not be too professional, but for now it will do and at that price I couldn't resist! Also found 2 different scrap book paper sets - one for a baby girl and one for a birthday - with 15 sheets in each and got them for a buck a piece!

I love going into stores ONLY to look at the clearance items!!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Originally posted by Annie&Hallie'sMom
Ok, just back from Costco (got a gift certificate for the holiday). Remember, just because it's in bulk DOES not mean it is cheaper. I saw "4 packs" of 2 liter bottles of coke for $4.50 or so. This past week coke was on sale at the market for 89 cents. Don't get me wrong, I love wholesale stores, just don't assume that the price is cheaper because it's bigger.

Amen to that!! Same goes for paper towels and toilet paper. I can get them cheaper when they go on sale at a regular store and use a coupon. LOL Sam's and Costco get plenty of my business on other things (esp milk cause it is cheap there)

Also, if your store has something on sale, stock up. Food Lion had Green Giant canned veggies 4/$1.00 recently. Great deal. Also, if the store has a sale of Buy one/Get one Free..check the prices! Sometimes it is really Buy one get one half price.

 

[binny]

also remember taht you freeze A LOT of things!!
from potato chips to milk milk was on sale at Wallys this week for $1.48!! so we stocked up! I wish we had a freezer to do more.

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

And stock up at those after holiday sales. I drove all the way up to CT to my favorite store, The Christmas Tree Shop. Stuff that was already cheap was on sale! Got bows, Christmas Cards and stuff like that DIRT Cheap. I also started my Christmas shopping for 2003! How sick is that?