ways to save in 2014

[Sagginit]

hi everyone. i just joined the debt dumpers thread and saw the 52 week challenge thread. i thought it might be nice to have a thread where everyone can share new or existing ways they will be saving in the new year so we could give each other ideas in one spot (ex. new systems, habits, or financial planning)

i will start with one thing i have put into action to save money. a few weeks ago i found dry erase sticky paper that i put inside my cabinet door in the kitchen. i started keeping a running list of things to buy so i can stock up on sale, and more importantly things in there i need to eat that are nearing expiration. so far i have gotten to almost everything on the list before it expired.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

We just cancelled Dish network. Right now we subscribed to huluplus and we have a laptop that the screen broke on, but it works so we hooked it up to the living room tv with an HDMI cable and watch hulu and the network channels through it.

A local gas station offers 5 cents off a gallon if you buy their "value" gift card plus they consistently have the lowest gas prices in town so I bought my dd a gift card for her to fill up her tank. I'm also planning on buying them for dh and I once I get a solid budget in mind.

 

[IMALOVNDISNEY]

You might want to check out the "Eat at Home" thread as well. Eating out is a definite budget breaker. I find it helps a lot.
There also used to be a "No Buy" Month treads, but, haven't seen them in a while. Having to write down what you are spending every day makes you accountable and realize where you are wasting $$.

 

[kelconic]

hi everyone. i just joined the debt dumpers thread and saw the 52 week challenge thread. i thought it might be nice to have a thread where everyone can share new or existing ways they will be saving in the new year so we could give each other ideas in one spot (ex. new systems, habits, or financial planning)

i will start with one thing i have put into action to save money. a few weeks ago i found dry erase sticky paper that i put inside my cabinet door in the kitchen. i started keeping a running list of things to buy so i can stock up on sale, and more importantly things in there i need to eat that are nearing expiration. so far i have gotten to almost everything on the list before it expired.

We just took our first trip to WDW the first week of december and loved it so much I am trying to figure out how to painlessly pay for another trip next year. The five of us can stay at POR, flights and park tickets included, for about $4000. So, my plan is to cut back in grocery spending by $75 per week (from my normal $200). That should pay for our trip!

 

[worm761]

We are going to an all cash budget for household, grocery, clothing, and entertainment stuff. It has gotten entirely too easy to slide the debit card and overspend. It is much harder to spend cash.

I also just started a price book in my Google drive so I stop overspending where I shouldn't. This is where I keep my menu, calorie counts, and grocery list which I transfer to Cozi when I am done with it. I will be shopping sales before I buy or put anything on my menu that is not on sale. I am very nervous about going cash only but I think it is the push we need.

 

[OhMari]

I do Surveys and shop through Reward sites. I usually make enough in a year to pay for food and tips.

 

[Zhoen]

Hi Y'all,

I just wanted to add "don't throw away free money!" By that I'm talking about coke points, swagbucks, Mypoints, ebates, shop your way rewards, all of that stuff.

Yeah, it can be some work, depending on how much you are willing to invest in it, but you can get all kinds of free stuff. Last year with MCR I got three magazine subscriptions, a bunch of free twelve-packs, a $50 Southwest Airlines Gift Card, a $25 Home Depot gift card, and just yesterday I won a 2-pack of movie tickets using free entries to their holiday game (and I learned about the free entries HERE on the DIS!)

Mypoints I got a $25 Barnes and Noble Gift card that I gave to my niece (though most people here on the DIS use it for Target gcs they convert to Disney cards or cards for TRex Cafe)

And I honestly don't remember what I spent my Swagbucks on, but there was something or other...

For Mypoints, I just do the click-thru's. For Swagbucks, I sometimes background-stream the videos, but usually just do the daily stuff and watch for swagcodes. For MCR I am an unrepentant trash-hound, pulling stuff off the top of recycling bins...

Anyway, that's my 2-cents. The $50 from Southwest will go towards tickets to my step-daughter's wedding. The Home Depot card will buy about 6 feet of an 8-foot section of the privacy fence I'm putting in in 2014 And when all the coupons for my free cokes come in a few weeks, I'm hoping to use those to beat a minimum spend some place like CVS-- not to mention drinking them and using the points to start saving up for next year.

ETA: Shop your way rewards gave me 7 cans of tuna, a box of Kix cereal, a bunch of holiday chocolates, and a Doc McStuffins Doctor Bag just in the past month... kinda slow most of the year, but super-good lately... most of that was with "free because we miss you!" points...

All money I'd otherwise have to spend out-of-pocket.

 

[lauradis]

The easiest way to save money is dont go into stores. Period.

Grocery shopping should be done weekly. So your not running out to get one item.

Do things around the house, play in the yard, walk to a friends or near by park.

Weekly go to library for books and movies.

Dejunk your house sell it or give it away, nice tax right offs.

Online shopping is a no no. Window shopping online is ok.

Stop buying all food that you didn't make.

Those are the best easiest ways I know not to spend money good luck op

 

[mommyburns]

We are going to an all cash budget for household, grocery, clothing, and entertainment stuff. It has gotten entirely too easy to slide the debit card and overspend. It is much harder to spend cash. I also just started a price book in my Google drive so I stop overspending where I shouldn't. This is where I keep my menu, calorie counts, and grocery list which I transfer to Cozi when I am done with it. I will be shopping sales before I buy or put anything on my menu that is not on sale. I am very nervous about going cash only but I think it is the push we need.

We did this a few years ago. The awesome thing about the cash budget is that I take ALL the coins I receive and put it in a jar labeled for Disney. I average a little over a dollar a day in just coins and I don't have a huge cash budget. This money is an easy way to save for Disney. It also keeps me motivated each time I take the coins to the bank. I have over a third of our next trip payed for with just the coins I have collected.

 

[tvguy]

Grocery shopping should be done weekly. So your not running out to get one item.

This. Plus your weekly meal planning shouldn't be specific meats, fruits and veggies.....it should be done in the store based on what meats, fruits and veggies are on sale.

 

[Alexle2007]

Use credit card for all purchases and pay off in its entirety on the due date. This way you earn the CC perks, pay no interest to the CC co and your money continues to collect interest. Using our Discover and Amazon Visa, we've earned hundreds of $ free. I used my Discover reward dollars to purchase gift cards for my siblings for Christmas and the Amazon dollars for presents for my son. With our current reward dollars, I'll use it to get his birthday present in March.

 

[rramsr]

I do Swagbucks, when I get $50.00 I cash out for Paypal cash and once that is deposited I go on disneyshopping.com and get a gift card. You can pay on disneyshopping.com with paypal so I don't have to transfer the money to my account. So far I am up to $225.00 free money in Disney gift cards for our trip next August

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I do Swagbucks, when I get $50.00 I cash out for Paypal cash and once that is deposited I go on disneyshopping.com and get a gift card. You can pay on disneyshopping.com with paypal so I don't have to transfer the money to my account. So far I am up to $225.00 free money in Disney gift cards for our trip next August

How long did this take you? How much time do you spend?

 

[rramsr]

How long did this take you? How much time do you spend?

I normally just do it every day to make my goal for that day so I get the bonus swagbucks for the month. I average $50.00 a month and have been doing it for a few months. I figured it out at $50.00 a month by the time our trip is here it is $500.00 which will be our spending money and tips for meals. And the best part is it is all free money

 

[wiigirl]

You might want to check out the "Eat at Home" thread as well. Eating out is a definite budget breaker. I find it helps a lot.
There also used to be a "No Buy" Month treads, but, haven't seen them in a while. Having to write down what you are spending every day makes you accountable and realize where you are wasting $$.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I will start a no buy thread after I post here.

Right now my deals are cutting coupons. I make it a personal goal to save $1000 a year with sales and coupons. I didn't do coupons much this year but I still saved $880 at the grocery. The store tallies the money at the bottom fo the receipt.
I also save money with my Stop and Shop card at the gas station. I don't tally that money but I need to.
I want to bank my savings at the store and at the gas station.
I also keep the change when I pay cash for something. I only use paper bills and the change goes into the chicken (a jar mom had when we were little for ice cream money). The kids are allowed to go to school store once a week but the money comes out of the chicken. At the end of the week the leftover chicken money goes into the Big Pig. That is our Disney money.

We did the 52 week challenge too. That was a success! I reversed it though because $52 was easier to save at the beginning of the year, than at Christmas time.

We need to not eat out so much though. We have got to prepare more meals at home this year.