Your #1 BEST EVER money saving idea

[minnie1928]

I've found that buying things that can be reused and not buying disposable things has really cut down on my expenses (and trash!). I have towels, cloth napkins, home made cleaners (in reused bottles), & lunch containers instead of ziploc bags.

I've also been decluttering a lot which also makes you more aware of what you already have (so you don't buy what you don't need) and really helps emphasize how easy it is to clean an uncluttered home. Each new item has a price not only monetarily but also the cost of taking care of it, whether that's maintaining it or simply dusting around it...either one has a cost. That helps me decide whether or not something is a need or a want, and if it's a want then it helps me further decide if it's something I want that badly.

 

[bluehen]

For this you need to prime the pumps a little and be organized. Take advantage of only specials at the grocery store. Keep a good supply of non perishables on hand and only buy them when they are real cheap. Stock the freezer when meats go on sale. This saves me (estimate) 50% over the people who just go and buy it irregardless of price. You have to be careful of waste at the end of aproducts shelf life. You also need toknow what the BEST price is not just a good price. Then certainly coupon too if you can.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I've also been decluttering a lot which also makes you more aware of what you already have (so you don't buy what you don't need) and really helps emphasize how easy it is to clean an uncluttered home. Each new item has a price not only monetarily but also the cost of taking care of it, whether that's maintaining it or simply dusting around it...either one has a cost. That helps me decide whether or not something is a need or a want, and if it's a want then it helps me further decide if it's something I want that badly.

I've been doing the same thing recently and have been trying to get my kids involved too.

My best $ saving ideas are to stay out of stores (like Target, Walmart, Macy's) as much as possible and to grocery shop every 10 days as opposed to weekly.

 

[MomToOne]

My tip: eliminate as much waste and excess in your life as possible.

For example, don't buy food you aren't sure you will eat. And if you buy it, make sure you eat it. And don't buy other items that you really don't need or will use often - even if they are a GREAT deal!

 

[brymolmom]

My best tips are 2:

1) Write down EVERYTHING and have an actual budget (as in a specific amount allocated for a category for every week or every month). I know people who claim not to have any money and who also say they 'never' spend extra...but frequently they'll say a sweater is new or that they picked up x, y or z while out. I know these people do not even realize how much they really do spend on 'extras'. So write down everything and come up with reasonable budget - then when your allocation for something is used up...don't spend more on it.

2) Menu planning

I love the 10 day suggestion someone gave here. I want to try that.

Sorry - i forgot a 3rd and 4th one:

3) Make larger meals than you need. It only costs a slight bit more to make twice as much lasagna or casserole or most meals are like this. Make more than you need.

4) Goes hand in hand with #3 - embrace leftovers. I swear we're the only family I know that always eat our leftovers. We even keep small amounts and once or twice a week we'll all eat whatever leftovers happen to be in the frig. HUGE savings especially if you were going to throw them out at first...

 

[crazelion]

My tip: eliminate as much waste and excess in your life as possible.

For example, don't buy food you aren't sure you will eat. And if you buy it, make sure you eat it. And don't buy other items that you really don't need or will use often - even if they are a GREAT deal!

That is the best tip I have for budget. That is my number one budget saver.

I have learn to eat at home. Bring my lunch to work. When I am out some where to bring my own bottle water that is reuseable water bottle. OKay that did not work well this summer because we was having a extreme heat. Frozen bottle only last minutes.


I went through a extreme budget change last November when my job cut hours to the bone. I save a lot by redoing my budget. I have new job now that pays more but I think keep this budget it works well.

 

[Figment1990]

I definitely second the poster who said they use Quicken!

I'm a devoted quicken user too - I love being able to see exactly where I spend all of my money. Really writing things down anywhere, whether electronically in a program like quicken or in another spreadsheet makes a difference.

Bringing your lunch to work is also a HUGE money saver that I embrace.

The thing that saves me the MOST money though each year, or every other - Mousesavers and the DIS! Knowing about disney discounts has made a huge difference to us and allowed us to vacation more often than we ever expected.

 

[DawnM]

YNAB user here. I love, love, love it! YNAB stands for You Need A Budget and it is the Dave Ramsey envelope system put to computer.

Dawn

 

[karajeboo]

Playing the "Pantry Grame" ever so often....

Until you declutter the pantry and freezer you CANNOT buy anything that goes in the pantry and freezer. So better find some recipes for all that tomato sauce, frozen items, etc. Challenge yourself for ONE week at a time and the only things you can buy at the grocery store are produce and dairy.

It's amazing to only spend $10-15 for a couple of weeks....

 

[blondietink]

We heat with wood and the only time the oil furnace kicks on is when it is really cold out or we are away from home on a vacation or something. We buy gasoline at the local Native American gas station and routinely save 20 cents per gallon. Our local grocery store also gives 10 cents off per gallon of gas for every $100.00 of groceries bought. Sometimes they give bonus cents off for purchasing certain sale items, too. Once I had enough to get $1.00 off a gallon of gas, which is good on 30 gallons.

Make friends with a local cattle farmer. We buy our meat in bulk, usually 1/4 of a cow at a time will last us a year or so. Last time we paid $2.49 per pound for angus beef and got steaks, filets, chuck, hamburger, etc. all with very low fat content. We have also found some good deals on the Angel Food Ministries website, like 10 lbs. of breaded chicken tenders for $10.00.

We haven't used an air conditioner in several years, even though it can get over 90 degrees here in the summer and is very humid. Ceiling fans work nicely.

We don't drink milk, but last week milk was on sale here for $1.99 per gallon, so I made things like macaroni and cheese and put it in the freezer.

 

[tink2dw]

I had to stop all Garage Sale buying it was filling up my apt with stuff I couldn't get rid of! It was stuff I thought I would craft but after a major health crisis the items just become crap.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

We try to make meals for the items on sale that week.

 

[bethy]

My best strategy is to simply stay out of stores. To not go to a store unless absolutely necessary. I never run the store for last minute ingredients, etc. If I don't have it I don't have it. I also try and stay away from Target.

If I go in with a list it helps but I still end up with impulse buys despite my very best intentions.

 

[MrsPete]

Just stop and ask yourself, "Do I need this?" Often the answer's no.

No, I don't need a bunch of stuff because it's on clearance.
No, I don't need yet another pair of black flats.
No, I don't need the bells-and-whistles on my new car.
No, I don't need a soda from the drive-through.
No, I don't need to buy this item because it's on sale.
No, I don't need to upgrade to a new phone.
No, I don't need to buy more Christmas presents for my children.
No, I don't need to buy this item so I can get that item free.
No, I don't need to start stocking up for next summer's vacation.
No, I don't need to redecorate my living room.
No, I don't need to buy new bookbags for my kids this year.

All these things are out there, heavily advertised . . . and they're attractive. But when I ask myself whether I really need them, the answer is usually no.

 

[crazelion]

I would set the set themeosat to lowest setting possible if can. I can't do that right now because we going through extreme temps changes here. One day be 75 next 50 . I have cut heat when need it.

I live in the South anything blow 70 is cold to us.

 

[secretpantssam]

this doesn't work for everyone but my friends and I just did a clothing swap and it was a ton of fun! We just got together all the clothes and shoes we haven't worn in a while and got together for a little party. We all ended walking away with some great new outfits and best of all it was free! At the end, we bagged up all the extra stuff and brought it to a thrift store. So we cleaned out our closets, got new to us clothes, and had a little party while doing it, all in all pretty awesome!

 

[MommyBryn]

We don't really have any unnecessary expenses, and we are extremely frugal, so for a while I was feeling like there was no extra way for me to save money. Until I started the "round up" method in our bank register. I do all our finances on paper (love technology but hate having to rely on it, especially with the natural possibility of suddenly losing it!), and so we use a columnar ledger and keep track of our expenses (by category, like which CC- yes we use them and have never carried a balance or paid a fee...only reap the benefits!- or check, cash, deposit, etc). Then I use one column to show the balance and the next to show the rounded balance. That way if need be I DO know where we really stand and I can use that "extra" money if it's an emergency, but otherwise we only refer to the rounded balance. It's a simple concept but hard to explain how *we* do it...here's a blog post I attempted on it, though. LOL

http://joyfilledfrugality.blogspot.com/2010/08/finances-making-money-with-your-bank.html

eta- doing it this way also makes it VERY easy to keep right on track with your finances, because by the time you've calculated your true balance, your rounded balance, and the "extra money" balance, if any of those is off you can easily go back and find the mistake.

 

[2TxAgs]

Similar to what MrsPete says, the BEST idea is to have a savers attitude about life in general. Not specifically groceries, or eating out, but with everything you do.

Pay yourself first. If you put aside 20% before spending a penny, and don't spend more than what you have left, then things will most likely work out for you. (And yes, I know that some folks hit huge bumps along the way that devastate their savings, but the majority do not, and recovering from a hit when you're somewhat prepared is better that trying to recover when you haven't prepared at all.)

Not sure of your age or stage of life OP, but if you're younger, don't buy more house or car than you can comfortably afford. When you have some wiggle room because you didn't take out the largest loan at the highest interest rate, you can make choices down the road. Tying yourself to a large mortgage or car loan can bring you down if job security or health problems become an issue. It may mean you have to stay in the workplace after a baby comes and you'd rather be home for a few years.

When your kids are little, don't put a lot of money into clothes and shoes and stuff. Shop at Target or thrift stores or whatever while they don't care, and don't give them a 'brand' attitude as a youngster. (That may come later as a preteen, so save your money til then!

I tell my kids that education will give them choices. The same holds true for saving.

 

[AmandaRG]

I love consignment sales for our girls' clothes. I am making several outfits for them to wear on our trip next spring rather than buying them.

I also agree with the budgeting and we eat from our pantry/freezer ever few months as I shop sales w/coupons and sometimes forget what I bought. It can be a challenge, but also encourages me to try something a little different since not everything works together easily.

 

[ShootingStarMom2]

I can't remember the last time I bought new clothes for my boys. Besides presents from family, I found everything they wear (except underwear, socks, and undershirts) at resales, Goodwill, and Salvation Army.

They have so many nice things that look like they were never worn. I can get Children's Place or Gap jeans for $1.50 and Chaps dress shirts for $2. I don't shop these brands normally, so finding them for way less is great.

I buy things the next size up for the following season, especially when they have their tag clearance at SA to 50% off. My best find was a pair of CP navy dress pants new with tags for 45 cents!