Saving money...little things add up

Yeah, eating out is a big one - especially @lunch.

I have a coworker who constantly complains about money but I see him come in each day with a $10 IHOP breakfast and get pizza or McDonalds for lunch each day. People don't realize how quick that adds up.

Straighttalk has 30mb of net included on their VERY BASIC phones, but I found that the net ate up my time and $. Plus TMOBILE is not 3G where I am. The main reason is saving $ though. I am going from over $100 (after 15% corp. discount) to roughly $60. As things improve I am sure I will get net again.

With going out to eat. If I do go out I always get water, not soda $ and health reasons. I also try to use the dollar menu. $ reasons, but definitely not health reasons.

ryryfree, here's an archived thread on living frugally without hardship:

link

Buddy went boost mobile instead of paying on his plan. Cut his price in half now just pays at the beginning of the month rather than the end. 100 bux to 50 bux. Unlimited everything.

ryryfree said: One other thing I have tried to tame is my appetite for electronics. It could become a never ending addiction. IE You buy an iphone, then you have to get the iphone 3g to stay "cool", then the iphone 3gs comes out and you are no longer cool unless you have it. Not to mention you need an expensive plan including text, net, etc. to go with it. Get a piece of tech knowing it will be outdated soon, but be happy with it until it breaks.

I used to have this as well. I realized that learning tech stuff is more cool

I use by 3 year old windows mobile based phone (paid well back then for it) to do cool things but slowly though. I have hacked it enough which is fun for my free time. I use sprint sero and can use it as a modem when I am on the road. It is built like a brick and could be used when the sky falls and zombies prowl the roads . Reasonable speed for regular use (which I did when I was a student) but broadband is better

Old modded xbox which I got for 50 bucks and can do some weird shit. I havent utilized its full potential yet

Somewhat old PC's running Linux

Getting "what a nerd" looks from wife - priceless. She likes it though when I am ecstatic that I am able to play movies from my computer or from youtube on the big screen TV, which was scored thru FW at a price I can't get it even now

NewToFatWalletUser said: Yeah, eating out is a big one - especially @lunch.

I have a coworker who constantly complains about money but I see him come in each day with a $10 IHOP breakfast and get pizza or McDonalds for lunch each day. People don't realize how quick that adds up.That's nothing, just wait till the medical bills add up for unclogging the arteries...

You're probably looking for something like this?
Google Tip Jar

Lots of (IMO) obvious tips though..For instance:

"Turn off the lights when you're not using them!"
"Use CFL bulbs!"
"Go to the library!"

Etc..

Anyway, I usually take the following steps when I think about buying something:

1) Do I really really need it, or is it just something that I want? Depending on how much it costs, I typically try and spend as much time as possible on this step. I either end up talking myself out of buying it (good for obvious reasons). Otherwise I convince myself that it's something that I need, or can justify purchasing.

2) I then try and find other alternatives, such as building an HTPC instead of buying a TiVo, or buying a Sandisk MP3 player instead of an iPod. I then determine exactly what I want to buy.

3) If I do end up purchasing a product or service, I do as much research as possible in terms of getting the best deal, including reading FW. This includes finding coupons, Cash Back, etc.. Every product/service will have different discounts available.

I try really hard to follow these steps, but sometimes my emotion gets the best of me, and I just end up doing impulse purchases, which can really add up. With that said, I'll add one of the most important points -- Do NOT browse Hot Deals, unless you're specifically looking for something that you know you want to buy, and just looking to see if there's a discount. I stopped looking at that category a few months ago, and my wallet is ironically much fatter. That was the best decision I've made all year for my finances.

You can save money everywhere, but there's a limit depending on the quality of life you're willing to live. (e.g., Some people eat out once a week/month/year to treat themselves. Other people never eat out.)

ryryfree said: I am surious what people are doing to save money these days. For example I am eliminating my cell service with TMobile including their internet and going with straighttalk to get my cell bill lower. I have been working double shifts at work to drive to and from work less often. I try to pack lunches for work, avoid eating out, and cook more rather than using prepared foods. I do not have cable TV. Instead I just stream on the net, use netflix, and OTA tv. If I use redbox I always use a free code I have also been picking up extra shifts at work when available. Oh also I put sod in the backyard and got it for pennies on the dollar by finding people on online classifieds that had over ordered and were either giving away the extra sod or selling it for pennies on the dollar. Does anyone have other ideas about how to save money?

One other thing I have tried to tame is my appetite for electronics. It could become a never ending addiction. IE You buy an iphone, then you have to get the iphone 3g to stay "cool", then the iphone 3gs comes out and you are no longer cool unless you have it. Not to mention you need an expensive plan including text, net, etc. to go with it. Get a piece of tech knowing it will be outdated soon, but be happy with it until it breaks.

I had a thread earlier that wasn't recieved well regarding my next money savings. All I buy is salvage title cars. My car payment is $150.00 per month. Pretty cheap for a 2005 bought in 2007. I plan to drive it til the wheels fall off. It also gets 30+ mpg hwy. I have put 40k miles on it w/o problems and you cannot tell it has been wrecked before because it was rebuilt well.
I looked around and didn't find the answers I have been looking for. If this is a repost please tell me where to find the original thread so I can delete this one.

Don't be so cheap... you only live once. Enjoy your life.

I do little things like avoid shopping or unnecessary trips. I hate going to the mall because I'm tempted to buy things I don't really need. I eat at home more often and try to avoid energy drinks as well. I have been saving myself a nice chunk of change each month by doing little things like this.

-Drink water, or tea if just water disgusts you.
-I save alot on my shoes, I usually get a nice deals on ECCO of Denmark of an eBay. Those shoes last for years and extremely comfortable.
-Always think first if you really really need something before buying it.
-Explore different brands, like for examples buying electronics. You can get an Acer laptop for a $400 dollars which easily compares to some Dell or Sony one's for 200 bucks more. Same with watches. Same with clothing etc.
-Use bar soap for hands and body wash. =)

ryryfree said:
One other thing I have tried to tame is my appetite for electronics. It could become a never ending addiction. IE You buy an iphone, then you have to get the iphone 3g to stay "cool", then the iphone 3gs comes out and you are no longer cool unless you have it. Not to mention you need an expensive plan including text, net, etc. to go with it. Get a piece of tech knowing it will be outdated soon, but be happy with it until it breaks.

If you are good about finding deals on electronics, and take good care of them (and save the packing and documentation), you can trade up pretty regularly without costing too much. Maybe not for the iPhone, but for stuff like laptops or MP3 players. In the past 6 years or so, I've had several iPods, a Zune, and a Zen, and I've sold each of the old ones, mostly on eBay, for not all that much less than I paid for them, which offset the cost of the new one.

I also work in IT, which helps me get some of the toys I want free - I have a MacBook Pro and an iPhone through work.

There was a long thread about this kind of topic on the finance forum no more than 2 months ago. That one is probably not archived yet. I don't remember the name of it. A lot of these suggestions here probably are already on that one.

If Fatwallet could organize and file the old threads that contain useful information, and enable the searchbox to actually work with them, that would be a fantastic resource.

The wifey and I eat healthy and exercise daily. Never purchased health insurance and never will. Saved a mint so far.

How about eliminating the use of condoms?

delzy said: I like to turn condoms inside out and reuse them.

asharerin said: The wifey and I eat healthy and exercise daily. Never purchased health insurance and never will. Saved a mint so far.

I large % of personal bankruptcies stem from medical costs for uninsuried people. Even "healthy" people get very sick.

Actually there is a "rebate" to buy energy drinks, posted in the grocery forum.

bigdinkel said: I do little things like avoid shopping or unnecessary trips. I hate going to the mall because I'm tempted to buy things I don't really need. I eat at home more often and try to avoid energy drinks as well. I have been saving myself a nice chunk of change each month by doing little things like this.

Yes, you can do all that, and then your wife is the big atom bomb to your little plan, what you save, she can spend in the blink of an eye. Good luck getting her on board (or him if you are a female or live in a state with gay marriage). Most of the time, I am fairly frugal. But she offsets me, not on big ticket items, thank goodness, but on daily spending. And trying to get your spouse to change, LOL.

ryryfree said: ... use netflix ...

I am curious how people save money with netflix. I am new to this type of service. I searched FW and have not found any deals for netflix and found one month free trial for blockbuster.

Where would you recommend to look?

ryryfree said: My wife is actually pretty good with spending. That could change when I get done with college? We will always be good about not overspending though. We have both been in debt before and know that is the last thing that we ever want to get into again. Nothing like being a slave to your car. Instead of driving it for fun you are driving it extra days to work to pay for it.

You spouse is a big unknown. Wait until you have kids and she falls in love with an a big expensive SUV. Or maybe not, but you have to deal with it either way. Once you say I do, you will!