Reduced spending lately, how?

[calmloki]

So with all the money you've all saved you deserve a visit here:

This Is Why I'm Broke

 

[52andout]

So with all the money you've all saved you deserve a visit here:

This Is Why I'm Broke

what a great site. I love the nose shower gel dispenser except I am too cheap to buy shower gel. Bar soap with a coupon is much cheaper.

 

[KingB]

These are some of the things that we've done to reduce spending in the past year. The bulk of the cost savings come from moving in with the BF and combining expenses. I didn't realize how much this saves us every year, but it really adds up.

Housing and utilities: Now that we aren't maintaining two places, we are saving $1200/month in rent. We merged our two family cell phone plans into a single plan, saving another $75/month, and downgraded our landline plan to save another $15/month. We also bought a space heater and have stopped using the central heat during the winter months.

Car costs: We combined our car insurance policies, saving $800/year. I take the bus to work rather than driving, which saves about $150/month in gas. Nowadays, we drive my old but low-mileage compact car on weekends rather than my BF’s more luxurious but far less reliable 10 year old BMW. This saves us about $250/year in gas costs, and hopefully it will allow us to keep his car longer and cut down on the exorbitant maintenance/repair costs.

Food costs: We have started cooking more on weekends rather than eating out, which saves about $200/month. I save another $100/month by packing lunches for work.

Household goods: We got a Costco membership last year, and have been stocking up in bulk. I also have been trying to get better about clipping and using coupons. This saves us about $25/month.

Impulse spending: Now that I’m working full-time, I have much less time for on-line shopping and impulse buying. This means I probably spend about $50 less per month buying clothes and other things that I really don’t need.

An argument that 2 can live as cheap as 1 (or close to it).

 

[freebird5825]

I'm still doing my own lawn mowing versus hiring it out. I invested in a lightweight weedwhacker ($99) and a self-propelled lawnmower ($340) to make the j*b easier for Mr B and I. I sold the old push lawnmower and too heavy weedwhacker to friends for a total of $85.
He is ready to start helping out with the lawn chores. He is now fully recovered and no longer under a "no-strain order" after the mild heart attack and stent insertion procedure he underwent almost 2 months ago.
I don't mind the self-propel push lawn mowing (good walking exercise) and probably will just have him do the weedwhacking. He is not very good [-]almost runs into things[/-] at driving the riding tractor mower, so I'll keep doing that.

 

[fancy free]

One of our children is now wearing glasses like mom and dad. We are saving an enormous amount of money on eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses by ordering them online. A great site with a list of places to order from with coupon codes etc. is GlassyEyes | Find Your Next Affordable Eyeglasses Online. We usually order from goggles4u. I get compliments on my glasses all the time and they cost $15 total including shipping. Definitely sign up to receive e-mails from the site -- they have frequent sales.

 

[Midpack]

• Sold our boat, massive savings, but that's a no-brainer to an LBYMer.

More down to earth:

• Reduced our Dish Network HD package from gold to basic, went from about $80/mo to about $50/mo and the missing channels are hardly noticeable (I watch less and less TV as the years pass anyway).
• Converted from a $99/mo BlackBerry SmartPhone that I really didn't need (work subsidized) to a no-contract/pay-as-you-go Net10 phone which should give me all the voice/text/data I need for $15-30/mo.
• We've also been decluttering over the years, throwing some stuff out and selling other items on eBay, making about $2,500!

 

[easysurfer]

Seems ironic, but by joining Amazon Prime shipping for $79/year I think I'm actually saving money. For example, just noticed my cell phone battery can't hold a charge more than 1 day. Usually I would go to a local Radio Shack and pick up a replacement battery ($16). But I see one at Amazon (prime) for only $5. Gonna save the difference by ordering online.

 

[REWahoo]

Seems ironic, but by joining Amazon Prime shipping for $79/year I think I'm actually saving money.

+1

We joined Amazon Prime and share with our adult kids. When they want to buy something they purchase an Amazon gift card for us in the correct amount and we order the item for them to be shipped to their address. We definitely get more than our $79 worth out of the Prime membership.

 

[easysurfer]

+1

We joined Amazon Prime and share with our adult kids. When they want to buy something they purchase an Amazon gift card for us in the correct amount and we order the item for them to be shipped to their address. We definitely get more than our $79 worth out of the Prime membership.

I just helped a friend out by ordering a dresser (took about 4 days to arrive, not 2) and also a cat tree house. Worked out great.

I guess as long as I buy stuff that I would have purchased anyhow, then there's where the savings is.

 

[W2R]

I just helped a friend out by ordering a dresser (took about 4 days to arrive, not 2) and also a cat tree house. Worked out great.

I guess as long as I buy stuff that I would have purchased anyhow, then there's where the savings is.

I'm sure it must vary from item to item, but I ordered my desk without using Prime and it is scheduled to be delivered only 3 business days later. I ordered it on Friday night, and it is to be delivered tomorrow.

The fast delivery is mildly distressing because I had other plans tomorrow morning, and never thought it would get here so soon! Oh well, here's hoping that Fedex delivers it in the afternoon or evening after I get home.

I might buy Prime. I do hate to wait for things, and some seem to take longer than others.

 

[easysurfer]

I was surprised when the dresser took longer than 2 days. After reading closer, the 2 days is after the product is securely packed. The dresser did come well protected so I assume the extra couple of days was Amazon doing the protecting.

I'm actually about the order a cell phone battery, but I won't be back home until Thursday night, so I might wait until tomorrow to order and then have it delivered on Friday when I know I'll be home.

 

[W2R]

I was surprised when the dresser took longer than 2 days. After reading closer, the 2 days is after the product is securely packed. The dresser did come well protected so I assume the extra couple of days was Amazon doing the protecting.

That's probably it. My desk was made in China (I know, I know, but I bought it anyway...) so they probably had it packed over there.

I'm actually about the order a cell phone battery, but I won't be back home until Thursday night, so I might wait until tomorrow to order and then have it delivered on Friday when I know I'll be home.

Sounds like a good plan. At least with Prime, you know it will be reasonably fast.

 

[Lsbcal]

I tried Amazon Prime and liked it but I'm too cheap to splurge on it.

So I just put things into my cart until they hit the $25 free shipping. It means deferred gratification. Will just have to tough that out. It does make me favor Amazon over some of the competitors they help market who have to charge shipping.

 

[DblDoc]

so i just put things into my cart until they hit the $25 free shipping. It means deferred gratification. Will just have to tough that out. It does make me favor amazon over some of the competitors they help market who have to charge shipping.

+1

dd

 

[W2R]

I tried Amazon Prime and liked it but I'm too cheap to splurge on it.

So I just put things into my cart until they hit the $25 free shipping. It means deferred gratification. Will just have to tough that out. It does make me favor Amazon over some of the competitors they help market who have to charge shipping.

I tried it too, when I got my Kindle 3, because I was dying to get it. I really liked having the free trial of Amazon Prime. Like you, I use the $25 free shipping now. Most things are at least that much. Really, it makes no difference in the long run for me to wait, because I will always want it just as much when it finally arrives. But I sure hate waiting. Seems like it's time for some of that gratification that was being delayed.

 

[pimpmyretirement]

I recently discovered Amazon's trade in program. I tell them what I have, they offer a credit and to pay for shipping via UPS. Then I just box it up and drop it off at my local UPS store. A week later, free money!

So far I've gained about $100. It also makes going through old books I never read easier. I can get money from the valuable books and justify giving away the worthless ones.

Their subscribe and save program is also awesome. Right now I'm getting my tea, mixed nuts, and TVP for much less than I'd pay in the store.

 

[Meadbh]

So with all the money you've all saved you deserve a visit here:

This Is Why I'm Broke

Bacon bandaids....come back Bunny!

 

[Meadbh]

So I just put things into my cart until they hit the $25 free shipping. It means deferred gratification. Will just have to tough that out. It does make me favor Amazon over some of the competitors they help market who have to charge shipping.

+2

 

[arebelspy]

+1

We joined Amazon Prime and share with our adult kids. When they want to buy something they purchase an Amazon gift card for us in the correct amount and we order the item for them to be shipped to their address. We definitely get more than our $79 worth out of the Prime membership.

+2

We pay for hardly anything (no tv subscription, no Internet subscription, cheap cell phone bills, etc), but Amazon prime is one thing we do pay for (well actually it's free right now as a student account, but we paid for it for about 3 years and in a month or two when my 1 year student subscription is up, I'll be paying for it again). Saves us so much money over buying stuff in stores (Target, etc). In fact I'd estimate over 90% of our "shopping" expenses in our budget goes there (the other 10% is clothes we buy in person)

 

[palomalou]

1.We drive as little as possible and downgraded my car to occasional use with State Farm. When someone goes on the road (even as little as 45 miles away) we use the hybrid.
2. I've been using the library as opposed to buying books.
3. We use netflix and avoid the cinema (except for rarely something like "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" this month.
4. We almost never eat out unless we are on a trip--although that is not new. For 15 years I've said, "Why go out and pay 5+x as much when I can make better and healthier food at home?" My Wolf range has paid for itself several times! Plus it's my hobby.
Still looking for more ways, but we're pretty frugal. Wish I could get DH to do #2.

 

[Sue J]

Before DH retired we switched from Vonage (basic plan including fees $24/mo) to a MagicJack ($20/YEAR) and it's been absolutely fine. I used an older computer in the basement (MagicJack needs the computer left on all the time) and ran a line to the kitchen where we hooked it up to the base phone with an answering machine. The phone set we bought has 4 cordless units so we have extensions all over. Very nice to eliminate a monthly bill for very small startup costs.

Our 2 cell phones are prepaid plans that were grandfathered into Verizon when they bought Alltel. There is no monthly cost. We prepay and the money is only used when we make a call, the money never expires. Right now this is guaranteed until 2014, but who knows what "guarantee" means when dealing with Verizon. If they change the plan we'll have to shop around again.

From a discussion on this board I found the recipe for homemade laundry detergent. This has been a huge cost savings! I haven't done a breakdown of costs per load but I know I spend a lot less than $7.99 (Tide unscented liquid 32 loads) on the ingredients that last many months and many batches of the homemade powder. DH loves the very neutral smell of the clean laundry.
Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent – Do It Yourself Naturally

I also tried the recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent and the results were not satisfactory so I don't use that anymore.

I've always used the library for all the magazines that I'm too cheap to buy. I also read books all the time and I get all of them at the library. I know many people like to buy and keep books but I don't feel the need to own them and keep them.

When DH retired I changed his driving status with our car insurance and his rate dropped a few dollars a month.

I get a lot of frugal ideas from this message board.

 

[Lsbcal]

Wow Sue, making your own dishwasher and laundry detergent ... I think you get a gold star for this! I'm worried for Proctor and Gamble

 

[FUEGO]

Before DH retired we switched from Vonage (basic plan including fees $24/mo) to a MagicJack ($20/YEAR) and it's been absolutely fine. I used an older computer in the basement (MagicJack needs the computer left on all the time) and ran a line to the kitchen where we hooked it up to the base phone with an answering machine.

I don't mean to pick on you, Sue J, just wanted to use your statement as illustration regarding electric consumption and a way I save money.

Electricity is cheap, but when you have phantom loads (such as a computer left on year round), it adds up quickly. A rule of thumb I use is that every 1 watt of phantom load equals about a dollar a year in increased electricity costs (assuming $0.11 per kWh, which is average).

Take Sue J's computer. If it uses around 70-80 watts (like my old computer without much load on the cpu and not including the monitor or speakers), then it costs around $70-80 a year to power that computer (ignoring increased cooling expenses to remove the heat the computer generates). Still cheaper than $24/mo for vonage, but not free.

I did a quick inventory in my house to see what uses power when on and when in standby. I figured out that some devices pull a bunch of power when in standby, so I turn them off. The vast majority of devices use about a watt when in standby, so I don't worry about unplugging them or turning off a power strip as some recommend.

To complete an energy inventory for yourself, you can use a Kill A Watt meter, such as this:
Kill A Watt at amazon for about $20:
http://www.amazon.com/P3-Internatio...MDBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309452953&sr=8-1

Knowing how much energy something costs lets you figure out if it is worth it on an ongoing basis. Sure, something may only cost a tiny bit to buy, but if the energy costs over its operational life far exceed the purchase price, you may want to pay up for something more energy efficient or avoid its use altogether.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I think Amazon prime is saving me money as well. I know it is saving me time for sure, and probably gas since I don't have to go out to pick up the stuff I need.'

About the only thing I can cut is my cable and cell phone plans, and I am working on those.

 

[ERD50]

I think Amazon prime is saving me money as well. I know it is saving me time for sure, and probably gas since I don't have to go out to pick up the stuff I need.'

About the only thing I can cut is my cable and cell phone plans, and I am working on those.

I'm surprised/confused at/by all the comments from people claiming they 'save' money with Amazon Prime?

There was a thread on this awhile back - some people really need prime as they are travelling, and only spend a few days at one place - a few others had good reasons. But otherwise, like many others, I just wait till I have $25 worth (and keep some 'fillers' on hand in my cart - things I need eventually, but can wait). Free shipping is plenty fast for me - and it's FREE, unlike Prime (I guess students can get it free?). How can I 'save' by spending $ for something that's free?

-ERD50