What is your best money saving tip?

[pb4uski]

The key to successful DYI is knowing where to draw the line and call in a pro. However the benefit of having some DIY experience is to be able to talk intelligently about the situation with the pro and get the most out of him/her (without being a nuisance of course).

I actually enjoy doing some of my own work and when I do need to call a pro in I think I get a much better outcome for a better price because I can usually better understand the solutions that he/she suggests.

That said, I stay far away from roofs. Have had two people that I know fall off ladders while working on roofs. One was temporarily disabled and the other was permanently disabled. Not worth the risk.

 

[pb4uski]

Wear long underwear (top and bottom) under you clothes around the house. You can keep it 5 degrees cooler and be just as comfortable. I have some Swedish wool stuff that is very cozy.

Or slippers and a sweater. If your feet and chest are warm then you are warm it seems.

Another one: replace your old thermostats with programmable thermostats. I replaced all my thermostats with programmable thermostats and save about 10% on my annual heating bill. As a bonus, a local hardware chain was offering a $5 discount coupon towards a future purchase for each old thermostat returned (they recicled them and kept the mercury out of the landfill).

 

[ERD50]

Or slippers and a sweater. If your feet and chest are warm then you are warm it seems.

Agree with that.

Another one: replace your old thermostats with programmable thermostats. I replaced all my thermostats with programmable thermostats and save about 10% on my annual heating bill.

Disagree with that.

I've got the old, round, standard issue 'dumb' thermostat from the 80's. I'm not interested in replacing it. We turn it way down when we go to bed. We turn it up a bit when we feel cold, turn it down when we leave the house. I think if we had a programmable, it would be on more just because it was automatic and on a fixed 'set it and forget it' schedule.


-ERD50

 

[samclem]

But every dollar you spend is a dollar you have to earn.

If only. Many folks have to earn over $1.50 to have one dollar to spend after self-employment or payroll taxes, federal income taxes, and state/local taxes. A penny saved is truly worth much more than a penny earned.

 

[W2R]

I've got the old, round, standard issue 'dumb' thermostat from the 80's. I'm not interested in replacing it. We turn it way down when we go to bed. We turn it up a bit when we feel cold, turn it down when we leave the house. I think if we had a programmable, it would be on more just because it was automatic and on a fixed 'set it and forget it' schedule.

That's a great way to save money with a non-programmable thermostat, and shows that a programmable one isn't a necessity for saving significant amounts of money.

My house had a programmable thermostat when I bought it, and have found it pretty easy to save money with this thermostat, too. In my case, I have developed my own technique that really helps (though I doubt anyone else does this). Here's what I do to save money:

I left it on the default temperatures (too cold in the winter, and too hot in the summer).

In the winter, when I feel too cold I use the manual override. After a few hours it reverts to the default and gets colder and colder until I notice and use the manual override again. This stretches the range of what I feel are acceptable temperatures. As the winter season progresses I find that my minimum temperature for comfort - - - the temperature at which I head for the manual override - - - slowly moves from 74 to 65 or so.

In the summer, I stretch my range of acceptable temperatures in the same way, and as the summer progresses my maximum temperature for comfort slowly moves from 77 to 89 or even higher.

My theory is that if we only expose ourselves to a limited range of temperatures, the range of temperatures that we can comfortably tolerate becomes very small. The above technique helps me to enlarge that range of temperatures that are acceptable to me. When I was working, I found that generally I was comfortable at all temperatures in the office even though half the people were complaining of the cold and the other half were complaining of the heat at any given time.

 

[simple girl]

Another one: replace your old thermostats with programmable thermostats. I replaced all my thermostats with programmable thermostats and save about 10% on my annual heating bill. As a bonus, a local hardware chain was offering a $5 discount coupon towards a future purchase for each old thermostat returned (they recicled them and kept the mercury out of the landfill).

Disagree with that.

I've got the old, round, standard issue 'dumb' thermostat from the 80's. I'm not interested in replacing it. We turn it way down when we go to bed. We turn it up a bit when we feel cold, turn it down when we leave the house. I think if we had a programmable, it would be on more just because it was automatic and on a fixed 'set it and forget it' schedule.
-ERD50

DH is really good about turning the thermostat down before we go to bed and leave the house, too. I'm really good about turning it up when I'm cold. Between the two of us, we are our own "do it yourself" programmable thermostat.

 

[Martha]

I heard a little snippet of a radio show that was talking about online shopping. Apparently, many people go to a shopping website, fill their cart, but never check out, just dumping out the cart. IIRC, most carts never actually lead to purchases. Apparently, some people can satisfy a shopping need this way but never have to actually spend the money.

I thought about this and went to my Amazon cart and emptied it.

 

[Meadbh]

Disagree with that.

I've got the old, round, standard issue 'dumb' thermostat from the 80's. I'm not interested in replacing it. We turn it way down when we go to bed. We turn it up a bit when we feel cold, turn it down when we leave the house. I think if we had a programmable, it would be on more just because it was automatic and on a fixed 'set it and forget it' schedule.


-ERD50

I would like to see scientific data on this question...including the setup costs of making the change.

ISTM that a smart thermostat is analagous to indexing, compared with than active [-]portfolio[/-] heat management. Both are attempting to manage variability for best outcomes.

 

[Walt34]

<snip> Apparently, some people can satisfy a shopping need this way but never have to actually spend the money.

I thought about this and went to my Amazon cart and emptied it.

There is a $3,000 camera on my Amazon "wish list" that I seriously doubt I'll ever actually buy. But it's nice to dream.

 

[Nords]

There is a $3,000 camera on my Amazon "wish list" that I seriously doubt I'll ever actually buy. But it's nice to dream.

You're just going to have to bridge the "technology gap" with your blossoming talent...

 

[73ss454]

Or are illegal immigrants...

Nothing like getting sued by an illegal immigrant after your home owners policy refuses to pay for his injuries.

 

[Khan]

There is a $3,000 camera on my Amazon "wish list" that I seriously doubt I'll ever actually buy. But it's nice to dream.

This one?

Amazon.com: Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens: Camera & Photo

 

[freebird5825]

I heard a little snippet of a radio show that was talking about online shopping. Apparently, many people go to a shopping website, fill their cart, but never check out, just dumping out the cart. IIRC, most carts never actually lead to purchases. Apparently, some people can satisfy a shopping need this way but never have to actually spend the money.

I thought about this and went to my Amazon cart and emptied it.

With the exception of groceries, I hate going to stores to shop and definitely am not wasting the gas and time to go in person. I live 10 miles from minimally decent stores, and 25 miles from "any store you can imagine" shopping malls.

I put needed or wanted items on my Wish List at Amazon until I hit the magic $25 level for Free Shipping. More often than not, some of the items are lowered in price by the time I actually go to Checkout.

 

[RonBoyd]

The "deal killer" for me is always the Shipping Cost. There are many (the majority of the) times the shipping is the same or more than the product(s) -- effectively doubling the cost of the item. This rarely happens at Amazon (and similar) but a lot of my pruchases are from specialty stores. Of course, this shipping surprise is near the end of the process and dropping the sale probably does count in the above statistic.

 

[W2R]

I heard a little snippet of a radio show that was talking about online shopping. Apparently, many people go to a shopping website, fill their cart, but never check out, just dumping out the cart. IIRC, most carts never actually lead to purchases. Apparently, some people can satisfy a shopping need this way but never have to actually spend the money.

I thought about this and went to my Amazon cart and emptied it.

I have sometimes put something in my Amazon cart and then had second thoughts. I always remove it before I leave the site, though, because I am afraid that I might buy it later by mistake!

I think that buying non-perishable groceries and other necessities on Amazon will make life so much easier for all of us as we age. We will have the option of buying on Amazon instead of going out in bad weather and shopping so much, when we are old and feeble.

 

[travelover]

The "deal killer" for me is always the Shipping Cost. There are many (the majority of the) times the shipping is the same or more than the product(s) -- effectively doubling the cost of the item. This rarely happens at Amazon (and similar) but a lot of my purchases are from specialty stores. Of course, this shipping surprise is near the end of the process and dropping the sale probably does count in the above statistic.

Same here. "Good" sites have a shipping calculator function right with the item for sale to let you know the shipping cost in advance. Nothing worse that filling in all the shipping info only to get the nasty surprise at the end.

 

[pb4uski]

Agree with that.



Disagree with that.

I've got the old, round, standard issue 'dumb' thermostat from the 80's. I'm not interested in replacing it. We turn it way down when we go to bed. We turn it up a bit when we feel cold, turn it down when we leave the house. I think if we had a programmable, it would be on more just because it was automatic and on a fixed 'set it and forget it' schedule.


-ERD50

To each his own I guess. I would never remember to turn it down before retiring for the evening and it is nice that it starts to heat up before I get up. Just to let you know, even if you have one to override it is just like the old dumb ones except you push a button rather than twist a dial.

 

[harley]

I heard a little snippet of a radio show that was talking about online shopping. Apparently, many people go to a shopping website, fill their cart, but never check out, just dumping out the cart. IIRC, most carts never actually lead to purchases. Apparently, some people can satisfy a shopping need this way but never have to actually spend the money.

I thought about this and went to my Amazon cart and emptied it.

DW does this in the analog world, as well as the virtual. She'll go into Marshalls or Maxx or somewhere and wander around the store, filling up the basket. Then she puts it all back and only keeps something if she really really wants it. Works for her, and she doesn't seem to over buy, so no harm no foul, I figure.

 

[NW-Bound]

I like to go to the local Fry's Electronics store once a week just to look around. It is mostly for me to see how cheaper and better the Chinese can build these electronic gadgets. The technological improvement is breathtaking. However, I find myself desiring none. If I buy something, it is most likely it will sit around collecting dust.

 

[Nords]

I like to go to the local Fry's Electronics store once a week just to look around. It is mostly for me to see how cheaper and better the Chinese can build these electronic gadgets. The technological improvement is breathtaking. However, I find myself desiring none. If I buy something, it is most likely it will sit around collecting dust.

When I go to Fry's (or the equivalent GeekNerd World) I have to lock my wallet in the car...

 

[Walt34]

This one?

Amazon.com: Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens: Camera & Photo

No, this one:

Amazon.com: Nikon D300 SLR Digital Camera [Body Only] + Nikon 18-200mm AF-S DX VR II Lens + Nikon Multi-Grip Power Battery Pack + Two (2) 4GB CF + Extra Nikon Battery + DSLR Camera Bag + 3-Year Warranty + Willoughbys Bonus Pack: Camera & Photo

But I ask myself, would my photographs be $3k better with it? Nope, I'm not at that level. Yet.

 

[TromboneAl]

Wait until you can get it with super-saver shipping.

 

[Amethyst]

There is a $3,000 camera on my Amazon "wish list" that I seriously doubt I'll ever actually buy. But it's nice to dream.

I put needed or wanted items on my Wish List at Amazon until I hit the magic $25 level for Free Shipping. More often than not, some of the items are lowered in price by the time I actually go to Checkout.

We bought our HDTV through Amazon. I put it in our cart at $2800.00 and kept coming back to visit the cart. Over the course of a year, the TV's price dropped to $2K [much lower than if purchased locally] and the suppliers competed on shipping. We finally hit the "buy" button at $1900.00 and free shipping. Worth trying, Walt, if you need that $3K camera's features to bring out your inner Ansel Adams.

The "deal killer" for me is always the Shipping Cost. There are many (the majority of the) times the shipping is the same or more than the product(s) -- effectively doubling the cost of the item. This rarely happens at Amazon .

I wanted a "Zippi" desk fan, a specialty item that doesn't (yet) have any generic knock-offs. I could pay $25.80 with "free shipping" at Amazon, or $18.00 plus $7.80 shipping from another supplier - what a coincidence

Amethyst

 

[Orchidflower]

Get an energy audit and do pay for your air ducts to be sealed and mastic to be put around them if they aren't. Then have any needed insulation blown in if needed.

I just did this and it's been down to 32 degrees here at night, and I haven't really HAD to turn on my heat at all. Granted, it has gotten down to 66 degrees in the house, but with a sweater over my jeans and cotton shirt I'm fine (and you know we women freeze alot).

Cannot tell you how happy I had this done recently. What a great moneysaving tip this will be over the next 10-15 years....wow!

And--because I had sun screens/solar screens (different regions call it different things I found) in Houston--I am having sun screens made. I know from past experience that this really cools a house down in the heat of summer and saves alot of money and adds gobs of comfort.

Yeah, yeah...I know the upfront cost is alot, but in 2010 you get tax rebates and some tax credits, too, if you go thru your local electric company list of approved vendors. Worth it totally if you are staying where you are for awhile. It's still worth it tax benefits or not to you.

 

[RonBoyd]

I wanted a "Zippi" desk fan, a specialty item that doesn't (yet) have any generic knock-offs. I could pay $25.80 with "free shipping" at Amazon, or $18.00 plus $7.80 shipping from another supplier - what a coincidence

Yeah, that too. It's all part of the game, I guess. Its still easier to comparison shop without leaving the house, though.