LBYM Question

[COcheesehead]

My wife taught me a long time ago that everything is negotiable. We needed a new stereo reciever and Best Buy had the one we wanted, floor model only. I asked for a discount, boom, 50% off. Had it now for years. Works like a charm with our Sonos.
Buy your bikes on Craigslist, if you are confident you know your frame size. At least a 50% savings there.
Sign up and use any rewards programs. We get coupons for free stuff all the time just for being a member. Pro tip: keep and store your member ID and passwords so over time you can access your accounts. If you can't remember the account number or password, they become useless.
Use Bing as your search tool and sign up for their rewards program. Every 10,000 points gets you $5 at Amazon or Starbucks, just for doing your normal searches.

 

[pb4uski]

And for the really creative, you could combine some of these ideas... like buying toilet paper and then returning it to the store after you've used it. Or turning your underwear inside out and using as a coffee filter!

OMG!! Please don't give the subset of cheapskates viewing this thread any additional ideas!

 

[Amethyst]

We had such wonderful gardens 20+ years ago. Then the deer arrived, and forced us to garden behind a fence. Still, we did it, despite considerable inconvenience (and expense). Then the stink bugs arrived and sucked the tomatoes dry while they were still green. Nothing kills them except painstakingly searching every leaf for egg cases, and even then they will migrate in from the rest of the yard. Two years in a row of watching our tomatoes turned to mush-filled skins overnight, and that was that for vegetable gardening.

We grow food as a hobby and to get exercise. We don't do Fitbits. Maybe another benefit is the real organic stuff that comes from our garden. The food often tastes better.

But to save money? How can we beat tomatoes, onions, zucchinis, cucumbers, various other veggies sold for $1 for 3 lbs at the local market?

 

[pb4uski]

Can't beat the library for saving$ on books

+1 In fact, the local library here writes on each receipt when you take out a book "You just saved $x by using your library. You have saved $y this past year and $z since you began using the library!".... all at full retail though... who pays retail?

 

[COcheesehead]

+1 In fact, the local library here writes on each receipt when you take out a book "You just saved $x by using your library. You have saved $y this past year and $z since you began using the library!".... all at full retail though... who pays retail?

Our library also lets you download movies and audio books.

 

[Marita40]

I have "no spend" days each week, often 5-6. That means absolutely no discretionary, grocery, lunch, etc spending on those days. On the one or two spend days, I have to plan carefully. This has helped me be LBYM.

I shop Aldi and end up buying perhaps 70% of groceries there, including tons of fresh produce.

I use Ting for my cell; usually runs about 18.00/month. No landline.

Cut cable completely. I read rather than watch TV. I upload library books or find books in the many Little Free Libraries here.

I purposely moved to a place where I can walk to almost everything, including to work. I can go for many days without driving and spend about 25.00 every two months on gas.

I try to buy quality, classic clothes that last. I've started to check out Goodwill before retail stores.

I've limited eating out; such a money drain. We often go to Happy Hours with cut rate prices.

I'm not poor. None of these things are a hardship. I like to keep my daily life simple and then indulge in my twin interests of traveling and restoring my venerable house, both expensive things.

The concept of paying oneself first was by far the best financial advice I got as a young person!

 

[Live And Learn]

I don't buy it unless I LOVE it. If its not something I will treasure and / or enjoy every single day I admire it and move on.

Also have 1/3rd of the house I could afford (and it's still 1 more bedroom than I need !), and drive cars for at least 15 years. It's the big ticket items that save money, especially home costs.

I also saw a saying that sums me up perfectly .... I'd rather have a $10 handbag with $290 in it than have a $300 handbag that's empty.

 

[6miths]

Another vote for the library. Books, newspapers, audiobooks, movies in many formats, special interest lectures. Same goes for the local universities on the last item. Some top notch speakers.

 

[Music Lover]

If you own a house, then becoming handy can save you thousands over the years...10's of thousands if you're really handy.

Most of my family are avid DIYers. No one would ever consider calling a contractor to do a job unless it was unavoidable...and, in those cases careful attention would be paid to how the contractor did the job so that we could do it on our own the next time.

If someone needed a new roof, a deck, or a fence, we all gathered and knocked off the job...just like an old fashioned barn raising. Those who were not as handy helped with clean up, being a gofer, watching the kids, or making lunch. A lot of money was saved over the years, and the added benefit was that the projects became family get-togethers where everyone dropped in.

 

[pb4uski]

....The concept of paying oneself first was by far the best financial advice I got as a young person!

+1 At my first job in the late 70s my employer had no way to take savings out of your paycheck, so I set up a savings account at a bank near to work but made sure not to get an ATM card for that account. Each payday, I would deposit my check at my regular bank that I had my checking account at and then take cash to the other bank and deposit it in savings. I purposely make it inconvenient for me to take money out of the savings account. If i couldn't access it then I couldn't spend it... so I had the concept of orange money long before Voya commercials.

 

[Live And Learn]

Wanted to add some of the things we did before we retired:

1. From our first house to our current house, we purchased 1/3rd of the house the bank approved us for. We are two people - I never needed a 4 bedroom house !

2. Never ever ever spent a bonus. It all went directly into savings / investments. I have friends that include their bonus as part of their income and spend "knowing" that they can pay it with their bonus check later. That has backfired on them a time or two.

3. Was never big on eating out. I like my home cooked meals. We go out to dinner 3 times a year for our birthdays and our anniversaries, plus one or two other times with friends. (Still do this)

4. Game night with friends. We rotate cooking for each other. (Still do this)

5. Do NOT buy in bulk ! But I do shop loss leaders at the stores and stock up (still do this)

 

[Fedup]

If you own a house, then becoming handy can save you thousands over the years...10's of thousands if you're really handy.

Most of my family are avid DIYers. No one would ever consider calling a contractor to do a job unless it was unavoidable...and, in those cases careful attention would be paid to how the contractor did the job so that we could do it on our own the next time.

If someone needed a new roof, a deck, or a fence, we all gathered and knocked off the job...just like an old fashioned barn raising. Those who were not as handy helped with clean up, being a gofer, watching the kids, or making lunch. A lot of money was saved over the years, and the added benefit was that the projects became family get-togethers where everyone dropped in.

I save big money by becoming DIYers. Plus I don't feel so helpless. Nowadays, there are so many YouTube and videos on the internet that you can watch to help you. Plus there is a sense of accomplishment. Nothing beats that.

 

[Nemo2]

I save big money by becoming DIYers. Plus I don't feel so helpless. Nowadays, there are so many YouTube and videos on the internet that you can watch to help you. Plus there is a sense of accomplishment. Nothing beats that.

A while back DW & I had to replace the lid switch on the washing machine, which pretty much entailed dismantling the entire unit.........bought the part, took the laptop to the basement, watched the vids...fixed it...high fives all 'round. (And I am definitely not 'Mr. Fix-it'.)

 

[Major Tom]

Save on laundry by turning underwear inside out and wearing again on day 2.

This sounds like one of those joke readers letters in Viz Magazine! British forum members will be familiar with this rag that is full of silly British "laddish" and toilet humor.

Reuse dental floss.

I thought this was overdoing it, and perhaps a bit "ewwww-inducing" until I realized that I do it too . I don't do it to save money, but simply because there doesn't seem to be much point in tossing a length of floss after just one use. Like gerntz, I usually break floss in the very slim gaps between some teeth, so 2 uses is usually the maximum before it hits the trashcan.

My general LBYM approach is very similar to W2R's, in that I seek to minimize the recurring expenses and, like others have mentioned, do as much of my spending as possible consciously, so that I spend on the things I really derive enjoyment and utility from.

 

[GTFan]

Some interesting ideas and some that are well over into the cheap side beyond frugal (i.e. water only at a restaurant and no beer or glass of wine with dinner)

Seriously? At ~$2.50 for a glass of tea vs. free water w/lemon, I'm taking the water every time. This is where restaurants make a lot of their money.

Beer and wine are a different choice altogether.

 

[lampshade]

I put a price on my time, also. I'm at $20/hr. No guilt in using Pea Pod twice a month. I love that my food shopping is done and delivered on Saturday.

 

[NW-Bound]

Nowadays, we find little to spend our money on. No desire for new cars, electronics, furniture, etc... What we already have still work, and I do not crave the latest and greatest stuff. So, our expenses go down steadily with time.

Speaking for expenses to reduce, I am still paying for DirectTV, which we do not watch at all, and I mean at all, in our main home. Crazy? Well, in town we have the Internet, and get most recreational material out of that. Up in my high-country boondocks home, without the sat TV, I would feel so isolated from the world. What if a zombie breakout happens, and we know nothing about it?

I get a data plan with my cell phone now, and will see if I can cut out this TV expense of several hundred dollars a year that we use so little. We have not been able to go up to my "retreat" much recently, because my wife is now tied up with caring for MIL. This may continue for a while.

 

[Fedup]

I'm still paying for large cable fee. Everything for $139 except when we overuse for something then it could be $200. I like to watch CNBC and I've read the Sling TV doesn't work as well. I think this is the small potato expense category. Beside my husband likes to watch a lot of basketball so it maybe worth it. Who knows? I'm not stressing over it.

 

[Hyperborea]

Seriously? At ~$2.50 for a glass of tea vs. free water w/lemon, I'm taking the water every time. This is where restaurants make a lot of their money.

Beer and wine are a different choice altogether.

Seriously! If I can't afford to spend $2.50 for a cup of tea or $1.00 for a root beer with lunch then I can't afford lunch. That being said when I go for my weekly lunch with the guys I often get water not because I'm cheap-ing out but because I don't really like soda/pop and it's useless calories.

 

[Fedup]

I drink the $3 water like Pelegrino. My kids always order it, so my husband and I decide why should we underspend them. Heck we always foot the bill.

 

[NW-Bound]

When eating out with us, my daughter always orders a cocktail or two. Won't drink wine, so as to share my bottle of wine (my wife does not drink). Markup on any drink is huge, but what can you do? I cannot eat out without drinking.

 

[W2R]

Some interesting ideas and some that are well over into the cheap side beyond frugal (i.e. water only at a restaurant and no beer or glass of wine with dinner)

Seriously! If I can't afford to spend $2.50 for a cup of tea or $1.00 for a root beer with lunch then I can't afford lunch. That being said when I go for my weekly lunch with the guys I often get water not because I'm cheap-ing out but because I don't really like soda/pop and it's useless calories.

You absolute and utter cheapskate! (just kidding!)

I feel the same about soft drinks, and don't mind pocketing the extra $2.50 or so from not ordering one. After ordering water for a while, I discovered that nobody gives a flying eff about why I ordered water, except for me. It's not even awkward, it's simply a choice. I choose tap water. And lately, I choose tap water with no ice or lemon because that is how I like it.

When I feel it's a tossup whether I'd prefer water or a diet Coke, I order (you guessed it!) water. I probably order a diet Coke 5% of the time when I eat out, if that. I order water even when eating an expensive steak dinner at a nice restaurant, because water is a very nice, in fact superb beverage to drink with a meal.​

 

[Hyperborea]

You absolute and utter cheapskate! (just kidding!)

Well, I will add that I do sometimes get a Thai iced coffee at the Thai place (though that is mondo amounts of calories) or a mango lassi at the Indian place or a cup of tea or coffee if it's a cold rainy day. I'll even get a root beer occasionally though that's usually only when we go for pizza or burgers. The price of a drink besides the price of a meal is trivial and it IMNSHO is a non-financial decision. It's alongside the choice of green curry chicken or yellow curry prawns (prawns $1 extra) at the Thai restaurant. It's a matter of what I feel like eating.

Also, my wife and I often split appetizers and desserts and not because of cost but because of portion sizes.

 

[Fedup]

We order extra veg dishes when we eat out. Like yesterday, I had 2 appetizers, crunchy coconut shrimp and sashimi, and a salad dish to go with my husband fish and chip. Otherwise, he would eat fries and fries. On top of that we had our own fish dish, my daughter and I. So what if we are not frugal.
But we did make up with $1.50 per ice cream scoop from Baskin Robbins. Only on 3/31. We were lucky.

 

[RobbieB]

I order up anything I want, I fear no restaurant -