The Money-Saving Tips Thread

[Justin]

As a frugal person at heart, I have always enjoyed the various money-saving tips threads that would crop up on the old board at YWBB. Please share your tips here 

 

Here's one I used just the other day: I use vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser of my dishwasher. It seems to work just as well as Jet Dry, and is much cheaper.

[Strongerthanb4]

Vinegar! Really? I'll give it a try. I've been running without a rinse aid for about a month. lol

 

My frugal tip: At the beginning of every month I withdraw a budget friendly about of cash. I pay cash for everything (except gas - it's easier to swipe that). Once that cash is gone I can't get any more. It has kept me on track with staying in my budget - especially in the grocery store and for eating out. I just have to check my wallet to know if I can be lazy or if I have to cook something. 

[Guest nonesuch]

I had put off buying a small container to use with my blender.  It was frustrating, because I'd need an 8 oz one more often the  big blender.  Just today, I saw that canning jars often fit the base.  I took the base upstairs to the spare room where I keep junk destined for yard sales.  I had a jar left over from Christmas (from the relative that always fills our stockings with apple butter.)  Sure enough, it fits.  So does the jar left over form spaghetti sauce.

 

I have to say, too:  if someone gives you one of those gift Visa cards: use it right away and don't save it for something special.  They DO expire. 

[MissingSquish]

My money saving tip is that I get dog food delivered monthly via Amazon. It's much cheaper than petco, and I don't need to lug the huge bag home once a month.

[Guest Questions]

I'm "frugal" too, unless we're charging by the letter.. In that case call me "cheap" lol

 

I find I can save money by shopping for items online & doing price comparisons before heading out.

 

After searching online & deciding on the item I want,  I check all my local stores & any other available resources for the best price. (Googling the product# usually returns a lot of hits).

Often, the item I want is out of stock in stores but available online for much less even after factoring in shipping costs.

 

Some stores offer a discount on items if you order them online via credit card & use their free ship-to-store option. You order & pay up front, then they notify you via email when the item arrives to be picked up.

 

When I order products online, I always look for a promo code box on the order screen & if there is one I'll hunt down the code it & enter it for additional savings.

 

eg: I just ordered a 6 pack of Advantage II flea treatment from 1800PetMeds.

The price was $58.48. A 10% discount promo code I found brought the price down to $52.63. The site was offering free shipping on orders over $49 so I ordered the larger quantity to qualify (I need this product monthly anyway).

I would've paid around $52 for a 4 pack at my local Petco or Petsmart.

By ordering online I got another 1 month's supply for my 2 cats & saved on gas.

I also just ordered a printer ink combo pack online from Concord Supplies.

The price was $29.97 + $6.99 shipping. I found a 10% promo code which brought the price down to $33.96 but even without that it was a substantial savings over in-store prices of $70+ & will be delivered so again I saved on gas.

 

I know some people are wary of making online purchases via credit cards.

The product websites I use all offer package tracking & list a customer support#.

I use a credit card with a low credit limit for these transactions & regularly monitor charges to it online via my banking website.

If there are any suspicious charges my bank either notifies me or I them (& no, I don't pay extra for a protection plan) & they immediately remove the charge & issue me a new card within 7-10 days (It's only happened to me once in 20+ yrs).

 

I'm kind of lazy & hate driving around to stores searching for things.

Online research/shopping spares me time & trouble + gas & $$.

 

(((hugs to all)))

 

 

 

[serpico]

I have to say, too:  if someone gives you one of those gift Visa cards: use it right away and don't save it for something special.  They DO expire.

 

Sort of, but not if you ask for a new one... https://mygift.giftcardmall.com/FAQ#faq_8

[Nuggets]

Vinegar, Household Ammonia, Baking Soda and Coarse Salt....

 

Just about anything I need to clean can be done with one of these ingredients - anything I have bought usually has one of these items listed in the first 5 ingredients.

 

 

[Guest nonesuch]

I have found nothing cuts grease like ammonia, and I use it on clothes a lot, rather than bleach.  I bleach occasionally, but it really does a number on clothes.

[gracelet]

My biggest outgoings are household utilities. It's easy to do a price comparison between suppliers online - there are websites that compare the whole market impartially. By knowing my consumption levels of electricity and plugging them into the calculator, I've saved approx ?120 per year. Took ten minutes to switch over.

 

For tv, just cancel it. You can watch stuff on catch up online. Use Netflix as a treat but share the subscription with two other people so you spread the cost.

 

Vinegar:

Agree on the vinegar point! It's good for de scaling the kettle too - just rinse properly after! You can also soak your shower head in vinegar for an hour or so to get all the gunk out and sterilise it.

 

Soda crystals:

For unblocking sink drains or just giving them a freshen up, use soda crystals instead of expensive unblocker. Soda crystals also work for getting rid of stubborn sweat smells in laundry (use to compliment laundry detergent) but do be careful if you have sensitive skin.

 

Coconut oil:

This works for everything! Buy it from an Asian supermarket or online to get the best price. You want the 100% stuff. Use for baking, as body moisturiser, to de-redden acne, put a small dollop in your hands and run through wet hair before drying to use as a smoothing treatment instead of things like Argan oil.

 

Hope these prove useful for people!

[patriciad]

I start with a credit card that gives me $ back for my purchases. I make sure that the balance is paid off monthly(I actually pay it on a weekly basis so I don't get slammed at the end of th month with a huge bill).

I try to food shop by studying the circular before heading out.  With a list in hand, I buy "specials" and stock up when the items I use are on sale.  Usually items come up about every 6 weeks so if I shop right I am never paying full price for cereal , coffee or toilet paper.  You need a bit of room for this stuff but it is definitely worth it.

We don't throw out any food.  If we have a chicken roast on Sunday and there are leftovers, there will be chicken salad sandwiches or a chicken and rice dish for leftovers.  If there isn't enough for everyone, we just take all of the leftovers out and have "Must-goes"-Everything in the fridge "Must go".  It is a night's dinner and didn't cost a dime.

I air dry clothing outside in the nice weather. If it has to be hung up, it dries so much more quickly in the fresh air than in the basement laundry room.

I do a Target run every 3 or 4 months for toiletries.  Shampoo, toothpaste, skin care etc.  Much cheaper than drug store shopping.  Family Dollar type stores often have good buys on this stuff too.

I am also of the mindset that vinegar cleans everything.  Much less toxic too.  I bought a 12 pack of microfiber rags and use it on everything.  Save a load on paper towels too.

 

I love reading this thread.  I am truly a frugal person at heart.

 

pat

[swilson]

DW used coffee filters in place of paper towels to clean when she could. Also used them to strain and reuse oil from the fryer and cover a bowl of food before warming in the microwave. Never did the math but it probably saved a little money.

[IfIonlycould]

Like Patricia I am a huge fan of the micro fiber cloths...the good ones...expensive at first but worth every penny and saves alot in the long run.  Make sure you get the glass polishers too.  Use a nappy microfiber dampened to wipe glass or mirrors and follow with a dry glass polishing cloth...saves on paper towels and windex and is chemical free!  Also I love my steam mop...never have to buy any floor cleaners...just let the hot steam clean the wood floors perfectly.  Since I remodel the homes I move into I am a big time craigslister and find extremely high quality furniture and appliances at a fraction of the price,  you just have to be willing to travel a little and have the vehicles to pick stuff up.  My professional series gas range sells for 3,000.00 and we got it for 650.00 (and could not believe it when we went to pick it up the folks had maintained it to perfection it looked brand new!), I moved it with me from the last house and it has been going strong for 5 years now.  The fridge is a stainless french door with freezer on bottom that sells for 2,000.00 and we picked up for 800.00, again looked showroom new.  Craigslist has allowed me to "afford" the stuff I really want in my home while still living in a budget!

[swilson]

Taco Seasoning. I like this because you can save money and tweak the amounts if you want to amp up the heat. -  1/2 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup onion powder, 1/8 cup ground cumin, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. paprika, 1 Tbsp. sea salt. Combine everything in a jar and shake.

[serpico]

If you haven't refinanced already, bought a house recently, or are close to paying yours off, consider refinancing your mortgage. Rates are still historically very low, and depending on your balance and the level of closing costs, you can save a lot of money even by trimming a half a point or so off your current rate.

[Justin]

I have found nothing cuts grease like ammonia, and I use it on clothes a lot, rather than bleach.  I bleach occasionally, but it really does a number on clothes.

 

I have a number of old dark T-shirts that started getting anti-perspirant buildup and I was ready to put them in the rag pile. I did a little research, and found that this is caused by the waxes present not being dissolved by the cooler water that most darks are washed it. So I found a few suggestions and currently use this method:

 

Turn the shirt inside-out in a Ziploc bag. Pour ammonia directly on the armpit area, seal the bag, and leave overnight. The next morning, heat some water and pour into the bag (be careful of the fumes rushing out - they will be strong), and let it sit for a couple of minutes in a sink. Remove the shirt and wash normally. YMMV, but I have not had any noticeable fading or color shift of the fabric.

[Guest Questions]

I'm going to try this ammonia treatment on some shirts I have with the same problem..

 

Thanks for the tip!

[Nuggets]

I have found nothing cuts grease like ammonia, and I use it on clothes a lot, rather than bleach.  I bleach occasionally, but it really does a number on clothes.

 

I freakin' love the stuff -- my kids make gross choking noises because of the smell, but I notice they both have some in their cleaning supplies

 

I got a tip many years ago to use Lestoil on greasy laundry stains --- and know for a fact it works fabulous.  I have also dumped half a cup of household ammonia into musty laundry (towels and socks!)

 

In Costa Rica I can only buy industrial ammonia -- whooo - ee!  about a tablespoon in a 10 liter bucket is all I need, and a 3 liter jug lasts several years.

 

I bleach whites sometimes and then only things like tea towels, sheets, etc --- I have seen more wrecked clothes because of bleach than I care to mention.

[Guest Questions]

It's heatin' up here in central Calif. 

I've got central A/C but am cheap & hate to run it. I'd rather just cool the room I'm in.

Still there are times when ceiling/table fans aren't adequate. Portable evaporative coolers (swamp coolers) work good in arid climates but are inefficient when it's humid.

 

These are all the rage over here..

REDNECK AIR CONDITIONER:

 

Portable, easy & inexpensive to make & run.

All you need is a styrofoam ice chest, a small fan, some PVC elbow pipe, frozen ice packs or similar & access to a wall outlet.

The only energy required is the electricity to run the fan.

 

I'll definately be making one of these soon because it's supposed to be 98f by Friday & my idea of strapping ice-cube trays to an oscilating fan failed for some reason  :

 

(((hugs to all)))

[MrsDan]

Here's one that Dan taught me. Every few months, call your cable company and renegotiate your bill. They have specials going on all the time, and sometimes they'll even throw in some premium channels for a few months as well. I've been bad about keeping this up, but am working on it now.

[Guest nonesuch]

In our neck of the woods, the grocery stores have been hit by hackers, potentially putting your credit card/debit card at risk.  You could carry cash, but I'd rather not.  What one acquaintance does is this:  uses cash to buy himself a gift card to the grocery store.  I guess this could work for budgeting as well, but looking at the cash left in the grocery envelop probably has a greater psychological effect.

[mmg19]

I've been on the cash/envelope method and I love it.  Mainly it is used for grocery envelope/ gas/miscellaneous.  Grocery spending has been down for months with money remaining going into the Christmas fund account.  I don't know what it is but when you use cash rather than a card I think twice before making an unnecessary purchase.

 

 

[lcoxwell]

If you like the envelope system and are tech savvy, you can always try the Mvelopes app on your smart phone or tablet. It seems to be the best app I have found for budgeting, though there are others out there, and it is based on the envelope idea. Once I set it up, I found that it only takes less than five minutes of my time, every few days, to manage and track where my money is going and exactly how much money I have to spend.

[DonnaP]

I love this thread. I need to start being more responsible with money. I tend to overspend and charge things, then kick myself when the bill comes at the end of the month. I like the mvelopes app idea. Is it a free app?

 

Donna

[hachi]

In Costa Rica I can only buy industrial ammonia -- whooo - ee!  about a tablespoon in a 10 liter bucket is all I need, and a 3 liter jug lasts several years.

 

Nuggets, are you still in Costa Rica? I know you said you liked it "so damn much I might move here"  Did you? You really are my hero...

[gretchen437]

I love this thread   One of my tips is find the clearance section of your local grocer. Grocers often fill it with discontinued or overstocked products. You will notice cycling of clearances. Health food products often go into the clearance section a couple months after the new year (when everyone has given up on their diets).  Coffee and tea often are put on clearance during early summer/late spring. Always check the expiration dates though in case it is close to its end.