AZ Prepper
12-01-2009, 10:23 AM
Money Saving Tips
The following information is intended to give you ideas of places you might save money. Some of these ideas are very good, some of them a little extreme. But hopefully they will bring to your attention some things that might allow you to become more thrift and wise. Use at your own risk.
Buy in Bulk: If you have stocked up on a particular item, you probably won't find yourself running to the store to purchase an item at full price. Instead, when you are running low, keep an eye out for that item to go on sale and purchase enough at the low price to last a while. Buy items like soap, toilet paper, etc. at warehouse stores like Costco or Sam's Club and save. You can use small soap dispensers and keep filling them up with the oversized bottles' contents. You can also vacuum pack bulk foods with a Food Saver and freeze them. Also try the generic or store brand items instead of the brand name items. Compare price-per-ounce prices.
Laundry: Use a clothesline instead of dryer. This could make a HUGE difference in your bill and your clothes usually have less wrinkles too! Wait until you have a full load to wash clothes. Dryer sheet can sometimes be used 3 or 4 times before they are no longer effective. Also use your own measuring cup. The manufacturers' keep getting bigger and bigger although the required amounts stay the same. Don't be afraid to use bath towels more than once!
Plan Ahead for Errands: Instead of driving all over town for various errands, plan ahead and make stops when you are already going to be in that particular area of town (on the way home from work, etc). This will end up saving you a great deal in gas.
Shop at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Deseret Industries, Thrift Shops & Yard Sales: There are many items that don't need to be of the highest quality and brand new. Shop for these at highly discounted prices at these locations.
Buy Online: Many stores allow you to purchase their products online and even eliminate shipping costs, resulting in big savings.
Meals: Plan your meals around seasonal items. Produce that is in season is much cheaper than when it's not. And plan ahead to take your meals with you to work. This can save a fortune over the year.
Read: Disconnect your cable/satellite television an read a good book, go for a walk or other fun activities. Encourage your children to do the same.
Libraries: Go to the local libraries and check out your books instead of purchasing them. You can also rent movies from many libraries for free. Read magazines at the library instead of buying them.
Haircuts: Learn to cut your children and spouse's hair. This will save a bundle! And maybe you can make a couple extra dollars cutting the neighbors' kids hair as well!
Groceries: Make a grocery list and STICK TO IT! If you don't do this, you could end up coming home with twice as much as you intended to purchase. You could take this one step further and take just enough cash to purchase what you need. Then you won't overspend. Also, eat before you go to the grocery store. This will keep you from buying unnecessary food just because it sounds good at that time.
Rebates: Make sure you send in your rebates. Most people forget to send in the rebates and are literally throwing away money!
Phone: Get rid of long distance on your home phone and purchase discounted phone cards. Today, many people have cell phones that have free long distance as well. You may also want to combine your cable, internet and phone service for a possible rate reduction and simplicity of billing (check first, it may cost more).
Internet: Cut back on your internet speed for a less inexpensive fee. If you just causally surf the internet, you probably don't need the fastest. However, if you use the internet for work, speed may mean money.
Dishwashers: Wait until you have a full dishwasher before you run a cycle. Or better yet, do them by hand! Some people say that a tablespoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of salt in your dishwasher works in place of detergent.
Leftovers: Make a meal with leftovers. Just add a vegetable or something to make a new complete meal, eliminating waste.
Dish Soap: Mix with half dish soap and half water. You probably won't notice a difference and you'll use less.
Hand Soap: Find the liquid soap dispensers that create foam. Then fill the dispenser with 1/4 liquid soap and 3/4 water. It still creates plenty of soap to wash your hands with.
Freezers: Put frozen gallon water jugs in the empty spaces and the freezer will stay cold with less energy.
Cooking: Use the oven to cook more often in the winter to help warm the home and BBQ outside in the summer, to keep the house cooler.
Spray Items: Purchase spray bottles for things like Spray and Wash. Change your setting on the sprayer to mist and your Spray and Wash will last much, much longer. The manufacturers desire their product bottles to use much more than necessary. Then use the bottle over and over again.
Grocery Bags: Save your plastic grocery bags for various uses, including bathroom garbage bags (small wastebaskets). Paper grocery bags can be used to wrap packages for shipping.
Pay Annual Fees: You can usually get discounts on subscriptions/insurance if you pay for it annually or semi-annually.
Insurance: Increase your deductible on your insurance and put money away in a savings account to cover this cost. This will save you money on a monthly basis and if you never need it, you have cash.
Lights: Replace light bulbs with the fluorescent screw in light bulbs. They cost more but use less energy and last a very long time. They use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. (They don't work with dimmer switches).
Barter: If you make a particular thing or have a particular talent, trade with someone else. For example, if you teach piano lessons, trade for a babysitter. Or if you cut hair, trade for something someone else has. Be creative.
Old Clothes: If you have old clothing that is too nasty for donation, cut them up and use them for rags. Use an old pair of pants for a dirty clothes hamper by making a drawstring at the bottom of each leg. Hang them on a hanger and tell the kids whites go in one side and colors in the other. To empty, just untie the drawstring. An old child's sleeper makes a good place to store plastic grocery bags. Just cut out one foot and stuff them in and take them out one at a time through the hole. Plant flowers and herbs in old boots.
Credit Cards: Don't carry a balance on a credit card. If you pay if off in full every month, usually there are no service charges. And if you use a credit card that gets paid off every month, choose one that gives cash back or another reward. You may also want to ask for a reduction in interest rates for those that you are currently trying to get paid off.
Loans: Call your lender and ask for an interest rate reduction on your Home Equity loans. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't, but no harm in trying. It could result in substantial savings.
Pay On-Time: Avoid unnecessary late fees by paying your bills on-time. Get yourself organized.
Cars: Buy your cars used and shop around for the best deal. Then, drive it for a long time. Even if you purchase it brand new, drive it for many years and you will save a lot of money. Most money is lost when a car is only kept for a year or so and then sold and another one is purchased.
Tires: Buy your tires from a wholesaler like Costco or Sam's Club and keep them properly inflated.
Gas: Keep your car's gas tank full and you'll get better gas mileage. Never let it get below half full. And fill up your tank in the morning, when it is cool and the gas hasn't expanded as much. Let the nozzle finish dripping before you put it back on the latch. Keep you tires properly inflated. For every pound of under-inflation, you can lose up to 6% in gas mileage. Keep your car properly maintained. Poorly tuned vehicles can use up to 25% more gas. Avoid rush hour if possible (stop and go wastes gas). Drive reasonably (don't race off the line, speed, etc). It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive 70 miles per hour than 50 miles per hour. Roll up windows on highway to eliminate drag and use the air conditioning instead, which uses less gas. Avoid idling when possible, which wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.
Carpool: Plan ahead an run errands or go to work/school with others. Not only is this cheaper, but more enjoyable.
Air Conditioning: When you need to replace your air conditioning unit, replace it with a high efficiency unit. It will end up saving you a great amount in the long term.
Insulation: Check your insulation in the attic and make sure you have a sufficient amount. If you need to add some, it will usually pay for itself within one or two years.
Appliances: Buy energy efficient appliances with the Energy Star symbol. They may cost a little more to purchase, but they will save you money over the life of the appliance (as much as 50%).
Clothes Dryer: Check the lint trap after every load. This will make it more efficient and save you money (and because the lint build-up is the 2nd cause of house fires, could save you much more than money).
Programable Thermostats: A programable thermostat will allow you to control the temperature in your home more efficiently. If nobody is going to be home all day, you may want to let it get hotter/cooler by a few degrees until just before people come home. Or during the night, having the comfortable temperature kick in a little before getting out of bed. Just don't turn it off completely during the day because the cost to cool a home that is extremely hot may eliminate any savings you may have had. However, changing it by a few degrees when possible will save a great deal in energy costs.
Vacations: Go camping for vacation. It can be very inexpensive when compared to hotels and places like Disneyland. And not only is it cheaper, it can be very good for your family. Make an adventure out of it and practice some survival skills.
Medications: Instead of purchasing brand name over-the-counter medications, try out the generic or store brand. Shop around as well. It has been published that Costco sells generic prescription medications for a fraction of the cost of many pharmacies. Shop and compare for yourself.
Health: Get healthy. This will not only increase your productivity, but decrease your medications, insurance costs and allow you to enjoy your life a little more. You may even want to cancel your health membership if you do not go at least twice a week. Instead, get out and run at a park, school track, etc. or find some simple equipment at a garage sale (if you commit to using it).
Movies: Go out a little earlier and see a matinee before dinner and get the cheaper price. And instead of purchasing DVDs, you can sometimes go to the library and check out movies for free. You can also rent movies for as little as $1 now at many places (Red Box).
Cleaning: Instead of the expensive shower cleaners, try a generic liquid automatic dishwasher soap. Try out generic unscented baby oil in place of wood furniture oil. Try out about two tablespoons of shampoo for delicate fabric cleaner. It safely removes oils and dirt from delicate clothes. You can buy large bottles of generic baby shampoo for this and it works great for animals as well.
Toothpaste: Some people swear by using baking soda instead of toothpaste. If you use toothpaste, just use a tiny bit. It doesn't take nearly as much as most people use. Turn the water off while you're brushing.
Deodorant: Some people swear by using rubbing alcohol instead of deodorant. Rubbing alcohol kills bacteria, which causes the odor.
Hot Water Heater: Turn down the hot water heater a little bit. Just a few degrees makes a big difference. You may also consider wrapping it with appropriate insulation. Or invest in a heat-on-demand system. There is a cost involved, but the long-term savings are significant. Or convert to a gas water heater, which is more efficient than an electric one.
Non-Stick Spray: Instead of buying PAM, buy a small pump spray bottle and spray olive oil or cooking oil on your pans.
Meat Extender: Use 1/2 lb hamburger and 1 cup oatmeal when making meat loaf. It makes the meat go much further and tastes great!
Bread: Bake your own bread. You not only save a ton but it tastes great!
Soda: If your soda goes flat, don't throw it out. Instead, mix it half and half with fresh soda and it'll be like new.
Bug Spray: An inexpensive and effective alternative is to mix the following in a spray bottle: 3/4 water, 3 Tablespoons cooking oil (any kind), 3 Teaspoons liquid dish detergent, 2 Tablespoons Tabasco Sauce. Gently mix back and forth. To remove aphids, use the same ingredients without the Tabasco Sauce. For ants, put Comet at the location where they are coming in. They won't cross it. For ant hills, boil water and slowly pour into ant hill. Or just sprinkle some uncooked grits around the top. They take it back to the queen and it supposedly kills her. For mosquitos, buy some "Ice Cold Analgesic Gel" and add three heaping tablespoons into a spray bottle with water. Shake and spray.
Planters: Use larger planters for herbs and plants. They require less water because they don't dry out as fast.
Newspapers: There are thousands of uses for newspapers (not the ink-based ads and comics). Some are... Filler for compost, kills grass when laid out flat and works well as a weed barrier, worms love it in gardens, cleans windows well with a little vinegar and water, etc.
Christmas Supplies: Buy your ribbons, wrapping paper, ornaments, etc for the following year as soon as Christmas passes. Most things are sold at 50-75% off. This is also true for other holidays.
Windows: If you have windows that you never use or rarely use, especially if they are low quality, put foam or the reflective bubble wrap, taped with foil tape on the inside. This works great in summer and winter.
1 Dollar Bills: Save loose dollar bills and put them in an envelope for "Home Cash Stash" and emergencies. When you get too many, trade them in for larger bills. Do this with your spare change as well. It adds up quickly.
Shopping: Retail stores usually follow the following sale schedule:
January - linens, fabrics, sporting equipment, coats and house wares
February - coats and winter wear, furniture and furnishings
March & April - automotive equipment, barbecues, winter clothes, clearances
May & June - major appliances, storm windows and screens
July - summer clothing and sportswear
August - garden furniture, household linens, sportswear, back to school items
September - back to school supplies, current year's cars
October - toys, Christmas gifts, appliances
November - coats and Christmas gifts
December (post Christmas) - clothing, Christmas cards and decorations
The following information is intended to give you ideas of places you might save money. Some of these ideas are very good, some of them a little extreme. But hopefully they will bring to your attention some things that might allow you to become more thrift and wise. Use at your own risk.
Buy in Bulk: If you have stocked up on a particular item, you probably won't find yourself running to the store to purchase an item at full price. Instead, when you are running low, keep an eye out for that item to go on sale and purchase enough at the low price to last a while. Buy items like soap, toilet paper, etc. at warehouse stores like Costco or Sam's Club and save. You can use small soap dispensers and keep filling them up with the oversized bottles' contents. You can also vacuum pack bulk foods with a Food Saver and freeze them. Also try the generic or store brand items instead of the brand name items. Compare price-per-ounce prices.
Laundry: Use a clothesline instead of dryer. This could make a HUGE difference in your bill and your clothes usually have less wrinkles too! Wait until you have a full load to wash clothes. Dryer sheet can sometimes be used 3 or 4 times before they are no longer effective. Also use your own measuring cup. The manufacturers' keep getting bigger and bigger although the required amounts stay the same. Don't be afraid to use bath towels more than once!
Plan Ahead for Errands: Instead of driving all over town for various errands, plan ahead and make stops when you are already going to be in that particular area of town (on the way home from work, etc). This will end up saving you a great deal in gas.
Shop at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Deseret Industries, Thrift Shops & Yard Sales: There are many items that don't need to be of the highest quality and brand new. Shop for these at highly discounted prices at these locations.
Buy Online: Many stores allow you to purchase their products online and even eliminate shipping costs, resulting in big savings.
Meals: Plan your meals around seasonal items. Produce that is in season is much cheaper than when it's not. And plan ahead to take your meals with you to work. This can save a fortune over the year.
Read: Disconnect your cable/satellite television an read a good book, go for a walk or other fun activities. Encourage your children to do the same.
Libraries: Go to the local libraries and check out your books instead of purchasing them. You can also rent movies from many libraries for free. Read magazines at the library instead of buying them.
Haircuts: Learn to cut your children and spouse's hair. This will save a bundle! And maybe you can make a couple extra dollars cutting the neighbors' kids hair as well!
Groceries: Make a grocery list and STICK TO IT! If you don't do this, you could end up coming home with twice as much as you intended to purchase. You could take this one step further and take just enough cash to purchase what you need. Then you won't overspend. Also, eat before you go to the grocery store. This will keep you from buying unnecessary food just because it sounds good at that time.
Rebates: Make sure you send in your rebates. Most people forget to send in the rebates and are literally throwing away money!
Phone: Get rid of long distance on your home phone and purchase discounted phone cards. Today, many people have cell phones that have free long distance as well. You may also want to combine your cable, internet and phone service for a possible rate reduction and simplicity of billing (check first, it may cost more).
Internet: Cut back on your internet speed for a less inexpensive fee. If you just causally surf the internet, you probably don't need the fastest. However, if you use the internet for work, speed may mean money.
Dishwashers: Wait until you have a full dishwasher before you run a cycle. Or better yet, do them by hand! Some people say that a tablespoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of salt in your dishwasher works in place of detergent.
Leftovers: Make a meal with leftovers. Just add a vegetable or something to make a new complete meal, eliminating waste.
Dish Soap: Mix with half dish soap and half water. You probably won't notice a difference and you'll use less.
Hand Soap: Find the liquid soap dispensers that create foam. Then fill the dispenser with 1/4 liquid soap and 3/4 water. It still creates plenty of soap to wash your hands with.
Freezers: Put frozen gallon water jugs in the empty spaces and the freezer will stay cold with less energy.
Cooking: Use the oven to cook more often in the winter to help warm the home and BBQ outside in the summer, to keep the house cooler.
Spray Items: Purchase spray bottles for things like Spray and Wash. Change your setting on the sprayer to mist and your Spray and Wash will last much, much longer. The manufacturers desire their product bottles to use much more than necessary. Then use the bottle over and over again.
Grocery Bags: Save your plastic grocery bags for various uses, including bathroom garbage bags (small wastebaskets). Paper grocery bags can be used to wrap packages for shipping.
Pay Annual Fees: You can usually get discounts on subscriptions/insurance if you pay for it annually or semi-annually.
Insurance: Increase your deductible on your insurance and put money away in a savings account to cover this cost. This will save you money on a monthly basis and if you never need it, you have cash.
Lights: Replace light bulbs with the fluorescent screw in light bulbs. They cost more but use less energy and last a very long time. They use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. (They don't work with dimmer switches).
Barter: If you make a particular thing or have a particular talent, trade with someone else. For example, if you teach piano lessons, trade for a babysitter. Or if you cut hair, trade for something someone else has. Be creative.
Old Clothes: If you have old clothing that is too nasty for donation, cut them up and use them for rags. Use an old pair of pants for a dirty clothes hamper by making a drawstring at the bottom of each leg. Hang them on a hanger and tell the kids whites go in one side and colors in the other. To empty, just untie the drawstring. An old child's sleeper makes a good place to store plastic grocery bags. Just cut out one foot and stuff them in and take them out one at a time through the hole. Plant flowers and herbs in old boots.
Credit Cards: Don't carry a balance on a credit card. If you pay if off in full every month, usually there are no service charges. And if you use a credit card that gets paid off every month, choose one that gives cash back or another reward. You may also want to ask for a reduction in interest rates for those that you are currently trying to get paid off.
Loans: Call your lender and ask for an interest rate reduction on your Home Equity loans. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won't, but no harm in trying. It could result in substantial savings.
Pay On-Time: Avoid unnecessary late fees by paying your bills on-time. Get yourself organized.
Cars: Buy your cars used and shop around for the best deal. Then, drive it for a long time. Even if you purchase it brand new, drive it for many years and you will save a lot of money. Most money is lost when a car is only kept for a year or so and then sold and another one is purchased.
Tires: Buy your tires from a wholesaler like Costco or Sam's Club and keep them properly inflated.
Gas: Keep your car's gas tank full and you'll get better gas mileage. Never let it get below half full. And fill up your tank in the morning, when it is cool and the gas hasn't expanded as much. Let the nozzle finish dripping before you put it back on the latch. Keep you tires properly inflated. For every pound of under-inflation, you can lose up to 6% in gas mileage. Keep your car properly maintained. Poorly tuned vehicles can use up to 25% more gas. Avoid rush hour if possible (stop and go wastes gas). Drive reasonably (don't race off the line, speed, etc). It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive 70 miles per hour than 50 miles per hour. Roll up windows on highway to eliminate drag and use the air conditioning instead, which uses less gas. Avoid idling when possible, which wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes.
Carpool: Plan ahead an run errands or go to work/school with others. Not only is this cheaper, but more enjoyable.
Air Conditioning: When you need to replace your air conditioning unit, replace it with a high efficiency unit. It will end up saving you a great amount in the long term.
Insulation: Check your insulation in the attic and make sure you have a sufficient amount. If you need to add some, it will usually pay for itself within one or two years.
Appliances: Buy energy efficient appliances with the Energy Star symbol. They may cost a little more to purchase, but they will save you money over the life of the appliance (as much as 50%).
Clothes Dryer: Check the lint trap after every load. This will make it more efficient and save you money (and because the lint build-up is the 2nd cause of house fires, could save you much more than money).
Programable Thermostats: A programable thermostat will allow you to control the temperature in your home more efficiently. If nobody is going to be home all day, you may want to let it get hotter/cooler by a few degrees until just before people come home. Or during the night, having the comfortable temperature kick in a little before getting out of bed. Just don't turn it off completely during the day because the cost to cool a home that is extremely hot may eliminate any savings you may have had. However, changing it by a few degrees when possible will save a great deal in energy costs.
Vacations: Go camping for vacation. It can be very inexpensive when compared to hotels and places like Disneyland. And not only is it cheaper, it can be very good for your family. Make an adventure out of it and practice some survival skills.
Medications: Instead of purchasing brand name over-the-counter medications, try out the generic or store brand. Shop around as well. It has been published that Costco sells generic prescription medications for a fraction of the cost of many pharmacies. Shop and compare for yourself.
Health: Get healthy. This will not only increase your productivity, but decrease your medications, insurance costs and allow you to enjoy your life a little more. You may even want to cancel your health membership if you do not go at least twice a week. Instead, get out and run at a park, school track, etc. or find some simple equipment at a garage sale (if you commit to using it).
Movies: Go out a little earlier and see a matinee before dinner and get the cheaper price. And instead of purchasing DVDs, you can sometimes go to the library and check out movies for free. You can also rent movies for as little as $1 now at many places (Red Box).
Cleaning: Instead of the expensive shower cleaners, try a generic liquid automatic dishwasher soap. Try out generic unscented baby oil in place of wood furniture oil. Try out about two tablespoons of shampoo for delicate fabric cleaner. It safely removes oils and dirt from delicate clothes. You can buy large bottles of generic baby shampoo for this and it works great for animals as well.
Toothpaste: Some people swear by using baking soda instead of toothpaste. If you use toothpaste, just use a tiny bit. It doesn't take nearly as much as most people use. Turn the water off while you're brushing.
Deodorant: Some people swear by using rubbing alcohol instead of deodorant. Rubbing alcohol kills bacteria, which causes the odor.
Hot Water Heater: Turn down the hot water heater a little bit. Just a few degrees makes a big difference. You may also consider wrapping it with appropriate insulation. Or invest in a heat-on-demand system. There is a cost involved, but the long-term savings are significant. Or convert to a gas water heater, which is more efficient than an electric one.
Non-Stick Spray: Instead of buying PAM, buy a small pump spray bottle and spray olive oil or cooking oil on your pans.
Meat Extender: Use 1/2 lb hamburger and 1 cup oatmeal when making meat loaf. It makes the meat go much further and tastes great!
Bread: Bake your own bread. You not only save a ton but it tastes great!
Soda: If your soda goes flat, don't throw it out. Instead, mix it half and half with fresh soda and it'll be like new.
Bug Spray: An inexpensive and effective alternative is to mix the following in a spray bottle: 3/4 water, 3 Tablespoons cooking oil (any kind), 3 Teaspoons liquid dish detergent, 2 Tablespoons Tabasco Sauce. Gently mix back and forth. To remove aphids, use the same ingredients without the Tabasco Sauce. For ants, put Comet at the location where they are coming in. They won't cross it. For ant hills, boil water and slowly pour into ant hill. Or just sprinkle some uncooked grits around the top. They take it back to the queen and it supposedly kills her. For mosquitos, buy some "Ice Cold Analgesic Gel" and add three heaping tablespoons into a spray bottle with water. Shake and spray.
Planters: Use larger planters for herbs and plants. They require less water because they don't dry out as fast.
Newspapers: There are thousands of uses for newspapers (not the ink-based ads and comics). Some are... Filler for compost, kills grass when laid out flat and works well as a weed barrier, worms love it in gardens, cleans windows well with a little vinegar and water, etc.
Christmas Supplies: Buy your ribbons, wrapping paper, ornaments, etc for the following year as soon as Christmas passes. Most things are sold at 50-75% off. This is also true for other holidays.
Windows: If you have windows that you never use or rarely use, especially if they are low quality, put foam or the reflective bubble wrap, taped with foil tape on the inside. This works great in summer and winter.
1 Dollar Bills: Save loose dollar bills and put them in an envelope for "Home Cash Stash" and emergencies. When you get too many, trade them in for larger bills. Do this with your spare change as well. It adds up quickly.
Shopping: Retail stores usually follow the following sale schedule:
January - linens, fabrics, sporting equipment, coats and house wares
February - coats and winter wear, furniture and furnishings
March & April - automotive equipment, barbecues, winter clothes, clearances
May & June - major appliances, storm windows and screens
July - summer clothing and sportswear
August - garden furniture, household linens, sportswear, back to school items
September - back to school supplies, current year's cars
October - toys, Christmas gifts, appliances
November - coats and Christmas gifts
December (post Christmas) - clothing, Christmas cards and decorations