Savings, coupons, and pinching pennies until they become absorbed by your skin.

[Donomni]

I've ended up reading this Reader's Digest book in the library yesterday about saving money(Sadly, the thread title is not the name of the book), and while I can't check the book out, I did manage to remember a couple of websites that I'll investigate in a bit and see if they really aren't as scamtacular as the book had said they would be.

I ask of you all, however: how do you save money? Any tips or things that actually work?

For myself, I've recently started using some buy-one-get-one coupons, and splitting the bill with whoever I go out with, along with all those monthly restaurant ad things, like the gigantic Arby's ad that's nothing but coupons we get.

After some investimagating: Here's what I've found about those couple of sites I mentioned.

Valpak is meh. They do have coupons, but most of them aren't really that good, although this is mostly because it's not really dealing with food, eating out, or plain old nerdy things. They seem to have a lot of auto shop deals, though. :/

Spoofee, on the other hand, beats Valpak like a tenderized steak and eats it for breakfast, because it's a fucking parrot pirate. It's got constant, daily updates that are easy to see, and several of these things are completely insane. The 80% off deal was able to make $50 in gift certificates cost only four dollars. A lot of the things here will likely be irrelevant, but seeing that restaurant deal made me bookmark this site.

Dear god, I sound like a PR agent. -_-

[Lady Cygnet]

I sign up with manufacturers' websites to get coupons, samples, and newsletters. I'm also a member of several programs that allow me to try out new products and/or services for free and turn in a survey. Belonging to those groups not only lands me awesome samples, but I also get coupons that provide enormous savings. In addition, I fill out surveys for legitimate companies for cash in my paypal account, scan various communities' freebie threads for useful offers, and pick up writing/editing jobs and blog for a bit of money.

Credit cards can also help save money. Our Amazon Chase card is used to buy inventory and help pay bills. When we use the card, we earn points. For every 2500 points we earn, we get a free $25 gift card. Believe me, that does help a lot, especially with a growing baby who needs diapers and Christmas coming up in a hurry!

Speaking of Christmas presents, I've been scouring ebay for good deals, too.

[Zilla]

I eat ramen, and a lot of it.

Edit for ninja: You found survey sites that aren't scams? Gimmie!

[Donomni]

Ah, yes, surveys. The one site I do have(Invite only, sadly) gives out points even if you don't meet the survey requirements, which can happen a lot.

My geeky loser self has been able to only get 100 or so points, and EBGames cards are about 300-400 points, I think. Over the few months I've been in the site. :stressed:

[bluestarultor]

Generally, I buy cheap stuff. Store brands are just as good as name brands and are a whole lot cheaper. In fact, if you have a Roundy's store around (Rainbow, Copps, Pick 'n Save), you'll find their Roundy's brand stuff is sometimes actually BETTER than name brand items. Roundy's sour cream is an example of this. It's a bit thicker before you agitate it, but it has a good flavor and doesn't have the powdery quality of some other brands.

Also, always buy meat on sale. Lots of it. You can freeze it if you have sealed bags that prevent freezer burn or a sealing machine. It'll last you a long time. The deal comes in because meat is expensive, but it's a staple of our diet (for most people, anyway). If you see it cheap, snap it up, freeze it, and you're golden.

That said, a GREAT way to save cash is to cook. Or at least to make your own stuff. If you like McDonald's iced coffee, just grab instant coffee and your liquid creamer of choice, throw into a glass with cold water to taste, add a few ice cubes, and there you have it. It'll pay for itself in, like, four drinks. And it's not doing anything drastically different from what they're doing behind the counter.

Also, part of cooking is the spices. If you grow your own spice plants, you not only have it fresh; you also don't have to worry about it losing its flavor over time or running out, so long as you're reasonable with them. There are very few spices you actually need:
- Cinnamon for desserts
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Onion
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Basil
- Sage

If you have those, you have the makings of nearly all the world's cooking. And don't buy them in bulk. They do have a shelf life, and you don't want to end up losing the flavor over time.


Another thing to keep in mind is to save your fat drippings. You can use them later. Biscuits and gravy use a gravy made from sausage fat, some flour, and some milk (more or less, since that's a standard white sauce). Any white sauce follows the basic formula of fat, flour, and scalded milk. Add cheese, you have Alfredo. Add meat juice, you have meat gravy.

Also, it doesn't hurt to have bouillon around for a quick stock or to improve the flavor of homemade soups and such. 1 cube = 1 cup juice. And the cubes have a longer shelf life.




Also, for new/future parents, making your own baby food is more labor intensive, but much cheaper. It's really not that hard to make apple sauce, or pear sauce, or anything else. It just takes a bit of prep time. All you need is a knife to cut away the skins and seeds and a blender. Same goes for veggies. Also, breast feeding is totally free. You just need to find a spot to do it. It's not like the milk is going anywhere else, right?




Edit: Oh, and as for saving money itself, keep a change jar. Pay for everything in bills, then take all the change you've collected at the end of the day and dump it into a big jar. At the end of the week, take it in to the bank and deposit it into a savings account with a good growth rate. One you're not constantly going to be dipping into, so it doesn't just come right back out. This on top of your regular savings amount will eventually net you a lot.

[pochercoaster]

Well, I just got myself an apartment the other day and I'm starting from scratch with the furnishings. As I'm no stranger to thrift stores I spent most of today scouring through the four closest to me. For ~70 bucks I bought myself a sturdy, non-hideous shelf and a bazillion dishes, including some pans, mixing bowls, salt & pepper shakers, a nice, sharp set of knives, & a very nice pitcher. I also got a nice print of a Renoir painting.

Then I went to Canadian Tire and got a toaster oven, a bunch of Rubbermaid tupperware, and some winter boots for ~100. All of them are brand new, but they were on sale and they're quality products. Honestly, one of the best ways to stretch your dollar is to buy things that last- i.e. better to buy the $50 pair of winter boots that will last you for years instead of the cheap $15 ones that will fall apart in a month.

When I'm shopping I automatically scan for sale items. They're usually marked with fluorescent labels so they're not hard to find. >_> I also routinely check store flyers online- that's how I knew to go buy winter boots (they were 25% off).

Edit: I also dilute juice with water. Well, I do that mainly because I find juice itself too sweet for me, but certainly it's a way to stretch out money :P

[Nikose Tyris]

I furnished my entire apartment, for $170.

That does not include Computer, monitor, Television, Bed, or PS3.

It does include Dresser (Rescued), TV stand (Rescued), Desk, (Rescued), Couch with Matching Chair (Bought at Value Village (Thrift store)), Refridgerator(Rescued), Microwave(Rescued), Stove(Rescued), and Two Folding One-Man-Tables(Canadian Tire).

I save money by not doing typical things, like eating or buying big cable packages. I have almost no food at any point in time, because it goes to waste with me. I just don't eat enough to justify buying groceries, and when I'm hungry, I walk to the grocery store, buy EXACTLY what I'm going to eat, and eat it. (Somehow, I end up still being fat despite this.)

I also Rescue what I like from the side of the road.

No seriously this is totally viable. People throw away good shit all the time. Sometimes REALLY good shit. Just call up a friend or two to help you bring the crap you find home with you. I've gotten some damn good finds, like the desk I'm using now. It was practically brand new, and they'd just thrown it at the end of the driveway with the garbage, beside a broken fridge.

The fridge was an easy repair job too, a band on the motor had died, and appearantly my friend Lance knows enough about engines to fix this one. I honestly would have been standing on a chair all a-flutter trying to figure out how to fix the damn thing.

But a little technical know how and a prudent mind on saving money helps a lot.

Oh and don't talk on your cell phone nonstop those bills are fucking expensive.

[Lady Cygnet]

Originally Posted by Zilla

I eat ramen, and a lot of it.

Edit for ninja: You found survey sites that aren't scams? Gimmie!

http://www.harrispollonline.com/members.asp (Rewards include an optional $10000 drawing entry after each survey and HIPoints, which can be redeemed for merchandise or gift cards. About a month ago, I earned enough points to get a $35 Amazon.com gift card.)

http://www.pineconeresearch.com/ (pays cash for surveys via paypal or paper check)

I've also recently joined www.acop.com, but they haven't paid me for my first survey. Since cash prizes/payments are involved, members must be 18+. I know pinecone recently did a membership drive, especially for males, since they're short on male opinions. If anyone does join, just let them know that Rebecca (lichslair at yahoo dot com) sent you. None of them have membership drives going on at the moment, but I like the idea of letting them know that I like them enough to share my good fortune.

ETA: Freecycle is also a good resource, if you are lucky enough to respond to an offer from someone who doesn't go with the "first email in gets the stuff automatically" mentality.

[bluestarultor]

^ Better yet, just don't have a cell phone. I swear I will NEVER get one. They're expensive and make people think it's okay to call you at any hour of the day, when you might be busy, working, or occupied with stuff you actually want to do, including, but not limited to, bathing, eating, taking a good rest at the end of the day, sleeping, trying to be intimate, chatting to the SAME GODDAMN PERSON ONLINE, chatting to other people online, and talking to someone much less annoying on your land line because you had the shittiest day ever.

Also, our family hasn't had cable for years. We're paying $40 less a month and are watching the exact same stuff we were while we had it.



More things to do to save money? With gas prices, walk or ride a bike. Or take public transportation.

Turn the heat down to at least 70F, preferably 68F. It saves a cent a degree.

Don't turn on lights when there's a perfectly good sun in the sky. I swear I'll teach Phantom to do this one day. :shifty:

Buy fluorescent bulbs and LED Xmas lights. They both are low-power.

If you have an HDTV/plasma screen/LCD, unplug it when it's not in use. Things they don't tell you: it takes MORE power than a CRT screen because it never really turns off, just goes into a standby mode.

In the summer, leave the windows open while it's cool, then close them when it gets too hot and THEN turn on the A/C. Ideally, you can wait until it hits 80F. You'll benefit from fresh air and much lower cooling costs.

Turn out lights you're not using.

Put your computer into Hibernate mode when you're not using it. It saves power and doesn't take long to boot back up.

If you MUST play an MMO, there are plenty of free ones. I've seen FAR too many people on WoW who couldn't afford it.

Never take up smoking or drinking. Both are expensive and don't give you anything lasting past brain damage. You'll not only save money, but you'll be healthier.

Buy no-battery flashlights. Also, buy rechargeable batteries. They get a lot more use hours than disposables.

Buy all food in bulk. Tiny boxes use proportionally more container material, and are more expensive overall. If you have a Sam's Club, use it. Just be sure the bulk buys are all non-perishables and you're set.


Edit: Ninja'd.

[Mike McC]

Grow your own produce in your own garden.

Drink only water.

Potatoes potatoes potatoes and rice. And beans.