Frugal Tips

[Anonymous]

I open the blinds on the southern side of the house in the morning when it is cold out, and it manages to heat most of the house to the point where I barely have to turn the heating on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never buy lunch out. If you buy it five times a week, that's $50-$60 a week right there (if you go to lunch places like Chop't, Panera, Au Bon Pain, etc). Think about the absurdity of an $8.00 sandwich and how you could easily make it at home.

Eff that noise.

[Anonymous]

NP here
Do you guys do it because you have to or...why?
Because it is no life- without small luxuries like a long hot shower or a cup of coffee if you want it... And homemade manicures look pathetic for the most part, sorry...

[Anonymous]

crack not cocaine

[Anonymous]

Studies do show that spending money on experiences make people happier than spending on possessions over the long run. I think things like meals out, however, are experiences. You may also be the person who gets more happiness from the daily Starbucks than from the bigger house you are saving for. At any rate, we are fortunate that there are a lot of great free experiences in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never buy lunch out. If you buy it five times a week, that's $50-$60 a week right there (if you go to lunch places like Chop't, Panera, Au Bon Pain, etc). Think about the absurdity of an $8.00 sandwich and how you could easily make it at home.

And I hate to say it, but stay away from Starbucks. Brew at home and/or drink the free coffee at work.

True, true, true. Didn't do the math, but that's got to be at least $1k a year right there. Jesus Christ. And I like my coffee I make at home better. I mean, I will go in for a Peppermint Mocha maybe 3-4 times over the holiday season, but that's it.

I always look an the annual cost of something that may consider making a habit, even if that means eating lunch out once a week. one time $10 is fine, but just thinking about $10 x 52 weeks = $520 is enough to discourage me

[Anonymous]

I use coupons for groceries, I don't buy new clothes anymore. I am addicted to trift/ goodwill shops now) my spouse calls me a chick now, because I am always saying cheep- cheep, lol!

[Anonymous]

To the last PP - any good thrift store tips? Best ones in the area? Best days to go? We are in MD. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here
Do you guys do it because you have to or...why?
Because it is no life- without small luxuries like a long hot shower or a cup of coffee if you want it... And homemade manicures look pathetic for the most part, sorry...

i shall make sure to warn you to avert your eyes before i enter your presence with my homemade manicure. i would not want you to go blind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the last PP - any good thrift store tips? Best ones in the area? Best days to go? We are in MD. TIA!

We are in VA. I go 2 times a week. Sunday/Mondays 50% off on certain color clothes. I avoid weekends, because it is so crowded. I like this place a lot; all things are sanitized and very well organized. It is called trift village.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here
Do you guys do it because you have to or...why?
Because it is no life- without small luxuries like a long hot shower or a cup of coffee if you want it... And homemade manicures look pathetic for the most part, sorry...

i shall make sure to warn you to avert your eyes before i enter your presence with my homemade manicure. i would not want you to go blind.

Lol. Take that PP.

[Anonymous]

I have done home exchanges to reduce vacation costs. It works out quite well, especially for families.

[Anonymous]

I do a lot of the things listed here. But I also find I'll spend on something stupid once in a while which totally negates any benefit I get from being frugal. UGHH.

[Anonymous]

When I buy something I think of it as how long I would have to work to pay for it. Like...is this new $200 gadget worth the four hours I would have to spend at work to pay it off? All those little costs add up to a lot of work hours. Is that weeks worth of lunch worth the extra hours I would have to spend at work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, working from home has been the biggest money saver. I dont have to pay for transportation costs, work clothes, lunches, etc.
Other things for us have been:
-Not buying the latest electronic/gadgets. We don't have an ipad and I don't even have a personal cell phone under my name. I just use the one that my company gave me for work.
-Not buying breakfast cereals. Not a big fan of them anyway, but my husband was addicted. We use to buy at least 3 boxes of those per grocery trip. Now we do oatmeal- it comes a long way and it's healthier.
-Just cooking more in general. Not buying too many boxed things like mac-n-cheese, or frozen meals. I've found that cooking things homemade is actually cheaper than buying convenience foods.
-Buying fruits and veggies at the Asian food store.
-We drive old cars. Haven't had a car payment in 7 years and plan to drive our cars till they basically die.
-Giving up the cleaning lady.
-Giving up on Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, etc.
-Not going to the salon to get manis/pedis. I've also found an Asian salon that will cut my hair and do my brows, etc. for less than half the price of what I used to pay in a fancy salon. They do just as good of a job but without the New Age relaxation music in the background.

Buying fruits and veggies at the Asian store saves me a lot too!