Share a savings tip (and i'm not talking couponing)

[Anonymous]

We got an internet only plan with Comcast for $50/month. We initially had a higher speed plan, but when DH stopped working at home, we decided to try a cheaper plan. We sometimes have to let a show buffer, but not too often and otherwise, we haven't noticed a difference.

If you work from home, do high-bandwidth things like gaming over the net, then this won't work for you, but we're just browsing the net and watching a show or two in the evenings. Works for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why cable can't be on the chopping block. With Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu+, I just don't see why you'd pay for a cable package. Find the online provider who carries the shows you want and use that - $10/month. With Prime, we do so much Amazon shopping anyway, the live streaming is just a bonus for us. We'd have the account either if they didn't offer live streaming to go with it.

In other realms, I don't think there are any secrets when it comes to savings. Pick a home, or find a place to rent, at 20% or less of your take home income (after taxes, health premiums, retirement contributions) and if that means going to the burbs to be comfortable, do it. Once you're in the burbs, you've got lower cost childcare - use those $1k/month or less licensed options instead of a nanny. Cook, eat at home, get freezer meals stocked for nights when you would have otherwise done take out.

We do get crazy cheap produce through our farm share and we save a few hundred a year on diapers by using cloth, but that's all peanuts compared to the thousands we have in budget flexibility because we're at peace with living in the burbs and not using daycare in the middle of downtown DC. We're also a one car family, but getting a second one wouldn't really make or break what we already have going since we get simple cars and don't drive into work - the cars are for weeknight errands and weekend use.

Anyone else just find this hilarious? Hopefully OP's in a better place, but that would give my family 760 per month for rent... hmmm..... maybe we need to stop those pesky retirement contributions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why cable can't be on the chopping block. With Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu+, I just don't see why you'd pay for a cable package. Find the online provider who carries the shows you want and use that - $10/month. With Prime, we do so much Amazon shopping anyway, the live streaming is just a bonus for us. We'd have the account either if they didn't offer live streaming to go with it.

In other realms, I don't think there are any secrets when it comes to savings. Pick a home, or find a place to rent, at 20% or less of your take home income (after taxes, health premiums, retirement contributions) and if that means going to the burbs to be comfortable, do it. Once you're in the burbs, you've got lower cost childcare - use those $1k/month or less licensed options instead of a nanny. Cook, eat at home, get freezer meals stocked for nights when you would have otherwise done take out.

We do get crazy cheap produce through our farm share and we save a few hundred a year on diapers by using cloth, but that's all peanuts compared to the thousands we have in budget flexibility because we're at peace with living in the burbs and not using daycare in the middle of downtown DC. We're also a one car family, but getting a second one wouldn't really make or break what we already have going since we get simple cars and don't drive into work - the cars are for weeknight errands and weekend use.

Anyone else just find this hilarious? Hopefully OP's in a better place, but that would give my family 760 per month for rent... hmmm..... maybe we need to stop those pesky retirement contributions.

I just did the math and ours is 19.5%. We purchased a fixer upper in a great neighborhood with good schools. Taking our time to fix things. It can be done, its just a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a hard look at how much you're paying for Internet access.

Any suggestions? Comcast just raised mine $20/month, and when I called the rep said I shouldn't even be getting that rate and that if I was audited they'd raise it $50/month. Seriously?

OMG, dump their ass! They are the worst. How can you send them your money every month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cut your cell phone plan. Many people are paying way too much money for cell phones.

You can get services with limited talk minutes, unlimited text and data access for as little as $35/month. You can get unlimited talk, text, data for even an iPhone for as little as $50/month. Even in a family, you can get 2 phones for $100 or less. I know of plenty of people who are paying $180 or even over $200 for 2 iPhones.

What service had this? I would love to cut my bill.

Not quite as cheap as that, but I have Page Plus Wireless for $55/month. No contract. Uses Verizon network. I bought an iPhone at Walmart and activated it on Page Plus. Works great. I did have to buy the phone, but my monthly savings meant that after 10 months I was even, and every month after I save the difference between $55 and the Verizon price for unlimited monthly.

Virgin Mobile has $35 plans with 300 minutes, unlimited texting, and unlimited data (although they really slow it down after you use a certain amount of data in a month, which has never happened to me).

Sorry, I'm the original poster of this. I somehow missed this thread after these responses were posted and just found it again.

I have the Virgin Mobile plan that the PP mentioned (it's called BeyondTalk) and it's been great. If you need more talk-time, for $45/month you can get 1200 minutes and for $55/month you can get unlimited. I have a Kyocera Rise smart phone and it works great for everything I need it for.

Also check out BoostMobile and Net10 both of which have excellent rate plans.

[Anonymous]

Stop shopping and making food/drink purchases every day (except at the grocery store).

drop cable, go roku

switch auto, homeowners, and life insurance.

eat cheaper meals at home, i.e., no fish and steak every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see why cable can't be on the chopping block. With Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu+, I just don't see why you'd pay for a cable package. Find the online provider who carries the shows you want and use that - $10/month. With Prime, we do so much Amazon shopping anyway, the live streaming is just a bonus for us. We'd have the account either if they didn't offer live streaming to go with it.

In other realms, I don't think there are any secrets when it comes to savings. Pick a home, or find a place to rent, at 20% or less of your take home income (after taxes, health premiums, retirement contributions) and if that means going to the burbs to be comfortable, do it. Once you're in the burbs, you've got lower cost childcare - use those $1k/month or less licensed options instead of a nanny. Cook, eat at home, get freezer meals stocked for nights when you would have otherwise done take out.

We do get crazy cheap produce through our farm share and we save a few hundred a year on diapers by using cloth, but that's all peanuts compared to the thousands we have in budget flexibility because we're at peace with living in the burbs and not using daycare in the middle of downtown DC. We're also a one car family, but getting a second one wouldn't really make or break what we already have going since we get simple cars and don't drive into work - the cars are for weeknight errands and weekend use.

Anyone else just find this hilarious? Hopefully OP's in a better place, but that would give my family 760 per month for rent... hmmm..... maybe we need to stop those pesky retirement contributions.

So your family's take home pay is less than $4k/month? Is that one salary or two?

[Anonymous]

If you ever buy anything online, always search for a coupon code. There have been several times when I've saved $25-50 for a minutes work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can get services with limited talk minutes, unlimited text and data access for as little as $35/month. You can get unlimited talk, text, data for even an iPhone for as little as $50/month. Even in a family, you can get 2 phones for $100 or less. I know of plenty of people who are paying $180 or even over $200 for 2 iPhones.

Where is the $50/month iPhone plan available?

[Anonymous]

Debit card. Reduce trips to Costco and Target.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a hard look at how much you're paying for Internet access.

Any suggestions? Comcast just raised mine $20/month, and when I called the rep said I shouldn't even be getting that rate and that if I was audited they'd raise it $50/month. Seriously?

They are the worst! We dropped cable, although they offered to give us basic and internet for $60. With internet only, they'd charge $80! We got rid of both--no cable, and have Verizon for internet now ($40/month for internet and home phone. We don't even have a phone to plug in, though.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get services with limited talk minutes, unlimited text and data access for as little as $35/month. You can get unlimited talk, text, data for even an iPhone for as little as $50/month. Even in a family, you can get 2 phones for $100 or less. I know of plenty of people who are paying $180 or even over $200 for 2 iPhones.

Where is the $50/month iPhone plan available?

I use an unlocked iphone on straight talk for $45/month for unlimited talk and text and 3 GB high speed data

https://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/home/shop/serviceplans/!ut/p/b1/04_Sj9Q1MTAwtzQytTDRj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOJdDLx8jQMdPYyCPMxNDTwDPJyD3c39DEwcjfW99KMyk3L1ypNz9Qz0jC1NDUwNjCwNLcwsTYyMTPTD9aPwGmBgjl-Bv5sRVIEBDuBooJ8b5Zod5KioCAD-cG4m/?s=y

Switching my phone from verizon was a hassle that involved calling customer service over and over, but since then I've had no problem and am saving a lot of $/yr compared to Verizon.