What are people doing to save money in this insane economy?

[Anonymous]

I did go through my subscriptions for various things and cut $210 a month. They add up.

I need to call and bully comcast into reducing our rates.

Cook a lot more and cooking less interesting stuff that can last and work well for leftovers, or freeze. But dag, if you want to cook healthy, it's still expensive (although I highly recommend incorporating beans into many dishes).

No door dash, even though we didn't use it much.

I stopped using the car dealer for service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For women: echo the dye hair less frequently in salon (and use power/spray for a few weeks between visits.) For anyone not covering gray, I wouldn't dye hair at all if watching money. (And awesome if you want to go all gray, just not ready yet here.) Better to go to the good, more expensive place irregularly then get it poorly done more frequently. I will say hair salons are starting to close in the DMV so urge people to not entirely cut/dye hair at home, though.

Yes. I started dyeing my own hair - was really intimidated to try it before but it’s no big deal at all. I love the time, money, and convenience savings. And I actually like how it looks better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm early retired and not a big shopper, but I have had to find hobbies that aren't expensive:
--I'm doing all my own lawn and yard care myself. That saves less than you'd think but diverts me from more expensive activities,
--I cook from scratch most of the time and try not to waste food.
--I pay attention to every charge on my credit card. Not letting $30 a month for something I don't use slip through anymore.
-- Spending time on the phone to reduce Verizon FIOS and At&T cell phone monthly charges. It is so frustrating but I am saving $200 a month total now.
--I try to utilize Buy Nothing. Not so much to take the place of shopping, but honestly as a way to try new things out.

How much do you spend on Verizon fios? That is one bill I know we can reduce. Paying $220 a month for landline, WiFi and Tv.

[Anonymous]

I was never great at budgeting. It always felt sort of depressing...cutting back, cutting out, limiting. When I started tracking my net worth monthly, it made it much easier to naturally save money because I was focusing on what I was growing, creating, gaining, etc instead of what I was limiting or taking away. It's really just a mindset shift that helped me cut out a lot mindless and low value spending.

I eat at home, take lunch to work, grow herbs, and try to avoid waste. I like being in the kitchen, so I'll make bread, salad dressing, sauces, granola, etc. Most things can be made for pennies on the dollar. All small cost saving habits can add up to big savings over time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep my house much hotter in the summer than I would like and much colder in the winter than seems normal. It sounds vaguely Soviet, but the truth is, doing this saves me $200 to $300 every month.

(I set the air conditioning to 80° in the summer and the heat is 60 or 59 in the winter)

"saves me $200 to $300 every month."
Your mansion must be huge.

? My 1912 house is 3000 sq ft and wood / uninsulated with a lot of old, large windows.

And before anybody says it, the bids to replace my windows and retrofit the house with insulation come in around 200,000. So, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to get ideas for what else we could be doing as everything just gets more and more unaffordable. I really didn’t used to think about it this much for the last two years have been brutal. I’ll start:

- Used to eat out twice a week, now we eat out twice a month (take out only). Cook 7 nights a week but meals have gotten less complicated because who can realistically cook that much? I CAN. IT JUST TAKES MEAL PLANNING. WHAT I MAKE AT HOME IS BETTER TASTING AND LESS EXPENSIVE. EATING OUT HAS ALWAYS SUCKED BUT LATELY IT'S BECOME SUPER DISAPPOINTING. THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY FOR RESTAURANT FOOD IS THE PORTIONS ARE SO BIG THAT THEY USUALLY AMOUNT TO TWO MEALS.

- started buying frozen afterschool snacks (tater tots, chicken tenders) and don’t let the kids stop at Starbucks or Boba place or whatever more than 2-3x per month THIS IS A GOOD ONE. WE BOUGHT A DEEP FREEZER FOR THIS REASON. LOVE ME THE TATER TOTS AND CHICKEN TENDERS AND FROZEN FOODS. TRADER JOES ALSO HAS SOME DECENT OPTIONS.

- Decided to drive our car until the wheels fall off. New cars are insane. When did that happen? COVID DISRUPTED SUPPLY CHAINS SO YOU CAN TRACE THE JUMP TO THERE. TRUMP'S TARIFFS EXACERBATED IT. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN CARS INTO THE GROUND. BUYING NEW CARS EVERY FEW YEARS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ECONOMICALLY STUPID. ESPECIALLY IN VIRGINIA, WHERE THE PROPERTY TAX IS BASED ON THE VALUE OF YOUR CAR.

- started buying all basics (socks, underwear, basic tees) on Amazon. YOU CAN ALSO GET THESE AT PLACES LIKE ROSS, ETC.

- only shop for clothes off season and on sale. Have bought some basics from Target and Uniqlo. Saw a fairly basic sweater at J.Crew for $350 and almost laughed out loud. AGAIN, NOT A NEW STRATEGY FOR ME. BUT I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO FRETS ABOUT FASHION OR WHAT IS 'IN.' I HAVE MY STYLE AND I BUY CLOTHING THAT REFLECTS IT. COULD NOT CARE LESS IF I MATCH OTHER BASIC TWATS OR NOT. I LIKE TO STAND OUT

- only reading books from the library I REDISCOVERD THE LIBRARY TOO. IT ALSO HAS STREAMING (KANOPY) AND DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINE (LIBBY) SO YOU CAN REPLACE NETFLIX AND MAGAZINE/NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS

- no more sporting events for entertainment (we used to enjoy basketball games) NOT SURE ABOUT BASKETBALL BUT WE LOVE MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!


I would not have considered us to be in a difficult financial situation even two years ago. Our jobs are thankfully stable. But neither of us got pay increases this year because of cost cutting. It just doesn’t feel sustainable.

I'm also growing my own food, selling pictures of my feet on Only Fans (considering selling my soiled panties, too -- huge market for that) and forcing my kids into part-time jobs and charging them for rent.

Gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Side hustles bring in a bit and mine is low key and fun. Gives my kid spending money.

Vacations are day trips. It’s much more affordable but still a few hundred. The local amusement park, local attractions. Theres plenty to do near you!

I heard that travel is up this year and I can’t understand how. They said more flights have been book last year than ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I keep my house much hotter in the summer than I would like and much colder in the winter than seems normal. It sounds vaguely Soviet, but the truth is, doing this saves me $200 to $300 every month.

(I set the air conditioning to 80° in the summer and the heat is 60 or 59 in the winter)

I don't know about saving "hundreds" but thermostats settings will definitely save money. I have little sympathy for people complaining about their high electric bill with most of the settings they use.

Your temps are more extreme than hours pp - we're 77 day 72 night in summer, 64 day 63 night in the winter. Not ideally comfortable, but doable. I also don't want to get mold - the HVAC also dehumidifies.

[Anonymous]

We haven't changed much to be honest. I just finished booking our August-October music and travel plans. Looking forward to Oktoberfest.

Frankly I think groceries are cheaper now than 2020-21. And our credit card benefits comp all our video streaming. Dining out has always been $ compared to staying in. Airfare is actually trending down. Nice hotels seem to be staying the same.

I think if you are finding this economy challenging, you are doing something wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For women: echo the dye hair less frequently in salon (and use power/spray for a few weeks between visits.) For anyone not covering gray, I wouldn't dye hair at all if watching money. (And awesome if you want to go all gray, just not ready yet here.) Better to go to the good, more expensive place irregularly then get it poorly done more frequently. I will say hair salons are starting to close in the DMV so urge people to not entirely cut/dye hair at home, though.

Yes. I started dyeing my own hair - was really intimidated to try it before but it’s no big deal at all. I love the time, money, and convenience savings. And I actually like how it looks better!

I will never give up my quarterly salon visits. I'm sure you hair looks okay, but I like my hair to look amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep my house much hotter in the summer than I would like and much colder in the winter than seems normal. It sounds vaguely Soviet, but the truth is, doing this saves me $200 to $300 every month.

(I set the air conditioning to 80° in the summer and the heat is 60 or 59 in the winter)

"saves me $200 to $300 every month."
Your mansion must be huge.

? My 1912 house is 3000 sq ft and wood / uninsulated with a lot of old, large windows.

And before anybody says it, the bids to replace my windows and retrofit the house with insulation come in around 200,000. So, no.

Sounds like my house. We keep thermostat around 68 in winter and I’m always freezing. Our last gas bill was over $900.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm early retired and not a big shopper, but I have had to find hobbies that aren't expensive:
--I'm doing all my own lawn and yard care myself. That saves less than you'd think but diverts me from more expensive activities,
--I cook from scratch most of the time and try not to waste food.
--I pay attention to every charge on my credit card. Not letting $30 a month for something I don't use slip through anymore.
-- Spending time on the phone to reduce Verizon FIOS and At&T cell phone monthly charges. It is so frustrating but I am saving $200 a month total now.
--I try to utilize Buy Nothing. Not so much to take the place of shopping, but honestly as a way to try new things out.

How much do you spend on Verizon fios? That is one bill I know we can reduce. Paying $220 a month for landline, WiFi and Tv.

I got it down to $176 after all fees and taxes are added in. Also landline, Wifi, and TV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I keep my house much hotter in the summer than I would like and much colder in the winter than seems normal. It sounds vaguely Soviet, but the truth is, doing this saves me $200 to $300 every month.

(I set the air conditioning to 80° in the summer and the heat is 60 or 59 in the winter)

"saves me $200 to $300 every month."
Your mansion must be huge.

? My 1912 house is 3000 sq ft and wood / uninsulated with a lot of old, large windows.

And before anybody says it, the bids to replace my windows and retrofit the house with insulation come in around 200,000. So, no.

Sounds like my house. We keep thermostat around 68 in winter and I’m always freezing. Our last gas bill was over $900.

Geez. I thought $270 was a lot!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would love to get ideas for what else we could be doing as everything just gets more and more unaffordable. I really didn’t used to think about it this much for the last two years have been brutal. I’ll start:

- Used to eat out twice a week, now we eat out twice a month (take out only). Cook 7 nights a week but meals have gotten less complicated because who can realistically cook that much? I CAN. IT JUST TAKES MEAL PLANNING. WHAT I MAKE AT HOME IS BETTER TASTING AND LESS EXPENSIVE. EATING OUT HAS ALWAYS SUCKED BUT LATELY IT'S BECOME SUPER DISAPPOINTING. THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY FOR RESTAURANT FOOD IS THE PORTIONS ARE SO BIG THAT THEY USUALLY AMOUNT TO TWO MEALS.

- started buying frozen afterschool snacks (tater tots, chicken tenders) and don’t let the kids stop at Starbucks or Boba place or whatever more than 2-3x per month THIS IS A GOOD ONE. WE BOUGHT A DEEP FREEZER FOR THIS REASON. LOVE ME THE TATER TOTS AND CHICKEN TENDERS AND FROZEN FOODS. TRADER JOES ALSO HAS SOME DECENT OPTIONS.

- Decided to drive our car until the wheels fall off. New cars are insane. When did that happen? COVID DISRUPTED SUPPLY CHAINS SO YOU CAN TRACE THE JUMP TO THERE. TRUMP'S TARIFFS EXACERBATED IT. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN CARS INTO THE GROUND. BUYING NEW CARS EVERY FEW YEARS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ECONOMICALLY STUPID. ESPECIALLY IN VIRGINIA, WHERE THE PROPERTY TAX IS BASED ON THE VALUE OF YOUR CAR.

- started buying all basics (socks, underwear, basic tees) on Amazon. YOU CAN ALSO GET THESE AT PLACES LIKE ROSS, ETC.

- only shop for clothes off season and on sale. Have bought some basics from Target and Uniqlo. Saw a fairly basic sweater at J.Crew for $350 and almost laughed out loud. AGAIN, NOT A NEW STRATEGY FOR ME. BUT I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO FRETS ABOUT FASHION OR WHAT IS 'IN.' I HAVE MY STYLE AND I BUY CLOTHING THAT REFLECTS IT. COULD NOT CARE LESS IF I MATCH OTHER BASIC TWATS OR NOT. I LIKE TO STAND OUT

- only reading books from the library I REDISCOVERD THE LIBRARY TOO. IT ALSO HAS STREAMING (KANOPY) AND DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINE (LIBBY) SO YOU CAN REPLACE NETFLIX AND MAGAZINE/NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS

- no more sporting events for entertainment (we used to enjoy basketball games) NOT SURE ABOUT BASKETBALL BUT WE LOVE MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!


I would not have considered us to be in a difficult financial situation even two years ago. Our jobs are thankfully stable. But neither of us got pay increases this year because of cost cutting. It just doesn’t feel sustainable.

I'm also growing my own food, selling pictures of my feet on Only Fans (considering selling my soiled panties, too -- huge market for that) and forcing my kids into part-time jobs and charging them for rent.

Gross.

I know a few women that sell their worn panties and they make a ton of money!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Side hustles bring in a bit and mine is low key and fun. Gives my kid spending money.

Vacations are day trips. It’s much more affordable but still a few hundred. The local amusement park, local attractions. Theres plenty to do near you!

I heard that travel is up this year and I can’t understand how. They said more flights have been book last year than ever.

K shaped economy. Lots of people have more money than ever. Just look at the new cars driving around Nova.