Out of the box savings tips

[Anonymous]

What are the savings tips that might not be known by everyone (me)?

I am going to have to live on much less and want to build up a toolkit of things I could do, either to save or to earn extra cash.
TIA!

[Anonymous]

Check our Mr. Money Mustache for really frugal spending help.

[Anonymous]

Do a detailed budget and stick to it.

Focus on wants v needs.

No mid-week food shopping.

[Anonymous]

There's nothing "out of the box" about spending less than you earn. Most people with money problems are either highly disorganized or lack self-control. So, get yourself organized, and exercise self-control. That's really all there is to it.

[Anonymous]

There is an old book you can likely check out of the library called The Tightwad Gazette. It was really big 30 years ago. In any event, it is a great articulation of the mindset and tips for reducing spending. Plus, it is a fun read.

[Anonymous]

I am a fan of the spending fasts, where you don't buy anything non-essential, eat down the supplies you have at home etc. Even a couple of weeks at a time can make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Small house
Take care of cars and use them to the end,
decrease number of cars owned,
buy high quality long lasting car with high gas mileage
Lower temp in winter
Raise temp in summer
Laundry in full loads only
Same for dishes in dishwasher
Plan meals around sales at stores
Brown bag it to work with leftovers from dinners
Make your own bread
Don’t buy prepackaged fruit or veggies, wash and cut it up yourself
Buy fruit and veggies in season and on sale
Don’t go out to eat
Don’t buy new clothes, do with what you have
Buy good high quality shoes, don’t skimp on shoes
Drop any memberships to clubs and get out and walk/run
Don’t get a pet
Use the library for books and videos
Do the fun free stuff in the area and don’t pay for entertainment
Make your own pizza on Friday nights, invite friends over

[Anonymous]

Never spend a 5 dollar bill, put aside. I did that once to save money for vacation and in 4 months had stashed away $500.

[Anonymous]

I don't really budget but I check bank accounts daily. My credit card gets paid in full each month so I make sure my checking account is looking healthy enough to cover it and my expected expenses (mortgage, daycare, etc.) any excess is transferred immediately to an online savings account. Even if it's $20 or so. It just psychologically prevents me from spending if it seems like there isn't much cushion in checking.

[Anonymous]

Unsubscribe from all store emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Small house
Take care of cars and use them to the end,
decrease number of cars owned,
buy high quality long lasting car with high gas mileage
Lower temp in winter
Raise temp in summer
Laundry in full loads only
Same for dishes in dishwasher
Plan meals around sales at stores
Brown bag it to work with leftovers from dinners
Make your own bread
Don’t buy prepackaged fruit or veggies, wash and cut it up yourself
Buy fruit and veggies in season and on sale
Don’t go out to eat
Don’t buy new clothes, do with what you have
Buy good high quality shoes, don’t skimp on shoes
Drop any memberships to clubs and get out and walk/run
Don’t get a pet
Use the library for books and videos
Do the fun free stuff in the area and don’t pay for entertainment
Make your own pizza on Friday nights, invite friends over

+1 If we had the discipline to do all of the above, we would be retired by now. ( Just not sure if we'd ever have any fun.)

Also add:

Reduce random (i.e. not needed/not holiday or birthday gifts) purchases for kids and grandkids.
Use Amazon prime or a shared Netflix account for movies.
Get rid of cable/satellite.
Live with dated decor and functional appliances. (Don't watch HGTV.)
Use CC "rewards" to get gift cards to pass on as birthday or Christmas presents OR to cover your own meals out

[Anonymous]

I signed up for Smarty Pig this year. I am sure there are other programs like it, but basically I send a small amount of money to smarty pig every other week into a savings fund. I have a savings goal for a mini-vacation, for Christmas spending, etc. In addition to my regular contribution, every once in a while I send a tiny bit of extra, $5 here, $5 there. It has been such an easy method to save the money and I can't dip into it until I have it distributed back to my bank account. It even earns more interest monthly than my checking account. I feel like it has been a simple, easy way to save for specific earmarked items. I wouldn't use it for general savings, but if you have a specific goal in mind, it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never spend a 5 dollar bill, put aside. I did that once to save money for vacation and in 4 months had stashed away $500.

This is a fun tip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check our Mr. Money Mustache for really frugal spending help.

Agreed with this. I am trying to get our family's grocery spending down and they have some incredibly detailed tips/tricks/recipes that have been very helpful. It's also a fascinating in-depth look into how other people live who live very differently than me! ($200/month for groceries for a family of 4!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never spend a 5 dollar bill, put aside. I did that once to save money for vacation and in 4 months had stashed away $500.

This is a fun tip!

How often do you use cash though?