Anonymous wrote:When you use cash, save all the extra $1 bills and put them aside in an envelope. Every few weeks we usually have at least $20, but I wait until it's at least $50 to do anything with it. Right now we're at $86 in about 5 months, and are currently deciding what to do with it. I've always done this.

Keep all loose change in a coin jar and once it's full, take it to Navy Federal or another bank that will roll it and deposit with no fees, or go to Coinstar and use the Amazon gift card option for redemption (no fees).

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Another savings tip: Cut back on Amazon shopping. You rarely actually need what you order.

Right, we totally don't need pantry staples, soap, laundry detergent, baby clothes, or baby proofing gear.

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.

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.

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.

Another savings tip: Cut back on Amazon shopping. You rarely actually need what you order.

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.

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.

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.

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.