<p>I don’t buy too many of my own clothes (get clothes as gifts), but I needed some new things for the teaching job this coming semester and really had to go shopping. Ended up with 6 tops and a pair of cords for $100 total from the uber-clearance racks. Refuse to shop at goodwill, having grown up on hand-me-downs and used/cheap clothes. </p>
<p>Trying to cut back on the vino 
to save money and calories :)</p>
<p>One trick I used several years ago was to put in an envelope the “surprise” money that I saved. It all started when I bought a scarf that I thought was $48. Turns out it was on sale and I only spent $24 – so I plopped the other $24 in an envelope. I would toss in savings from various sales, the equivalent of a lunch if I had a paid-for company lunch, and so forth. By the time I stopped doing it – maybe a year or two later?? – I had $600 in the envelope. Not too shabby.</p>
<p>I like your suggestion, LakeWashington! But I don’t have much sympathy for those of you complaining about your husband freezing large packages of meat/chicken. I would be thrilled if my husband did the grocery shopping, and I’d be happy to do the repackaging myself.</p>
<p>That’s pretty extreme behavior, abasket. I sometimes buy fairly large quantities of meat on sale at Whole Foods, and I’ll ask them to cut huge steaks in half and wrap them for the freezer. But I never ask for packages that are less than a pound!</p>
<p>If you read, get an e-reader. You can access free books on several sites (or download free reading apps on your phone, computer, tablet, whatever), check out books at the library, etc. Great way to save money!</p>
<p>Lol, VeryHappy, several years ago I wanted a new watch - a nice one with diamonds around $300. I decided to try saving all the spare change from pockets, etc. that turned up around the house. The problem was that periodically one of the kids would want something and have their hand out when I didn’t have any money in my wallet, or I was desperate and had to order pizza for dinner and I kept raiding the change box, so I didn’t manage to save up anything substantial. After a couple of years, D told H I wanted the watch and he bought it for my birthday.</p>
<p>-Older car with good gas mileage
-Got rid of cable (and switched internet to phone co’s DSL which includes free landline with free long distance)
-make coffee at home
-prepaid no contract smartphone ($25/mo)
-thermostat down, unused lights off, etc.
-look around at car insurance every 6 months
-cook large amounts and freeze extra
-all books from library, ours is great can “order” online almost anything and it comes to my local branch for pickup
-work at home so no high gas cost, lunch cost, etc
-Goodwill for clothes on the rare occasions they are needed
-don’t have much debt and what little I do will be paid off this month
-kids have jobs for their own incidentals</p>
<p>…and the big one, downsizing house. Been living in a large victorian, raised two kids here, but I grew up in a compact NYC apartment. Came to realize I really don’t need to own, heat/cool or maintain all this space anymore.</p>
<p>I pay $40/month for my phone. No smart phone here.</p>
<p>abasket, my dad does that all the time! It’s annoying and really a waste of money when he brings home tons of oranges and grapes and bags of salad when we already have a lot at home. A lot of the times, we have to throw them out because they eventually start to rot. It’s like he doesn’t know his family doesn’t eat fruit 24/7. Also, my older sister and family moved out and I barely live here so he hasn’t adjusted to toning down the groceries from 9 to 5.</p>
<p>December was a good month for our finances. Our refi was finalized, reducing our payment by $300/month. But actually, we’re going to keep making the old payment, so it won’t reduce our cash outgo, just the number of years we have to pay it.</p>
<p>Also in December, we made the final payment on our car (months early, because we made an extra payment on principal every month). So that’s another $300 to the good.</p>
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<p>This reminds me. Another way you can save money is by not wearing a watch. Your cell phone will tell you the time.</p>
<p>When my last watch broke, I didn’t replace it. I didn’t wear it regularly anymore anyway, now that I always carry a cell phone.</p>
<p>Marian, when the battery of the last of my two watches finally died two years ago, I stopped wearing them and just pulled out the smartphone whenever I needed to check the time. Sure, a new watch battery and a cleaning weren’t terribly expensive, but still a bit costly for a non-luxury watch, I thought.</p>
<p>Here is my big confession: I color and highlight my own hair. The actual confession is that I mislead others about it…as in “I’m having my hair touched up” rather than “I"m touching up my hair.” For some reason, among the high spending folks at work, I can admit to bargain shopping at Nordstrom Rack, using coupons, etc. but just can’t admit that I color my own hair. (I also switched to a less expensive salon for cuts. Didn’t go down to the Supercuts level, but cut the cost more than in half.)</p>
<p>Yes, go ahead and say that I’d save even more money by going gray and cutting my hair myself…life *does *have to be worth living, you know.</p>
<p>I cannot believe the $$ many people put into their hair though I do understand some of it (particularly the hiding the gray hair thing) . Between coloring, perms, highlights, cuts, etc. there is a lot of cash going to the hairdresser!!! (good for them!)</p>
<p>Same for manicures/pedicures/massage/spa services. What a nice benefit if you can afford it, but for many there is a good chunk of cash flowing out of the wallet for all these services. I cannot!!!</p>
<p>So far at age 53 I can get away from using just root-touch up on my hair - especially happy for that since I have very dark hair (thanks Mom, for your good hair genes - she is only about 1/2 gray at age 79!). Happy to pay that $7 for a few months of no gray.</p>
<p>Anyone use those “green” bags that make veggies last longer? Works for us.</p>
<p>No newspaper or magazine subscription.
Take lunch and coffee to work.
Hit happy hours rather full out dining.
Dont go to the movies that much,3-4 times a yr.
Buy used cars and drive til dead.
A decent vacation only once per year.
Dont use the credit cards.
We still love to go,out to dinner once or twice per week.
Buy 4.00 coupons worth 25.00 at our favorite restaurants at Restaurant.com
Cut down on our $$entertainment and go to coffeehouse with music.
Go to our church’s potluck dinners and picnics.
Dont take those long drives like we used to.
Have our own brunch at home on the weekends.</p>
<p>Put regular amount of money in savings every paycheck.</p>
<p>H just told me yesterday that he was cancelling our local newspaper - wow, seems weird after getting it daily for the past 30 years…but I fully admit it seems I rarely read it anymore. That will be a good chunk of savings.</p>
<p>My oh my…the cost of a hairdresser!</p>
<p>Mother finally changed her hairdresser, whose beauty parlor she patronized for YEARS, because the cost kept climbing. The beauty parlor owner was a family friend but boy, she charged through the nose!!!</p>
<p>I love this thread. I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to pay for something that I want for my PreciousBabyKing which he doesn’t deserve, but that I want him to have anyway. Taking some of these suggestions, I’ve figured out how to painlessly raise twice the money. Score!</p>
<p>Is there a sale on what you want for PreciousBabyKing???</p>
<p>Maybe some of us “bargain-hunters” can help?</p>
<p>You would be amazed at some of the deals we all can find…well, my kiddos aren’t “amazed” anymore they have come to expect it. Son needed a different suit for med school stuff, his $32 interview suit from Belks had been worn to every function already. So sometime last year I was stopping at a few garage sales in an area I do not usually frequent (1 and a half hours from home) and stumbled on 2 fantastic finds. 1 100% wool Ralph Lauren black label suit…coat and pants…and a matching wool overcoat again Ralph Lauren…it was the end of the day, they justed wanted it all gone and everything was $1 a piece. Since the suit was considered “a suit” it was $1 and the wool overcoat was $1. So $2 for 2 Ralph Lauren classics.</p>
<p>Paid to have them dry cleaned (with a coupon of course) and took them to my friendly alterationist and she custom fit them to him for…$12.</p>
<p>So he looks like a million bucks for under $20. Classic wool suit, all lined pants and jacket and wool overcoat which is just gorgeous. He was willing to pay more for a really nice pair of socks!</p>
<p>So ask away zoosermom!</p>
<p>I have no prejuidices regarding where I acquire things/items from…goodwill, thrift stores, ebay, online retailers, Craigs List, factory returns, Target clearance 90% off, garage sales, auctions…</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>It’s lessons. Winter golf lessons. He is a brat (but I bet you already figured that out!), but he would be beside himself to have golf lessons in the winter. I want to present it to my husband as a fully planned arrangement.</p>
<p>Golf lessons with an assistant pro at most clubs shouldn’t be all that expensive. What is your budget? We pay $50/hour for one of the top teaching pro’s in our area. Now, if you want to go to David Ledbetter or something, that’s different but a teaching pro at a regular golf club in your area shouldn’t be all that expensive.</p>