Community Chat

[Group 5 minus 1]

A multi billionarie once said (at a meeting I attended) live below your means.

[Group 5 minus 1]

We shop at The Dollar Tree.

[dex]

We have become do it yourselfers.There are instructions online and utube for anything I have ever needed to learn.We are in the middle of fixing our oven right now.We do all of our home maintenance and yard work.We need to get our huge home ready to sell so that we can purchase sonething smaller and more manageable.

We never eat out unless we are on vacation.

We do most of the things others have already suggested so I guess you could say that we are pretty good at squeaking the buck.

I am really enjoying reading what everyone else is doing.

[deepwaterdotter]

Walk to as many destinations as I am safely able, good exercise benefits too.

[Shanus]

Ever since we went to Paris for a big anniversary, I’ve adopted many French ways to food shop. 

My big food store is very close...not a chain...all fresh fish daily and veggies arranged beautifully so you want to eat healthy. The French have tiny refrigerators and shop for only enough food for 2 days...3 most. They also like every thing fresh.

I try to purchase what’s in season and not pre-prepared. I love making my own vegetable soups, fresh fish, no frozen items if possible.

Besides foods, DH and I have a check & balance system of $100. No purchases over that unless we discuss it with each other.

I sneak candy into the movies in my handbag, but usually wait until movies are on our Apple TV or Netflix. We rarely go to the movies & if we do, it’s on Sunday before noon when there is special senior citizen pricing.

I canceled many magazine subscriptions....had outgrown them anyway. 

Purchase clothing that don’t need alterations (or just minimal) and never have to be dry cleaned. DH either under penalty of death 😉. I started doing his 5 dress shirts a week (hating it, but a big savings not taking them to be cleaned & pressed). 

When we have dinner out, we have a glass of wine at home  & don’t have drinks at the restaurant....not even iced tea or coffee. Neither of us ever order appetizers or desserts (for diet not saving $) & share a salad...always enough for 2. 

Here’s a biggie: If we go to dinner w/ another couple, we ask the waiter immediately for separate checks. We’ve gotten stuck way too many times paying 1/2 a bill where our friends had a bottle of wine, appetizers, more expensive entrees, etc. We know going in about how much our meal will be & try to stay within that range. We’ve also politely turned down dinner invitations if the restaurant was way too expensive. 

DH not retired yet and we’re frantically saving for that day. Having a goal in mind helps to stay on budget.

[homedecor1]

@qualitygal

Since Christmas I've saved a lot of $ - I've even surprised myself at the end of the week I still have ca$h in my wallet!

1.  Used to be big on BOGO deals at our local Publix. Then I realized unless I would use both in a short time not such a great deal - just collecting shelve space in my pantry!  More importantly, they mark the item up in price. (Used to use my card to pay now I only use cash).

2.  I never let my gas get below 1/2 tank - the gas prices change constantly here and I'm not talking maybe pennies but Monday gas was $2.44 on Wednesday changed to $2.59!

3.  Stopped buying impulsively both Q (other channels) and stores buying more home decor, clothing, etc. - I'm recycling what I have.  After Christmas I "purged" my excess: donated things I haven't used OR trashed old & tired stuff.

4.  We eat out on Friday & Sat: during the week we eat home.  I vowed to cook what was still in my freezer & use what I had in pantry! It's slowly getting emptied ...plus, I enjoy cooking (although it's only 2 of us -- I still think I'm cooking for a family!😉)

The best thing I did was no longer use my debit (check) or credit card -- I take so much each week and use cash - it's easier to control my spending!  So far, I'm doing pretty good since I've been focused on the rest of the remodeling job I'm doing -- happy to say I've not gone over my budget yet!  Hope it lasts!  I obligated a certain amount for each project and so far so good...no debt!

For me personally, using cash makes me think twice before I buy something on impulse!!! My friends are starting to think something is "wrong with me" I never go shopping & buy nothing! (Although, I've had my eye on a handbag & I know that is going to be my gift for a good job! Lol!)

[Group 5 minus 1]

We are also enjoying this.

We pay cash for our cars.

We pay our credit cards off in full every month.

Heat our home w/ wood.

No manis or pedis-ever.

I do not eat meat.

Paper towels: The ones we use to dry our hands we save and use to wipe up spills on the floor.

No carpeting 

Shop at Good Will

No fancy/schmancy cell phones

Never buy lottery tickets.

Do not care to travel

Do not eat out

Use the library

We take good care of things so that they last

We buy a lot of DVDs on E-Bay

DH says we love Larry Winget and Dave Ramsey

[OKPrincess]

We live below our means.

Have one and only one credit card that is set up in our checking account to be paid in full every month.

We have no mortgage. We bought the family home from my siblings.

house is set at 68 and have Polar Fleece sheets on bed. Awesome. Also bought onesies from the Q.

Usually eat lunch out. Watch for sales and coupons. Share meals and eat off kids or senior menu. Never been turned down for kids menu. Never.

Pay all utilities and insurance online. Pay property taxes twice a year. 

We planned for our future and thankful for that. It's never too late to start.

[ALRATIBA]

I haven't actually cut expenses ... just re-arranged where I spent my money to free up some of that money for "goodies."

I read newspapers and magazines online.  Cut my magazine subscriptions down to just three ... and cancelled all my premium TV channels.  

[JeanLouiseFinch]

* Eat more simply

* Plan dinner meals around the supermarket sale flyer
* Buy larger packages of fresh meat when on sale, or from Costco, and divide them at home
* When making soups, stews, lasagna, make enough to cover a few meals. 
* Less eating out
* Costco Executive Membership - by having an Executive Membership and charging certain items at Costco, Costco sends their own rebate check anually.  Because of our system, we've never actually paid a renewal fee from our income because the Costco reward/rebate has always been enough to cover it.
* Warehouse shopping (Costco for us) - buy certain things in bulk (AA and AAA batteries, hearing aid batteries, toilet paper, paper towels, aluminum foil, trash bags, dish detergents, fabric softener sheets, stevia packets, chicken breasts, sliced and shredded cheeses, etc.)  It may seem costly on the front end, but there are less repeat purchases over the year that would cost more in the long run.
* Use my Costco branded Visa card for everything possible.  Percentage rebates are given, depending on the kind of purchase.  The tally runs throughout the year and a rebate check is issued in February that can be cashed or used at Costco.  We cash it at Costco and put the money in the bank rather than applying it to a new purchase.  If we want to use it for a purchase, it's to our benefit to bank the rebate and charge the new item.  The new item will generate a new rebate and we'll have the money already set aside to pay for the new item when the charge statement comes.  
* We buy our gasoline at Costco - part of the plan as detailed above, but their pump price is usually better than other stations.
* Get our eyeglasses at Costco
* Keep Aldi's as an option for some smaller grocery purchases.  They don't always have everything but what they do have are their own label of items from well known companies.
* Don't carry a credit card balance.  Use cards to your advantage but be sure to budget well so you have the money ready to pay the charge statement in full every month.

That's all for now.  I'll edit if/when I think of more.