I will be having one installed early spring and will keep you updated!

Quite the cheapster
 

I had to BUMP this thread. Anything I can do to save a buck, you bet your ass I will do it!

Here are just a few ways that I enjoy saving money

Extreme Couponing
Repurposing leftovers
Making my own laundry detergent
Reviewing FREE products for Amazon
And NEVER paying full price for ANYTHING!

Need a tutorial? Feel free to hit me up!

I cut my cell phone out of my life. I have GoogleVoice (which works only when I have WiFi, which is 85% of the time). Cut $120 off my budget per month.

Three things I've done to help control over spending:
1. Only eat out once a week, and make sure its not over $20.
2. Only buy what you NEED, never what you want. Anything over $50 needs to wait until it's on sale or if you can sell something to upgrade. (I do this with iPhones, I sell the last to upgrade to the newest. I've done it 4 years in a row).
3. Sit down and thing about whats important, buying to hoard things or having less that means more. I grew up with very limited funds, as an adult it's important to me I have a savings more than it is I have a bunch of crap I don't need.

This may help someone. :)

Let's see, I cut my cable and replaced it with Hulu and later, a Roku. Now my bill is $7.99 monthly for tv.

I cut my cell phone bill to a flat $60 monthly by dropping Verizon and going to Metro PCS instead. With that I get unlimited everything and have no problems with calls being dropped etc.

I make my own laundry soap & liquid hand soap.

I drive a 15 year old truck, so no monthly payments.

I cook most of my meals rather than eating out a lot.

I quit smoking a few years back, which saves me a lot of money.

When shopping, if I find something that I use fairly often I try to buy when it's on sale and stock up then.

I filter my water rather than buying it in bottles. Granted, I pay $22 for a filter, but that gives me 535 gallons...maybe a little more.

I cut my hair rather than pay someone else to do it.

I also get fuel perks from my grocery store, so I try to wait until near the end of the month to fill up the tank on my truck.

There's more, but I am sleepy and need to think about this more. I did see a couple of good ideas on here I haven't tried yet. Good thread!

Very slowly... I love Jesse's idea about making laundry soap. I would like to do that not only to save money, but also because I don't particularly feel like giving my money to the corporations who test on animals and exploit human beings.

It would be great to be a homesteader and learn how to live the zero waste lifestyle.

- Cooking at home. Anything I have a taste for, I try to learn how to make.

- Amazon fire stick and hulu for entertainment. They have plenty of free shows and movies that come with my Amazon prime membership as well.

- Grandfathered into a family plan on sprint that leaves my portion of the bill at $35 a month for everything. Never leaving

- I put half of my pay in another account. I still use the account but I find without looking at it each day when I check at my balance, I tend to leave it alone.

- I used to purchase home decor, clothing, and toiletries that I didn't open or use. now if I dont use it within a month, its listed.

- All body and hair care is done at home.

- Being a minimalist has saved me a lot of money. I have a personal challenge to always be able to fit the entirety of my belongings inside of the 5x8 Uhaul (haha) cargo trailer, furniture included. If I am getting too "cluttered" I downsize.

- Hand washing. I hand wash my "nice" clothing and dry them on a rack to keep them nice.

I've learned to live on what I earn, by spending my earnings in modest ways. I keep all my living expenses to a minimum and paid in full, on a monthly basis, which is super tricky if the power bill escalates during intermittent cold spells, but it's entirely something I've learned to monitor closely.

When it comes to grocery shopping, I limit my purchases to a monthly total of $300.00 (cash), because I shop for items that are fresh, local, and stay with foods that are healthy for my overall physical health.

As far as having extra money on hand (the savings acct), I bank at a Credit Union, taking advantage of special offerings like getting small personal loans, which I never spend. I just sink the entire loan into my savings account, never touch it, make the monthly payments for a year, earn a great credit rating for timely payments, collect dividend interest on the money sitting in my account, then do it again each year, etc. I have a nice nest egg to tap in case I ever need to use it. I love my credit union!

I quit smoking, I try to buy the store brand instead of name brand on some stuff, we eat at home a lot more. I'm actually trying to come up with new ideas to save right now, rather than take on a part time job.

Direct savings deposit
 

Me too! In just a few years, I have managed to save quite a bit in my TFS (tax free savings account)! Best banking decision!

I do some eco stuff that also equates to money saving.

I turn my heat down while I'm at work and when I go to bed. So really, there's only several hours that its turned up for

If I'm baking something in the oven I try to plan ahead of there's something I can cook ahead while the oven is hot. Like sweet potatoes. I won't turn on the oven just to bake one alone.
.I unplug any big plugs (cell phone, computer etc) when not in use. I also turn off the power strip that my TV is plugged into.

I shut off lights religiously. My gram had a lot to do with that
...it works. My electric bill before winter was always around $40.

My cell phone bill I cut from $50 to $40 by choosing a different plan. I could even go down to $30...but talk isn't unlimited.

I got rid of cable since its not only a money sucker but a time sucker. I'm reading a lot more now. But I do miss football :(

I used to always hang wash out, bit now that its winter I arrange a drying rack over a heating vent and my wash dries by morning. I figure what energy I do use should do double duty.

I got eco friendly bulbs in all my lamps and over heads. First thing I do when I move into a place actually....

I too filter my water. There's enough plastic in the world.

I always look for things on sale when I need them. Or free on Craigslist. Often just putting it into the universe yields you some good finds. That's how I got my composter.

I thrift shop for most things. Around here they support animal shelters and hospices. So my shopping dollars do good deeds too. And when I purge some stuff, they are the first ones I bring it to.

I'm thinking about asking my groomer to barter grooming for cleaning. Or making cookies for her clients. The four legged ones. Grooming costs a heap. My poodle needs it every few months...so. it would help. Bartering is a craigslist thing too. Never hurts to try.

Ya know, I been thinking about getting a clothes line! It would save a lot on using the darn dryer, especially in the summer.

I saved a lot of money last year by cooking and making almost all my own food. This year I've started making my own kale chips and have all the ingredients to make my first batch of laundry detergent. (Thanks to some tips from Jesse)

I also make my own bar soap sometimes.

I ditched cable years ago and just stream movies and tv shows with a media box.

I intentionally moved close to work to lower my carbon stamp and that saves money on transportation.

Wow making home made laundry soap would be a great idea! I'm my local Walmart, a big container of Tide is almost $20!!!! And Gain is only a few bucks cheaper:koolaid:

I'm tellin' ya. Send me a PM if you want the recipe and I'll be happy to share it. It doesn't seem difficult and it's not nearly as complicated as making bar soap.

Jesse is the one who guided me on how to do it. I'll probably make my first batch in the next week or two.

Oh cool! Let me know how it turns out!!!! I just may have to try it out.:koolaid:

I Don't!
 

In my youth, I drank, smoked, did any drug offered me, and ran up credit cards in effort to drink, smoke, and do any drug offered me. Basically, I was always broke because I was an idiot. Not the best of money-saving strategies!

Now that I am a responsible sort, and make a pretty decent living, I do not deny myself the things I want. Of course, the essence of those things has drastically changed.

I suppose I save money by no longer drinking (well, now in moderation), smoking, and doing drugs. I also save money by not having a partner to lavish with tokens and gifts of admiration!

Being single is a pretty effective money-saving plan!

For sure being single saves a person some bucks:hangloose:

I'm thinking about getting a small chest freezer to fill with meat when it goes on sale. I saw a small one at Lowes for under $200. But I don't know if it would fit in my small house? It would help save money though, when the sales are real good.

I don't.
 

I'm an impulse shopper and I truly get a high from it. I guess I can say that I save money in other areas.

I quit getting my nails done and pedi's at the salon after I had a fungus dream and did some research. I went monthly at a minimum of 75 bucks.

Eating vegan saves quite a bit of money. Less options to eat out.

I don't smoke at all or drink very rarely. $1213563213466 savings.

Yeah...that's all I got.

I rarely go out to eat, canceled our internet at home, volunteer at a local store to get 35% off our food, use eBates (it's an awesome site -- get money back for your purchases online -- see referal link below), and shop the sales. Oh, and buy clothes second hand.

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrer...%3D&eeid=28585

Ok, so I'm seriously giving some thought to saving money so I can afford to cut back my hours at my fulltime job. Basically, work 4 days a week instead of 5. I'm going to get that chest freezer here soon, since I found a great new butcher shop that is very reasonably priced. That way I can stock up on meat much cheaper than grocery store meat, and better quality. I will still buy whole chickens at Redner's when they go on sale. We don't really go out to eat a whole lot, and I'm not into shopping for clothes and stuff like that. Comcast is expensive but there really aren't too many cheaper alternatives around here. If I could find a Summer job cleaning rental condos at the beach this Summer, I would use the extra cash to pay down my pet credit card. We had to run it up pretty high due to all four dogs having different ailments, surgeries, etc. :|:|:|

How I cut back? I shop online for my fur-kids food at Chewy.com. Free delivery over 50.00 and the same price as the store. I buy for the month. It also saves on wear and tear on the car, since the pet food store with all the deals is far away. Always buy in bulk. Sometimes Sal army or Goodwill has good stuff you may need. I go to the Dollar Store for cheap soaps and other cleaning stuff. I SAVE ALMOST 100.00 PAYING CAR INSURANCE EVERY 6 MONTHS INSTEAD OF EVERY MONTH. I insulate every window and door top to bottom when it gets cold. Even the light switches! Food bill is only forty per week because I am single, but two can eat for almost the same amount. I get oatmeal and eggs in bulk for breakfast. Butter is almost never on sale though, as well as the real good breads. I don't buy loaves for over 1.50. Lunch is soup or sandwich. Progresso soup is ok when cans are on sale for 1.00. Buy them in bulk at that price! Grilled cheese sandwiches are a great money saver, also when fruits or veggies are on sale. I never buy when they are not. Also, I took the bus, until my butch bud sold me a great old Toyota cheap. I cut out internet and tv entirely. I do watch old movies on vcr. I buy them at the thrift store for 25 cents. I have free radio, and a Bearcat scanner. I visit this planet from my local library every week. I don't pay rent, because my job is to manage a B&B property. I really lucked out. I do pay for heat and phone. I am currently trying to cut the heat bill by trying to rig up a rocket stove via a pipe out a window :goodluck: There's a lot more I do to save money, but I can't think of them all right now.

Soo soory to hear about your poor furkids GG. There's no getting around the vet rip-off furkid's bills. I thought so much about that, and how unfair it is. I would go in debt also with cards for them. I would buy anything if they really needed care.

I will readily admit that I am fairly lousy when it comes to saving money on my own. I've tried different things over the years without much success, so I finally bit the bullet and opened a Roth into which I funnel $500 a month. As things stand now, the maximum contribution allowed annually is $5000, so for two months I don't do that and put that money into what I have labeled my fun fund. I have taken to viewing my Roth as a lock box to which I don't have a key.

Hey Ascot, sounds like you're doing great. In 2015 it got bumped to $5500 and if you're over 50 (I have no idea how old you are) that goes to $6500. Viewing it as a lock box is smart.

My weak spot was in not taking advantage of opening an HSA/health savings account earlier. I'm starting this year, it maxes out at $3500 per year unless you are over 55 (which I will be this year), then it goes to $4500 so that I can "catch up" Oy! :seeingstars:

It came out well. I got the ingredients from Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon.com. Here's the recipe ...

==========Directions from kind Jesse======

Liquid Laundry Soap

• ¾ cup Castile Soap (You can use the peppermint, lavender, and citrus varieties even though in this case, the smell does not linger in your clothes)
• ½ cup Super Washing Soda
• ½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax OR substitute with Baking Soda (See below)
• ¼ cup of fine sea salt
• ½ cup of citric acid

Instructions
1. Take your two-gallon bucket and pour hot water in the bottom of it, about an inch high of water.
2. Add the dry powders (baking soda, super washing soda, borax (if using borax)
3. Add a little more water if necessary to cover the powders then take your hand mixer or immersion blender and blend the powders for a few minutes, or until it is fully blended and there are no clumps.
4. Fill your two-gallon bucket up almost all the way with unheated water.
5. Add the castile soap (this helps it not to bubble up), and stir with a long-handled spoon.
6. Using the funnel, pour into your containers.
7. Use 1/3 cup for regular to large loads, and a little extra for extra-large loads.

You can use baking soda in place of Borax because Borax can cause skin irritation & organ problems, and it is hard on clothing. I left it on there, so you can decide for yourself, which you prefer to use. Some people generally double this and make it in a 5-gallon bucket, so that you only have to make it every few months. The salt serves as a water softener, you can leave it out if you do not have hard water. Castile soap is available in a bar as well as liquid either is fine to use. Some prefer the bar because it is cheaper, even though it does require grating prior to making this recipe. This soap will look somewhat watery after sitting for a while. You can keep a ladle in or near the bucket for stirring it before use. It really is not as difficult to make as it may seem when reading these directions, and it does clean as well if not better than store bought top brands and for much less.

For softening, you can add ½ cup of plain white vinegar to the final rinse cycle instead of using dryer sheets, which have been linked to all sorts of fun illnesses.

For stain removal, peroxide and baking soda worked into a paste and rubbed into the fabric works pretty well.

=====Notes======

It was really easy and I'm glad I made it.

I used Baking Soda and kosher salt.

There aren't instructions on when to add the citric acid. I added all the powders at once—including the citric acid (last ingredient). The acid started bubbling. The soap hardened after it stopped bubbling and I just used the emulsion blender to break it up and it worked well. Next time I'll add the citric acid after blending the other powders, I think.

I also used pure liquid Castille soap (Dr. Bonnners). I don't want to spend time grating soap.

I made two gallons and it's plenty for me. I put it in two containers and I gently shake the container before using.

Next time I'll get a scent-free liquid Castille soap so that I can add my own essential oils.

I know how to make bar soap. Next I want to learn how to make liquid soap for the body and hair.

Good luck, Gayandgray. It's cheaper than store bought and it's easy to make.

And thanks, Jesse!

:pursebee:

Well I don't have the chest freezer yet but the clothes line is finally being put up tomorrow morning!! That will save a lot on my dryer, especially when I wash the bed sheets and comforters. Our four dogs sleep with us, so I'm always having to wash bed linens and the comforters take forever to dry!! I'm really excited because tomorrow is my first day back to the dog kennel, which I'm going to use the extra paycheck toward paying off pet credit card, and when I get home around noonish there will be our new clothesline :hangloose:

stay single

:cigar2:

The single biggest thing for me has been to figure out how to eliminate or reduce every expense I had that could be considered "reoccurring". Whether it be taxes, haircuts, housing, or electricity. They all add up over time.

Pay bills on time

Pay bills off on car

Don't make huge spending from your wallet or credit make sure you live within your means of living even if your above middle class if you stick with a budget that you can live with do it. Just on special occasions treat yourself or you and spouse or girlfriend ( what ever the case might be in your present situation.)

By using my clothesline instead of the dryer I save $50-60/month on the electric bill. They put in a new Dollar Tree in town where everything is $1, and I now do a lot of my grocery shopping there. I can get 18 eggs for a freaking dollar!! They have really good name brand stuff here and I save so much money compared to if I bought it at the grocery store. I borrowed from Glenn's idea and I'm eating a lot of grilled cheese and soup, which is cheap.

By not spending it lol

I could totally use lotta tips BfP members.... as for me, paying off car loans earlier helped, prepping meals/week and called credit card company and reduced my APR, helped.

Butches sometimes need a lil retail therapy too. I save money by not removing the tags or removing it from the package. If it's not something I really really need... it goes back! :p