Simple ideas on living frugally

[epoch707]

Hey guys, I am really into saving money and minimizing costs, so I would like to share some tips with you guys about daily things you can do to save money. And perhaps you guys can share what you know as well

1. First off, I make my own coffee every morning. I have some instant coffee which I make with a water boiler. I figure each serving costs me about 7 cents, which is a bargain compared to buying a cup of coffee from starbucks each morning. I work at a corporate job, so I need coffee to get me up and alert each morning.

2. I eat breakfast in addition to the coffee. I buy huge amounts of oatmeal from costco and i use hot water and the oatmeal flakes to make some oatmeal each morning. It's tasty and healthy too.

3. Learn to buy in bulk and properly store your food. I go to costco and load up on steaks and chicken in bulk. I then individually package the meat and I store it in a separate freezer at home. Whenever I want chicken, I place the bags in the fridgerator the night before, from the freezer. As for steaks, I cook directly from the freezer by searing each side and then putting it in the oven at 250 degrees F for 1 hr. Juiciest steaks ever.

4. Buy everything in bulk, from cleaning supplies to plastic bags. Coupled with a Costco membership, you will save hundreds annually.

5. Do not go out to eat unless with friends or family. Not even for a $5 dollar sub. Fast food is usually the biggest cost which can be trimmed but also drinks too.

6. Whenever I go out clubbing or to the bar, I get a diet coke, no beer or alcohol. It is safer, since I drive, and also I do not make a fool of myself being sloppy and drunk. And no one knows the difference, it looks like jack and coke. My expenses each night going out to the club or bar is around $7-$10 with around 4-5 diet cokes or diet cherry cokes. Keeping a trim body from not consuming excess calories and carbs, priceless

now your turn, share another way to save money

[Oinkette]

1. Well I take advantage of the free coffee at work. Sadly this is one expense that will actually increase in ERE.

2. I'm actually questioning the Costco thing. I plan on doing a cost comparison with all my local grocery stores to make sure. They are best for gas though.

3. Speaking of which, I take the bus. Usually to work as its a straight-ish shot. But I'm working in the weekends as well. I know we are supposed to be pro-bike here but I don't currently own one so the $1.25 fare is cheaper, a Houston roads can be....aggressive.

4. I make ALL my meals. I even figured out how to make all the stuff I used to buy pre-made or in restaurants. Usually 1/2 to 1/4 the price!

5. I pay cash for all non-recurring bills. I give myself a weekly allowance for EVERYTHING that I don't NEED (i.e. utilities, debt, mortgage). It's fun to see just how much I can have remaining each week. Plus seeing actual green go to pay for something is psychologically effective in preventing me from doing just that.

[RealPerson]

I agree that Costco has excellent prices, but you have to go with a shopping list and stick to it. I know many people who mindlessly fill up their cart and never leave Costco with under $100 of purchases. Costco is expert at selling cool and fun stuff. Great prices on those too but not for so good for achieving FI. I changed my shopping habits at Costco and now I almost never leave the store with stuff I was not planning on buying. I think impulse buying negates a lot of the Costco savings, especially around the upcoming holidays.

Another great money saver: army surplus store. You can find brand new high quality items for a lower price that just about anywhere else. I always check them out, if i think there is a possibility they sell the item.

[workathome]

I saved money on cable internet by simply threatening to cancel. Every 6 months they give a temporary discount. Once it expires, I just have to call up again.

[EdithKeeler]

Consignment stores for clothes. I'm still working and there's a great consignment store that I pass every day on my way to work. I stop in once every 2-3 weeks and see if they have anything I can use. Most of what I buy still has tags on it, and they might be the last season or two, but perfectly fine for me at 1/4 or less than what I'd pay in the store. (The prices go down each week, too).

Estate sales for household goods. I check out estatesales.net that lists estate sales all over the country, sortable by map and city. I recently broke my big Pyrex lasagna pan, and picked up another one for $5 at an estate sale. I've actually bought pieces of crystal, etc. at estate sales and given them as gifts. Cheap, and generally the second day of the sale, everything's half price. Estate sales can be an excellent source for tools, too.

The Big Pot of Soup. I make a big pot of soup quite often--could be bean soup, could be vegetable soup... if it's a noodle soup, I cook the noodles separately as needed so they don't get mushy. I've found that that the Big Pot of Soup in the fridge (or in divided into containers in the freezer) is a really good hedge against those times when I'm like "I don't feel like cooking, I think I'll go grab something."

Corollary to The Big Pot of Soup is keeping some homemade frozen dinners in the freezer--you know, when cooking pork chops, cook a few extra and portion them into Rubbermaid containers (that you can often find at estate sales...) and pop them into the freezer. Great lunches to grab and take to work, great for when I don't feel like cooking.

I ALWAYS scan the marked-down meat at Kroger. Often I'll find something like that too-big pork tenderloin that no one wanted, or a really big beef brisket. No problem--I cut it into chunks that I can use and wrap for the freezer. If it's a good deal, I stock up. I often pass these along to my mom, too. She doesn't get to the store too often to grab the good deals, and she has a limited budget, so it helps her out, too.

[JohnnyH]

Thrive without. Simplify, then simplify again. I happily avoid/do not buy:
breakfast/lunch, trash bags, cleaning supplies... lot of other things I don't mind I'm missing since I'm satisfied with the status quo.

CostCo isn't really worth it for me; the vegetables are same price or more as everywhere else (if often better quality, but Bountiful Baskets much better/way cheaper), the meat is expensive, the store an annoying CF zoo... Beer and bread are the best deals and I shouldn't be consuming much of these anyway... Samples? Please, just a bunch of [expensive] junk food.

Buddy with a neighbor to split internet... Buying pre-paid cell refills on ebay for 60% of face (probably supporting criminals! )

Heating: self harvest firewood! Wrapping pipes with electric heat tape and insulation (house can get to -20F and pipes are fine).

Big freezer saves me a lot of time and money. Freeze meal sized ziplock baggies (do buy these, but can be re-used)... When the great sale on frozen vegetables come up I generally buy a years worth... Not set-up to can anything, but I can also freeze many harvested vegetables.

Hoping to keep herb garden and sprout year-round... Herbs from the store are ridiculously expensive and last about a few days.

If hunted meat not available, get some people together and split a grass fed cow, artisan hog, etc.

I spend about $4/mo on coffee, but it is fresh ground, french pressed... Worth it over work's carb cleaner, bland instant, or wasteful filter systems (k-cups).

[chicago81]

>>I happily avoid/do not buy:
>> breakfast/lunch, trash bags, cleaning supplies...

What do you do for storing trash?

How can you avoid buying cleaning supplies? Surely you need to clean your dwelling occasionally, and at a minimum: wash dishes and dis-infect surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom ????

[JohnnyH]

@chicago: I don't generate a lot of trash so it's not much of an issue, but I have many options... The small plastic grocery store bags are plenty adequate for me. Or I have a big plastic waste bin and a free dump nearby... Or if I have a fire burning, I just burn it.

My routine/system is to not make a mess, so I don't have to clean... Don't really buy cleaning supplies, only use other items that have made their way down the utility chain or have multiple purposes (my favorite cleaning tool is a drill brush )... Old toothbrushes are a great cleaning instrument. Rags from old clothes make adequate kitchen towels and work well enough doing my dishes, cleaning surfaces. I never disinfect surfaces, yet things are still clean [enough] and I am still alive! ... I also have some sponges I must have bought over 5 years ago, but I "do dishes" so infrequently most are still in the package... I usually clean and rinse them when I'm done eating (no soap usually but again, still alive). Also, have a dishwasher so this is even less of an issue now. Vinegar + baking soda and Bronners castile are the only cleaning supplies I have... Haven't bought those in years (thanks CostCo for lifetime supply of baking soda).

[george]

1. As above limit cleaning products. +1 rags and toothbrushes. old cloth nappies are perfect.

2. Toilet cleaner is really expensive. baking soda and vinegar work well. If you like that frothiness and smell of toilet cleaner, put some laundry detergent powder in the cistern. I make a potion of laundry powder and any dry smelly stuff such as bath salts I've been given.

3. Hand cleaner. for really dirty hands. Put couple of teaspoons of sugar in hand put about 1 tablespoon baby oil on top and scrub. really good exfoliater too, and for feet. Skin gets really soft.

4. mirror, glass cleaner. make up a really weak solution of car windscreen cleaner in a spray bottle. house windows just use hot water, tiny amount detergent.

5. One cake of soap each, used to make liquid soap, but got bored with it.

6. For colds oilbas. was recommended by ENT surgeon, is a good price. I also put it on bed linen instead of expensive essential oils, the smell is really refreshing.

7. Ear cleaner. Matches wrapped in cotton wool which I recycle from packaging. they have the advantage that of you push too hard you break the match.

8. When I do the dishes I rinse really well in cold water, then use a pot in the sink to limit the hot water needed, and use boiling water from the jug. baking soda in with detergent for tough stains.

9. We used to buy in bulk, but for us have found a small fridge, freezer and pantry limits our spending. I like knowing and using what we have and circulating it.

10. Cook meals during the week, leftovers during weekend. When I cook a meal I calculate how much it costs, break it down to servings.

11 Lime and water at the bar is free here.

12. We do splurge, sometimes we have a mcdonalds soft serve cone for 60c, or a scoop of chips $1.50 but only one item.

13. damp mop on floor regularly, no cleaning products, and if it needs a proper clean, hands and knees damp cloth and a bit of pressure. Those cleaning products wreck your floor covering.

14. No shoes inside

15. I also keep expenses simple. Each week:

$100 for fixed costs direct debited, included internet, electricity, property taxes, insurance.

$100 for everything else including govt retirement scheme.

[Scott 2]

This stuff is fun, and feels productive, but don't lose sight of that hourly wage. Most of it pays poorly.

If housing, transportation and insurance are chosen well, you can afford windex and don't have to cook dry beans

[JohnnyH]

@Scott 2: For me it's definitely not a cost issue, it's a simplicity one... I don't want to buy, store, cycle, think about and use a bunch of cleaning products... Results with touch of Bronners, baking soda and vinegar has results I find to be more than adequate... I find it liberating to have spend so little time, money, effort and thought on keeping me and my surroundings clean.

[george]

Agree JohnnyH, simplicity is a big part of it, I also like the personal challenge.

[BecaS]

1. Costco- we mostly buy raw materials and staples.
2. No cable- roof top antenna with free over the air signal.
3. @JohnnyH, I picked up a few AeroGardens on Craigslist. We use it to grow kitchen herbs at home during the winter. I also use it to start seedlings for the garden. It works very well. We also picked up a couple of Nesco dehydrators. Some herbs grow like gangbusters in the AeroGardens. I clip them, dry them and freeze them. This helps herbs keep their intense flavor. AeroGardens use small pumps and fluorescent lights. I plugged them into our Kill-A-Watt. IIRC, it costs us about $6/month to run four AeroGardens around the clock on our summer (higher) electricity rates. I easily grow much more than $6/month worth of fresh herbs- and that's not counting the generous excess that we dry and freeze. I buy liquid nutrients for the AeroGardens locally to save on shipping costs. I buy the largest bottles that I can store in our fridge. I use three different nutrients and a largish bottle of each typically lasts well over a year.
4. Our tiny outdoor vegetable garden produces a ton of food all year. We use a cold frame to grow lettuces and spinach over winter. We eat vegetables out of the garden as they come in; where appropriate I can or freeze the excess that we cannot eat at that moment. I always grow my own sweet pickles.
5. Kitchen waste and non-weed garden waste into the composter for free soil amendments and soil nutrients. Earthworms have set up housekeeping in our composter, which contributes worm castings to the compost as an incredible nutrient. About once a year we empty the composter into the garden and the planters.
6. If you own your own home, augment the insulation. We put a radiant barrier in our attic, plus added more batting insulation. It has made a big difference in house comfort and in our utility bills. We use inexpensive thermal curtain panels at the windows. Again, big difference.
7. Pay as you go cell phones with no contract. Basic cell phones, and not a lot of useless chatting. Nobody on earth needs to know that I'm standing in line at the store and that I'm bored. When I see people brainlessly calling someone because they are standing in line and they are bored, I want to scream, "IS PAYING THAT CELL PHONE BILL MAKING YOUR LIFE MORE INTERESTING?"
8. Rain barrel and bucket watering the tiny garden. I buy Miracle Grow powder/crystals at Costco in the spring, and use the included spoon to add Miracle Grow to the watering bucket to fertilize the annuals and vegetables.
9. Line drying our clothes. Washing laundry in cold water. We buy the super concentrated laundry powder at Costco and use just a bit per load. It works fine for us in cold water.
10. Learn to cook your own basics. Learn to can. My favorite references are the Better Homes and Gardens red plaid cookbook- it has recipes for just about everything, and the Ball Blue Book, and the larger Ball Complete Book of Home Canning.
11. Alternative forms of cooking- using a crockpot, a thermal mass cooker, a Sun Oven, and a pressure cooker can save energy, can save time and effort, can make cooking at home more convenient, and can tenderize inexpensive cuts of meat.
12. Craigslist, Freecycle, consignment stores, thrift stores.

[jacob]

In my experience, every city has a grocery store that's 20% cheaper than the rest of them. It's never CostCo. It's often Aldi, but more likely it's an 1-2 times Aldi-sized ethnic store that caters to immigrants. Now pick your immigrants If run by Middle Easterners, their fruit/vegetable selection will be 2-3 times larger than CostCo. For a much larger selection seafood, look for the Asian equivalent. I almost think of Aldi as catering to Northern European immigrants (small selection, quality, and low price). In any case, it's mainly a question of asking the locals AND simply making an effort to walk into a new grocery store often instead of settling on one.

[chicago81]

+1 for Aldi in Chicago. I get a lot of my staples here.

I just wish they had some things like: a better selection of dry legumes (other than pinto and navy beans) and brown rice (other than instant boxed.) Also, it is kind of disturbing to see that most of the "fresh" meats have 15% saline. I also avoid most of the sodium-laden processed boxed foods too. Their produce is typically pretty good though.

[jennypenny]

-- Pay bills and set the budget once a month. It lets you see how much you spend on everything all at once which, I think, gives you a better idea of where your money is going. It also gets your focus off of money for the rest of the month. I'd also suggest having your entire paycheck deposited into a savings account (preferably a brokerage-type account) and only pull out what you need.

--Cook less often but in batches. No one wants to cook every day. Cook a big meal on the weekend (like a roast turkey or chicken) and then see how many meals you can make out of it. I usually get 3-4 plus a soup of some kind. Do other cooking at the same time so you have what you need for the entire week.

[BecaS]

@Jacob: No Aldi where we live. =( I agree with you, Costco isn't the cheapest across the board on every item. Our experience with Costco is that some items are more expensive but of better quality and/or upscale from the basic grocery list.

For the particular purchases in which quality is a major factor for me/us, Costco wins hands down. On other items for which functional is fine, Walmart or another retail outlet might possibly win. For basics in bulk, Costco usually wins.

I cannot buy everything I use at Costco, however- not even all of my basics. (For some reason, for instance, Costco has stopped carrying shortening. Drat it, baking often requires shortening.)

If I veer off into specialty products, Costco has a great selection of upscale items at awesome prices- but we don't populate our grocery list with high dollar items.

IIRC, Costco does have the best price on meat in our area, as well as the best quality, but one must purchase meat in larger quantities. We mitigate this contingency by freezing and canning meats. I pressure can Costco stew beef, for instance, which tenderizes it and renders it shelf stable.

Costco typically has the best prices in our area for basics: bulk flour, sugar, eggs, dried spices, etc. *unless* I chase coupons/loss leader store specials. Honestly, I don't have the patience.

We maintain an Executive Membership, which gives us enough cash back each year to pay for next year's Executive Membership plus a bit more. We also use our Costco AMEX exclusively at Costco (and pay it off each month) which also gives us cash back. We try to buy most of our gas at Costco as well.

Between groceries, gas, some toiletries and household goods, we earn enough cash back on our AMEX card to more than make up for the few pennies here or there that I could save by chasing coupons and loss leader sales elsewhere.

All this being said: I do *much* better on the price of my personal toiletries by purchasing Walmart's store brand, Equate.

I've tried to buy electronics at Walmart as opposed to Costco but I won't do that again. Yes, I get a slightly better price at Walmart, but I get less current technology or a downgrade in quality that I'm/we are not willing to accept for a major purchase that we'll use for years and years.

Surprisingly, we do better with walking into Walmart and replacing a laptop off of Walmart's shelf than we do at Costco.

We do better at Lowe's for household appliances than anywhere else.

And you are right about ethnic markets- I use a local Asian market for spices, pastes, flavored oils, coconut milk, etc. and the prices and selection there are AMAZING.