How Have You Cut Back?

[MikeyG1965]

Trying to get a hold of expenses and do a better job of saving money. Some ideas that I've come up with:

Cut DishTV to basic plan with local (currently I pay about $95 a month and wife and I don't watch much television). She wants to be able to watch her SOAPs but basic plan doesn't carry the SOAP Channel. What I had plan was cutting to one receiver we already have that has DVR on it. We have two televisions but the smaller second one is never watched. I figured I could save about $50 a month on this.

Cancel AT&T aircard....savings of about $75 a month. I get a free one thru work and can use that one.

Cancel XM radio on our two vehicles and a portable unit I have that just died. My wife doesn't listen to it and I only had it because I drove a lot. Thinking iPod that I have will work. Savings of about $30 per month.

Research my home phone service. Get the basics and that is it. Could save about $30 a month there. We never call long distance on that phone and use our cell phones for that (unlimited long distance). I would go with no phone, but have security system that requires the phone line.

Currently researching re-finance of home to a much lower rate.

Eat more at home....take our lunches to work.

Any other suggestions?

Wife and I are doing okay now, but figure we can do much better financially if we save.

[kenw]

eating out less is probably a huge one.

combining car trips.

trun off the AC when you aren't home.

Her soaps are also on the web. for free.

[carrbowl]

We always look at insurance...deductibles can help. Plus if you do some things to your home you can get additional rebates. For instance-if we cancel our alarm company, it actually costs us. We get more of a discount than it actually costs us to have the alarm company. I know if you do certain things to make your home less attractable to burglars you can get a discount.

The other thing we do, keep track of all the money you spend for one month...then go thru item by item and figure out what you can do without...

[gaea106]

Quicken is a life saver. If you connect it to all your credit cards and your online banking you can track every cent you spend. It has some reporting features and it breaks down where your money is going. It takes a couple of weekends to get used to and configure, but after you do it that one time you are good to go. I also use a feature that automatically inserts line items into your "check register" for bills that occur regularly. This way I can see that bills are coming up and what my real available balance is after all those bills are paid. It also has budget management, debt reduction planning, retirement planning, savings planning and many other features that are integrated if you want to get that fancy with it.

[sbp]

get magic jack as phone if you don't care to keep number.

[JohnT]

Adjusted the deductible on the auto insurance.
Canceled the lawn treatment service.
Reduced lawn mowing frequency with lawn care service.
Trying to eat out less often (that's a hard one).
Revamped my land line phone service.

However, I probably would have done these things anyway regardless of the economic climate.

[DigiSLR]

Our family has cut back everywhere possible to save every last penny for our new home closing this summer.

It is AMAZING how much you can save by not eating out, planning a shopping list (and sticking to it), NOT running low on milk and paying twice the price for it at the conveniance store as opposed to going to the grocery store, planning your trips so that you make 1 trip with all your stops instead of multiple trips throughout the week. Saving gas really does help!

Quicken is an amazing tool to track all your expenses by category.

I'll throw in a plug here for T-Mobile. If you have a cell phone you may want to look into T-Mobile and their at home service. Ditch the landline totally. It's a huge savings.

DigiSLR added 1 Minutes and 27 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

oh, and if you don't water the lawn at all, it turns brown and stops growing. You don't have to mow it which not only saves gas (or electricity) for the mower / trimmer, but it also saves you valuable time in which you could be out taking photographs, not to mention the savings on the water bill.

[jgrindal]

Originally Posted by DigiSLR

oh, and if you don't water the lawn at all, it turns brown and stops growing. You don't have to mow it which not only saves gas (or electricity) for the mower / trimmer, but it also saves you valuable time in which you could be out taking photographs, not to mention the savings on the water bill.

Quoted for Truth.

[L Stegall]

Originally Posted by jgrindal

Quoted for Truth.

Until you realize that by not watering your lawn (at least up by your foundation), your soil has cracked and moved your foundation and you spend $$$$ fixing that. My recommendation: judicious use of soaker hoses where they count!

[DigiSLR]

Originally Posted by L Stegall

Until you realize that by not watering your lawn (at least up by your foundation), your soil has cracked and moved your foundation and you spend $$$$ fixing that. My recommendation: judicious use of soaker hoses where they count!

You are correct. I do run the soaker hose. It's set up as a seperate zone on the sprinkler. I find that the weeds tend to grow around the edge of the house as thats the only place with water.

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by gaea106

Quicken is a life saver. If you connect it to all your credit cards and your online banking you can track every cent you spend. It has some reporting features and it breaks down where your money is going. It takes a couple of weekends to get used to and configure, but after you do it that one time you are good to go. I also use a feature that automatically inserts line items into your "check register" for bills that occur regularly. This way I can see that bills are coming up and what my real available balance is after all those bills are paid. It also has budget management, debt reduction planning, retirement planning, savings planning and many other features that are integrated if you want to get that fancy with it.

I actually hate quicken. I'll tell you why. It's an 'after I've spent it' money tracker. I don't need to know where my money 'went'....lol... the fact that it's gone is enough for me.

I like the zero balance budget method - tell your money where it's going - before you get it.

Envelopes for things like groceries, etc. It hurts more to spend cash than it does to use the Debit card or Credit Card (hard studies have been done, this isn't bs).

Save $1000 in an emergency fund. Once it's there - raise your deductibles on your cars to $1000. Saves a bunch. Don't touch the $1000.

It's 'Murphy repellent' (Murphy's Law Happens!).

It'll sound crazy - but check the air in your tires - if you keep them properly inflated - you'll use less gas.

Combine trips - Set ONE day aside to do all the 'driving around' for things. And stick to it.

Discipline is the difference.

Pay off all debt as quickly as possible.

If you are paying a credit card with 14.99-24.99 percent interest - if you pay them off, you are effectively EARNING that money back by not having to pay it to someone else. Invest in your debt.

Programmable thermostats are great - run around in skivies, or sweats to deal with the 'too hot' 'too cold' issues.

I use the Grocery Game for groceries - and I save a crapload. Seriously. I stock up on shampoo/toothpaste, etc - and don't have to buy it the rest of the year. It's awesome and I HIGHLY recommend it.

One thing I've found that saves alot - is to look for used stuff first. If you need something — I mean really need it, not just want it — see if someone you know has one that they don’t use or need anymore. Send out an email to family or friends, or just ask around. You might be surprised. My friend was about to buy a printer, and I found out my mom just bought a laser printer and didn’t need her old inkjet … saving her close to 100 smackeroos. If no one you know owns one, try freecycle.org or craigslist.org. Then look to buy used, at garage sales or thrift shops. You can find a bargain if you look around.

Drink water. Seriously. If your a water snob, and must have bottled - buy a water bottle with a filter on it (I have a couple of them). My husband drinks 2 or 3 'cokes' a day. I'm lucky if he buys them by the 'case' and it only costs me $20/week for his habit... but that's $80/month I could potentially save. If your a soda drinker - cut it out and save money.

I'm on a serious 'debt free' kick right now - so I'll shut up about it - but there are TONS of ways to cut costs around a house.

[kenw]

"If your a water snob, and must have bottled..."

I would suggest you simply get over it altogether and drink tap water. It's even cheaper.

Unless you have lake water....bletch!

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by jgrindal

Quoted for Truth.

I'm guessing most of you haven't ever had to lay sod....which costs a whole lot more, and is an annoying crap job....than it would to water your grass a little bit.

PLUS - if you are in a neighborhood with an HOA - that 'dead' grass, will cost you.

And it's just ugly dang it. How could you do that to yourself?

[kenw]

Donna, methinks it was tongue-in-cheek......

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by kenw

Donna, methinks it was tongue-in-cheek......

Sorry - I'll go make my coffee now.... lol... I'm still functioning on no caffiene.

Forgive me? ;-)