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O.k. I need help trying some new things to save money. I already do alot of the suggestions I have read about on this board like cuttin gdryer sheets in half turning down thermostat, washing clothes in cold water, etc. etc I need more ideas because I am barely getting by working part-time and hate that I can never have any money left over especially when i read about good deals for x-mas etc. I just started this week putting all the coins i can find into a jar for x-mas money.i have $14 so far. Please help any ideas would be great.
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I did this for allergy reasons but it was also super cheap. Instead of putting fabric softner in a downy ball I filled it up to the line with white vinegar. You can purchase it by the gallon for under $2 at wallmart or somewhere else if it's an off brand. If it matters only Heinz is made from vegetables. The rest are petrolium based. You clothes will come out just as soft with no vinegar smell if you don't over use it. If you dont' want to spend the money on a downy ball just measure out about a 1/4 -1/2 c. of white vinegar and add it to the rinse water during the wash cycle. It also helps get out the excess soap from your clothing.
You can save money by washing your hair with baking soad and rinsing with apple cidar vinegar diluted as well. I learned it from a no shampoo thread on another site I belong to. I tried it also because of allergies and I'm a graduate of beauty school so we shampoo around here! lol It's easy and really does work. You take a container and pour baking soda in it. Then get another container like a small jar or old small sized vinegar bottle and our about a 1/4 c. of apple cidar vinegar in it and the rest water. Put both in the shower. When you want to wash your hair hold the container with baking soda up to the water and get about an inch of water on top of it and then stir up the baking soda and make a runny paste. Apply to your scalp and rub in, let sit for only a minute and then rinse out thouroughly, your hair will feel HORIBLE! DON'T STOP THERE, then take the apple cidar vinegar solution and hold your breath because it's COLD and pour it on your head and make sure you get all of your hair. Let it sit while you wash the rest of your body. Then when you are done in the shower rinse your hair as a final step. It will be soft and smooth like silk! GENTLY towel dry your hair and don't put a bunch of junk on it when you get out of the shower unless you want to but what you are doing with the baking soda and vinegar is putting your hair back in natural balance. The shampoo that we all use strips the hair of oil, when you do this the folicals freak out and start over producing oil to get some to your hair quick, then you are in the cycle of HAVING to wash your hair each and every day to avoid that greasy look, after using the baking soda thing for a few days you can start going a day in between without washing with baking soda but just rinsing with vinegar. Then you can go longer how long depends on your system. I am a clean freak to put it nicely so my hygene is ultra important to me so me even typing this is making me sound like a greaser! lol But trust me I'm NOT. Good luck with it. If anybody has any questions I'll try and answer them. I use shampoo right now but have thought about going back to my baking soda and vinegar!
If I think of other money saving things I'll let you know!
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One way to start to save money is to see how you spend money. How about keeping every little receipt - from the grocery store to the gas station and in between - and keeping a log of everything that you spend? Then, you can see exactly where your moeny goes.
Also, do you shop with a grocery list? One thing my sister did was to make a spreadsheet of everything that she used and wrote down the cheapest price where she purchased it. Then, she would keep the list on her fridge - when she started to run low, she would check off that she needed to buy it. This became her grocery list. She could also match coupons to her food items, and only stock up when she needed to.
What about a garage sale? Getting rid of unused things can bring in some extra cash.
Finally, this tip is from Neal Boortz. Everytime you break a large bill ($5, $10, $20, etc) set the $1 bills aside and put them in a jar or something. Never spend a $1 bill, constantly put them aside. You would be amazed at how much you can save just by doing that. I start every fall and do it through the winter and use it for my spring yard sale money. I have saved over $300 in just a few months.
Hope these ideas help!
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Can you hang your clothes on a line to dry? Costs a lot to use the dryer...
If you have cable can you live without for awhile? Use the library for movies!
Do you cut coupons? Can you cook from scratch?
Check out the frugal boards I am sure you will learn a lot.
Good luck
Leighann
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I highly recommend going to your local library and checking out any of the "Tightwad Gazette" books by Amy Dacyczyn.
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Finally, this tip is from Neal Boortz. Everytime you break a large bill ($5, $10, $20, etc) set the $1 bills aside and put them in a jar or something. Never spend a $1 bill, constantly put them aside. You would be amazed at how much you can save just by doing that. I start every fall and do it through the winter and use it for my spring yard sale money. I have saved over $300 in just a few months.
What an excellent idea! I'm totally gonna start to try this.
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Try reading Miserly Moms by Jonni Mccoy or books by Mary Hunt.
I agree with keeping a spending diary. At the end of each day write down every penny you spent. Then at the end of the week/month go through and see what you could have lived without.
Before you buy anything ask yourself: Do I absolutely need to buy this? Can I live without it? Can I find it cheaper elsewhere or do I already have something similar at home?
For clothes shopping never pay full price. Shop garage sales, clearance racks, goodwill, salvation army, consignment stores.
For food see if angelfoodministries is available in your area. Shop Aldi's or Save-a-lot for the cheapest prices. Shop at discount bread stores.
Have a garage sale. Sell things on Ebay. Sell things at Stuff, Etc if you have one in your area.
When my dh went back to college the library became my best friend. I haven't paid for a movie rental in over 3 years. I love to read so I check out books. If I really want to buy a certain book I go to a used book store and buy it with store credit. One store by me keeps a record of people's requests and calls when a book comes in.
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Originally Posted by Country~mouse
I highly recommend going to your local library and checking out any of the "Tightwad Gazette" books by Amy Dacyczyn.
I LOVE this book! I have read it from cover to cover at least three times! I highly recommend it. It has so many tips on so many things. I wish she was still doing her newsletter. I love the way she writes. Get the COMPLETE tightwad gazette it has all three books in it. You library can get it on the inner library loan too if you can't find it.
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make a menu for your meals and stick to it this will greatly reduce uneeded purchases. if you don't have a clothes line try hanging on shower bar if you have one that will save money also don't overuse laundry soap you don't need as much as the container says. check your dollar stores and compare detergent prices..
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Originally Posted by anniebananie
One way to start to save money is to see how you spend money. How about keeping every little receipt - from the grocery store to the gas station and in between - and keeping a log of everything that you spend? Then, you can see exactly where your moeny goes.
Also, do you shop with a grocery list? One thing my sister did was to make a spreadsheet of everything that she used and wrote down the cheapest price where she purchased it. Then, she would keep the list on her fridge - when she started to run low, she would check off that she needed to buy it. This became her grocery list. She could also match coupons to her food items, and only stock up when she needed to.
What about a garage sale? Getting rid of unused things can bring in some extra cash.
Finally, this tip is from Neal Boortz. Everytime you break a large bill ($5, $10, $20, etc) set the $1 bills aside and put them in a jar or something. Never spend a $1 bill, constantly put them aside. You would be amazed at how much you can save just by doing that. I start every fall and do it through the winter and use it for my spring yard sale money. I have saved over $300 in just a few months.
Hope these ideas help!
Tracking your purchases faithfully for a month can really help you discover hidden money leaks. I do this periodically, and this last time I realized that with a little effort I could cut my gas consumption down. My goal has been to fill up only once every two weeks, but now I am trying to get to once every 3 weeks. It will take some planning, but at nearly three dollars a gallon, it can't hurt to try!