Money Saving Tips - Discuss how you save money and spend less

[Kaiser Wilhelm's Ghost]

A few tips of saving money.

• Never buy new. Ever. There might be some items that are better new, but the vast majority of stuff you can either have for free, or get at a reduced rate, it just takes patience. This goes from anything from games to movies to automobiles. Be savvy but also be up front that your looking for value.
• Find a cheaper comparable product. In most cases if dollars in the back account are your bottom line, don't buy luxury brand items, try to find a product that is comparable and is relatively the same, this goes for food, hygenic items, batteries.
• Buy quality items. Set yourself up with a budget and go for a higher quality item. This might be a coat or a pair of really nice shoes that you will have for a lifetime. Higher end items might require an initial outlay but pay for themselves over the course of their lifetime in savings for not having to replace them with other mid-level products.
• Don't be a trend setter, especially when it comes to electronics. It's kind of the same as point one, but electronics are marketed to be replacable every 1 - 3 years when they can easily be used for longer. I have not bought a new phone in the last 10 years because everyone always just gives me their second hand model. Same thing goes for consoles, try to get a better computer because you can upgrade the hardware and that console will drop in price within 3 years of being on the market. Not only do you buy less dud games, but they also depreciate in value over time so you can get a real bargain.
• Use public ammenities and programs. If you're really on the poverty line try to find local programs that will help, you can usually find cut rate gym memberships, pool memberships, library access, etc at reduced costs.
• If you really want to save on some staple goods find a way to access or volunteer for a food bank or other type of company. Most catering jobs will usually supply food for employees as well. Learn to bulk up some of your foods with cheaper staples and learn to be savy in bulk shopping. You can usually make good use of some of the local ethnic food shops for vegetables and staple grains as well, as well as some of the more community based food programs, it just requires a bit of looking into but you can get discounts on things.
• Ask if there is a discount available and shop around. You can usually get cheaper cuts of meat, cheaper products, etc, if you're willing to put the time in and ask. The same goes for offering to pay cash. We've lost the ability to haggle in the west, but feel free to give it a try, if they want the sale they are usually willing to offer you something especially if you have the cash on hand.
• Turn down your heater, fix your leaky faucet, etc. Energy conservation if you are footing the bill will help in the long run, plus it teaches you a bit of self sufficiency.
• Make do and mend. Similar concept. Try to repair things, if you fail buy a new thing. You can get a lot of use out of clothing, household items, etc, by simply repairing items yourself.
• Don't get a line of credit, or if you have one pay it down as soon as possible. Debt is a tool of the modern banking system that keeps people in chattel slavery. If you must go into debt make sure it is worth it.
• Try to avoid student loans. There are lots of programs you can apply to, bursaries, scholarships, etc that will help level or even eliminate the need for student loans, it just takes some work. Sure you might not be able to attend the "it" school of your choice, but you also won't have 65k worth of debt hanging over your head either.
• Eat healthy food. In the long term it may costs a bit more for less, but eating healthy food isn't really expensive when you factor in the costs of having to deal with medical costs later on in life. Also you can afford to eat healthier, even if you don't have a lot of time to cook by being savy with your orders.
• Find an inexpensive hobby. Lots of stuff can be done for free or at low cost, cultivate your hobbies around the free or inexpensive stuff. If you can't afford a gym membership find a running club, etc.
• Review your expenses weekly and see what can be cut or minimized. Literally the easiest thing to do is get rid of discretional spending. Don't order venti at work, use the company coffee machine. If you get a $4 spend every day down to zero that will free up a lot of income for other investment. Be a prick and carry your own instant coffee, ask for a hot water. If you must buy, buy the smallest coffee, the same amount of beans go into it.
• Get an allotment if you can and learn some gardening skills. You can grow some food in containers if you have space at home, or definitely at an allotment. You can save a lot on vegetables if you grow food and preserve it or find someone who can for you. You also learn a good life skill.

 

[Ira the Weatherman]

As has been stated, learning to cook is a lifesaver. Not just in the sense that cooking is cheaper than eating out, but becoming more knowledgeable about cooking will also help you prefer and make the most of cheap, unprocessed ingredients, become more time-efficient and prevent spoilage. You'll naturally begin to adopt lifestyle changes that will end up saving you a lot of money.

• Food waste is a major cause of cost that many people don't even think about because its sunk cost, but you might as well be burning money.
• Always consider the shelf life of what your buying. Some vegetables like white onions will last ages, others will be useless after a few days. If some of your veggies have softened and appear unpalatable (but haven't gone off yet), consider making a soup, stew or stock to still make use of them.
• Instead of buying pieces of chicken, buy a whole one. Do it in the weekend so you have the whole Sunday to prepare it. Cut it in pieces and plan what you're going to do with them for the nect week. Freeze anything you won't be using in the next few days. Use the carcass to make a stock and freeze that, it's going to be far better than anything you'll buy at a store that isn't very expensive. You can use it to make a quick soup whenever you want to.
• Get cheaper cuts of meat. Instead of steak, buy chuck or shank. Not only are they cheaper, they're stew meat, which means you'll get more mileage out of them than a single piece of steak. Heart and liver are usually very cheap because the average consumer doesn't like them, and there's a lot of ways to make them more palatable if you're not an organ meat fan.
• Bread isn't ideal if you're living alone. Even a half loaf will likely mold/stale before you're through it. Depending on the country, crispbread or similar hardtack-ish stuff are a good alternative. They're nutritionally similar to regular bread, price too, and they last for months.
• If you do have stale bread, turn it into croutons, French toast, stuffing, use it to thicken stews, etc. Don't let it go to waste.
• Don't buy a deep fryer, use a wok A wok is one of the most versatile kitchen implements and everyone should own one in any case.

Never cheap out on headphones if you use them, the cheap ones never last long, and will end up spending more on headphone in the long run then if you just got a good pair in the first place.

It really depends. I have two pairs, an expensive headset I only use around the house and $25 analog earphones for when I'm doing shit like working out. The latter just because of wear and tear and the like. If I lose or break something, I'd rather have it be relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. They still last me a considerable time unless I do something dumb. I'd rather buy a couple $25 pairs over, say, a 5 year period than run the risk of losing a $150 one.

You definitely shouldn't cheap out completely. The difference in quality between lower and mid range electronics is astronomical. A $10 pair of headphones is going to last weeks rather than months and they sound like utter shit. That's just a complete waste of money.

 

[RussianParasite]

Instead of buying pieces of chicken, buy a whole one.

So I was going to quote your entire post because it is all 100% accurate, but I will just sperg about this part at the top and then talk about the other things you said later.

Buy a whole chicken (frozen or not it doesn’t matter) and then get it to roughly room temperature. Dry it off with (paper) towels and then rub the entire thing with salt— and I mean rub all of it generously not forgetting parts like the back of the legs or under the wings. Let that sit for about 4-24 hours. Preheat your oven to at least 450F (230C) and let it bake for about 20 minutes. You don’t need to add other seasonings or butter, it will taste amazing as is. I’m talking like way better than the rotisserie chickens you can by pre-made at the store. Like you said, you can use the remainder for broth and whatnot.

To your other point, as far as learning to cook, you eventually over the years will get just as good as, if not better than, many “fine dining” establishments. I have gone to quite a few now and when I do am always disappointed by the fact that I probably could have made it better or could have at least improved upon it to match my particular taste. The only thing that makes no sense to replicate in your home kitchen is actually the trashy (but still sinfully good) food that you can find at some fast food joints or the hole-in-the-walls that specialize in certain food areas. The one caveat I will add here is that some of the finer dining stuff requires very fresh and top-notch ingredients to replicate which might stretch your budget depending on how much money you make.

As for the rest of your points you are spot on and I would even add that you will make healthier food in your own kitchen than you can find at restaurants. You’ll save more money, and also feel/look better after consuming said food.

Aside from cooking, sometimes paying up for quality products makes a ton of financial sense. There is a saying I know that essentially goes “I am not so rich that I can afford cheap things.” I have found this to be the case a million times over.

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

I dont own any expensive tools just a set of socket wrenches and and a oil filter wrench you can probably get from any auto part store or online.

Oil filter wrenches are a scam. Wrap a strap around a wrench, and you have improvised one. In a pinch, stab the filter laterally with a screwdriver to acquire leverage for torque.

 

[Shroom King]

For the guys here: be careful who you date and live with.

A lot of women love throwing money down the drain.

"We need new drapes."

"Why? What's wrong with these ones?"

"They're OLD!"

These type of women will say this about every single thing in the house, and will want to replace everything every 5-7 years.

If a guy is doing this shit, sever all contact, because he is burning $2000 a pop for his PrEP medicine, and has no money to help you build a life together with him.

 

[Badungus Kabungus]

Don't pay taxes.

 

[DeadwastePrime]

Don't pay taxes.

based tips

 

[Kheapathic]

Some simple financial work I partake in, is I keep multiple bank accounts.
One is straight savings; a part of every paycheck goes into it and I only check it once a month to make sure everything is proper. No cards or checks attached to it, it's there to hold.
One is for bills; I have a budget, I have an idea of what my monthly costs are, a part of every paycheck goes there, and monthly bills get withdrawn via auto-pay. I check it every two weeks to make sure it stays working. Like my savings, no cards or checks, it's there to process bills.
One is my day-to-day; this is where my card and checks are, this is also how I gauge how well I'm saving, because if I'm losing money in this one, I check to see where the problem is and make adjustments.

On top of this, when I go to work or someplace else, I don't bring my card. I have some physical money in my wallet, and if I don't have enough or don't want to sacrifice a $20 for something I don't need, I don't feel the urge, because I don't want to lose one of my bills, and I don't have my card to tell me I have plenty of money to go around.

I pretty much have to set myself up to not fall victim to impulse buying, it sounds shitty at times, but it works.

 

[Roast Chicken]

(Scrimping for Britbongs)

Rent a shed at the bottom of someone's garden (I don't live like this, heard it from someone else)

Live in a closed building that has been bought by a property management company and rented out to tenants for as cheaply as £350 a month. I know someone who lives in what used to be a school. The classrooms are now the tenants' rooms.

Raid the reduced shelves in the evenings in supermarkets.

Always buy your clothes and shoes from charity shops. Books can be under £1, DVDs are also usually £1 each.

Broadband, which can be as low as £17 a month is a valuable source of entertainment.

Shower in the morning and then turn off the hot water. Useful if you're just going to be working for the rest of the day.

Chemists sell shampoos and conditioners that are cheaper than the ones that can be purchased in supermarkets, I have bought argan oil shampoo + conditioner at £1.19 a bottle. Another cheap but effective brand is Anovia.

Take your grass cuttings to the recycling centre yourself rather than opting into the collection service. Purchase a couple of plastic bins that have lockable lids or plastic barrels to put the cuttings in.

Work somewhere that's within walking distance; saves on petrol.

Invest in a coffee machine that makes cappuccinos and lattes rather than purchasing from Costa, Starbucks, Neros etc.

Resist stopping in your local Costa for a coffee and toastie, they've blocked Kiwi Farms.

 

[secretchan]

Shoplift

 

[DeadwastePrime]

Shoplift

based

 

[glass_houses]

Bit of a necro, my apologies.

Myopic or otherwise sight-challenged Australians:

If you need your glasses maintained or straightened, take them to SpecSavers, who will straighten the frame and even replace the nose pieces for free. Don't go to OPSM, they'll charge you to even just to straighten the frames.

 

[tehpope]

Just kill yourself. You can't spend money if you're dead.

 

[ICametoLurk]

 

[vern]

I don't know if I'd recommend this for everyone but if your a waggie and have some influence on your schedule, a 4 day 10 hour workweek might save you a decent bit over a normal monday to friday 9-5
The obvious saving is gas, you end up cutting out 1/5th of what you normally burn through to get to work. But also time since a few types of errands become a lot quicker when you can do them in the workweek vs the weekend.
Although like I said, probably wouldn't recommend for everyone, If your current job leaves you completely drained after 8 hours an additional 2 will drive you insane and you get a bit shorted on holiday PTO since most companies are only required to give you 8 hours.

 

[Freshly Baked Socks]

I don't know if I'd recommend this for everyone but if your a waggie and have some influence on your schedule, a 4 day 10 hour workweek might save you a decent bit over a normal monday to friday 9-5

I have seen institutions use similar schemes to effect budget-cuts across the board.

Sending everyone home at noon on Friday cuts 10% of the hours from a workweek. On the surface you can say everyone gets furlough without increasing operating costs... while not immediately firing every 1/10th employee.

 

[awoo]

i'm glad ordering food and eating out at restaurants is mentioned (food delivery is even worse). this is my biggest day-to-day tip: to cook and limit restaurant eating to once a week or something. along the same lines if you buy coffee from a coffee place every day that adds up quickly.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Move out of your parents' place, pay rent for a year, then move back home. All of a sudden you won't have to pay thousands of dollars a month and you can set that money aside to pay for a deposit on something to own.

 

[drfuzzyballs]

USPS has forever stamps for postcards, so I've gotten some envelopes that are the regulation size for a postcard and save a little bit on the price of postage if I'm just sending a check or something like that.

 

[Niggaplease]

Tips from when I was poor fag:

1. figure out how to make ramen in at least 20 to 50 ways.
I do shopping every day mostly for mark down veggies and meat I only buy what I intend on using in a few days, the veggies are marked down for a reason. Ramen noodles are cheap groceries stores have them for about for 25 cents each to 5 for a dollar. if you remove the soup packet to reduce salt and figure out to make noodle stir-fry you can never go wrong. there's cook books for ramen, you maybe living as a poor fag but if you learn how to use cheap ingredients you can eat like a king.

2. coupon, everything
if you have free time to sit here reading this you have free time to look for coupons, either on the net or go around town and search recycling bins, for old news papers for coupons that may not expired yet. Keep these coupons in a file drawer. keeping coupons may be a bother but it can save you alot on groceries and take out. when shopping online first search for discount codes.

3. when shopping take stock of what you have and what you need first.
take stock of what you currently have what you currently need and how long things last. plan your shopping accordingly.

4. shop at a store that offers a rewards point system.
do you have a favorite store where you can get the best goods and prices? some stores offer points as a way to encourage shoppers to keep shopping there get a reward card and rack up points, save them and you can use this for gas and groceries in between paydays.

5. LOOK AT THE MARKDOWN section of the bakery, vegetables and back of the store.
tired of just surviving? want a treat? want to buy vegetables cheap? these are the sections to go too. stores markdown stock that isn't selling, maybe slightly dented but still usable or edible, or may go stale the next day. pastries warm them up in the microwave and they'll be fresh. freeze all baked goods properly if you don't plan on eating the next day.

6. Cable is for boomers, and having more than one paid subscription for streaming services is gay.
this is a no brainer but cable is a scam, and unless you can really keep track of billing dates stick to one subscription service for streaming that you use a lot and pirate the rest. remember piracy is always an option.

7. the good two shoe express
want to cut down on gas money? WALK NIGGA. walking is good exercise, I still walk when I don't have to drive, sure it takes longer to get places, but the way gas is looking your going to be walking alot anyway. mind as well get used to it now. If walking is too gay for you get a bike, and invest in attachment for it so you can put a good amount of grocceries in it. you'll save more money in the long run by getting active as well saving money on gas cause your not wasting it.

IF you want to go cheaper

8. learn how make a wifi sattelite.
its not that hard to do, theres tutorials on the internet on how to make wifi atennas and ray guns. if you live in a city it would be easier to pick up free wifi long range than in the country but I have don't it before its possible and it can help you cut down on another bill. why go to mcdonalds and starbucks for free wifi when you can leach off them at the comfort of your own home?

9. OMAD
omad is a diet plan called one meal a day, its very flexible you can eat what ever you like just once a day. just consume exactly 2000 calories, if you don't want to loose weight or 1500 to 1200 if your trying to lose weight. cutting out 2 meals means less cook time less grocceries, and more flexibility with out exceeding your food budget. just be sure to buy monthly vitamins and youur good.

10. DUMPSTER DIVING!
this isn't recommended for every body cause some parts of the country have gross dumpsters and others are okay. I have lived in quite a bit of places but I'll let you know this grocceries stores and restaurants throw out shit all the fucking time. want to know wheres a good dumpster? pay attention to your local homeless people, or go on R/dumpsterdiving, if you want to make extra cash hit up dumpsters at make up stores like ulta beauty, or sephora bath and body works, clothes stores like jc penny, game stores like game stop, make up can be disinfected and repressed with a low abv alcohol, wipe all game discs with alcohol. launder any clothes and wipe down shows. relist on mercari or ebay profit.

Tips for dumpster diving:
were durable clothes and shoes
gloves mask
have a flash light
go with a buddy
watch out for possums and racoons.

11. learn the ways of passive income
are you at home?
do you have free time and no obligations?
well guess what, you could be sitting on your ass doing nothing or you could pull up your phone or go on your computer and earn some passive income.
websites pay for surveys.
apps pay you to play games.
why spend your money when you can earn spending money and giftcard through these ways?
tips for surveys:
you never want to give out your own information, use a vpn to change your location.
make a profile and give fake information.
now by fake I mean believable fake information.
keep a note pad on your fake information you going to need it cause you have to keep your info straight.
take surveys on your free time earn some pocket money and save it for stuff you want not need neccesarily.
its not alot of money of course but you do atleast 1 to 2 surveys a day thats less money out of your check to do fun things.