Your Unique Money Saving Ideas!

Last week I asked for your unique money saving ideas, and boy-oh-boy did you deliver! So many amazing ideas, some of which I employ on a daily basis, others new even to me. Here’s a small percentage of your ideas:

Kim:

I use a 5-cup coffee maker in the morning. (It makes two mugfuls.) When I’m ready for more, I refresh the used grounds by stirring them up a bit and adding half the amount of grounds for a second pot.

Lindsey:

A trick I learned years ago was to list our house on the HomeExchange.com site. That way, our lodging is virtually free when we use the site to arrange reciprocal exchanges (we swap house for house at the same time) or Guest Point exchanges (which work more like Airbnb). We have also rented our house via Airbnb for 2 months while going on a longer road trip.

Findley:

I give cash as gifts and refuse to buy gift cards because I think cash is far superior — it cannot expire and it doesn’t limit the receiver to a certain store or mall. They can pay a bill, put it into savings or buy things second hand.

Jill:

We change our clothing more than we change the thermostat of we aren’t comfortable with the house temp. We have saved a lot of money on electric this way. I might wear 3 or 4 different clothes changes, but I’m not making my house hotter or colder.

Juhli:

My addition is to get really clear on your priorities and spend very little on the low priority areas. As a young person my total priority was getting an education. As a young mother it was providing good care and experiences for my sons rather than lots of things. As a working person it was collecting assets for when health issues or retirement called for a nest egg but having inexpensive fun and experiences along the way. Now as a retiree it is stretching our money for everyday expensive where possible, paying for good healthcare and having fun and experiences with our family. Hence the 13 year old car lol.

Selena:

Personally I think living below ones means is the key. I’m not talking about being so cheap you never see the dentist, optometrist, doctor, maintain/adequately insure what you own OR steal sugar/condiment packages from restaurants. Wants versus needs is key

Marilyn:

At least once a year, I review all “repeated expenses”. This means things I pay for month after month with automatic deductions from my bank account. I’m talking about subscriptions, monthly cell phone bill, etc. I don’t want to mindlessly pay for any services I am no longer using.

Cindy:

I will get pumpkins on sale the day after Halloween and put them in colder bedroom and eat on them and their seeds during the winter. They usually last until January or February.

JC:

I think for me it was convincing my family that I do not want “stuff”. I don’t need anything more to care for and eventually have to dispose of. I remind them that at some point “stuff” given to me could become their problem to get rid of…..

Iris:

I save orange netting (plastic kind) from orange bags or other produce that uses that type of netting and use those as scrubbers for my pots and pans. Works great.

Lindsey:

one of the best things I did starting right after I finished grad school was to act like I was making $10,000 a year less than I was after taxes and banking that. Every time I took a new job or got a raise, I raised the amount I was acting like I didn’t make, so a few years later I acted like I was making $12,000 less than I was, and so on. After I had a large emergency fund, I stopped putting the excess in the bank and began investing it.

Mary Ann:

Focus on big money moves rather than the small. I treat the small money savers, (like upscaling my 45 year old bath towels with borders and embroidery; cooking in batches; or consigning clothes on Poshmark) as a hobby. I treat the BIG financial stuff as a job. This doesn’t come naturally to me. I have to study and read financial advice. I have to ask real financial advisors pro bono but in the end, I need to make decisions and be bold.

And counterpoint:

Christine:

I maintain my habit of saving money in most everything by remembering what Amy D. from the Tightwad Gazette preached: It’s the thousands of small things that add up to a large amount of money saved.

I keep my speed at under 64 mph locked into cruise control on the highway to save 7% on gas, we bring our car in for regular oil changes as it extends the life of the vehicle, I use the library for almost all my reading (I buy one book a month from my good friend who owns an Indy bookstore for the Book Club I attend there) and much of my entertainment through their free programs, I wash clothes in cold water and hang them to dry, I cook almost exclusively at home except for attending a few dinners a year to help support local fundraisers, I buy most of our clothing at thrift shops (bras, underwear, bathing suits, socks and shoes excluded…I’m too skeeved out by these) but find these last for a long time anyway, buy almost everything I can secondhand, make our own coffee, tea and iced tea at home, walk for exercise, cash in deposit cans and bottles

Julie:

Preplan and more importantly prepay for your final arrangements. I did that for my mom and it saved money as the costs were locked in at the time of payment. On the other hand, be prepared for additional expenses that were not thought of at the time of the initial payment. I chose to have my mom buried on a Sunday so more people could attend and it cost extra to have the grave diggers there.

Ann:

USE THE LIBRARY – all the time. DVDs, books, audio, Libraries are the best bargain. Ours just added Flipster for magazines. I save an amazing amount of money as I tally up the price of what I would buy at the checkout and then download them for free.

Karen:

One of our best moves was literally a move. We downsized into a new home that has just the right amount of space for our empty-nester lives. Had a big garage sale and sold a few things online before moving. Our utility bills and home insurance have reduced a great deal. With a few exceptions, we used existing furniture so no big redecorating costs. There’s no room for things we don’t really need so the temptation to buy more/new stuff is pretty much gone!

Ava:

We never replace anything that is still working well to get a newer model. That includes computers, phones, cars, shoes, clothing. If it wears out or begins to have too many problems we don’t mind replacing. We never replace because an item is out of date or unfashionable.

Bee:

I live frugally so I can live richly.

I have also forged long-term relationships with the people that take care of me, my family and my home. This one is sometimes controversial among frugal people. I do not always shop for the cheapest deal. I have used the same plumber, electrician, contractor, accountant, mechanic, veterinarian, and investment advisor for years. I know that they will treat me fairly and that they do their jobs well. Because I have come to know them, they are always there to help me or answer questions. I believe this saves money in the long run and gives me peace of mind.

I have made an effort to take advantage of all benefits offered by employers over the years – matching 401k contributions, FSAs, HSAs, discount programs, health rebate programs and much more. Now that I’m self-employed, I carefully track my expenditures. Many of my expenses can be written off.

Dicey:

Credit for this tip goes to my husband. He knows how to fix things, so he scours CL for things he needs. He’s redoing our backyard, using mostly secondhand or cheaply sourced materials. He needed a rototiller, so he found a free non-working one on CL. He fixed it rather easily, with minimal cost. He will use it to complete the project and then sell it. It won’t take up space forever and he’ll get at least $250 for it when he sells it in good working condition on Craigslist.

Now it’s your turn, what are your unique money saving ideas? 

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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