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Does anyone have any money saving tips for the recession?

-Cheap food. Not necessarily unhealthy... I buy canned fruit and frozen veggies, a lot of soup and Chef Boyardee, etc. It might not be the most nutrious foods out there, but I'd say I eat pretty balanced and still manage to save money.

-Generic. Name brands have a sense of security to them, which is why people like them, but generic is often the same thing.

-Get an MVP card or whatever for the grocery store to save money. I've found that an MVP card at Food Lion ends up saving me more money than shopping for groceries at Walmart, even tho Walmart is thought to be really cheap.

-Don't eat so much. Haha, this tip is great for losing weight, AND saving money. Most people eat way more than they need to... so just ask yourself, "Am I really hungry?" Think about the money you waste when you needlessly "pig out"... and what good does it do, you just get fat and lazy.

-Buy in bulk. I get cartons of cigs instead of packs and save so much money.

-Don't go to convient stores! Yes, they are "convient", but they jack up the prices of everything, from food to alcohol to cigs.

-Figure out what you are unwilling to cut down on. For instance, I cannot handle not having money for cigerettes (haha, I sound like such a nic addict here), so I work my other spending around it. When I set myself a budget, I take into account that I will need X amount of money for cigs, and whatever money is left over I can divy out to other things.
 
1. Get a job at a restaurant, eat for free.

2. Buy what you need, only some of what you want. Some of us make that unplanned purchase that immediately causes buyer's remorse. How much happiness can a 100$ pair of pants bring?

3. Do a cheap drug. Best tip for Bluelight users :)
 
Well I just tried some roasted crickets lightly seasoned with salt and I must say, they really are delicious. I really would recommend them. I am considering trying to catch rabbits to save money on meat as well.
 
Track your spending on mint.com (free!) to see where you're hemorrhaging money.

Stop smoking cigarettes! IMO really don't give enough enjoyment for the cost. If you won't give up the habit, roll your own (Don't forget to get filters too! ) SO much cheaper and you'll probably end up smoking less because of the hassle. Also, if you are absentminded or a stoner, get natural cigs like American Spirit. If you forget about one sitting in the ashtray, they won't keep burning. A can of American Spirit lasted me sooo long in college. And after, I knew how to roll a joint a lot better :D

Packed lunches and making your own dinners are big ones.

Buy food in bulk and freeze it! I'll buy a large amount of chicken breasts and clean/cut and put in baggies in my freezer. Then I just have to throw a bag in the fridge every morning for dinner that night.

Also, don't buy prepared coffee or tea. Make your own, that shit is marked up ridiculously.

As far as food goes, try to be healthy if possible. If you buy meats and veggies in bulk and freeze them, you're still getting your nutrients. Ramen, rice and potatoes will definitely fill you up but you'll be malnourished/unhealthy. Try mixing the two! Put some chicken and/or drop an egg in your ramen or rice.
 
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Here's a really good tip. Buy cheap high fat meat but when cooked, place between paper towels and press, to reduce to the fat levels of expensive 'lean' meat.
 
Pay yourself a wage that covers your needs and save the rest of your income for 'wants' once a month.
 
i say the best thing to do is just look at your current spending and evaluate what is necessary vs. what is luxury. food, clothing and a place to live are necessary. dining out, name brand new clothes, and things like cable/satellite, cell phones, alcohol, computers... are all luxury. cut what you don't need and give yourself time to adjust to the change. i've been without tv reception for around 7 of the past 10 years and really don't miss it. i'd be lost without internet access though, so it's at the bottom of the cut-list when things get tight.
 
lacey k said:
go to the hood n watch wat people there is doin. nobodys realy doin better than basically gettin by but theres a whole lot of stretching money goin on you can learn from.


Anyways I will give you a small list of things in my life that was standard as i was growing up. Learn to eat shit like butter&sugar sandwiches. stuff made with the most basic things you can buy. enjoy kool aid. dont go out to eat unless its at taco bell off the 79 cent menu. buy ramen. dont buy brand names. dont have cable. dont run up the heat wear lots of clothes inside. dont buy the fluffy quilted toilet paper for your precious ass get the cheap kind. drink tap water or get one of them filters shits if your tap water aint safe to drink. dont have a air conditioner. turn off all lights except the ones you need. dont have subscriptions to magazines or newspapers. dont have a credit card. eat rice every night it fills you up and its cheap just get some sazon and throw it in there to make spanish rice. take good care of the shit you got so you aint got to replace it as much. have a old used car with good gas miles. dont be wearin fancy expensive ass clothes go shop at thrift stores n shit, not becuz its 'cool and hip' to wear stuff like that like all these asshole hipsters but cuz its cheaper n you can find good shit sometimes. theres lots of shit you can do. the most important money saving tip that exists however. Is learn to do without and fucking deal with it. cuz it sucks not havin alot of money but you get by. learn how to get used to things and adapt to them. and be thank ful for wat you got. If you got raised with alot of money then you got alot to learn. if you didnt then try n think back on some shit from your childhood to remind you of things you can do.
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Excellent advice! Some cheap and healthier alternatives to bread and butter sandwiches can be...
Potatoes
Bananas
A big container of oats
Bag of chicken quarters
beans/lentils
I recently got a pork shoulder for $0.69/lbs, It'll make lots and lots of shredded pork sandwiches.

If I have veggies that I know will go bad before we can use them, I toss them in the freezer to make soup with later. Same with some fruits, but I use those to make syrup and other stuff.

When bananas start going bad I freeze them until I feel like making banana bread.

There's lots more but I can't think of them right now.
 
oh freezing bananas is a good idea! i might start doing that. usually i stick mine in the fridge and then throw them out cuz i never get around to the bread part. feeling kinda dumb now for not even considering the freezer option...
 
^i have about a dozen bananas in my freezer, i really should make banana bread one of these days.
 
Living cheaply

I know we have all been feeling quite poor since the economy went to hell. Now after Christmas.... it's just inane. I'm feeling it since I've never living away from home before and it's just my bf and I.

What are some of the tricks you do to cut down on your expenses?
(have no shame people, we do what we gotta do)

The bf didn't have garbage pick up when I moved in and we found a way around it. He is the night manager at a food joint in town. When I go to pick him up at close, I load up our trash in the trunk and we toss it into the work dumpster.

Anyone else have some interesting ways of cutting corners?
 
I save alot of stuff-
All glass products- Jars from jam, pickles, any container I can reuse that I have purchased food in.
I make alot of stuff to cut down on the cost of buying.

I plan out food ideas that I can either freeze parts of (like making a huge batch of chili and freesing over half of it) or can use the product to make more than one meal.......
I burn alot of candles and try to go light on the lights-

I know I have alot more to add here, but I am so tired......
I will comeback later and add more when I can think clearly :)
 
did someone already mention re-using ziplock bags, foil, etc...that aren't really dirty? That helps!

walking....for sure!!! Its not always feesable for everyone, but if you can adjust your life to not need a car--that will save you the most cash! Right now I spend $400/month on a car payment, plus gas, plus insurance, plus maintence!!!! I don't even want to think of what i'd save in a year if I didn't need it. Unfortunately I live pretty far the fuck away from everything so I do need it.
 
Cycling is a LOT better than walking if you can get access to a bicycle for slightly longer distances. Of you're going on the roads a racing bike or (my favorite) a hybrid is a hell of a lot faster and more efficient than a mountain bike. For me, cycling is about 500% faster than walking. You get exercise too. Just make sure to dress appropriately (special artificial fabrics that wick sweat away and keep you warm or cool), get paniers to carry stuff and get lights. Helmets are optional (there is some question as to whether they improve safety). Mopeds or electric bikes are cheap economical options to cars.

In the UK if you take advanced driving lessons you can save quite a lot on car insurance.
 
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candygram said:
When bananas start going bad I freeze them until I feel like making banana bread
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I make banana pancakes.

I have a tough time saving money (unless it is necessary like for closing costs and home renovations) when I have debt that collects interest.
My financial life will be about managing a comfortable debt. I don't ever expect to be debt free.

The suggested 2 months salary emergency fund? How many of you have that? My emergency funds are a line of credit and a credit card.

I don't want to be living by candlelight or eating unhealthy food to create a savings. HAVING to live like that freaks me out.

I stopped getting waxes and pedicures ($120/month) and shifted that money onto a credit card bill. I have 2 that I use when I NEED too.,..not for that cute outfit need. I had been a client for 7 years in good standing with an excellent credit rating . My interest went from 7.99% to 25.99%. Like fuck I will ever use that card again. 2 months later, that bill is paid in full and the card shredded.

We used to have a garden and that brought it some. We used those funds for the greater good.

I keep my goals short term and I keep my waste to a minimum.
 
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