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It is always a good idea to save money, and these are some great tips to help you do that. How much you can save depends entirely on how closely you follow these ideas. These are tips we currently follow in our own home so we can live modestly but comfortably without having to sacrifice our family time with extra jobs. If you have any more tips, I’d love to see them in the comments!
It may not seem obvious, but a clean home can save a lot of money. Clutter can result in broken or lost items, and a messy home will always depress you- leading to a weakening of resolve to save money. This is nowhere more obvious than in the kitchen. You will be a lot more inclined to cook at home (and thus save money) if your kitchen is clean. Remember when cooking to keep a sink full of warm water to make clean up a breeze. If you can keep it clean, it will be much easier to…
You don’t have to go out to have a good time, especially if going out involves a bar or a club. It is lovely to go out from time to time, but it can mean hundreds a month in unnecessary expenses if you do it too often. Having friends over will be much cheaper than meeting friends at a bar, and will be more relaxed as well. If you do go out, take a set amount of cash and leave the cards home. This will stop you from over spending if (and when) your judgment becomes impaired.
This was a popular adage in the Great Depression, but has fallen out of fashion these days. Our waistlines would be smaller and our wallets fatter if we could all remember to only eat what we need to satisfy our hunger. There is nothing wrong with leftovers, and stretching a meal into two or three has serious financial advantages. This lesson is also important where children are concerned. Remember that children often eat much less than adults do. Only give a child a small portion of food. If they need more, they can have more, but there is no excuse for tossing out half eaten sandwiches or dishes with only a bite or two missing. Keeping a close eye on what goes on the plate and what is left behind will save a great deal of money.
Know what you have in your fridge, freezer and pantry (as well as throughout the rest of the house). This will prevent the purchase of doubles, and will help you use what you have before it gets a chance to go bad. There is no excuse for throwing away food! If it has gone bad, let it be a lesson to you to keep a closer eye on your supplies.
Take advantage of deals, especially where meat is concerned. There is nothing wrong with freezing a meal. You can purchase bulk packages of different meats and freeze in individual portions. Similarly, when cooking you can make extra to freeze. This works exceptionally well for soups. You can freeze soup conveniently by ladling into freezer bags and stacking. When they are needed later, all you need to do is add a little stock or water and heat up on the stove. In this way, you can keep your home stocked with weeks or even months of food, getting into the habit of only buying food on sale and saving incredible amounts of money.
Don’t go crazy for holidays or birthdays. Remember that it is the event you are celebrating, not the expense. Certainly it is ok to spend money on a holiday or birthday, but keep it within the importance of the event. A three year old’s birthday, for instance, doesn’t need a rented pony or a three tier cake. Christmas doesn’t require an expensive gift for absolutely every acquaintance, nor do the people you are buying for require triple digit present prices.
Trading with friends and neighbors just makes sense. Their old items can still be new to you and vice versa. Similarly, items you only use once in a blue moon can be shared among neighbors, from ice cream makers to pruning shears, saving everybody plenty.
It’s not just for kids anymore: Giving everyone in the house an allowance will prevent unplanned spending from the main budget. It will also seem easier to save up for something when you are working from a solid amount in your allowance instead of what’s left over in your paycheck.
Always have physical and dental checkups, and practice routine maintenance on your car and home. Preventative care is always many times cheaper than a repair. In addition, everyone should know how to fix minor things in their home and car.
Many homemade things are not only less expensive than their store bought counterparts, but taste or look better, too. Where food is concerned, the more from scratch it is, the better and cheaper it tends to be. Bread is an excellent example of this rule. If you could have tastier, fresher bread for a fraction of the price of store bought, why wouldn’t you? Another excellent home made item (depending on the laws in your state/country) is beer. Where I live, the initial investment to brew about 100 bottles of beer is $100, or a $1 a bottle. After you have the equipment, it is $30 for 100 bottles, or $0.30 a bottle. Not a bad price for the best beer in town.
Even the most frugal among us may have our resolve weakened by the glassy eyes and pouting lips of our children. Don’t give in! Of course your children can have toys and books and games and, on occasion, candy. The problem is, you will walk past about 300 of these kinds of items with your children every day. Remember that these things are meant to be special, they should never be an obligation. Few children truly benefit from getting everything they ask for.
Specialty items are luxury items. Few homes truly need a juicer, or an apple corer, or an ice cream maker. Make sure, when purchasing items for the home, that it is not only necessary, but that it is capable of performing a variety of tasks. An immersion blender, for instance, is cheaper than a regular blender and more versatile. A couple quality knives can do the work of dozens of specialty knives.
Keep your thermostat cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. If you get slightly chilly in your home, put on a pair of socks or cuddle up in a blanket before you fire up the furnace. If it’s too warm, make sure your home wouldn’t be easier cooled with an open window. Speaking of windows, keep them well insulated, by having them properly sealed and using blinds and drapes that will keep out the cold and keep in the warm. On hot days, keep the blinds shut on windows facing the sun. In addition, always remember to only use lights or other power items when you actually need them.
Every debt, as soon as it is incurred, especially if you are struggling to make ends meet. Bills are bad enough without late charges and interest piling up. Putting off a bill is never a good idea.
It may seem obvious, but then the current financial climate seems to prove this common sense is not so common. There are a few items in life you will likely need to get a loan for (a home, for instance), but everything else is meant to be bought outright. While it is actually a good idea to have a credit card (to help build credit), it becomes pointless if you can’t pay off the balance every month. If you find yourself struggling to maintain a credit card, get rid of it. They are too easy to get in over your head with. Owning everything outright is much cheaper and much less stressful, besides being beyond the realm of repossession should you hit exceptionally hard financial times.
Contributor: flibbertigibbet
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1 Tricia
December 29th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Awesome tips! I try to do as many of these as possible. My weakness is the heat one. I live in England but grew up in California. I’m cold! :O) I think I have the chills all the time.
2 chandramouli
December 29th, 2008 at 3:09 am
I think most of the Asians(Including me(Indian)) follow most of these things.
3 ed93622
December 29th, 2008 at 3:45 am
maybe cutting back on internet usage would help also
4 lily_89
December 29th, 2008 at 4:18 am
My family has been doing most of these things for a long time but come on keeping the thermostat warmer in summer i mean here in dubai it is basically over 40C for 9 months out of the year and quite frankly no one here can survive without an AC.
5 downhighway61
December 29th, 2008 at 4:39 am
I’m going to have to agree with Tricia… England is cold, and nothing like Las Vegas! I think winter might be better though, because at least I have an excuse to turn up the heat!
Anyway, this list reads like my life. My husband and I spent less than $60 on my son for Christmas, on two things he absolutely loves. There’s no reason to spend huge amounts of money.
6 Wolfman
December 29th, 2008 at 4:58 am
If you hate the climate in England so much, you know what you can do? That’s right, head on back to wonderful California and fabulous Las Vegas. If you’re cold: do what the English, including me, do and put on a damn jumper. Christ, can’t people stop complaining and use a bit of common sense!
7 dor
December 29th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Almost ALL of the items on this list, & others of the same category, are common practices here in India.. except the maintainance. We cant repair anything ourselves!!
8 mtclly
December 29th, 2008 at 5:18 am
The heat one… unsuccessful with my family. The airconditioner is on all the time because of the blazing heat in Australia… especially in Summer right now. The rest, we all do. Expecially my dad, he always tries to fix everything by himself and without a help of a professional.
9 lola
December 29th, 2008 at 5:35 am
this list is excellent, much better than the previous one
10 downhighway61
December 29th, 2008 at 5:37 am
See that Tricia, we’re complaining. We talk about one thing we dislike about a place and instantly get yelled at.
Heaven forbid we state a difference in places, or have a common bond like moving to a cold place from a warm place.
One itty bitty little thing, and we’re told to come back from where we came from. (Well, I’m from a place much, much colder than England, but whatever.)
Damn, people are defensive today.
11 Polymath
December 29th, 2008 at 5:55 am
I like the list with those pictures you have chosen. #7 Practice Routine Maintenance gave me a giggle.
12 seano
December 29th, 2008 at 6:50 am
I cannot get enough of the list universe. I have been a list junkie from the age of 8, huddled around books like The Book of Lists, The Guinness Book etc. I am so happy there is a place to go for lists on the web…so random, informative, bizarre….love it, love it! I would have to add Use all of the food in your Pantry to the latest list. I found some great soup we forgot about….if you’re into that sort of thing….I put you on my blogroll at seanoandjefe.blogspot.com. Happy New Year to all of you fine folks.!
13 Ducky23
December 29th, 2008 at 6:52 am
All great tips. It feels wonderful when you pay off a debt, even the little ones. I cannot stand to have a dirty kitchen. I don’t like dishes just sitting in the sink. When I cook, the dishwasher either has to have room for all the dishes I will use or be empty, as well as the sink.
14 Jessy
December 29th, 2008 at 7:04 am
What a timely list. I’m currently on vacation and have already spent waaaaaayyyy more than I planned to. Perhaps next a list about how to save money while having good vacations?
15 thewebpromoter
December 29th, 2008 at 8:13 am
thanks for the info
16 neilos
December 29th, 2008 at 9:18 am
#6, Wolfman. Is there any reason for rudeness? I think that Tricia and the other commenter were simply stating their opinion, why is it necessary to attack? Lighten up.
17 karolina
December 29th, 2008 at 10:03 am
The most important tip is 1…this is why we are where we are. Some people use credit cards like magic wands. For as much as I love the mall and the Brand Name Outlets, I have to buy clothes at Target once in a while. This so reminds me of that book Confessions of Shopaholic. Same goes for eating out when you can make a perfectly good meal at home.
And please no more sarcastic or rude comments…
18 Mom424
December 29th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Thanks for the list, I’ll show it to my hubby, he’s mad I paid off an old satellite TV bill today when we’re suffering work cut-backs/lay-offs. I told him “all the more reason to get rid of this debt”. Geez.
19 DeadLast Johnny
December 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Well, me and my girlfriend are guilty of number 1, big time! Whoops!
20 Tricia
December 29th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Yeah ouch Wolfman. When I say I’m cold that doesn’t mean I don’t like England. I’m just freakin freezing! And it’s not that easy to just go back to Cali. I think the military would take some offense if I just up and left.
downhighway61-thanks for the comment. I do love living in England though. You don’t really get seasons in California and I got to watch the most wonderful changes in the leaves this year. And cold-weather clothes are awesome and I never got to wear them back home. This moment I have a scarf and fuzzy boots on.
neilos- thanks for the comment as well!
I would have written back sooner but there were some problems with the webpage today. It wouldn’t let me post anything.
21 downhighway61
December 29th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Tricia, no problem. Outta curiosity, where are you stationed?
Not that there’s all that many options.
I like it here enough I guess. Not my favorite place ever, but it could be much worse, I could be at Minot or some other place really far from anything else.
22 bigski
December 29th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I try to do all these things on a regular basis and im called cheap,go figure.
23 Tricia
December 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’m at RAF Mildenhall. Yeah when I think it could be bad I think of places like Barksdale or Minot. Then I’m happy. I’ve been able to see Europe and I couldn’t be happier about that. How about you?
Back to the list though, I was thinking about how much my mom spoils my baby sister and I was thinking she probably couldn’t claim to be so poor if she would just raise her like she raised me.
24 jfrater
December 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I think this list is *especially* timely after all the extra money we spend at Christmas!
25 Tricia
December 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
jfrater- you’re totally right. My husband and I set a limit based on our budget this year. The we stayed at home and watched Christmas TV. We got really good gifts, had an awesome vacation, and we’re not drowning in bills we don’t need.
26 downhighway61
December 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Haha Team Mildenhall. I go to the Bob Hope Center all the time!
I’m at Lakenheath.
27 Tricia
December 29th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
No freakin way!!! Small small world. I wonder if we’ve seen each other before?
Well good to know you.
28 downhighway61
December 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
You too!
It really is a small world.
29 Nicosia
December 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
flibbertigibbet- You need to have a talk with my husband! LOL He’s not allowed to go to Wal-Mart anymore unless I am with him! He always sees something he “needs”….
30 flibbertigibbet
December 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Wow, this went up fast! I know the tips are fairly common, but everyone needs a little reminding now and then….
31 Freshies
December 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
At least for me, in the U.S., making beer at home equals out to be about $1.00/ea. I can’t figure out how to make it cost less than this. I guess it is about the same as if I went to the beer store and cheaper than the bar, but I’m having a hard time convincing myself that is it worth it just to save money. If you could make a list and show me how to save money on making beer, that would be a great help.
32 justme
December 29th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
I say screw that, spent every cent.
Die in Debt.
33 segue
December 29th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
My husband and I follow all of these rules, and more.
When we are planning a vacation, as we are right now, we save up before-hand, so that the entire vacation is paid for before we depart! We don’t scrimp on vacation, either, we do them up properly. In April 2010 we’ll be going to France, Italy, and Ireland for a month. Planning ahead makes big dreams possible.
My husband is ex-Air Force, so we can shop on base. That not only saves money on prices, but there is no sales tax. We only go once a month, and stock up on milk, bread, butter, juice, cereal, anything which either has a long shelf life or can be frozen (milk freezes beautifully).
We drive a 20 year-old Lexus, with 360,000 miles on it. It looks and runs like new, because we keep it in good repair. It has never missed an oil change or a major maintenance. At this rate, the mechanic says, the car just might run forever…btw, we paid cash for it when new.
We have no debt, save for the mortgage. Every bill is paid as soon as it’s due. Nothing is bought which can’t be paid for *now*.
We keep the house “company ready” at all times, because we are both a bit compulsive about that. It perks you up to have a neat and tidy environment to live in, and I have a huge garden which I take enormous pride in keeping beautiful.
None of this happened overnight. It was, and is, a work in progress. Every day you find a new way to make life less expensive, less tedious, happier.
And every day you make decisions, is this more important than that?
The rules are up to you. Whether you win or lose is up to you. And you get to change your mind in the middle of the game.
34 Nicosia
December 29th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Freshies… Honey, you could try your hand at MOONSHINE!
35 c-ry
December 29th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
i’m sick of these self help lists, they’re not entertaining, they don’t help anyone, and they’re hella gay
36 Corey
December 29th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Here’s a tip I’d like to see on one of these lists: Don’t leave the TV on just because you have pets at home! At least half of you know what I’m talking about. My sister leaves her TV whenever she’s gone because she has 2 dogs. The dogs don’t care if it “sounds like someone’s home”!
37 Vera Lynn
December 29th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Tricia (23)
Mildenhall is referenced in a song by Pink Floyd!
And my home is spotless esp my kitchen.I would have it no other way. My ex made me live in clutter and disarray. No more. Ever.
38 flgh
December 29th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
LOL at least 13 out of these 15 are common sense
39 PurpleRibbon
December 29th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Dang, if I had a home like #2, why would I need to go anywhere?
40 Steve T.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:00 am
flgh (38): Yes they are common sense. But unfortunately, in practice, common sense is not common enough.
41 Usher
December 30th, 2008 at 2:05 am
damn… you guyz are poor.
42 dor
December 30th, 2008 at 5:49 am
@Usher.. its not about being poor & acting cheap.. its about saving up, especially now with increasing prices! Take a look around u, inflation is threatening everyone & every country, even the “superpowers” like USA & UK..
Even the Queen has to cut down on her luxuries!!
43 Tricia
December 30th, 2008 at 9:14 am
@Vera Lynn: that’s a really cool tidbit to tell other people here. Pink Floyd’s not exactly my music scene so I had no idea. Thanks!
44 lifeschool
December 30th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Hi guys. I’m the author of the last ’15 tips for saving thousands’ article. Again, most people say these are more Common Sense than anything else; I suppose you could have said ‘wise up – don’t waste money’ in large bold letters x15 times! – but you know, what is common sense for one person may be a revalation to another. Every generation has to learn this stuff again and again; so it’s now our time to repeat it.
Good point raised, but just to highlight some things. You point about knives. Buying one good quality knife that never gets blunt will save a massive amount over a lifetime. Buying cheap walmart knives is false ecconomy in that they go blunt after a year or so – resulting in you having to throw them out.
The whole ‘disposable’ nature of products these days hides the fact that you are having to purchase the same things over and over; razors, shopping bags, sandwich boxes. If you see cerial in a bag rather than a box, it will be cheaper. Same with dog biscuits. As a related point, buying in bulk can often save you money on things you would have to go out and buy anyway.
“Take nothing less than the second best” – Curtis Mayfield. In other words; the ‘best’ things are rarely worth paying the extra for. In my opinion, the ‘best’ wrist watch is one that looks good and tells the time. The best car is one that is always reliable. Fashionable? Fashions change. Practical never goes out of style.
45 hebdenhippy
December 30th, 2008 at 11:30 am
A very useful list! And they’re not all common sense, I would never have thought of number 15 as a money saving technique, but you make a fair point and I shall try to be cleaner! Personally, I find a great way to save money is to never buy anything on special offer that you wouldn’t buy at full price. Just because it’s a great deal doesn’t mean that you actually want/need the item.
46 JayArr
December 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Hey, Jesse (14), on the lines of saving money vacationing, I can remember a few things we did when we went over seas:
1. Book flights at least 1 month in advance – saves some serious cash!
2. Stay at a B&B that gives discounts for longer stays
3. Cook your own breakfast before you leave (or eat local B&B {often traditional chow!] if served as part of stay price and early enough for you to get out the door on time)
4. Pack your own lunches for the day – save the $$ for eating the nice dinners that are representative of the culture you are enjoying and exploring.
5. Plan your daily forrays well – do circuits from place to place, and try not to cover the same territory more than once
6. Don’t spend most of your day driving! If what you want to see is farther than 1-2 hours of driving, pack up and find another B&B, time-share, etc. to explore from.
7. Eat at the local pubs and cafes… the smaller local joints are usually better food anyway, and cost piles of money less than the big name multi-star restaurants!
8. Share the fare – travel with another couple who like to see the same sights and sight-see/travel at your speed.
9. Limit your purchases to only those things that you will use again and again later on (tea pots, shot glasses, good books, clothing, etc.) – avoid the nifty knick-knacks, doo-dads, fluff-n-nutter junk that sits on shelves and collects dust.
10. Budget, budget, budget – take only what you plan to spend, and spend only what you take… DO be prepared to have a small emergency stash available ‘just in case’, but don’t even consider spending it unless you MUST.
I love to save money, so I can spend it later on the things that I really want… including that rare trip to a far-off land.
47 segue
December 30th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
This is a tip which ends up saving big money every year. Make your own cleaners for windows, glass, counter tops, floors, mildew. All it takes is sudsy ammonia, water, and sometimes a shot of chlorine.
We make them up in different strength batches in spray bottles, write what the formula is for on the front, and use as one would the expensive brand. It actually works better.
The chlorine is added to the mildew cleaner. You can watch the mildew disappear! I’ve been using the ammonia/water trick for so long that I can’t really remember when the last time I owned a bottle of Windex was. This formula is pennies per bottle, rather than the high cost of the specialized cleaners you buy at the store.
Another tip. Go to Smart & Final, or whatever is the local equal, and buy a bag of cleaning rags. They last for several years, just wash and reuse, rather than the toss away paper towels. Another big cost savings over time.
48 jfrater
December 30th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
segue: I used to make my own laundry detergent with soda crystals and a bar of sunlight soap – it worked really well and made liters of the stuff.
49 segue
December 30th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
48. jfrater: I used to make my own laundry detergent with soda crystals and a bar of sunlight soap – it worked really well and made liters of the stuff.
****
That’s the spirit! It’s amazing what you can do with a little ingenuity, and the savings are nothing to be sneezed at!
50 downhighway61
December 30th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
For people with allergies and sensitivity to harsh chemicals, all you need to make your own cleansers is vinegar, water, lemon juice and borax. I can’t use anything that smells strong, and these work fabulous for pretty much anything. I haven’t bought anything else in awhile.
Ammonia and chlorine are too strong for me.
51 segue
December 30th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Absolutely correct! For those with sensitive skin or eyes, downhighway61′s alternatives are excellent.
52 Nicosia
December 30th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
A funny story for my fellow Pink Floyd fans…
My husband and I both LOVE classic rock, and his fave band is Pink Floyd. When we found out that our now 18 month old was going to be a boy, he wanted desperately to name him Floyd. I like Pink Floyd too, but hated the name. I proposed a compromise: The baby’s middle name is Mercury, like Freddie Mercury
53 Nicosia
December 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
And if he had been a girl, the hubby wanted the name Vera Lynn
54 Davo
December 30th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
the number one tip should be Don’t Have Children. I’m not going to make that mistake and will be better off then everyone.
55 suzi
December 31st, 2008 at 1:44 am
Here’s another one:
Don’t buy stuff just because it’s a “deal”.
I know so many people whose homes are clogged with cheap stuff they proudly tell me the price of. All that bargain hunting used up their money just as much as buying a few quality items they could really get some use out of.
56 JayArr
December 31st, 2008 at 9:14 am
Poor Davo(54)… I feel sorry for you. You’ll be missing out on some of life’s greatest moments and memories. Plus, when the house is empty, you’re 50 years old, and it’s 9 o’clock in the evening on Christmas Eve… and there are no children or grand children to be found… I suspect you’ll be wondering what ‘better off’ really means.
57 segue
December 31st, 2008 at 10:47 am
54. Davo: Don’t Have Children. I’m not going to make that mistake and will be better off then everyone.
****
You’re looking at this from the wrong angle. Children give in joy, far more than they cost in dollars. Plus, once they are grown, you have the joy still, and can be saving money hand over fist.
In fact, done correctly, you can save money *and* have children at the same time. I raised 3 children by myself, from the time they were 4, 5, and 6 . We worked out a lot of interesting ways to save money on the basics; their cousins were just a little older than they, so we got a lot of hand-me-down clothes in perfectly good condition. I made all of our own meals, saving on fast food and prepared foods. I sent their lunches to school with them, saving on the price of school lunches. I decorated the lunch bags, each child had a story which began in Kindergarten and lasted through high school. I saved enough to allow them private music lessons.
Now that they’re adults, I’ve heard from their friends how wonderful they thought their childhood was. How special they thought I made their childhood.
Now, my eldest has a child, and I can see her doing some of the same things I did.
Children are a joy. Money is a convenience. There’s a difference.
58 Ramza
January 1st, 2009 at 11:46 pm
#1 one tips!
Live with your parents, that way you will save over a $100K!!!
Beats anything!!
59 Ben
January 2nd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I will live with my parents until I have my own children.
Good list.
60 Ransom
January 4th, 2009 at 1:55 am
Never forget that the sun can also power some things and is a natural light source.
61 QTKITTY
January 5th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Here’s a tip I wish I’d learned a few decades ago: daily use of inexpensive dental floss now can save rhousands of dollars in dental fees in the years ahead.
62 Mark
February 10th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I agree with the homebrew sentiment, it is a great idea. But I think the best beer in town bit might give some people the wrong idea. No doubt your own beer will taste great to you, but some of your mates might pull some faces the first time they have a taste (and never drink it again).
63 Misha
April 14th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Here in Seville, Andalusia (Spain), it’s very common to have hot summer days in which the temperatures rise up to 50ºCelsius and up. We always laugh when we watch the weather forecast man on TV. We have higher temperatures than Egypt in many summer days!
Still, we only have 2 air conditioners. One in the main bedroom (rarely used) and one in the living room. If we want to stay cool we go to any of those rooms, and take the chance to be together doing some family activity.
I found that the best way to stay cool during the night without air conditioner is going to sleep with a wet hair and head (bought special pillow and mattress linen for that). It works better if you have a ceiling fan.
A good idea is to place a wet towel in the refrigerator and place it over your head when it’s ready.
We could buy more air conditioners and get them installed, but what for? that only shots up the electricity bills, and we spend the worst 15 summer days (usually in August) away on vacation!
64 bee
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:10 am
I have just shifted to a more expensive apartment so here is what I did. I cut off my internet and have sold my TV. I am back to where we were 50 years ago and seem to spend as much.
65 JV
October 20th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Another good tip for your heating bill – acclimatize yourself to the colder temperatures. When it starts to get cooler out, don’t reach for your warmest coat. Gradually work your way to it. That way, on the coldest days of winter, your warmest coat will actually keep you warm.
For hot weather, open your windows and use fans sparingly… don’t always crank them up to full, for similar reasons as the winter – if you’re used to slightly warmer temperatures, you won’t have a problem adjusting to a heatwave.
By the way, where I am now, it can get as cold as -40C in the winter.
66 Cos `
December 28th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Never Spend What You Don’t Have.
That’s what you say. And then follow with ‘While it is actually a good idea to have a credit card (to help build credit), it becomes pointless if you can’t pay off the balance every month.’
Utter nonsense, I’m sorry to say. Using credit is using something you do not have…