From the article: 6 Ways to Buy Things For Less
Saving more doesn't have to be a drag. There are plenty of ways to continue to do the things you like to do at a lower cost. Please share ways you've found to live well on less. Share Your Live Well Tips
using less hydro
- I have unplugged my refrigerator ,,, never had one growing up ,,, and unplugged my water heater ,,,, never had one growing up either,when i need to shower , i strip wash instead heating the water in a microwave , less energy used , i don't use my electric stove as i use the BAR B QUE food taste better , this last month i have a credit on my energy bill, better in my pockets than in theirs ,next year i'm putting in a woodstove ,,, as i can get the wood for free ,, and i buy the cheapest healthiest food that i can ,,, its all out there , all you have to do is to look for it and re-educate yourself to what you really need to survive without spending unecessesary money
- —Guest dave
Make a Budget with a Goal
- My goal is to double my house payment amount. So, I budget every first of the month and decided food is variable. I buy all things on sale - always! Add the coupon and you can save 60% of the regular cost. Look for deals like at Sprouts Grocery where you buy a $100 gift card and you get it for $89.00. Look for promotions where you can save 10% like grocery coupons through your high school - they make money,too! Buy food in season. We don't eat asparagus in the winter. Don't go to Starbucks! Only eat dollar menu fast food - if you have to have a quick meal. Keep snacks in your car such as a granola bar, nuts and water. If you do go out - box 1/2 at the start of the meal and atke the rest home for another meal. Good luck.
- —Guest Robyn
use less gas and electric
- We have turned down our temp on the furnace by 3 degrees at night and had a programable thermostat installed after our furnace quit one night. So now I programmed it to turn down at night. Also we do all our errand running all at once instead running here there and everywhere which saves us a little gas.
- —Guest pat
Maria
- Recycle everything. One example: I get through lots of coffee (instant). I use the varying sizes of jars to store food, especially dry like sugar, flour, lentils, cereal etc. I use the smaller pots and lids for my painting hobby.
- —Guest Maclark
Senior Savings
- I have very little discretionary income and a deep love of Taco Bell 7-Layer Burritos. I can sometimes manage that, but a burrito without a drink is sad - and, sorry, water just doesn't make it. One day,when asked if I wanted a drink, I said, "Sure, if they're free." The response was, "Are you a senior citizen?" I said, "Sure" and I've been getting free drinks ever since. I'll turn 58 next month which seems to qualify for most everything in retail stores. (And I belong to the "don't trust anyone over 30" generation. What happened? Also Goodwill has Senior Discounts on certain days, at least in my area (Seattle-Puget Sound).
- —simayanan
Cutting back is a natural progression
- Boomers, who remember their parents talking about the Great Depression, have been giving second thoughts to "want" vs. "need" for some time. We're at a point where we've accumulated all the stuff we'll ever use and are looking for an experience over a purchase. As we gain maturity in our outlook toward life we all tend to think this way. Is it a sign of the time? Perhaps, perhaps not; I tend to think it's a sign of where we are in life. Granted, the youth of today are experiencing something their parents may not have thought possible - the lack of money to do with as you chose - but that's not all bad. After all, the older generations (those who went through the Great Depression) knew how to enjoy life without little (or no) money - that's a lesson we all need to take to heart.
- —Guest Linda
Shredding or cutting back?
- I think the trick to cutting back is to determine the difference between our wants and our needs. My rule number one. I don't window shop. When I go shopping, I go for what I need and get out of the store fast. My second step was to go through my closet and organized my clothes. It's amazing what we have that we've forgotten about. That closest organization saved me clothes shopping for an entire year. I really have everything I need. I can say no to the next gorgeous pair of shoes I pass by in a store. I don't need them, I simply want them. Yamaica, like you, I cut down on my cell phone bills by going prepaid. I don't use that many minutes, so I shopped around for the best deal and found Net10 offering a Motorola 376 phone (that's a good phone) with 300 minutes for 60 days thrown in, all for under $60. When those minutes run out I'll pay $25 a month for 250 minutes, which is more than enough for me. I've cut back in other ways, but no space here to share them all.
- —Albeta
Telephone, TV and hot water
- According to Consumer Reports, more than seventy percent of cell phone users who switched from a contract plan to prepaid said prepaid is costing them less. For example, plans like TracFone's new StraightTalk which offers unlimited minutes and texting for $45 a month costs a lot less than a contract plan. Doesn't work with an I-Phone, but how many people have an I-Phone? I found another way to save was by cutting back on my cable TV. $22 a month equals more than $250 a year in savings. I also put a timer on my water heater which saves me more than $20 a month. When you cut back a little here and a little there you can save a bundle.
- —Yamaica
Entertainment
- We rarely go to the movies - too expensive! My husband and I bought a Netflix player, cut back our Netflix subscription to 1 movie a month, and we can watch many movies for no extra cost. And popcorn is much cheaper at home, too!
- —Guest Jean
Change Your Eating Habits
- I've been able to cut my grocery costs almost in half. I used to grocery shop at the closest stores and eat lunch where I wanted with little thought as to the cost. Now I choose Subway (still healthy) over a more expensive sit down lunch, and buy many of my grocery staples at a WalMart SuperCenter. I've managed to cut $200 - $300 per month of expenses this way.
- —Guest Sherri
