During this credit crunch, what is your best money saving tips?

Question

Mine is wearing a jumper when it is cold, instead of putting the central heating on.

Making 10 fish fingers do for two meals, with some nice salad!

Thanks for your answers.

Answer 1

We're buying a little tougher cut of beef and just cooking them in such a way that they are tender and good, I also am cooking enough each time to feed us two meals. It takes 2 or 3 minutes in the mirowave to reheat and safes money becasue I have an electric counter top stove. So cooking every night is a waste of power. I also do things like making 18 quarts of spaghetti sauce and freezing it in dinner sized batches. Thaw the sauce, heat in the microwave. Boil some pasta and throw a salad together and you have dinner. Also people with freezers if you stock of frozen stuff gets low put a couple containers of water in it to take up some of the empty space it keeps the unit from working as hard, it's also very good should you have a power failure. As long as you don't open the freezer it will keep things frozen much longer. Some of the other things is like shutting off the vent in any room and closing the door to any ones not used so that your cold air goes to where you need it most. Run your clothes washer and dryer after it cools off some and your air isn't trying to cool air heated by your appliances. You do the same when it's cold, no use heating rooms you don't use and using the washer and dryer in the evening helps keep the house warm. We live where it's very hot right now so I put tinted solar film on the windows. It reflects heat away in summer and helps keep the heat in in winter. It doesn't sound like a lot but it can cost you a dollar a day to cook even a quick meal, the window film saves about 10% a month, proper used of the appliances saves about another $2.00 a month. Unplug any unnecessary appliances, shut your computer down not just go to sleep, use the energy efficent light bulbs if you can. If someone in your home is prone to seizures talk to you doctor before using them there are some types of seizures that can be brought on by flickering light. The florescent bulbs do flicker slightly, normally not enough to bother most people but don't take the chance. Unplug toasters, can openers, blenders, food processers, extra lights, radios, clocks in rooms not normally used. These things can save up to ten dollars a month, times a year is $120.00. For savings like that I do unplug. Turn the heat down on your hot water heater 3 degrees, Set your heating 5 degrees and wear a sweater. Summer set your thermostat at 78 degrees. You've saved another $5.00 to $8.00 a month. As you can see it adds up faster than you think.

Answer 2

Hateful as it may be I live so far beyond concerns about the credit crunch that it makes no real difference to me.



But a lady friend of mine has got this wonderful "grill theory".



If she's going to cook, say, one thing under the grill she cooks loads of stuff - bangers, burgers, all sorts. She takes whatever is to be eaten when she dishes up but when the rest has cooled down a bit she bags it all up separately and puts it in the freezer. She reckons all she has to do then is take it out as needed and stick it in the microwave to reheat it, this being more cost-effective than grilling only small amounts every time. She does the same thing with some veggies too - I've seen her cook up huge pots of broccoli and cauli before then do something with what isn't eaten immediately so that can go in the freezer too. She certainly does know how to minimise the amount of gas she uses.



She's a great little cook so I happily testify that she's doing something right. She's a single mum, too, and her kids are always well bright and healthy so it can't be harmful or anything.



She shops round for all the bargains; there is no way on earth she'll pay three times as much for the label on a can of baked beans when she can get a can of Morrisons own for pennies. And she can smell a BOGOF at 2,000 feet.



Strangely, though, the one and only thing she won't give up is her fairy liquid. She reckons that going cheap on washing up liquid is a false economy.



When I go visit that one to make sure she's doing okay, instead of chocolates and wine I take her a bottle of fairy and a tray of baked beans :oP



I'm neither, but if I were single and looking for a good wife I'd snap that one up so fast her feet wouldn't touch the ground.

Answer 3

I take a list to the supermarket and only buy from the list. Also, I never go to the market when I'm hungry or the list may as well go in the trash.



On weekends I cook several portions of several things and package individual portions for the freezer. I have breakfasts and lunches all ready to pack each morning to bring to work. I only go out for lunch with "the girls" at work once a month as a treat.



Keep my house pretty cool in the winter and just bundle up more if I'm cold. Summertimes, however, I'm afraid I need my A/C, but I've been setting the thermostat higher in the summer than I have in the past.



Use only two credit cards - Mastercard and Sunoco - and I pay them both off every month. I haven't paid any interest on either of them yet this year!

Answer 4

I no longer have any credit cards, I juse my debit or pay cash for everything I buy. If I don't have the money to buy I don't buy.



I buy in bulk when I can things that are non perishable. I shop locally at my farmer's market and buy only produce that is produced in Ontario during the season, so I know what I am getting and from where.



I look for clothes which are cheaper at the end of the season to buy for next year . I'm not a fashionista so it doesn't really matter I buy talilored classic stuff which will last for a few years.



I don't run my ac unless I absolutely have to and that hasn't happened yet. I do use my ceiling fans tho.



I either cook in the early morning or late at night to help the elctricity grid.

I wash my clothes in cold water all year round .

Answer 5

Always make a shopping list before going out & STICK to it....easier said than done though lol.

Pay for energy by monthly Direct Debit & pay the same all year around. Some people pay less monthly during the spring/summer months but by paying the same all year round it allows for using the central heating during colder times during the summer (what summer?).

Cut down on the amount of meat & increase potatoes & root veg. to make meat meals go further. For example, minced beef cooked in a big pan with lots of potatoes & veg all in the same pan, then any leftovers go into either a big pie crust the following day or make into Cornish Pasties.

Take advantage of the Buy-One-Get-One-Free Offers to cut down on the next weeks shopping. Don't buy seperate bathroom & kitchen cleaners......just buy one to do both rooms.

Buy Fairy Liquid or similar for washing up......the cheaper brands are thinner & you need more plus go through more than the above mentioned.

If you usually eat 4 fishfingers at a meal then cut everyone down to 3 or 2 & fill up on bread.

Only buy what you know you will use & don't get tricked by all the so called "Special Offers" - hope everyone is managing ok with the increases in food costs. The potatoes I usually buy have gone up by 80p in the space of a week!!!! Every week the same items I buy have been steadily increasing but by 20p - 30p each.....it's getting ridiculous. I'm really glad I can cook from scratch.

Answer 6

I have made quite a few cutbacks. At the supermarkets start buying products a brand down than what you normally do. ie If you normally buy finest or premium switch down to normal brand, if you buy normal brand switch to value, if you buy value switch to basic. I save about £40 a trolley buying basic.



I don't ever put my central heating on or hot water. I have gotten used to cold showers and wearing jumpers on cold days. I have cut down on take outs, going out and driving. I have started taking buses instead of my car. A poster above me made a very good point when he suggested putting your money in a cash ISA. Not only do they provide high interest, tax free savings but investing stops you spending your money.

Answer 7

Have always budgeted and lived within my means and not on credit however recently bought a speed alarm for my car as with the lower speeds on side road have got fines after 20 years without. The alarm just warns you if you go over and it is easy to set and change for country driving. Needed to be warned as sometimes not clear on the speeds on side roads that join into major roads but the fines are very clear. Another benefit which has surprised me was a real reduction in petrol use as I drive slower so that my alarm does not activate. I am also driving slower in the country so not only saving on fuel but driving a lot safer.

Answer 8

The start of the week, we decide what all needs to be done that involves driving around town. Doing all the errands in one day is our goal because of the gas prices. Except for an occasional night out to dinner, movie or visiting family and friends, we really try and not drive much. Coupons and looking for good sales help at the stores also.

Answer 9

Clipping coupons . Buy whats on sale ; and stock up when it's a good deal .

Products I must have , I stock up on - to last..when I notice the price skyrocketing each week .

Other than that - I refuse to buy products with inflated prices .

I find I can do without some of the extras that I used to think nothing of buying ..and I don't miss them .

I cut out my regular weekly "senior discount" day shopping ; and I only take my car out when necessary .

I'm not afraid to sacrifice a little .This can't last forever .

Answer 10

Believe it or not, using my credit card is probably one of my best and most consistent savings methods.



This revelation might have you scratching your head wordering whether I'm sane, because credit cards are usually associated with debt accumulation rather than savings. So let me explain.



May years ago, possibly ten or so, I found a credit card that didn't charge an annual fee for the privilege of using the card. Another appealing aspect of this credit card was, and still is, that it provides rebates that are in the form of credits applied to my account each month rather than in the form of rewards for gifts from a catalog, or money paid in the form of a check payable after at least $20 or some other amount has been earned. I like, and prefer, the idea of a credit to my account each month.



The card is a Master Card that is obtained from the Exxon/Mobil Corporation. A link to the site is provided below. The rebates are 3% for gasoline and other products purchased at the gasoline station. Use of the MasterCard at other stores provide you a 1% rebate. I use the card at every establishment that accepts a MasterCard. The total of my rebate savings to date, and shown on my statement, is $1278. I'm guessing that's an average of about $100 per year so far. Now $100 doesn't seem like much, but I don't know of anyone who would refuse it.



The secret to making money with this credit card is to pay your balance in full each month. That way your rebates don't get eaten away by finance/interest charges that are applied if you carry a balance.



So, it you are in the habit of paying by debit card or by cash because you don't want to spend any money you don't have, the better choice would be to use this MasterCard instead. And, my being $1278 richer over the past ten years or so is the proof of it.



I don't work for Exxon/Mobil, nor have I ever worked for them. I'm retired, and this is just something that I see as a clever way to save a few bucks . . . well, 1278 of them so far anyway. I also don't care whether you apply for this credit card either. It's your choice. The link is there if you want to try it. And if you choose to do so, and find yourself not paying off your balance every month, and thereby not fully benefiting from its money saving qualities, you can always just cancel the card.



I also make use of other money saving ideas, but this is the easiest one, and it works everytime you use it, so I thought I'd share it (rather than others) with you.



Oh, OK, I'll share one more. And that's to make it a practice to always check your grocery store receipt. Especially on the day after the end of a sale period. On that day, the item is no longer on sale, but the sale price is often still displayed on the shelf. Your receipt will show the currently correct "non-sale" price, but you can challenge it at the help desk. Never challenge the cashier at the check-out line. Always go to the service desk or window. And don't attack the clerk. Be inquisitive. Just tell the clerk that the price on the shelf is lower than the one on your receipt, and ask if he can help you resolve the discrepancy. He or she will walk back to the shelf with you for proof that the sale price is still being displayed, and then will very frequently credit you the entire price of the item. In essence, you get it free of charge. Now, how's that for a great "money saving" deal. And there isn't a week that goes by where I don't get at least one free item because of my simply having been alert to this.



In closing, let me add a memory that just came to my mind. On one occasion, maybe a year or so ago, I called the Exxon/Mobil help desk to request a new credit card because mine was worn to the point where I could hardly read some of the numbers on it. During my interaction with the person helping me, I found myself telling him how much I liked this card and how I recommended it to everyone. He was so tickled with my enthusiasm, that he told me that in addition to sending me a new card, he was also applying a $5 courtesy credit to my account. Seems like credits are coming from everywhere.

.

Answer 11

If you make it a habit of eating out a lot at moderate to expensive restaurants start preparing gourmet meals at home and eat quantities that reflect gourmet cooking instead of the huge meals that provide lots of leftovers that sit in the frig for days and then get dumped. Collect coupons for items that you usually buy and use them when buying your grocery's. Adhere to your grocery list and don't fall prey to the extravagant displays in the grocery. If you have laying hens cull out those that are not laying and make chicken and dumplings. Go visit your friends and relatives at meal time. Go to the grocery on the day the vendors set up their sample tables and eat lunch by going from vendor table to vendor table. Go to the saloon when you see the beer distributor go there and strike up a conversation with him and tell him his beer is what you drink because it is the best bear in the whole world. Take someone to lunch and only take your credit card that is maxed out. You should notice that I suggested "someone" and not a friend. Your brother-in-law would do fine. Sit with someone in the cafe and tell him that you are going to pay his tab. Eat fast and leave before he gets through and tell him that you will tell the lady at the cash register that your paying for his meal also and that he is to raise his hand when you point him out to the lady at the register, When you go to the register tell the lady there that that guy that you were sitting with is going to pay for yours and point to him and watch him raise his hand and wave. Then leave with out paying and at all cost avoid the guy you ate with for a month or two. What do you plan to do with all of the extra money that you now have ?

Answer 12

Only buy American. If it comes from any

other country, don't buy it.



Drive less.



Get your entertainment at home:

TV or have friends over for cards.



Go to less pro sports games. They

charge too much anyway so the

players can gorge on big bucks.Pooey.



Wear long sleeves or sweaters in the

house in the wintertime. Use "air" on only

the hottest days and then don't have it

too cool.



Enjoy "local" things instead of driving for

miles to museums, beaches, etc.



Have a garage sale, and give away what

is left over to flooded-out families or

charity (Goodwill).

Answer 13

I believe we covered this on the other question. My tip: do nothing. The economy has a nice habit of balancing itself out. After all, money comes from trees, so we can simply print more of it.

Answer 14

I go to work and home.....No unnecessary trips.

If I need milk or something, or gas, i work it into the trip I am already on. I eat at home even without the crisis, and it saves so much money

Answer 15

clip coupons, eat salad,

dine off the Mcdonalds $1 menu, they still have it..



and yes, shop the Dollar store, but be careful the

shrewdies renamed them The Dollar and More store.

Answer 16

For one month keep a journal of every dollar you spend. It will give you a good idea of where you can cut back and how much trickles out of your wallet for little things you could live without.

Answer 17

If you tide to God he will always take care of you. Iam not a religion freak it just works for me ,fined a deserving charity and tide, we tide $50. month and have never did without. try it it always comes back 10 times its more for sure than lottery scratch off. GOD BLESS. Oh yes I dont go to church I praise God everyday.

Answer 18

Invest the money you save in a cash ISA.

Answer 19

manifesting the keys of success and wealth is quick turning into one of the fastest expanding, greatest transforming and the newest programs offered online.

Answer 20

Collecting my shopping in person from Harrods instead of home delivery.

Answer 21

Stay home more, heat and a/c is cheaper than gas now.

Answer 22

it's hard, i have not really cut back, i carpool so i don't have to worry about gas, i still splurge shop and my credit cards are maxed, i need to take your tips (LOL). i live to shop!! (LOL).

Answer 23

Buy the Sunday Newpaper and Clip Coupons.........

If you get magazines, look for coupons there too........

DO NOT BUY SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE COUPON

Finally, watch for sales..........

Answer 24

become vegetarian



spend weekends camping and walking instead of drinking and shopping



get spiritual

Answer 25

not paying out any interest and insuing i do not incur any fees!!!

Answer 26

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