Money post!

[telophase]

This post is spurred by the fact that approximately 651287* of you on my friendslist have posted saying you've looked at your finances and need to find places to trim the budget. So this is a place for all of you who have budgeting and saving tips, no matter how big or small, to comment or post links. Even if it's a small savings on the order of pennies - there's people who have mortgages and need to find several hundred dollars a month and people who live with their parents and could do with an extra $5 a month who read this, same for those who want to pay loans off as fast as possible and those who are savign up for some big-ticket item.

So, mine to start with (several I need to do rather then what I've been doing):

• Rearrange monthly payments in order of interest, and commit funds based on that. I've got enough paid ahead on my student loans that I don't need to give them another monthly payment for five years. So I'm paying just enough to cover my monthly interest so the principal won't grow, and shoving the rest of that money over to my credit-card balance, which has the highest interest rate. Once the credit card is paid off, I'll add that full payment to my car payment, and once that's paid off, I'll move all of the CC and the car payment over to my student loans. Minimizes what I'll be paying in the long run.



• Bring lunch to work. Put this in the "I need to do this" category, since most of the time I buy lunch on campus or one of the nearby restaurants.



• And speaking of "I need to" - bring soda/tea to work instead of buying it at the library cafe. I do this 2 or 3 days a week, but it'd be better to do it all the time.



• Turn the hot-water heater down. This is supposed to save a little bit on energy bills, and god knows my hot-water heaters is currently way too high anyway - I should call the apartment and ask them to do this.



• Turn off the damn lights! It's hard being an artist - you need to have a lot of light on. I do most of my art at night anyway, so even if my apartment had adequately-placed windows, they wouldn't help. But I typically have a livng-room lamp and the kitchen light on when I'm at my compute doing stuff, and I don't think they're contributing much useful light.



• Automatic bill payments. This is the saving grace of my credit record; I used to be late on bills all the time, not because I didn't have the money but because I never got around to writing the checks or getting online and transferring the money.

Now you tell me what you do or have heard of to trim costs and save money?

---

* May not be an accurate count. But it's close.

Comments

[edric00.livejournal.com]

Biggest expense Amy and I have is actually food. And that is because we ate out A LOT! Still do, actually. But as suggested with the "bring lunch to work" tip, cooking your own food is much less expensive than eating out no matter when or where. At least it is for Amy and myself. Along that note, I've found that instead of making one big trip to the grocery store, its better to make a lot of little trips. Why? Because you are more likely to just random crap you'll never actually eat when you buy everything at once. I don't know how many blocks of cheese, packages of meat, bags of veggies, etc. get tossed because we didn't eat it quick enough.

Also, in the spring and summer up here (SW Ohio) we can get away with turning our AC off and just opening a window. That saves us $50 in electricity right there. Mayhaps not so practical in Texas... Unless you happen to be a nudist.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

You're oh-so-right about the little trips: it's nice to buy some things in bulk, but the fresh stuff I buy tends to be tossed when I'm halfway through it.

I rather wish they'd sell sandwich bread in half-size loaves, since I never eat a full loaf before it starts sprouting purple and green spots.

[chrisarrant.livejournal.com]

Best thing I ever did was to limit eating out. When I go grocery shopping, I buy with complete meals in mind, and keep a list on the refigerator of meals I know I can make with the things on hand.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I don't have a major problem with debt right now--er, talk to me after I've finished grad school--so for now my priorities are staying within my budget and managing to save on top of that. I do a couple things:

1) Eat out less. Bringing lunch is the big one here, but also cooking dinner at home most nights. I have my freezer stocked with some quick pre-made meals (turkey burgers, meatballs that I can heat up with sauce, etc) so I'm less tempted to get takeout on the days I come home late and am starving. Planning out my week's menu in advance of grocery shopping on the weekend also helps.

2) I get free coffee and tea at work, but I do try to make a habit of bringing in my own snacks (fruit, yogurt, granola bars) so I'm less tempted to hit the damn vending machine. This helps on the health front too.

3) I gave up Netflix and started getting my dvds from the public library. (Free ILLs!) A couple years ago, I also gave up cable TV. It was a choice between that and DSL, and DSL won. I haven't particularly missed it.

4) I always have trouble with this one, but I do get the vast majority of what I read from the library--books, manga, etc.

5) I track all my expenses in Quicken. Entering every stupid latte from Starbucks tends to remind me when I'm spending money on frivolous things.

6) For saving, I've set up a small monthly automatic transfer from my checking out to a savings account. It's a start on an emergency fund, and the amount's small enough that I don't miss it.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I had an automatic transfer to my savings for an emergency fund set up, but decided to shunt it to my credit card at the moment - I can count on my mom in emergencies (she knows :D) for the immediate future, and it's doing me good mentally to get out from under my debt load.

Once I'm debt-free, though, the automatic payments I've got going to the loans will get switched into my savings.

[tokyoghoststory.livejournal.com]

my mom says to do all the laundry at night, thats if, you have the washing machine/dryer in your home. she says its less of an electrical strain because not too many people are using it.

this is something i have noooo idea about. but

hrm

we also wash everything sans ourselves in cold water

[unrelatedwaffle.livejournal.com]

When you're going somewhere and you really shouldn't send money, don't bring your wallet. Or, if you have to, take out your credit/debit cards and checkbook and cash and leave it at home. I can't tell you how many times I've fought temptation just with this simple technique. If you're going somewhere like Target, you'll always end up buying things you don't really need if you bring money with you.

Also, DON'T EAT OUT. EVER. It costs so much more than you think it's going to, and once you spend the money, it's literally flushed down the toilet.

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about leaving access to your money at home when you are going to be out and about and don't want to spend money!

I'm still trying to curb my eating out. I tried to track myself for a month and I couldn't believe how often I'd slip out to the deli every week! *packs a small suitcase with grocery bought snacks for work* I'd even go purchase a sandwich when I had packed a perfectly good one that morning! I might start leaving my debit and credit cards at home when I go to work.

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

One comm on LJ I've found quite useful is poor_skills. ^^
Aside from a student loan and a mortgage I'm actually doing really well on the debt front. When I first graduated school, however, things were looking grim. Here are some tips I used to get out from under a heap O debt!

And now I babble about a subject which I have a keen interest in! =D

1. Share accomodations - I roomed with my brother for a year and a half and saved a lot of money.

2. No car - When I switched jobs I switched accomodations to be closer so I could bus/walk to work. Cars are blood-sucking money pits and never try to fool yourself otherwise. If you use a car for a daily commute seriously look into moving closer to your work instead.

3. Limited vices - I don't drink, smoke, do drugs or collect. Yes, I do toss collecting in with those other vices. Frankly, it is just as mindless and harmful to your wallet as the other three. My biggest collector vice was comic books. Obviously I haven't given up comic books but I now do not permit myself more than three titles on my file at a time, forcing me to evaluate my choices whenever something new comes along, and I do not enter the store to buy graphic novels and such without a fixed amount to spend firmly fixed in my mind. I found I was buying comics for the sake of 'completeness' rather than honest enjoyment of every issue. =\ Now I prefer to wait for TPBs or pick up Graphic Novels.

4. Follow a list - Never go shopping without a clear idea of what it is you want to buy. I usually only buy sale items NOT on my list if they are normally expensive and we will for sure use it. (Juice, toilet paper, some cleaning supplies, staples we might be running low on and would need in the next month, etc.) Even clothes shopping, I will look at my wardrobe, pack up what I don't wear/need anymore to pass on then decide how many shirts, pants, if I need a jacket etc. then I can shop with those limits clearly in mind. I also do not purchase anything that isn't perfect for me. If something doesn't feel comfy, doesn't QUITE meet my needs I won't spend the money on it. I do without for a while longer until something that fits my need better comes up. Smart spending!

5. Because I knew I'd be carrying a large credit card debt when I graduated I had the foresight to purchase a low interest credit card. I only paid 9% interest instead of 15+%. Many credit card companies have a low interest card that you can transfer your balance to. Consolidate your multiple cards to the one, low interest card then CUT THE OTHER CARDS UP! Seriously. (Oh yeah, and call the companies to cancel them. ^_^) When I started school I had over $35,000 in credit between my three cards. I hadn't been aware the card companies silently jack your limit up as you spend? I called each company up and told them to fix my limits at $5,000 and NEVER INCREASE THEM without my EXPRESSED permission. I am now down to a single card with a $5,000 limit that currently has less than a hundred dollars on it.

6. Set up a RIP (Regular Investment Plan) - For nearly a decade now I have automatically had small payments taken off each paycheque by my bank and channelled into either a money market investment (Non-registered) which I keep as an emergency fund or my RRSP (Registered Retirement Saving Plan). When I went to school I borrowed $7000 from the RRSP (which I am now paying back over the course of ten years INTEREST & TAX FREE for you Canadians out there) and when I found myself unemployed and hurting I drained my emergency fund. I'm actually on the verge of starting a third RIP that will take 10% of my income and funnel it into another, stable, money market that I will use to either pay off my mortgage quicker or just save it for future use. Having money automatically removed from your account takes away the agony of deciding what is more important, bills or your future. Every book I've read on being smart with your money says to 'pay yourself first' and a RIP is an excellent way to do so. Trust me, you learn to adapt to having less liquid cash around. (And for the record, my RIPs tend to be around $25 every week. That's me sacrificing a pizza night.)

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

*COUGH*
Sorry, I didn't mean to post so much? I just happen to have a very keen interest in finances and how to handle money. It is the Taurus in me. ^_^

I could have posted more? <=)

[loligo.livejournal.com]

Chain grocery stores almost never offer sub-par produce at a discount, but independent produce stands often do. You have to use it up quick, because one little bruise can turn into a gigantic squelchy spot in a few days, but if you're someone who eats a lot of fruits & veg, this is a major money-saver.

[chibi-nasu.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

I'm a person with money problems! XD Almost all of my expenses go to food, since I live on campus and don't have a university meal plan >.<

And Starbucks...

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Random cheap dorm factoid: you can feed 15 people in a dorm room with one hot pot and less than $20 - my roommate and I did that once. XD We made spaghetti in the hot pot and served it with the cheapest French bread we could find and had a party.

[artist-luver.livejournal.com]

hhmm... this is an interesting post! i must put in my 2 cents, so to speak. ^_~

1) credit cards can be your friend or the devil. If you aren't good with money, forget credit cards. just carry cash. if you are good with money, then this is for you.

get a credit card that gives you rewards. pay it off every month so you won't pay any interest. then you get rewards!
This way you can leave your money in the bank for that month, you will get interest from your bank.

2) learn how to cook. i spend about $25 on food a week, and it includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. how much do you spend eating out? if its cheap like one meal at mcdonalds for $5. five meals at mcdonalds, and i already spend the amount for the whole week. not worth it. (and if you know how to cook right, its healthier than mcdonalds.)

3)Tighten your belt.... look at your budget. did you spend those $5 on easrings or some other item you JUST COULDN"T LIVE WITHOUT? everytime you see an object you want to buy, just think 'do i really need it?' the answer is usually 'no'. this mentality will save you BUNDLES!

4) Salvation Army... i bought this AMAZING leather jacket at the salvation army for $6. i get compliments where ever i go. salvation army has some great stuff, though you have to look really really hard! you'll save a bundle on clothes alone.

that's all i can come up with! hope its a little helpful.

ps. i think this is a great idea! i could use some extra tips in saving money. ^_^

[oneiroelpida.livejournal.com]

Yeah. If you're good with money, reward credit cards are the way to go. I have Citibank's MTVU card, which is -perfect- for me. It gives extra points for purchases of movies and books and restaurants, and since it's a college card, it gives even more points for keeping up your GPA. I like being actually rewarded for good grades, other than my father's, "Well, that's what I expect of you." And since I'm a manga and anime addict, getting bonuses for spending money at bookstores and entertainment stores is lovely. XD

Salvation Army and other thrift store like Kiwana's are also wonderful. They had a sale at one near me where everything was 50% off because they were trying to get rid of winter items. I bought 15 items of clothing for less than 9 dollars, and some of them were GAP and the like and looked like they had never been worn.

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

Possibilities include:

• Cooking more or buying lunch meats and bread and making sandwiches rather than eating out.
• When eating out, drinking only tap water instead of bottled water, soda, juice, beer, or wine.
• Waiting for sales to buy necessities, such as clothes.
• Servicing energy hogs like the heat pump.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_ri/]

On using electric light:
My friend told me that it's way much cheaper to use a lamp which is powered by an electric socket, than using the light that's attached to the main circuit of the house. I'm not sure how this is true, but ever since I've been avoiding to flick on the main lamp of a room.

I hope I expressed myself fine, I'm not well-informed about English technical terms. :O Anyway, practical post!

[dicemonkey.livejournal.com]

One thing that has helped me is getting house items on craigslist/garage sales rather than new. This doesn't come up every month, but it helps.

Eating cheaper meats also works pretty well. I've discovered tuna and turkey are good cheap protein sources. Also vegatarian spaghetti is a good choice as its filling, and generally costs me about 75 cents per person per meal.

Buy generic OTC drugs. The FDA regulates these things so heavily that there is essentially no difference between Tylenol and generic Acetaminophen. You can save a lot of money on allergy meds this way too, since Claritin is now available generic.

Ask for useful items around gift giving holidays (Clothes, shoes, or other necessities, rather than Books, DVDs, etc).

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I already have the major purchases that I'm going to be making with 2006 Christmas money planned. XD (A bed frame - I'm currently sleeping on a box mattress and mattress directly on the floor - and then maybe replace the futon or the loveseat with something that's actually comfortable to sit on.)

[herchuckness.livejournal.com]

Tracking your spending can be very, very helpful - if you can force yourself to do it, that is. The last time I moved across the state, I kept a little notebook with me and wrote everything down. It had two columns: one for projected expenses, and one for what I actually spent. Every time I deposited a paycheck, I'd sit in the parking lot and add everything up. I also taped a post-it note with my goal written on it to the front of the notebook. Looking at that every time I opened it helped remind me why I was working 70 hours a week and living off saltine crackers and such. XD

I think it's also important to give yourself a little spending allowance. Even if it's really small, it helps keep you from getting too rebellious against your budget.

I second the automatic bill pay thing, I had the same problem with my credit cards before I switched to that.

[moonlit-page.livejournal.com]

Every day tips:
Clean and reuse things like ziplock bags, tea bags, water bottles, etc. Also, there is NO NEED to buy name brands on most things, unless it is a matter of taste and you just can't stomach a generic brand. Buy non-perishable items like laundry detergent and paper towels in generic bulk.

Walk instead of driving as often as you can.

Don't buy or rent entertainment--swap it with local friends for a while.
I don't have cable, I have Netflix. I don't go to movies, I rent them. I don't buy CDs, my friends and I burn our collection and trade them up. If I KNOW I love something and must have it, I use half.com and buy it second hand.

Shop at Dollar Stores and flea markets-- you'll be surprised at the nice things you can find at a bargain price.

Have you heard about www.freecycle.com ?

Turn off the heat, and wear a sweater. Take baths instead of long showers. Hand wash dishes instead of using the dishwasher. Canned/frozen fruits and veggies and whole grain pastas are usually cheaper and last longer than fresh, however, watch salt and sugar content on labels!

Lifestyle Changes:
Eating out is expensive and usually bad for your health. Cook weekly meals, put it in tupperwear, that way you know how much to budget each week and you stick to a healthy diet.

Vices gotta go. Cigarettes, coffee, soda, beer, and casual shopping sprees are now for special occasions and not whenever you want one. (Cries with you.)

Once you're there, when you use your credit card, pay off all balances that month. Never let a balance go more than two months. If you can't pay it off in the next two months (once you're done with school and car, of course) then you don't really need it. I've been jonesing for an Encyclopedia Britannica for so long just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I don't have $3000. So I use google and wikipedia and the dictionary and life goes ever on.

*hugs* It's a pretty simple thing to save money--just pretend you absolutely don't have any to start with, then get creative.

[kintail.livejournal.com]

Hmm, my partner and I lived way under the poverty line for several years, when I was on disability-support-for-one and he was on insufficent student loans and a miniumum-wage part-time summer job.

It's important to not just bring lunch, but bringing a homemade lunch -- not some $3+ frozen prepackaged tray of whatever. This is made easy by making extra when you make your homecooked meals (also, much cheaper), and having leftovers -- many such things can be frozen so you're not actually eating the same thing every day for a few days.

However, it is also good to know where you can eat out really cheaply, for those days when you just can't make something at home or buy at the grocery store -- what my partner and I call "cheaper than food" (which we picked up from an old webcomic, I think), so when you do have to eat out, you don't spend any more than necessary. Eg. a few items on some fast food "dollar menus" may be healthy and filling enough to be worth it, particularly soups and baked potatoes and such. Also, in Canada at least, IKEA's restaurant offers 99 cent breakfast, and 99 cent pasta-and-sauce for supper. And in the course of my medical history, I've noticed that many hospitals have really inexpensive cafeterias where you can get a healthy filling entre for $2 or less. But never buy the drink or add-on sides or dessert -- those are a waste of money and often more expensive than the "meal" in these cases (that's how they afford to offer the actual food so cheap, because a cup of coffee or cola only costs them about 5 cents, grr), so bring your own or get tap water.

Our clothing and such still come from from the Goodwill, Savers, Value Village, etc. (Personally I won't shop Salvation Army because of their discrimination against gays and lesbians in the workplace, but your call.) Patience and frequent visits can get you some very high quality and trendy stuff for 10% or less of regular cost.

If you're on medications and have to pay for them, even part of the cost, tell your doctor money is tight and ask if she or he has any free samples (even if you're already on the prescription so you don't techinically need to "try it out") -- chances are the pharmaceutical reps have been foisting off more than the doctor usually remembers they have unless prodded to go look -- and they can ask for more. My partner got 9 months of a brand-name anti-depressant at no cost this way, while financial stress was at its worst and he was working 4 part-time jobs with no drug benefits from any of them. Now from my new doctor, I still frequently get bottles of combo codeine-muscle relaxant which my government drug coverage won't pay for despite its effectiveness in my case, saving me $50 each time.

Investigate if your area has "food co-ops" such as The Good Food Box program. This isn't handouts or charity, this is about a group of people getting together to buy healthy produce direct in bulk, and volunteering in turns (an hour or two a month) to sort it and distribute it, so the cost is MUCH lower than what you buy in the grocery store -- like $10 to $15 dollars for a big box of enough storage-friendly fruits and veggies for a family of 2 to 4, when I last participated.

In our case, we also cut out ALL alcohol for years -- that stuff is expensive, and could never be justified as a "need." Now we allow it even though we're still careful with money, because circumstances have changed enough that we know we can afford it without having to sacrifice anything else.

Examine all the extra charges on your bills, especially phone and cable and internet. Beware the add-on ninja! If you can replace that $7/month call-answer service with a $20 digital answering machine (don't forget to actually send in the mail-in rebate!), it pays for itself in three months. Likewise, do you really need call-waiting or can you trust people to phone back later? Do you really need all the minutes on your $30/month cell-phone plan, or would $10/month of pay-as-you-go cards be enough if you resist unnecessary calls on your cell and save them for your land line?

[kintail.livejournal.com]

(continued because I talk too much and it won't all fit)

Mostly I second the idea of writing down EVERYTHING you spend for a month, to show you where the money goes so you know where you can trim the amount you need. The rest is really working on your mentality of what you "need" and what is a luxury -- and knowing that conquering debt is much less stressful in the long run than going without.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Buy clothing at thrift stores. Especially if you live in an urban area with lots of rich people, you can often find gorgeous, undamaged, designer clothing for a tenth of the original price. Wash it or have it dry-cleaned, and voila: a beautiful, classy, high-quality piece of clothing that cost less than your dinner (unless you cooked your dinner yourself.)

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

Ahah I can't stop posting!
One more then I'll go tackle some work...

I have found that the largest benefit to my funneling money into savings accounts with an RIP is that I can take advantage of specific types of sales; when an item that is normally out of my price range comes on sale and suddenly I can afford it!

I have done this many times over my life and it has paid off in the long run! Buying a higher-quality product for less means not having to replace it as soon as a poor-quality product. Sometimes smart spending can pay off more than cheap spending can?

[kate_nepveu]

Ah, it's Sam Vimes's boots:

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes "Boots" theory of socio-economic unfairness.

-- Terry Pratchett, _Men At Arms_

I personally apply this to winter coats, work clothes, and car repairs (to a point).

[badnoodles.livejournal.com]

I almost never carry cash. Since I hate to use plastic for anything less than ~$10, it really helps cut down on impulse buying (namely food).

I don't have a land line, just a cell phone. I've got the second lowest tier of service, and I don't use any of the add-on services like text messaging or downloadable ringtones or any of that BS.

I don't use the a/c or heater unless I'm entertaining other people, or the ambient temperature is below 50°F or above 95°F (when stuff in the pantry starts to melt)

Live like a vampire. Only turn on the lights if you need them, and then only as many as you need - and take advantage of natural sunlight when possible.

Never do less than a full load of laundry or load of dishes - but don't over fill either, 'cause things won't get clean.

Costco (or Sams) gasoline is an average of 8-10 cents cheaper than competing stations*. Even though their membership fee is $35/year, it only takes 35-40 gallons of gas to break even. For me, that's 4-5 tanks - and then you're ahead for the rest of the year. And you can get good prices on bulk meat and lots of other weird products. (*Some stations have the same prices as Costco, but charge you an extra fee if you don't use cash.)

Tap water won't kill you. But sugar and caffeine might, while making you pay for the privilege. (Note: this is sort of hypocritical. I'll be damned if I'll give up my tea.)

Just don't go shopping unless it's actually necessary. You won't be tempted by what you don't actually need.

Replace as many of your expensive hobbies and pastimes with cheaper alternatives. Knitting and watching The Science of Paint may be less thrilling than going to see Ultraviolet on opening night, but that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile. (Really. I never knew paint was so interesting.)

And, like many other posters have encouraged, make a record of everything you buy. You'll soon be embarassed by the amount you spend on stuff that you could acquire more cheaply.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

No credit cards. NONE. We don't have cash, we don't buy it.

I didn't start this willingly. After marriage #1, I found out hubby #1 had put on $30k that HE couldn't pay, and I, since I had a good job, supposedly could. So I did. FOR-FOCKING-EVER. And byebye cards. I trust MrVoodoo...but once burned, twice shy.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

GENERICS. omg generics. Household products, shampoos, soaps, first aid, OTC meds (tylenol, advil, etc).

As far as saving goes, WE SUCK AT IT. So...whenever we get a new job, and do auto-deposit w/ checks, at least 5% and 10% if we can swing it goes automatically into a savings account. This account does not have checks, and is not attached to any debit card.

This is on top of any company-provided 401k, etc.

If we get raises, half the raise amount per check goes into this account. We tried putting it ALL in, but you need *some* boost :D (Sanity and feeling rewarded ARE connected).

So we don't see this stuff, we don't use it.

But yeah, generics and store brands rock. Pasta, canned veggies, any basic ingredient, hell, CHIPS.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

If we get raises, half the raise amount per check goes into this account.

Everyone at TCU working full-time is getting a $500 cost-of-living increase this year, and the merit raises this year are 3%. Health insurance went up 12%. Ah well (although I'm in an income bracket where my paycheck didn't go down after the insurance hike, like many people's did).

I put last year's raise onto the various automatic payments I've got for loans/car/etc, and I'm going to do the same this year.

[ninja-tech.livejournal.com]

Oooh ooh! *raises hand* Some of these may be old news, but I don't think they've been mentioned yet in these posts.

1) When you balance your checkbook, round up to the nearest dollar with every expense you enter (if you think you can afford it, you could round up more). Round down to the nearest dollar with every deposit you make. This means not ever writing the exact amount down, but only a rounded number.

About 2 years ago, I took out $100 dollars in cash and let my checking account "settle" so that I knew exactly how much I had in there without figuring in that some expense or other hadn't gone through yet. Once I found out how much I had, I started the plan you see above.

Within a month, depending on how much you use your check card and check book, you could "save" around $50. But you won't see it, so you won't want to spend it.

This helps control spending too - even if your online account says one amount, your physical, paper copy says much less and just seeing that you "don't have any money" to spend according your checkbook, will help you spend less on impulse.

2) Someone above mentioned remembering mail-in rebates. This is something often overlooked as often advertised prices in ads are "after mail-in rebate". If you send in for the rebate quickly, you'll get a nice surprise in a couple months because you'll have completely forgotten that you had sent in for the rebate in the first place.

3) Coupons. I'm surprised no one has mentioned coupons yet. If you get the Sunday paper there are a ton of coupons to be had. Also, many grocery stores have the adverts with the coupons in them in the front of the store as you go in. Make sure to pick one up and take a look. The only tricky thing about coupons is that sometimes the generic is still cheaper than the name brand product even after the coupon weighs in.

4) Don't go shopping (of any kind) on an empty stomach. Studies show that if you eat at home right before you go shopping, you buy much less on impulse - this even goes for clothes shopping.

Nailz's Tips:
1) WILL POWER

[miss-maroo.livejournal.com]

i'm currently blessed with not too many money problems. but i do keep myself in this state by rarely eating at restaurants, using half-price books and the library to put a significant dent in my book spening budget.

also, the best thing i ever did was get myself a copy of quicken graph my expenses and then realize that no, i do not need to impulse buy at target every day.

i make a list of the food i really need at the store and i try not to deviate from it once i get to the store.

also, i try to read the grocery store mailers and then hit all the sales that week. once, eric and i went to albertson's where i found insane cerael sales. so i stocked up (20 boxes i think). cereal, unopened, never goes bad. i saved myself almost $60 in te long run, and always had a delightful variety of morning eating choices.

[oneiroelpida.livejournal.com]

I follow the philosophy of getting what I want, but just getting it cheaper. Patience is key here. My friends are always amazed at how absolutely bizarre I am about my anime and manga purchases. For example, I have a rule that I will only pay AT MOST 2.50 per episode when it comes to an anime DVD. This is impossible unless someone is holding a major sale, so I wait. Deepdiscountdvd.com holds sales about twice a year, and that's when I can get anime dvds for about 15 each, but the real savings come in on the boxsets. ALWAYS wait for boxsets if you can. If you wait for a deepdiscount sale on a boxset, you can normally get it for about 45-50 when all is done, and that's 50% less than retail prices for the boxset alone. That's ignoring the savings of the waiting for the boxset in general, which is usually 40-50 dollars off what you would have paid if you had bought the DVDs individually. So overall, by waiting for a sale on a boxset, you save 100 dollars or more per SEASON of an anime series. Obsessive? Yes. But well worth it if you simply must have the DVDs. And though I download anime, I entirely believe in supporting the industry. I just have to do it in ways my wallet can afford. ;)

Rightstuf ocassionally has amazing sales, so it's wise to keep an eye out on those too. Also, ADV has these sales where they try to get rid of their back inventory. This is how I wound up buying the entire second season of Saiyuki for about 1.50 per episode.

Another good way to save money for a hobby in general is to put change in a jar. I saved up around 50 that way, and I probably would have just lost the change anyway like I always did when I didn't have the jar. It's a simple tactic to just keep all your change in one spot and to slowly save up to splurge on something you want without feeling the pain because you had already resigned that change away.