STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I made a big effort a little over a year ago to be more financially responsible. Even though I'm on a quite limited budget, I have been really successful at not only managing to pay off my credit card debt but to save a considerable amount! And this was just by being smart and cutting back in ways that didn't even bother me. These are some of the things off the top of my head! I hope they help.

Banking:
-I switched from a brick and mortar bank to a much higher-yielding online bank
-I closed out a CD that had been hanging out for ages at a brick and mortar bank with virtually no interest
-I switched to a one-year no-fee credit card that had rewards that suited my lifestyle better

Food:
-I go out to eat less (duh)
-I go out to eat at lunch instead of at dinner
-I watch out for restaurant week to hit up my favorite fancy restaurants
-I joined opentable.com and have already gotten $40 in gift certificates for restaurants I was already eating at
-I often cook with inexpensive ingredients, such as beans and lentils
-I switched to store brands when I could stand to
-I buy certain items (e.g. chicken breasts or frozen meals) in bulk when they go on sale
-I cook larger meals so that I have leftovers waiting for me (instead of going out to eat or eating frozen meals)
-I try to occasionally cook fancier meals at home or open up a nice bottle of wine at home with dinner to make it feel more exciting (and it's still less expensive than going out -- of course, I do like to cook)
-I sometimes invite friends to come over for dinner if they suggest we go out since it can be cheaper for me to make dinner for both of us than for me to pay for myself

Entertainment:
-I joined netflix (just 1 DVD at a time), which encourages me to watch at home instead of going to the theater
-if there's a movie I know I really want to see, I attempt to go at a matinee pre-dinner vs. full price after dinner
-I seek out free events in my city -- although there are more of these in the summer

Random:
-I read personal finance blogs (I like "Budgeting Babe" and "Young and Broke") to remind me to "be good"
-eBay old stuff (duh)
-Go into stores less -- I find that my clothing purchases are much more considered when I do them online vs. in the store, where I tend to be extremely impulsive

Tell Simon it's time he got a J.O.B.! j/k

Littlebean is right about banks (we save more $ with ING) and if you have cc debt, switch it to a card that has 0% for 6-12 months, and make a timetable to pay it off in that time.

Pay yourself first. Put money in your savings the same way you pay a bill.

Don't shop (sucky, I know). If you really want to buy something, get a cheap fix like a magazine or nail polish. Stay away from Target at all costs!

Sell stuff on ebay (PITA, but good for extra $) or garage sales/Craigslist

If you eat out a lot, try having just appetizers & dessert. My husband and I do this, and it's cheaper (and usually more food!)

Bring lunch to work/don't buy Starbucks.

Try to only pay in cash. (I am bad at this.)

ETA: Ttara reminded me about appliances -- if you have them, run them in off-peak hours.

Also, if you spend a lot on pet stuff, order from a place like Ryan's Pet or KV Vet Supply -- toys, etc. are much cheaper.

-- Edited by halleybird at 21:02, 2007-09-10

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-- Edited by member on Monday 19th of September 2011 12:19:10 PM

shopchicago33 wrote:

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halleybird wrote:

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Tell Simon it's time he got a J.O.B.! j/k

Also, if you spend a lot on pet stuff, order from a place like Ryan's Pet or KV Vet Supply -- toys, etc. are much cheaper.

-- Edited by halleybird at 21:02, 2007-09-10

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I already told Simon it's time to do some doggy modeling

Thanks for the tip on the pet supplies - are the places you mentioned online?

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it's OK, my dogs are freeloaders too.

I think the websites are http://www.ryanspet.com and http://www.kvvet.com. Ryan's site is pretty hard to navigate, but you can order a catalog & it's much easier. HTH!

I definitely second the library. I was never a big library person (I have always preferred to own my books and read them on my own timetable), but I've been converted. I found a cool library that's open til 9pm, so I can go after work. Most libraries are now online too, so you can see if they have a book you want. You can also get audiobooks (to rip into your iPod) and all sorts of other stuff.

Also, kind of along that note, instead of buying music on iTunes, I've been getting a lot of free podcasts. NPR has a bunch of cool ones (Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me; The Splendid Table; etc.). I find that I really enjoy them for my commute to work.

I also agree with Erin and Littlebean about cutting out the cable and joining Netflix. For $10, you get as many movies as you can watch on Netflix (one at a time) and then the need for watching tv is virtually gone. Plus, there are so many shows that you can watch online. ABC and NBC have almost all of their primetime shows available to watch online the next day. The Discovery Channel, TLC, and MTV also have a lot of their shows online. Except for sporting events (which you can watch at any sports bar), there's virtually no need to have cable.