Ways to pinch pennies

[Idaho4x4Bronco]

What are you guys doing to save that extra coin? I've been trying to find ways and keeping all my recipeits to track where money goes on the little things.i've noticed the more I change my lifestyle to save extra cash, the more annoyed I get with the quality of things. Ad free music for example, dropped phone plans down, ect.

 

[ozyclint]

Don't drink, don't smoke, don't gamble= $$$ for more important things in life

Both our cars have the same engine so I save a lot of money buying engine oil by the 44Gal drum and filters etc in bulk and servicing and repairing things myself.

Raise and butcher my own meat, beef and pork. grow a good vege patch.

 

[dirtytough]

I don’t really pinch pennies but I am cheap with certain things. No streaming services, cable tv, use the light switches, wear sweat shirts in the house during the winter, pay by the month cell plans, look at cost per unit at the grocery store, etc.

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

1. Track your spending
2. Create a family budget
3. Stick to your family budget

This will help answer your question and probably create more buy-in from everyone involved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Davidson51]

2 that I try to live by:

Don't buy coffee. If you can get free coffee at work, then you're covered most days. Rough math, $5/day, 5 days/week, 50 weeks per year, is $1,250/year.

Pack your work lunch, don't buy lunch every day. This could be double the numbers above, plus improve your health.

 

[KurtR]

Buy good stuff the first time i have wasted more money trying to save money.

 

[Rich M]

You seem to have a goal. If not, then figure out what you want to have as a goal. It'll help with focus.

Can save money by budgeting, planned purchases, etc.

There was one thing I learned over the years was that in order to save a lot of money, you have to have extra money to save. (example is that it is easier to save $ when you make $75K as opposed to when you make $50K) We can create extra money by not spending it. Or can make more money somehow.

 

[menhaden_man]

Making more money helps. Not to sound like a jerk but I was born with nothing and chased opportunities around the country since I was a teenager. Now in my 40s and debt free with a family of 5.

If your line of employment can’t support a comfortable lifestyle it might be worth looking for a move.

 

[texjitter]

I work a full time job Monday-Thursday (40 hours) and then also work a part time job on the weekends. The part time gig pretty much covers expenses for all my hobbies that way if I want to buy a gun, or backpack or whatever then it doesn't come out of the "family" budget. Also, as a family we quit eating out and that has saved a ton. I also decided to quit drinking energy drinks everyday that adds up

 

[WhatToHunt]

Spend money on quality when needed, but also don't spend too much money on the luxuries. I try to remind myself each dollar I have is an employee of mine. Every time I spend a dollar I'm losing an employee who could be making me money. Not saying it entirely stops me from making foolish, impulsive decisions. But I try.

 

[roadrunner]

Simple, quit hunting as much. Mostly from inability to draw a tag and out of state hunting is just plain ludicrous...

 

[Laramie]

Several things I do but one a lot don't think about is food. Having a meal plan made a pretty big difference for our family. Make a plan, buy necessary groceries for 1-2 weeks at a time. stick to the plan so you avoid those evenings where you aren't prepared so you take the family out to eat. We used to go 3-4 times a month. Pretty easy to waste $100 eating out these days.

Some others-
I also grow a garden so we have almost free vegetables.
I take great care of all my hunting gear so I seldom have to buy anything.
I process and package all of our meat, wild and domestic.
I plan and budget family fun so we have a lot less desire to be impulsive. Giving the wife and kids something to look forward to helps keep everyone focused on the family goals.
Obviously limiting frivolous spending helps a lot but you should have a budget for everyone in the household to have some free money.

My wife and I, in our 40s, make under 75k combined and have our house paid off, one of 2 vehicles paid off, and own a rental house free and clear. I'm shopping for rental number 2...

 

[thegrouse]

Use a spreadsheet so you know what you are spending. You can only cut so far, then you need to increase income.

 

[Laramie]

Use a spreadsheet so you know what you are spending. You can only cut so far, then you need to increase income.

Great idea - make sure you list interest paid on that spreadsheet so you can see how much money is thrown away to financing. I have a buddy that spends half his monthly income on interest right now. He can't seem to figure it out.

 

[awasome]

Preplan your month of spending with a true budget. Food, housing, utilities, transportation are the 1st priorities of spending. After that figure out where you can and want to cut.

Low lying fruit such as phone plans, cable plans, and other subscription services can get axed depending on what lifestyle you want. Eating out is another expense that people don't realize how much they spend on.

Don't carry revolving debt or debt on depreciating items. Monthly payments chip away at your money each and every month. The less you have to pay out, the more you have in your bank account.

Save for big purchases instead of going into debt for them. I am just getting into hunting and have been slowly gearing up buying new and used gear whenever I have the cash to do it.

 

[CorbLand]

Eating out is the biggest killer in my opinion. My wife and I eat out once a month and then we eat out for lunch once a month. Saves a ton compared to many of my friends.

 

[Anglo-American]

I'm often spendy with what I buy, but very selective in what I buy.
Im happy to buy used.
I don't buy food or drinks out the house.
Don't take drugs, be they legal or illegal.
Eat well, but simply to take good care of my health.
On the same point, I excersise.
No debt.
No TV.
Buy in bulk where practical.
The wife makes our own soaps, jams, bread's which we'll give as gifts and sell...and she makes and repairs cloths.
Fix things, don't just replace things, and learn to fix them yourself.
Trapping, fishing and hunting and a home garden for food needs. Increase the production with your ability.

If you're doing a home stead type job for yourself, chances are someone might pay you for that service or product to.
Is that worth your time?

 

[MattB]

I put every expenditure I can on a credit card (balance paid in full every month). That lets you see what you are spending money and how much, as well as providing the added benefit of building points for travel.

The advice above about making more money is a good one too. If you make enough money, no more need to budget…

 

[Davebuech]

Don’t look at the classifieds!

 

[mtnbiker208]

get water with your meal, by the small size meal, don't biggie size it. Put 10% of every paycheck in the savings account. Don't by snacks, you don't need them. basically don't buy what in not absolutely needed. convience stores are not your friend.
water with your meal will save you more than you imagine.