Money Saving Ideas

[MNHunter]

Times are tough. People are struggling. I thought it migh be productive to post some tips you have for saving money. I'll go first:

My big secret:
I shop a lot at Home Depot, Lowe's, Cabelas, Gander Mountain, etc. Before I do, I go to ebay and buy gift cards and coupons. For example, I recently paid $.99 for a 10% off coupon at Lowes. I went in and bought some new appliances and saved $250.00.
I generally buy gift cards to Cabelas, HD, and Best Buy for 90 cents (or less) on the dollar. I use paypal for security and verify the balance on each card as soon as I get it. I have NEVER been ripped off and don't even worry about it because it is very easy to reverse charges on PayPal. i'm not really sure how much I've saved over the years but it is a bunch.

Anybody else?

 

[wilecoyote76]

I have been looking at trying the MagicJack v.o.i.p thing. It's only $40 to buy the unit plus the first year of service/activation. Each year after that is only $20. You make phone calls to the US and Canada for free. Also included is voice mail, caller id, call waiting, etc. I believe they require broadband service but I know I could kick the land line and save $600 a year. I could use my cell phone and up the minutes but that's a whole different money saving tip!

 

[JohnSWA]

Great ideas, guys! Keep em coming!

 

[cjcj]

Yep I clip Coupons for almost everything... Fry's was taking [fresh and easy] $5.00 off $20. purchase.. thats 25% right off the top.[ just ... Fry's also Triples other stores/manufact. coupons up to $2.00..... Lowes had a coupon $10. off $25 purch.. thats 40% everytime I went by Lowes went in Got $26. worth of stuff... Paid $16. for it... Did this At least 12 times in January...I am very Frugal....love Beating the "system"
If you shop smart you can save 50% at supermarkets... Fry's is the best I.M.O..... Sometime you go out to the truck [ non-perishables] then go back in again and again...

 

[BigHornRam]

Heat my home and shop with dead wood cut on the land I own.

Payoff entire credit card debt monthly, while getting a cashback dividend from Discover.

Hired Tom Daschle's accountant the other day........

 

[Hntnhrd]

Just had a pheasent run acr0ss my fr0nt yard!!!! I FEEL LIKE CHICKEN
T0NIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kn0w pe0ple d0n't like ebay but man. I just b0ught an new p0wer c0rd f0r the lapt0p. 18.95 including shipping. It was 117.00 at Best Buy. In Miss0ula. Sh0wed up and w0rks perfect. WE als0 hit al0t 0f yard sales and l0cal auctions. Usually pick up things f0r pennies 0n the d0llar.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

Hnthrd, Did ya get that keyboard off E-Bay? Just Kidding ya! John

 

[noharleyyet]

Just had a pheasent run acr0ss my fr0nt yard!!!! I FEEL LIKE CHICKEN
T0NIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I kn0w pe0ple d0n't like ebay but man. I just b0ught an new p0wer c0rd f0r the lapt0p. 18.95 including shipping. It was 117.00 at Best Buy. In Miss0ula. Sh0wed up and w0rks perfect. WE als0 hit al0t 0f yard sales and l0cal auctions. Usually pick up things f0r pennies 0n the d0llar.

..there's got to be a subliminal message in there somewhere...but it ain't hit me yet.

I save money by eating elk meat....hahahahahahaha! I wish.

 

[Hntnhrd]

Oh i lost the O button on the keyboard and i save money by using the zero instead HEHEHEEHHEHEHEHE!!!!!!

 

[brymoore]

I've been selling fake Home Depot and Cabelas cards on Ebay.

 

[noharleyyet]

I've been selling fake Home Depot and Cabelas cards on Ebay.

....too funny.

 

[JohnSWA]

My wife pays for a service called the "Grocerie game". It's like $15 every other month and it gives her a heads up on all of the coupons coming in the paper and gives her a list of all of 2 for 1's and freebies to be had with the coupons and which store to go to for double coupons and what not! If she doesn't save at least 70% she's pissed! She saves us a ton of $ on groceries!

 

[Dicholscrn]

Gas

There is only a couple Safeway gas stations around town (none in Scottsdale)and 1 of them is a couple blocks away from home. They have a "spend $50 get .10 off each gallon of gas". So I have asked a couple buddies and my mother who all shop at Safeway to use my phone # for their discount. In return I usually get at least half off my entire gas bill for my wifes car (I get my truck gas paid by from work). We filled her SUV up a couple days ago for .60/gallon. We actually were talking about how much longer they could keep doing this as I cant believe more people dont take advantage of it. Especially since it is on the way to Bartlett Lake for a good majority of the valley.

 

[schmalts]

If times get tough in my house, the first thing that will go is cable TV.
Wiley, please let us know how the majic jack works out as it has caught my interest as well.

 

[pa mt man]

Here's an idea that's too late for me and my wife(she's fixed and 55). I think some of you younger folks should take a stab at it. In vitro fertilization (IVF). I heard NBC paid her 300,000.00 for her first interview. Trouble is it cost 12,000.00 a treatment and no guarantees that you'll get eight. But in Obama's world just get checked during the pregnancy and if you don't have a boatload in there take some stimulus money and abort them.

Sorry,I was just reading about this story and it really pisses me off.:BLEEP:

 

[indian larry]

I think I save a fair amount, no TV and no cable saves alot, plus I have a programmable thermostat witch kicks the heat down we when aren’t home (55F) then we when are home its up around 58. Also i turned down the water heater because if its to hot to put your hand in its a waste of heat. Up till last month my water bill was my highest bill at 64 bucks.

 

[Big Fin]

Haven't had a newspaper in a long time. Why pay for something you can read for free?

Probably pretty obvious given current interest rates, but refi'd my 5.375% mortgage down to a 4.625%, with very little costs.

I always have a few clients who bring me their tax information and it shows they are paying PMI, primary mortgage insurance. It is a waste. Sometimes you can't get it removed, but try to do so, as it is money down a rat hole. Should be friggin illegal.

Wife makes my daily coffee, rather than running out the door and grabbing java at the drive through. Didn't realize how much that addiction was costing me. Well, I did know what it was costing, but didn't want to admit it.

Have a client who said he was quitting his job so he can save the gas to and from work.

My neighbors have a pretty good gig figured out. They don't buy dog food any more. They just let them out when it is time for my dog to be fed, and they eat as much of his as they can. :BLEEP:

Also, I have some in-laws who have figured out how to take cheap vacations. Take them to MT and stay at Fin's house. |oo

 

[Steiny]

Pack your lunch instead of going out every day and you can save probably $35 per week.
Stay out of the bars, grab a case of beer at the grocery and drink at home and you'll save a bunch.
Don't make so many trips to town. Make a list and get everything on the same trip and you'll save a bunch of gas.
Believe it or not, you can still watch a lot of TV on an antenna without paying in a high priced cable or satellite bill every month.
Get rid of either your land line or cell phone, you don't absolutely require both.
Drop magazine subscriptions, newspapers and all that sort of B.S.
Burn wood for heat.
Insulate the $hit out of your house.
Plant a garden and eat your own fresh produce.
Shoot a bunch of deer or elk, process them yourself and chow down.

Oh ...... I don't do very much of this stuff other than eating a bunch of deer.
Just throwing out some ideas.