Ten on Tuesday
Ten on Tuesday is saving my behind once again. And so I present:
10 Ways You Can Save Money
1. Install a programmable thermostat. We did this last winter and I can’t believe the difference it has made for us. Plus, now I don’t get in bed and then wonder if I remembered to turn the thermostat down.
2. Bring your lunch from home. I’ll admit that I’m not very good about this. If we have leftovers I’m all set with that but making and bringing a sandwich? So not me. Lean Cuisine gets pretty dull after a while, too. I’m open to suggestions for lunch ideas that can be brought from home.
3. One thing I am pretty good about is meal planning. I grocery shop on Fridays and try very hard to have my meals planned at that time. This really eliminates those last minute take out meals and those can sure get expensive.
4. This time of year I’ve got baking on my mind and you can really save some money if you bake your own cookies. I can whip out a batch of chocolate chip cookies in less than an hour and it costs pennies. They taste a lot better than the store bought ones, too.
5. Consider handmade gifts. Do you read Whip Up? There are great craft ideas on that site and they are often cheap, always beautiful, and mostly easy.
6. The American Library Association would take away my license to library if I didn’t tell you that using the library can save you a ton of money. Sure, you might not get the latest bestseller or most recently released DVD as quickly as you would if you bought it but you’ll get it eventually and it won’t cost you a dime. As long as you return it on time, of course.
7. Check out Craig’s List & eBay before you buy something. Not only can you find great used items but you can often find brand new items for less.
8. Being green can really save you money, too. Using cloth napkins, replacing your old light bulbs with CF light bulbs, insulating your water heater, bottling your own water, are just a few things that will not only be good for the environment but good for your wallet, too.
9. Buy generics. Whether it’s medicine or potato chips, I believe in the value of generic brand items.
10. Finally, stay home. Stay out of the stores, stay away from the mall. There’s lot of entertainment right there at home. Just bring out your knitting and you’ll be entertained for hours without spending a dime. Well. Other than all that money you spent on yarn. Ahem.
So that’s my list. I don’t feel like it’s very original and I don’t always follow my own advice. In fact, I’d love to hear any ideas you all have on ways to save money because honestly, this time of year, I feel like all I’m doing is spending money!
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Good ones..
Mine’s at
http://pehuajeando.blogspot.com/2008/12/ten-on-tuesday-diez-en-martes-nro11_02.html
I need to be better at menu planning. We eat the same boring thing day after day. For lunch I’m boring, too. I have a hard boiled egg and half an avocado for lunch almost daily. Yawn.
Loved your list! Most of ours are very similar! We grocery shop differently, though. I shop by the sales and menu plan as I shop and see what is on sale this week!
As a single income family a lot of those things have been on my list for quite awhile now. I would add- Netflix is a great alternative to the movie theater and boy are those snacks cheaper at home! Similar programs exist for video and computer games.
If you don’t know how to (insert craft here) barter with someone who does.
Youngest boy likes his hair in a buzz cut- even I can do that so we bought a trimmer and cut his hair ourselves. Now there’s never a fuss if it’s only been two weeks and he already wants another cut.
The library is not only for books- check out magazines, music and movies/tv shows as well.
We really don’t need most of those cleaning products in the cabinet. Some common household items do the job just as well if not better. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/8088/clngrn.html
GREAT list! I saw that you had posted and did my list before reading yours — we several of the same tips! Especially the library!!
I need to print your list and remind myself to do these things! Meal planning is the hardest one for me — we get home so late, I feel like we just don’t have time to cook. And I know that we would, if I planned better ahead of time and bought stuff for quick meals for the latest late nights.
Excellent list! Especially the bring your own food, and stay away from the temptation in the malls. Also baking, and programmable thermostats.
USE your handknits. I wrap a scarf around my neck, a cute little angora hat from yrs ago, and I can keep the temps five degrees cooler in the house and still be comfortable.
Yes… we too feel like we are spending money every time we turn around. Lunch ideas: i put salad greens and cut up veggies in the salad spinner and spin them. Keeping them in the spinner works like a crisper, so I get about 3 days out of them. I simply grab a few handfuls of pre-made salad and add an egg (pre-hardboiled on Sunday night) and some cubed cheese (also, cubed Sunday night). I make my own mini dressing packets by using small tupperware containers- keep ’em stacked in the fridge. Grab and go, healthy point-friendly lunch! Add a soup-at-hand (1-2 pts) and it’s hearty, and fills me up.
Saving money- we clip coupons, but we also try to buy “2 weeks at a time” — this way we can buy more items (like chicken and meat) in bulk. I simply split it up when I get home into smaller portions and freeze.
Instead of entertaining friends out, we have been hosting potlucks. And, I made more christmas gifts this year than most. Total Christmas budget: $550.
Around here we call Ken…Mr. Hannaford. He’s a number 9 kind of guy….LOL
It’s a good list! It’s amazing how much difference #10 makes. I try to have at least one day/week when I spend no money. And without #7, I’d probably be destitute and living in a refrigerator box.
I enjoy eating soup for lunch. You could make it at home on the weekend and designate it just for work lunches or buy canned soup. To go with it–cheese, fruit, salad, bread or whatever is easy.
Great list! Using http://www.hotcouponworld.com has been saving me money. There is a lot of helpful information on the site from sale information, free deals, etc. I learned this tip there the other day: use Pert shampoo to clean the soap scum from your shower. I tried it and it worked better than Soft Scrub with Bleach. The bottle I have was free after rebate, so that’s a pretty cheap cleaning product!
The biggest one that has worked for us is making extra payments to our mortgage. We made this a priority when we saw how much interest we were paying every month. As more payments are made more of each payment goes to principal and even small amounts add up over time. We managed to pay ours off in about 10 years but we really cut other expenses to make this happen.
You should try Everyday Food from Martha Stewart. Creative and delicious meals and they have rotating features that include a shopping and recipe list for five meals. Another feature is making one thing (ex: roast chicken) and then recipes for the leftovers.
I make a lot of grilled chicken and roasted veggies and I find that wrapping that up in a tortilla and using some yogurt (maybe with some spices in it) makes for a really interesting sandwich the next day. Tastes good and it isn’t the same old plate of leftovers.
I freeze one-serving batches of leftover soups and stews and chili. That way, there are always choices for lunches that aren’t what I ate for dinner the night before.
Holiday party food can make for fun lunches as well. Try leftover cheese ball, spread on a tortilla with ham or turkey. Or spread the tortilla with veggie dip, stack in some veggies and meat or cheese.
Great list. I’m in between grad school and a job (ug), so I’m definitely cutting where I can.
Excellent list, especially no. 6! One additional item – if you live someplace that has good public transportation, use it! It costs me a grand total of $40. per month for an unlimited bus pass, which I use to go nearly everywhere. No car expenses for me!
Great list. I’m pretty good with most of them except for meal planning. I kind of suck at that. We’re on a bit of a money-saving kick right now. A new (second) fridge is being delivered today so that we can make stuff ahead and freeze it and also so that we can buy more of the bulk stuff at Costco like waffles and OJ. We’re also contemplating new windows because I can feel the draft coming through the ones we have which are 43 years old. I’m sure that it will save a lot but I just wish the initial outlay wasn’t so big.
Great list!
Love the library…really! 🙂
Hmmm….maybe I’ll do a list, too? We’ll see…
(((Hugs)))
The year I made almost all my Xmas gifts my family & friends received far, FAR nicer gifts than I could ever afford to buy. I feel like this year will be a let down. I am making some gifts but buying most of them. I hate the shopping but I have to start in July if I’m going to make them all (and needless to say, that didn’t happen). It is a great goal, though, and results in less stress to you and a more personal/nicer gift. And when you run out of crafts, you get to learn new ones! (Bead crochet is easy and makes nice jewelry…)
That’s a great list. ‘Stay home.’ That way, I won’t be tempted to buy a caramel macchiato at Starbuck’s. 😛
Awesome! I would love to see more people embracing these ideas, most of which not only save money, but wear and tear on the environment as well.
I tried to convince my kids to not do any presents this year. They didn’t buy it. DAMN!
I’ll be watching the comments on the lunch front. While I have my kitchen at my disposal at lunch time I rarely feel motivated to “cook” for myself and DH has sworn to not buy bread but hasn’t followed through with the baking of bread frequently enough so the easy sandwich fallback doesn’t work. But your list is great, lots of good reminders there.
Lunch idea: cubes of Swiss cheese, pecan halves, a few fancy olives (I like Kalamata, but there are lots of good ones out there), and a couple slices of artisanal bread. If you don’t have the bread on hand, crackers will do; I have learned to appreciate saltines. This whole thing is especially good with a glass of merlot, but your employer may look askance at that 😉 If you want to be a bit lower-cal, reduce the number of pecans and olives and add an apple; I like to substitute Vermont white cheddar for the Swiss cheese in that case.
No matter how much I pay in fines at the library (it usually runs ~$20-30/year) it is still WAY cheaper than how I used to buy books.
Having been largely housebound for the last 2-1/2 months, I have spent way less money. I still internet shop, but only for stuff I need — no impulse purchases. It also has helped living in a rural area for the last 9 years — a trip to any store is always a major undertaking.
Great list!
I love the list – we do most of what you do. Except the meal planning. God bless my hubby – he loves to cook but he spends alot more than I would.
I would take advantage of the library more if it was bigger than my kitchen. Libraries are way behind here in RI – well – at least in my town.
Stay home – that’s exactly what I did the entire holiday weekend. I got lots of holiday knitting done. So I saved money by not going out and shopping and making gifts with what I had on hand already! Well, I did shop on black Friday for a bit, but that was all.
My suggestions:
1. Get a wide-mouthed thermos. Heat up left-overs from the previous night’s dinner in the microwave, and have a nice lunch. It’s also good for plain yogurt and fruit or jam. Cheaper to buy plain yogurt by the quart and add things to it.
2. Use a smooth dish towel to dry fruits and vegetables instead of using paper towels. Don’t rinse and dry poultry– it isn’t necessary and in fact could spread bacteria around your kitchen.
Another “going green” cost saver: we bought reusable cloth bags for the groceries, and for each bag we use our two local grocery stores reimburse us 5 cents. It’s tiny, but it adds up and makes Bradon grin every time.
Wonderful list, Carole!
Love this list! I take the kids to the library at least once a week-and sometimes I get to sneak over there by myself. I do end up paying a lot of fines (because I’m a pushover and let the kids take out so many books) but it is still very cheap entertainment.
Here’s another one: take those catalogs straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin. I don’t even peek at them anymore, it makes me feel much less “wanty”; I don’t even know what I’m missing!
I like your list. We do a lot of those things. This summer we had to replace both our heating and air conditioning system and clothes dryer within a one month period. The interesting thing was the decrease by HALF in our utility bill. We didn’t quite save half in dollars, but we did in the units ofgas and electricity used, which was what we compared. Wow! We haven’t gotten a bill for a full month of heat yet, as we just turned ours on the weekend before Thanksgiving, but I am really waiting to see. At this rate the dryer will have completely been paid for in savings by Christmas, and we just got it in June!
Instead of programmable thermometer, we just keep the thermostat set low and put on more clothes. And I use hot water bottles to keep my feet warm in bed. We’ve got #8 & #9 pretty well in hand, too. Eventually we need to insulate the hell out of this house, too, but it’s going to take time. We’re starting with new exterior doors and new windows for David’s studio.
David found a list recently and suggested we try one suggestion in particular, which is trying to live off one spouse’s income. It’s not doable right now if we want to get rid of our carried debt, but it did prompt me to sit down and work out a budget that will get rid of that debt. If we can make that work, we can live on my income with some to spare, and put his into paying down the mortgage faster & remodeling. After new windows, I think the next big job will be to improve insulation in and finish the attic so we can actually use it for storage.
For lunches I make a big pot of soup or risotto on Sunday and then put it in individual plastic containers for lunch all week. It gets kind of boring by the end of the week but it’s a great cost saver. And I tend to make soup from whatever is starting to go bad in my fridge. Great for the veggie leftovers from the farmshare.
Great list – we have some of the same ones…
Don’t laugh – but, I was reading all the lists from over at Ten on Tuesday…Didn’t even notice this list was from you – until I hit send – thus the above comment.
You know people are going to think I am a librarian, too – the way I push using the library! Maybe I should have been!!!
Great list…seems as though we have lots in common on our list and our lives… I unravel thrift sweaters to get pricey yarn at very affordable costs.
I have everything (TVs, Cable box, computer) plugged into surge protectors which I turn off when they are not in use. Since switching (pun intended) to this method, I’ve noticed a significant savings in my electric bill.
Insulate, insulate, insulate. I spent a weekend this fall insulating around my windows with some expanding foam and caulk and have yet to turn on my heat. It helps that I get residual heat from my neighbors (one of the benefits of condo living).
Keep your baseboards/radiators clean and dust free. And don’t pack the furniture in front of them. They require at least 4 inches of air flow to function efficiently. Another heating tip, use a fan. Srsly. Since hot air rises, I keep a fan on a low setting pointed at the ceiling to keep the air circulating.
I’m also terrible about bringing my lunch with me. However, I’ve found a way around it. Instead of making sandwiches the night before at home, at the beginning of the week I’ll walk over to one of the supermarkets near my office and buy 1/4-1/2 pound of cold cuts for the week and maybe a bag of salad mix. I already have a small jar of light mayo and salad dressing in the refrigerator in the office. Then if I want a sandwich I’ll either buy a small roll or croissant (mmmm…) and make myself a fresh sandwich. Definitely better than something that sits in the refrigerator for hours and really–no different than if I bought the fixings at home.
Excellent list. I make twice as much stew or spaghetti sauce or whatever as we need and there are my lunches for several days.
I work within easy walking distance of a fairly upscale mall, but rarely feel the urge to go there. When I do it’s usually to meet a friend for lunch at the food court — more expensive than brown bag, but cheaper than a restaurant.
Great list! We need to work on our quick meals out to save time. I need to make time….even when someone is sick. I need to have good, healthy things pre-cooked so it’s easier to pull it out than it is to go out. I’m all for staying home since I LOVE being home!
The lunchtime thing came about while I was dieting, but it was so convenient I kept it up after. I make a HUGE batch of soup once a month and portion it into those freezable, reusable containers and pop them in the freezer. Every morning (and then it was 6:00am), I would swing by the fridge, grab a container and hit the door running. I had hot delicious soup/chili, etc. every day for lunch and my office mates that had to go out in the cold and spend a whack of money were very envious. Add a piece of fruit and you’re eating healthy for less than a buck.
This is an excellent list, and ‘stay at home’ has been at the top. We also decided we could do without cable, especially since we can check out great things to watch at the library.
Yay, Thriftiness!
Well, I am proud to say I think I do everything on your list, right down to the cloth napkins. I also bake my own bread and hang out my laundry. But the biggest saver of all has been putting in our new hot water heater. Our electric bill dropped from 2100 kwh per month to 700 kwh per month since we put the new thing in! Since then we’ve also bought a new fridge and put in a new furnace. So it’s only getting better.
Funny, I have never considered us thrifty at all, but maybe there are people out there who eat lunch out every day and go out to the movies and buy all their food pre-made. They must be broke.
These are all wonderful tips. My goal for this winter is to get us back on a meal plan. We’ve spent too much money eating out due to lack of defrosted meat. 🙂
Friday is our ‘take out’ night. We were doing chinese, thai or pizza (pretty much our only options for take out where we live) until our local Big Y put in a pizza section. Now Friday is pizza night and we get the same pie, salad and wings from Big Y for a third of the price and the pizza is way better, too.
I do meal planning but we have a big freezer so I only buy meat when it’s on sale and I plan the sides around what’s on sale that week. I’m also a huge coupon clipper. ;o)
Oh and we have a programmable thermostat too – and I keep the heat down during the day when it’s just me. R thinks I’m trying to kill myself by slowly freezing to death but he doesn’t understand – THAT’S WHY I KNIT!! hehe
I’m shocked by number 2. You’re a fabulous cook. Why on Earth don’t you bring lunch to work?
After sending my last child to Kindergarten this year, I found myself alone for lunches. I started eating “crap” for lunch because I was too lazy to make something decent. About 2 months ago I started cooking myself lunch each weekend. Usually it is a pot of soup, or a low carb casserole ( I have been eating low carb for years), or a sandwich/salad topping ( chicken salad, tuna salad, etc) All these items can easily be stored in the fridge in individual containers and just grabbed and go. These work really well whether I’m home for lunch or eating at work.
Hope some of these ideas help you.
Beverly ( rare poster, loyal reader)
DH’s lunch today is curried beef, a big green salad, and a mug of lemon-ginger tea, all from scratch, packed in labeled ziploc containers and tucked in a small cooler. He has a drawer in one of the refrigerators at work for his jar of mustard, a bottle of homemade salad dressing, and whatever he brings in to eat that day. When we grill I throw on four extra sausages. I make an extra serving or two of casseroles or curries and pack it as a lunch for later in the week. He shuffles them around to get some variety. He says the salads are tricky, that the leaves try to jump onto his work clothes, so I pack the lettuce in a larger than necessary container to give some maneuvering space.
Meatloaf is always good. Tamale pie (too much carb for DH but I love it). Chili.
Having the right size plastic containers makes a big difference. They have to fit the portions you prefer, nest well in the frig, fit in the cooler for transport, and fit in the upper rack of your dishwasher. I like the ziploc ones because the blue lids wash well in the top rack without warping.
We re-use plastic bags from the farmer’s market to make daily batches to stow in the frig ahead of time if it’s going to be a zany week — a salad, protein, a baggie with a handful of raw almonds, an apple… If DH has to take the car in to be serviced and will be in a rental for part of the day, we stage that day’s lunch at work the day before because he’s left them in the wrong car too many times!
I’ll second (or third?) the vote for a good water heater. We have a Rinai tankless and it’s wonderful.
Thanks for the Wip it Up tip, new to me!