OT:Saving Tip of the Day

[sixsexsix]

I save boxes and collect recycling. A good weekend gets about $40. I've also become anal about the water and electricity in our apartment; if it doesn't have to be on, it's off!

You get paid to recycle? That is crazy! Here it is just like garbage pickup

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Pay attention to the price per ounce / pound / pint / per load (for soap) prices. I can NOT believe how many morons I see at the market. A gallon of milk is normally $2.69. Periodically they run sales on the half gallon for 99 cents. I saw one lady putting 2 gallons in her cart. "You should buy four half gallons." "But I need 2 gallons." "Your way - $5.38. My way with half gallons - $3.96. I'm ahead nearly a buck and a half." "Gee, I never thought about it like that." Duh!

Watch what's on sale and don't always assuming the "large economy size" is the best deal. Carry a calculator and do the math a few times. And as someone else said, pay attention to the receipt - sometimes the shelf "on sale" or weekly flyer sale price wasn't entered into the computer.

A smaller box of Electrosol dishwasher tablets are probably a better deal than the "cheaper" big bucket of powder. Check the number of loads on each.

Last month I was hitting Subway once or twice a week since I was the only one at home in the evening, I was busy and didn't want to cook for one. Locally, with tax, the sub I'd usually get was $7.86 with tax or thereabouts. With the footlong for $5 special, that's 1/3 off. They asked if I wanted to use my frequent buyer card points because I had a couple free ones coming. "No. I'll wait until the sale's over." Lady behind me in line says, "That's dumb! You could have a free sandwich." "That would be a free $5.45 sandwich - or I wait till the sale's over and I get a free $7.86 sandwich. Who's dumb now?" People in line were "Wait...go through that again!" followed by, "He's right! That IS the better way to do it!" But due to success of the $5 foot long promotion, they've decided to stick with that price, but earlier, I was still right, still way ahead.

Starbucks' dirty little secret - if you buy coffee by the bag at a Starbucks store, you get 1 lb. The bags that LOOK about the same size in the super market? They're about the same price, but they're only 12 oz. You pay the same price for 3/4 the amount.

Buy $50 of groceries at Safeway and you get 10 cents a gallon off on gas at their station. Comes in real handy for filling up the truck.

Lots of restaurants and such have email clubs where you get coupons for freebies by email. I think I get somewhere around 20 free dinner coupons in the month of my birthday (buy one at regular price - birthday boy eats free). Same for office supply and other chains with the email club and/or frequent buyer cards. Staples gives you back $3 when you return an empty printer cartridge - used to be a coupon you could use right there, now they send you a check at the end of the quarter - but it's still $3 back. Last quarter they sent a coupon for a free box of 50 pens. This month is a free $5 binder. Office Depot sent me a $25 and a $50 off card for in-store printing - I give those things like that which I can't use to a local non-profit theatre to use.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

You get paid to recycle? That is crazy! Here it is just like garbage pickup

here we have both...you can put it out with the trash and let the -city- make money off you....

or you can load it up yourself into your car, and take it and get the money back. At least in california we -pay- a redemption value when buying beverages in recyclable containers. I take mine to a center where I get that money back. 5 cents for a small can or bottle, and 10 cents for the 2 liter bottles.

I make about 10 dollars every two weeks this way, because co-workers now also bring me -their- bottles of soda from work drinking.

 

[AmateisGal]

We ALWAYS take a calculator with us when we go grocery shopping. The times that we haven't, we've ended up spending way more than we should have. It's amazing how fast everything adds up when you just throw it into the cart.

I've also found that the knock-off brands are usually just as good as name-brand stuff,and CHEAPER.

 

[Babydoll]

I purchase laundry soap and TP at Target. It's usually $2-4 less than at the grocery store.

Mike, I love the Safeway gas discount! One time it came up as $.17/gallon off! Hooray!!!!

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.coolsavings.com/Home.aspx?SessionID=449848d4-2c74-45ca-beb3-62e04e6bcda9-2

This was the website of the day on our local tv channel in Houston.
You can print coupons from it by your zip code.
They said the download has no spyware or whatever.
I also recently bought a coupon book from our high school band I get every year. The more people I can get to buy one I can save money when I am ordering. It had $6000.00 worth of coupons for $39.95. I paid $37.50 since I got one more to buy a book. Coupons for everything.

 

[Foofoogal]

Yeah. I am winning something on ebay and just went to my mail and ebay has sent me a $10.00 off coupon.
Timing hey..........

 

[CharlesB]

My saving tip...

McDonalds dollar menu

 

[BonnieJean]

Air dry your clothes...

When my dryer finally bit the big one last August, I've been line drying my clothes ever since. I doubt I'll ever replace it. Even during the harsh Midwest winter, I was still air drying. I did purchase some sturdy metal clothes racks--2 tall ones and a couple of smaller folding racks. (Another plus, they fold up and take very little storage space.) When the weather is incliment outside, I just set up my racks in the livingroom, hang the laundry and turn on the ceiling fan and my occilating floor fan. It creates an artificial indoor breeze. And as the clothes dry indoors, they add extra humidity to our dry winter air. When the weather is nice, my clothes are hung outside on a clothesline that I've strung between two trees. One side unhooks, so I can just wind up the line and hang it on a hook on the other tree when not in use. Line drying helps the clothes to last longer. I think the dryer wears clothing out.

Someone mentioned earlier about fabric softener. I use a little white vinegar in my wash. I just put it where the commercial fabric softener goes. The vinegar really gets the soap out and my clothes seem a lot "cleaner" and there isn't a vinegar smell. I put 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle to clean my wooden floors. (Mine are not in mint condition, so test a small area if you're unsure about vinegar on your floor.) I also use straight vinegar to disinfect my countertop and its great for removing hard water stains.

Borax is another great item to have around--it can boost your laundry detergent. But I like to use it to clean my toilet. Just add a bit to the toilet bowl along with a squirt of regular dishwashing soap, let it sit for about 10 minutes and then brush; it makes the toilet sparkle. I have hard water and this is better (and safer) than the commercial toilet cleaners.

I guess I've put too many tips in one post, sorry. lol
I'm sure I'll come up with a few more later....

 

[ShooShooBaby]

My saving tip...

McDonalds dollar menu

ok now THAT makes me puke in my mouth! lol

 

[CharlesB]

ok now THAT makes me puke in my mouth! lol

Sometimes there's nothing better than a couple double cheeseburgers, a super large fries and 3 or 4 High Lifes

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Sometimes is called real food.

 

[miss_elise]

my tip; pack your own lunch and make use of your leftovers

 

[LizzieMaine]

We ALWAYS take a calculator with us when we go grocery shopping. The times that we haven't, we've ended up spending way more than we should have. It's amazing how fast everything adds up when you just throw it into the cart.

This brings up something I'd completely forgotten from my childhood -- my grandmother never went shopping without one of these things:

You didn't even need to look at it when using it once you learned how -- just count the clicks for cents, dimes, and dollars, and you'd keep a running total as you went along. Very convenient little gadget -- I wonder if they're still around?

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.the5and10.com/index.cfm/product/945/handy-adder.cfm

Took me a bit to find it but here it is. You have to sign into the site but it looks cool. Thanks. Neat item.

 

[BonnieJean]

Foofoogal, you always find the neatest stuff!
That's a very interesting website.
I'm adding that to my favorites.

 

[KeyGrip]

I take mine to a center where I get that money back. 5 cents for a small can or bottle, and 10 cents for the 2 liter bottles.

That's how we (my friends and I) do it. It's not the cleanest way to get money, but it doesn't take a whole lot of time and the returns are decent. If you really want to rake it in, hit the big recycling dumpsters on a college campus after the weekend's...festivities... are over.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

That's how we (my friends and I) do it. It's not the cleanest way to get money, but it doesn't take a whole lot of time and the returns are decent. If you really want to rake it in, hit the big recycling dumpsters on a college campus after the weekend's...festivities... are over.

Agreed....and 5 min with some soap or hand sanitizer and one has additional grocery money.

I have my mother saving hers for me, coworkers saving theirs for me...etc. I don't make tons off it, but I can buy a few things that would be -splurges- grocery wise without it. So its worth doing for me.

 

[Rachael]

I've started taking the train to work. I live one block from the nearest station, and get off at a stop a short 1/2 mile walk through a greenspace from work.

I also do just about anything to keep from buying new products. that means second hand stores, craigslist, freecycle and trading unused items with friends. one friend was given a set of matching crystal for Christmas this year, and it was like Christmas for the rest of us as we divied up the mismatches she had aquired over the years.

Unplug appliances that aren't in use. You're paying for that glowy light telling you that the coffee pot is ready to go. And do you really need the microwave telling time? That's what the (wound) clock on the wall is for.

and my all-time favorite?
get a reel mower for the back yard. because it builds muscle and character. at least that's what I tell the boys.

 

[Tomasso]

Got me a couple of Go-Ped electric scooters for running neighborhood errands, local excursions and such. Very fun and only 1¢ per mile.