+Combine your Cable/Internet/Phone Services... yeah - years ago - as a matter of fact, we don't HAVE cable TV anymore (just the locals - gasp!)
+Slow down your Internet Service - ummm... yeah, it doesn't get any slower folks!
+Send away for and follow up on rebates: I happen to be good at this, but frankly - you have to SPEND money to qualify for the rebates, so I haven't had to worry about it recently!
+Buy a refurbished Mac/iPod/iPhone... umm, isn't it just better to NOT replace my things that are still working?
+Convert to a Gas Water Heater - yep, great idea, as soon as I can wait the b'zillion years for my monthly savings to add up to the purchase price - I am SO on this one!
+Request a reduction in the interest rate for your home equity line of credit. - hmmm, actually - not a terrible idea, can't hurt to ask right?
+Ditto for the credit cards, can't hurt to ask
+Refinance your mortgage - ummm, not THIS year, are you NUTS?!?
+Get rid of private Mortgage Insurance - yep, did that
+Get your books from the Library - REALLY trying to do this one, REALLY...
+Get your DVDs from the Library... ummm, our DVD player is broken, not an issue
+Rent your DVDs from Red BOx - I checked but yep, still broken!
+Read your magazines at the library or online - I just gave them all up... well, except GAMES - and it turns out that the library frowns upon me doing 1/2 of every crossword! (okay, so really they don't even stock it)
+Subscribe to magazines that are must reads - yep, GAMES is a subscription... and maybe if I mention their magazine a few more times they'll give me a free issue :) GAMES, GAMES, GAMES... (what can I say, I'm a puzzle junkie!) -and yes, all the links DO go the same place!
+Buy your car over the internet - still thinking it's better to just NOT buy a new one this week.
+Request a discount on trash service??? Really?? Didn't even know there was a competitor to my city run trash collection... oh that's right, there's not.
+Never pay checking account fees. o. k.
+Get a rewards card - yep, we're still saving those measly points hoping that we'll be able to go to Disneyland before Mr Teenager has to leave on his mission in six years!
+Don't pay interest on credit cards... again, trying REALLY hard on this one...
+Take advantage of 0% credit card offers... umm, this is in direct opposition to the rewards card one isn't it... you really can't expect to earn rewards if you're transferring your balance every 6 months!
+Replace lightbulbs with those compact flourescent ones... we did that a few years back - and though some have done the whole "last 10X longer" thing just fine, I'm getting really that we're replacing at least one a month anyway!
+Drive your car longer - yep, have no plans to replace it... please keep running...
+Pay your life insurance annually - okay, didn't know this one either...
+Pay car insurance semi-annually - hey, I knew this one!
+Increase insurance deductibles... and unless it turns around to bite us in the plush, it's a savings!
+Think twice before submitting an insurance claim - yep, we think twice... all the time.
+Get rid of your home telephone - ummm... yeah, unless you have children at home who might actually need the phone to keep in touch with the real world in the event of and emergency. In lieu of completely nixing the land line he does suggest reducing the extras (call waiting, etc...) Yeah, we don't even have long distance on our home phone!
+Consider Internet Phone Service - looked into it... the one he suggests is 21.95/mo. My long distance free phone is still cheaper than that!
+Shut vents in unused rooms - "unused rooms?" umm, I have 5 kids... but we do shut all the basement vents - they'll live!
+Eliminate some cable service... ummm, nothing left to eliminate Mr Money Guru, sorry!
+Agree to limit gift giving - yeah, been there, done that - next...
+Get Healthy. SO working on it...
+Cancel your Health Club Membership - ummm, they're going to laugh if I walk in and say I want to cancel... I never joined.
+Pass on extended warranties - never got one of these in my life!
+Take your lunch to work one additional day per week... ummm, yeah, I can't add a day to the calendar dude!
+Buy Low Cost Mutual Funds - umm, no comment - that's math again... not my bag
+Take advantage of employer 401(k) matches. yep, done it!
+Use flexible spending accounts - good there.
+Get tired from CostCo or Other wholesale clubs... yep, tried that once - until we found out that their "experts" forgot to mention that the tires they sold me would make the 4WD cease to work properly... maybe we'll try again NEXT time!
+Keep tires properly inflated - well, at least now I won't groan next time Q goes all "proper inflation" neurotic on me!
+Stop Smoking - yeah, great money saver... I'm counting all that additional money already!
+Drink less alcohol - again, less than None?
+Buy Term Life Insurance - done it.
+Buy Generic Medications - gotcha
+Get organized and avoid late payments - I was late on the preschool check last month, I hereby resolve to be better at paying M's preschool teacher!
+Buy online when it saves you money - yeah, I'm a good deal junkie... but rarely do I find the BEST deal online, because I'm rarely shopping for anything that pricy!
+Consider MythTv instead of TiVo... ummm, no DVR here (and no, it isn't Broken too... we just don't have one!)
+Use OpenSource software when available - ummm, free is good - I like free...
+Check the insulation in your home: yep, it's there... pretty sure it would cost me an arm and a leg to improve it, but we did seal the windows - that helped... a little.
+Buy energy efficient appliances - yep, when the washer/dryer bit the dust a few years ago - we went energy efficient... but I'm still waiting for the Dishwasher to REALLY die before starting over (I'm sure it will happen soon... stay tuned)
+Stay Married - apparently divorce is really pricy? umm, I think I have better reasons for staying married than just the $ savings, but it's good to know we're doing the right thing!
Boy - that was more "great ideas" than I'd anticipated... I was thinking more along the lines of "buy generic" and "turn down the thermostat"... yeah, my kids hate that we never have campbell's labels to contribute to the school and my hubby refuses to cool below 78 degrees or heat above 70 degrees... we may live in the desert, but it still gets COLD!
This post sure got whiny fast - sorry, I shouldn't post on a sugar rush! Basically - The economy is one big scary mess right now - and all the "money saving tips" are just annoying me ad infinitum... I don't HAVE a monthly cell phone contract to eliminate - I don't HAVE a price cable bill to shave - I don't HAVE an addiction to coffee/tobacco/fast food to cut back on - I already cut my family's hair... Anymore brilliant Ideas? Really - where are you planning to "trim the fat" as the pennies become thinner?
7 comments:
I feel your pain!!! Im sure that someone out there could come in and squeeze a few pennies out, hemmmm but when your self employed and when you get paid is who knows........they dont like that either!! LOL Great post, had me rollin'.
Probably eat more beans? My grocery bill could definitely use some shaving but I just like to enjoy dinner, dang it.
Amen on the grocery bill comment! With three teenage boys, and three more kids that eat just about as much, it gets a little scary. Let me know if there are any great ideas out there. I already shop at a military commissary, and coupon like crazy when I can. What else is there?
This is a great post. I can't find much to cut back on either when I already don't have most of these things.
well it is definetly a good thing you are saving as much as you are!! i think i could probably use some of these tips!
Sadly I just think of the things I can't cut back on. Like going without a cell phone or my morning newspaper...I guess I cut back by not buying the fresh produce that nobody will eat anyway. But I don't know if that's a good thing or not....
We just got rid of our house phone through qwest! We are with t-mobile and they have a plan where you only pay $10 a month and you get free area and long distance!! LOVE it!
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