| What's your "frugal" secret? |
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Jill
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Location: Missouri
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| What's your "frugal" secret? |
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I'm not a complete cheapskate, but I'm learning fast!
One of my favorite frugal things that we do in our house is not to have a long distance carrier. Instead of paying $15 a month when we didn't even make any long distance calls; I by a $15 phone card at the store and it lasts from 3-6 months (plus you can take it with you in case you have an emergency and no cell phone).
Do you have a clever way to save a little everyday money? Share you secret!
"If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars." - J. Paul Getty (1892 - 1976)
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Fri Mar 12, 2004 4:55 am |
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Euler
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| Pack lunch |
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The Brown Bag Express will save you around $100 a month over eating out every day.
Typical lunch out varies in price, but tends towards $7.00.
Brown Bag costs about $2.00 for a simple healthy lunch.
Multiply $5.00 * 20 workdays in the month = $100.00
Ideal case: Savings of over a Grand in a year. Reality will come in somewhat under that.
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Fri Mar 12, 2004 5:26 pm |
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Andrew
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I need some more frugal secrets, so I'm all ears and taking notes!
Like Euler said it's best to eat at home for saving money. Restraunts make a lot of money on drinks. $1.75 for a glass of cola?!? It probably only cost $0.07, so drink water instead, it's always free. Here's something I did once... instead of getting a lemonade at Subway, I got a water, then I added several of their free lemon juice packets and sugar packets. Instant free lemonade! Is that cheap or what?
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Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:31 pm |
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Jill
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Here's another one.
I haven't bought plastic trash bags in years! We get the brown paper bags from the grocery store (for free) instead of plastic, and use them for trash bags.
Even the small plastic bags that they give you at the grocery store can be used in small garbage cans, like in the bathroom.
"If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars." - J. Paul Getty (1892 - 1976)
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Mon Mar 15, 2004 4:09 am |
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REI Houston
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Beyond budgeting?
Plan out meals for the week, make a grocery list based on that, and keep a running list of how much spent while shopping ("one loaf of bread @ $2, that's $14 spent so far...one box cereal @ $5, that's $19....). When you spent the money for the week, stop.
Like the brown bag idea. I already use that. Don't know about the plastic bag idea though...
Jerel
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein
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Tue Mar 16, 2004 9:12 pm |
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JBendar
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| What's your frugal secret? |
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I have the unfortunate experience of losing all my credit cards due to conditions beyond my control. I have an old car now that could die at any minute, so I needed a cell phone. I went to Radio Shack in my area and purchased a plan called FREEUP. They have prepaid cell phone cards that don't require any credit check,etc. The phone was expensive, but it was a one time purchase. They gave me a $50.00 phone card free with the plan (at 30 cents a minute = 150 free minutes). The beauty of this plan is that you do not lose your minutes as long as you renew the minutes before the card expires (normally 60 days). I have been carrying forward about 100-200 minutes every month. The cards I purchase cost $30.00 plus tax, and are good for 60 days (15.00 a month). Try to compare this to a plan that requires a contract.
JBendar
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Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:47 pm |
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madlaker
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For when Brown bag's a little blue for your blood.
Lol, j/k 
I unfortunately don't even do the brown bag, for my meals. Most of the time I survive on coffee and the occasional frozen pizza.
I agree it's not the healthiest but listen to this budget while keeping in mind I'm 23 & single.
I can buy 7 frozen Pizzas for the week @ $2.00 a crack. Total cost $14.00
I buy a can of coffee for the week. Total cost $7.99
I buy 2 bottles of creamer for the week. Total Cost $5.98
Water (Filtered [RO] Tap) Free
(I know it's sounding like an credit card commercial "for everything else there's Mastercard  )
I have lived on that right for months at a time before.
The trick is to drink lot's of coffee, because it seems to keep my mind off hunger.
Also I should mention I use supplements, (I'm involved with a health product company, so I get a majority of the nutrients I am missing from the diet above. The supplement don't cost me anything because the business pays for them.
Anyways thought I'd share.
Please don't think I do that every week either, but I think I've gone 3 months on it before.
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Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:10 pm |
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Andrew
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I hope that diet is meant to save time too, in addition to money, 'cause you are paying more for the pre-prepared pizzas. If you spent all that money on rice, beans and some vegetables, you could eat more healthy for about the same price, but you'd have to invest the time to cook it all. 
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Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:18 pm |
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Imagineink
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I find that by walking to the store to get my coffee at the local gas station it cuts back on gas and helps keep the pound off!
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Mon Jun 07, 2004 1:14 am |
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xboxundone
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If you are dating somone for a while or married. ME and my wife use this deal to save dough on drinks when we go to resturants  One of us orders a coke and the other orders a water (coke is free refills) so we both get coke for the price of one since we share
Another tip is if you like going to the movies go to the early shows before noon and save a couple bucks per person.... Also if your wife will carry the drinks in her purse you can save a few bucks that way also Just got to buy the popcorn.... You can do this for boxes of candy even your corner 7-11 is cheaper than movie theatre.
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Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:52 am |
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Dawn
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| My Frugal Secret |
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It is not really a secret however I coupon. I have a family of 6 and with my couponing I can purchase approximately $500 worth of food and HB items a month for about 50% of retail.
Madlaker, I could cut at least 50% off your frozen pizza cost
Rice and beans are cheap tis true, but if you know how to shop correctly, use refunds, rebates, and coupons, you can get free food, and money back.
You can also buy those types of foods that you would not normally purchase on a budget because they are too expensive.
My other secret is plastic bags from grocery shopping. I own a business and never have purchased bags for my customers to take their books home in, we just recycle the grocery bags and my customers bring theirs into me when they get too many. We use them the waste baskets too at the shop.
Being frugal when you are single is different than when you have family. Shopping Clubs like Sam's and BJ's are very good for some items. Although they do not take coupons, you can purchase a gallon of anti bacterial hand soap for around $4. This last for us about 6 months or so. Those fruity little bottles on the shelf in the grocer cost $2 or more. We just keep around an old fruity bottle and refill it. *L*
I buy bread at the bread thrift .73 a loaf and toss in the freezer. There are things I refuse to buy generic, but will try to get them as cheap as possible with couponing. There are items I can't coupon and won't skimp on (like my shampoo) so I find the best deal and pick it up there.
There are probably more things I do, I just don't notice them.
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Sat Oct 09, 2004 7:59 pm |
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Andrew
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Some good tips, thanks Dawn. Welcome to the board, by the way.
I've seen news segments where they show ladies that have managed to not only make coupons a saving exercise, they raise the practice of the art of coupons to a level where it's actually a money-making venture. It seems that this takes a lot of time though.
How much effort do you put into collecting your coupons and such?
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Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:15 am |
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kristin9
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I pay all my bills on credit cards that give rewards. The citibank dividend card pays 5% on all gasoline and groceries. The rewards add up fast.
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Fri Oct 22, 2004 12:14 am |
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kingston
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Trash bags good thing you bring that up because I use the trash bags from the drycleaners that they use to put the clean clothes in my military friends provides them free of charge.
I offer my 2 cents
Mortgage Consultant
kingston111@netzero.net
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Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:02 pm |
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Andrew
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Recyling is economical and good for the environment!
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Tue Dec 14, 2004 7:07 pm |
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