"All it takes is willpower"...Well, it's true, but it takes a whole heck of a lot of it. The best advice I can give is to find your motivation. Every person who successfully quits has a different motivation. Family, health, money, sex, whatever. Just know that you've got a big beast on your back and there's got to be a bigger drive to get rid of it. I've been quit for 7.5 years now. My motivation was my wife. She was torn up about me being a smoker and I didn't want to do that to her anymore. Cold turkey kicked it and am better for it.
May I ask if you still feel like smoking sometimes? I quit for about a year, then started, then kinda been on and off, and the need hasn't been there, but the wanting to has never truly left me
How long have you been smoking for? What kind of methods have you tried for quitting?
What worked for me was switching to e-cigs! I made the switch on January of 2013, and didn't really think about if I'd ever quit e-cigs or not. Last year, in December, I decided I'd try to switch from nicotine liquid to non-nicotine, then in March of this year I ditched the e-cigs completely. It has been ridiculously easy!
No where near as agonising as trying to stop smoking with nicotine patches or gum or cold turkey.
According to my E-smoker app, I have been nonsmoker for 911 days, and in this time I would have smoked 16398 real cigarettes! Those would amount to $4687, and I've spent $503 dollars on E-cigs, so I've saved $4184. Pretty nice, eh?
We are on virgins highest internet but after being with them for five years we've had multiple reductions in our bills through loyalty and error correcting, they gave us the basic phone for free when we called up to cancel it and the tv part so now we pay about £40ish for the insane fibre net which they keep making faster. It does mean taking a lot of spam from the phones part of the company but the internet is totally worth it
I cut the cord 4 years ago. The money I've saved is immense. I think my wife had a much harder time switching because of those silly reality shows, like American Idol and the Bachelor. The options are even better for people cutting now.
I started drinking more water instead of soda and I also stopped eating out as much as I was.
Not only does it help save some money, but it also helps me lose a couple pounds as well so it's a win win situation.
I was going to mention soda as well, but I'll just add that there's another benefit to quitting soda. Soda is a major cause of tooth decay, because of it's acidity. Not in a small way too. Some are nearly as damaging as battery acid. I've since started drinking earl grey tea, with some cream I think it's better than soda.
Here's a source on that tooth decay thing if anyone is curious.
Been doing this for a long time now. The only problem is when you end up in Europe and restaurants often make you pay for water...I can understand needing to make a profit but if I'm content with just plain tap water, please give me that.
On that same note: cutting back the amount of chips/junk food (not eating an entire bag in one sitting...). Finding snacks that are more filling and cheaper per lbs/kg is also a good way to save some cash. And healthier to boot if you find the right things! A small bowl of roasted broccoli and cauliflower with some shredded parmesan...absolutely delicious snack and not nearly as bad as eating an entire bag of cheetohs.
Going out to eat has been the biggest offender for ruining budgeting attempts in the past. It's amazing how fast you can spend $1000 in a single month just on restaurants/fast food/coffee alone.
I don't buy games as often as I used to. Before I buy another game, I force myself to finish the one I'm currently playing. Hopefully I'l eventually build the willpower to go through 2 old games for every new game purchase, to help save even more and burn through my backlog at the same time.
Great tactic. A year ago I also realized how much money I spend on various Humble Bundles (I used to buy them all above average) and also on Steam sales and whatnot, hardly playing any of the games. It was really a bad habit, so I chose to try and finish game from my backlog instead of spending money. Now I only buy the "original" Humble Indie Bundles, none of those spinoff bullshit, also I only bought one game this summer sale, which is a great accomplishent for me. It was Borderlands 2 GOTY, so also a really great investment as far as I'm concerned.
I've been doing the same thing . . . well kinda. I have a rule to where I don't buy a game until it drops to ~$10, maybe even $15 if I'm super psyched about it. Even at this point, the game will have all DLCs attached to it, most bugs fixed, mods galore, etc. It's the best way to enjoy a game IMO. Most games that come out these days aren't worth anywhere close to $60.
I'm shocked that no one has made a Patient Gamers tribe yet. I came real close last weekend to creating it . . . and now I think I just might do it.
I stopped drinking alcohol. Not for everyone, but the best decision I've ever made for me. I used to easily spend £70 on a night out after drinks + taxis + dirt burger on the way home. I can do a good night out on a tenner now.
Wow £70 on a night out is impressive. I probably do save close to that by not drinking though (between nights out, casual pub trips, home beers, expensive bottles of whisky, etc. etc.).
I also save money by not getting taxis, and rarely getting public transport either. Now that I don't really drink I can cycle home from the pub, and I cycle everywhere else I need to be also. Again, perhaps not for everyone just yet, but we should be working to make it so!
Used to spend it whether or not I had it and end up eating beans on toast for the rest of the month til pay day. Drunk me wants to drink all of the booze. I have no control when it comes to alcohol, one of the factors in making the decision to give it up for good.
If only I could ride a bike, it would make for even more savings....alas I never learnt. Good on you though, savings in your pocket and for the environment :)
I save money by not buying chain shop coffee every day, and I then spend that money on expensive coffee beans to brew at home. I think I still come out on top though, and I get to drink much nicer coffee now too.
Fortunately for my wallet the fancy coffee shops (in Sheffield) aren't near anywhere I go often, so I only visit them occasionally. They're a luxury for me, but 100% worth it.
I'm surprised yours are cheaper than Starbucks though. They all come in at about the same price around here, but you get more (but not in volume) for your money with the independent shops.
I'm not a huge coffee nut by any means. But when I want coffee? I'll buy a box of cocoa packets (Swiss Miss) for $2, put one packet in my cup, brew a K-cup at work and mix them. SO good.
Probably not for everyone, but I did a couple things that have saved me a lot of money in the long run, which is good as I have VERY limited funds for the time being.
1. Got free or cheap hobbies. I used to be into video games a lot, but my interest was kind of waning and it's a pretty expensive hobby, so I dropped it in favor of some free hobbies (writing, cartography, listening to music on Youtube) and some cheap ones (reading and quilting) that has let me have time to myself to do hobbies without it costing more than, honestly, $20 a month at the very most, but usually closer to $5 or $0.
2. Dog food diet. Really not something I'd exactly recommend, but with little money I make it work. Basically, buy all the stuff to make a single meal and eat that meal for every meal every day. It sucks and you get tired of the food, but it's cheap (I spend no more than $150 on groceries a month, usually closer to $120) and it's helped me lose a good bit of weight, especially by subbing out soda for water and junk food for richer, whole foods that can be used for several meals in a row.
"dog food diet"
Reading this, I was afraid you literally meant dog food. That would have been desperate...
But yeah, I experienced the dog food diet too. Rice and cheap-ass meatloaf all day, every day. Now I have more variety, but I still have to invest in a slow cooker myself because I hear from everywhere that it's the bee's knees.
Yeah, it's bland but it works. Slow cookers are great because you can actually make some tasty cheap meals with it that'll last a while if you freeze leftovers and thaw them out only when you need them. Definitely better, in my opinion, than rice and cheap meat.
I'm with you on the dog food diet, Running joke in my house "is it spag bol or veggie chilli tonight". Also, get yourself a slow cooker, saves electric and you can make a huge pot of something for the week ahead.
That's one of the few meals that I try to rotate out every month. Some months I just make almost a whole month's worth of stew or soup, freeze the lot of it, and just have it all month. Slow cookers are a lifesaver.
I'd really disagree that gaming is an expensive Hobby. I can pay $5 for a bundle of games on the computer that can easily get me 50+ Hours of entertainment. Loads of gems are out there that cost under 10 or twenty dollars.
I think I have maybe spent around $500 dollars on m steam collection in its life, and have over 500 games, many of which have a huge amount of content. Easily a solid return on investment per dollar. That's the equivalent of 50 movie tickets.
Well, it's more like I don't have a very good computer and won't likely be able to get more than a laptop in the future (since I need portability more than power), so, to me, it's not worth it to save up for a good rig or console. Like I said, though, I've just not been interested in them lately anyway, so any monetary investment in them doesn't sit well with me.
I'm with you on that, brother. Not only does it save you money,but also health. I get way more bang for my buck so to say, and the time is spent way nicer than stumbling through nightclubs losing your wallet.
Switched to TracFone. I was on a $45/mo cell phone plan for unlimited minutes & bandwidth I did not need. Now it's more like$20 every three months. I barely make calls these days, and if I need to download any apps, I use wifi.
I didn't realize that TracFone had smart phones! That's definitely something to look into. I think my family plan is something ridiculous like $90.00 every month for only two people with limited data. Thanks for sharing!
I'm a financial planner and I really can not recommend this enough. I have found the the number one thing most people could do (but almost never do) to save significant money, is to make and stick to a budget.
There's a mobile app that you can download. You'll also need DropBox because there's where it'll save the file. And then you can add your transactions as you go.
It's not a HUGE saving, but it does add up to a nice chunk of change:
If you like to play (and pay for) Android games, get Google Opinion Rewards. You'll get surveys from time to time, for which you get Google Play credits. It adds up in the long run!
Over the two months that I've been participating, I've earned a little over $6, and spent $5 on an app. I wouldn't have purchased otherwise. I have heard that the surveys are more common for women, but have no source on that. I get about 1 per week, sometimes a little more often.
One a week? I haven't gotten a single one in two months while my SO is getting them every two weeks or so...really frustrating as I really want to purchase some apps can't do that
I stop by the local supermarket every Monday lunchtime during work to pick up sandwich materials and fruit to cover lunch for the rest of the week.
It works out just less than £5 a week / £1 a day, much more savvy than buying lunch every day.
It also means I can eat any evening meal leftovers over the following evenings (I used to bring leftovers in for lunch), so I save time and money in that respect as well.
Lucked out by both me and the wife having work-from-home jobs. So, we've basically cut out most dinners at restaurants and cook from home now most nights. It's pretty trivial to toss a couple of chicken breasts into the crock pot, cover with some sauce, make some rice, and have a tasty, filling meal at home.
I collect used videogames and I like getting things for good prices so I can build my collection (Going for a complete PAL Gamecube Collection). If you know anything about region locking on old videogame systems, you will know that PAL region instantly means double the price, then times it by another 30% if you want the Australian classification sticker on it for the rarer games!
Anyway, to get back on topic... I now predominantly buy bulk lots of videogames for cheap prices, then resell the remaining titles I already have leftover. I usually sell my items well below what the market is charging because I have an issue with driving up prices due to it stinging me in the ass when I want to find stuff for myself! Gotten a lot of titles virtually for free because I am willing to take the time to drive a little, buy up big, seperate into piles, then put them on the market. Most auctions/sales I sell go within a few minutes recouping my costs.
The bonus is It's not just saving a chunk of change... it's also making friends (which I am not typically great at) and building a community where everyone wins.
Edit:
Dear fellow Australians, before buying anything new, have a look at ozbargain.com.au Probably the best website in the country for saving money.
Before buying anything tech related, used staticice.com.au a price comparison website.
Hope these additional links might save some people some money.
I work 12 hour shifts in a retail store. It's easy to buy lots of snacks throughout the day. I finally got in the habit of just leaving my wallet in my car and bringing in $3 in my pocket. With that I can get yogurt and a Belvita for lunch, which is enough lunch to get me through the rest of the day. I probably save at least $50/month in money I'm not wasting on snacks, and I'm healthier to boot.
I have a 10'x14' vegetable garden. I save a huge amount on produce in the summer and beyond by planting the things I eat most that can be grown well in my region and planning meals around what's ready to harvest. Other than getting the soil right - which just takes some googling, some compost and a few bags of topsoil - and watering/weeding when needed, the time investment is very minimal. I find it relaxing to do anyhow. Plus - a summer planting of garlic (hung up to dry) can last until the next crop comes up, and kale, brussels sprouts, squash, turnips, and cabbage, among other crops, can keep feeding you until well after the first frost - sometimes even into the winter - depending on where you live.
This would be great to help cut down on groceries even more, very self-sustaining...if I didn't kill all plant life I touch. I swear, its like magic. Fresh fruits and veggies are the best though.
I used to have a 'black thumb' too. It can be overcome. For me, the key was learning how much sun and water different plants needed, and asking lots of questions at my local plant nursery. Also, there's /t/gardening!
Working with a financial planner. What!? How did this save me money? Well, aside from work 401k or a savings account, I wasn't saving.
I now have a plan that is something I pay for but the money I will have later is money I wouldn't have had otherwise. I know this isn't what OP meant, but damn I wish I would have started "saving" sooner. Do it now so you don't have to work the rest of your life. It hurts at first, but it is very much worth it.
I've started making large portions of food that keeps well, that I can freeze and eat throughout the week. My current favorite go-to is curry, and I also recently made about 15 veggie lentil burgers for about $5. It is possible to make really impressive and tasty meals on the cheap if you take a couple of hours during the weekend to cook them!
I'm actually surprised how little "cooking for yourself" is mentioned in this discussion. By far the best thing you can do is cooking more for yourself. Going from a $10 takeout to a $5 cooked meal on weeknights saves you over $1000/year.
It really is a matter of changing habits, since it's all together way too easy to get in the habit of not cooking (or "cooking" a pre-prepared meal), and once you're in that habit it's hard to break. The best thing I've found is to just find a couple of dead simple meals to cook in <15 minutes and always stock the ingredients. The cheaper the meal is, the better, so salads and noodle dishes shine here, and are usually quick and easy to make.
Eating out is what kills my paychecks the fastest, so I always try and keep good healthy food around. Is there a tribe yet for cheap and healthy eating? That would be a solid addition
I buy cases of water and keep them on me when I'm driving. Any time I stop for food or get thirsty, it saves me from buying an over priced drink elsewhere. Drinks are $1-3 anywhere you go. A case is like $5 for 30, so almost $85 worth of savings on the high end
If you're in the UK, bookmark MSE and HotUKDeals and don't buy or subscribe to anything without checking these two sites first. Just last week I saved over £100 on my broadband. And all these savings do add up. Also, use cashback sites when you buy stuff online.
I use an ecig with a Vivi nova and the heads can be expensive to replace. I started boiling and dry burning mine and most turn out almost like new. It saves a TON of money. Rebuilding heads can also be a good way to save on having to buy more, too. While they're not really supposed to be rebuildable heads, they can be done pretty easily with a good youtube tutorial.
I haven't purchased new heads in a LONG time, and while I do lose a few in the process, it doesn't take very long and it's pretty easy.
Cancelled PAY-TV and subscribed to Netflix and Stan, it is saving me $1500 a year.
Re-using the rinse water in the washing machine to wash the next lot of clothes is saving on my water bills at least $240 for a year(Using an old pool pump and hoses to drain from tub to machine)
Hit the electricity company up and got free fluorescent bulbs(4) for my lamps. I rarely use house lights now. Probably saving $80 a year.
I used to get the lawns mowed by a local gardener. Now I get the kids down the road to mow and clean yard for over 1/2 the price, Saving roughly $200 a year.
Cooking all my meals in one giant batch every two weeks! This has enormously cut back on the amount I spend on groceries and eating out. I have things ready for whenever I feel like eating dinner and something to take with me for work. I've gotten it down to a quick science. It used to take me the majority of Saturday or Sunday and clean up was a pain in the rear. Now I can finish about five meals (with standard serving sizes making about 25) in the better part of an afternoon and still have time to do my other chores. Another unexpected benefit is I've been losing weight! Apparently making your own food is better for you (who'd a 'thunk). I've lost about 25lbs since I started cooking for myself.
Join the Discussion
Stopped smoking.
I would realy like to know how you managed to do that... I really want to stop and I need some tips.
"All it takes is willpower"...Well, it's true, but it takes a whole heck of a lot of it. The best advice I can give is to find your motivation. Every person who successfully quits has a different motivation. Family, health, money, sex, whatever. Just know that you've got a big beast on your back and there's got to be a bigger drive to get rid of it. I've been quit for 7.5 years now. My motivation was my wife. She was torn up about me being a smoker and I didn't want to do that to her anymore. Cold turkey kicked it and am better for it.
May I ask if you still feel like smoking sometimes? I quit for about a year, then started, then kinda been on and off, and the need hasn't been there, but the wanting to has never truly left me
How long have you been smoking for? What kind of methods have you tried for quitting?
What worked for me was switching to e-cigs! I made the switch on January of 2013, and didn't really think about if I'd ever quit e-cigs or not. Last year, in December, I decided I'd try to switch from nicotine liquid to non-nicotine, then in March of this year I ditched the e-cigs completely. It has been ridiculously easy! No where near as agonising as trying to stop smoking with nicotine patches or gum or cold turkey.
According to my E-smoker app, I have been nonsmoker for 911 days, and in this time I would have smoked 16398 real cigarettes! Those would amount to $4687, and I've spent $503 dollars on E-cigs, so I've saved $4184. Pretty nice, eh?
Congratulations! You're also more likely save on your medical expenses now! A hard road, but worth it.
How much was it costing you, if you don't mind me asking?
I cancelled my ridiculous cable subscription and went with the basic internet package and netflix. Saving more than 1,500 per year.
How expensive is cable/ISP in your country? Oo
Not sure where drunkenninja is, but in the UK on VirginMedia, the highest-tier package is £101.50 a month, or roughly $150 according to Google.
We are on virgins highest internet but after being with them for five years we've had multiple reductions in our bills through loyalty and error correcting, they gave us the basic phone for free when we called up to cancel it and the tv part so now we pay about £40ish for the insane fibre net which they keep making faster. It does mean taking a lot of spam from the phones part of the company but the internet is totally worth it
Do you not get throttled horribly at peak hours?
When I was on Virgin, if you downloaded a gig between 1400-1600 (ish) you'd get throttled to hell and back.
I cut the cord 4 years ago. The money I've saved is immense. I think my wife had a much harder time switching because of those silly reality shows, like American Idol and the Bachelor. The options are even better for people cutting now.
Worth it.
I started drinking more water instead of soda and I also stopped eating out as much as I was.
Not only does it help save some money, but it also helps me lose a couple pounds as well so it's a win win situation.
I was going to mention soda as well, but I'll just add that there's another benefit to quitting soda. Soda is a major cause of tooth decay, because of it's acidity. Not in a small way too. Some are nearly as damaging as battery acid. I've since started drinking earl grey tea, with some cream I think it's better than soda.
Here's a source on that tooth decay thing if anyone is curious.
Here's a comparison chart for your benefit
Been doing this for a long time now. The only problem is when you end up in Europe and restaurants often make you pay for water...I can understand needing to make a profit but if I'm content with just plain tap water, please give me that.
On that same note: cutting back the amount of chips/junk food (not eating an entire bag in one sitting...). Finding snacks that are more filling and cheaper per lbs/kg is also a good way to save some cash. And healthier to boot if you find the right things! A small bowl of roasted broccoli and cauliflower with some shredded parmesan...absolutely delicious snack and not nearly as bad as eating an entire bag of cheetohs.
Going out to eat has been the biggest offender for ruining budgeting attempts in the past. It's amazing how fast you can spend $1000 in a single month just on restaurants/fast food/coffee alone.
I don't buy games as often as I used to. Before I buy another game, I force myself to finish the one I'm currently playing. Hopefully I'l eventually build the willpower to go through 2 old games for every new game purchase, to help save even more and burn through my backlog at the same time.
Great tactic. A year ago I also realized how much money I spend on various Humble Bundles (I used to buy them all above average) and also on Steam sales and whatnot, hardly playing any of the games. It was really a bad habit, so I chose to try and finish game from my backlog instead of spending money. Now I only buy the "original" Humble Indie Bundles, none of those spinoff bullshit, also I only bought one game this summer sale, which is a great accomplishent for me. It was Borderlands 2 GOTY, so also a really great investment as far as I'm concerned.
Congratulations on your purchase! Borderlands 2 to me is the best in the series. I admire your restraint as well, Steam sales are like crack.
I've been doing the same thing . . . well kinda. I have a rule to where I don't buy a game until it drops to ~$10, maybe even $15 if I'm super psyched about it. Even at this point, the game will have all DLCs attached to it, most bugs fixed, mods galore, etc. It's the best way to enjoy a game IMO. Most games that come out these days aren't worth anywhere close to $60.
I'm shocked that no one has made a Patient Gamers tribe yet. I came real close last weekend to creating it . . . and now I think I just might do it.
I just joined /t/patientgamers, did you create it?
Actually I didn't get a chance to. A meeting came up and didn't get back on the computer for a few hours. Someone beat me to it!
I stopped drinking alcohol. Not for everyone, but the best decision I've ever made for me. I used to easily spend £70 on a night out after drinks + taxis + dirt burger on the way home. I can do a good night out on a tenner now.
Wow £70 on a night out is impressive. I probably do save close to that by not drinking though (between nights out, casual pub trips, home beers, expensive bottles of whisky, etc. etc.).
I also save money by not getting taxis, and rarely getting public transport either. Now that I don't really drink I can cycle home from the pub, and I cycle everywhere else I need to be also. Again, perhaps not for everyone just yet, but we should be working to make it so!
Used to spend it whether or not I had it and end up eating beans on toast for the rest of the month til pay day. Drunk me wants to drink all of the booze. I have no control when it comes to alcohol, one of the factors in making the decision to give it up for good.
If only I could ride a bike, it would make for even more savings....alas I never learnt. Good on you though, savings in your pocket and for the environment :)
Fair enough. A good decision all around then!
That's another money saving tip right there that is.
I save money by not buying chain shop coffee every day, and I then spend that money on expensive coffee beans to brew at home. I think I still come out on top though, and I get to drink much nicer coffee now too.
I started doing this and now I end up going to the fancy coffee shops (of which there are many in Manchester) and buy coffee there.
Still cheaper than Starbucks and better quality by miles.
Fortunately for my wallet the fancy coffee shops (in Sheffield) aren't near anywhere I go often, so I only visit them occasionally. They're a luxury for me, but 100% worth it.
I'm surprised yours are cheaper than Starbucks though. They all come in at about the same price around here, but you get more (but not in volume) for your money with the independent shops.
Yeah volume wise it's less but, I'd rather have 200ml of something great than 20 floz. of sugar...
I'm not a huge coffee nut by any means. But when I want coffee? I'll buy a box of cocoa packets (Swiss Miss) for $2, put one packet in my cup, brew a K-cup at work and mix them. SO good.
Probably not for everyone, but I did a couple things that have saved me a lot of money in the long run, which is good as I have VERY limited funds for the time being.
1. Got free or cheap hobbies. I used to be into video games a lot, but my interest was kind of waning and it's a pretty expensive hobby, so I dropped it in favor of some free hobbies (writing, cartography, listening to music on Youtube) and some cheap ones (reading and quilting) that has let me have time to myself to do hobbies without it costing more than, honestly, $20 a month at the very most, but usually closer to $5 or $0.
2. Dog food diet. Really not something I'd exactly recommend, but with little money I make it work. Basically, buy all the stuff to make a single meal and eat that meal for every meal every day. It sucks and you get tired of the food, but it's cheap (I spend no more than $150 on groceries a month, usually closer to $120) and it's helped me lose a good bit of weight, especially by subbing out soda for water and junk food for richer, whole foods that can be used for several meals in a row.
"dog food diet"
Reading this, I was afraid you literally meant dog food. That would have been desperate...
But yeah, I experienced the dog food diet too. Rice and cheap-ass meatloaf all day, every day. Now I have more variety, but I still have to invest in a slow cooker myself because I hear from everywhere that it's the bee's knees.
Yeah, it's bland but it works. Slow cookers are great because you can actually make some tasty cheap meals with it that'll last a while if you freeze leftovers and thaw them out only when you need them. Definitely better, in my opinion, than rice and cheap meat.
I'm with you on the dog food diet, Running joke in my house "is it spag bol or veggie chilli tonight". Also, get yourself a slow cooker, saves electric and you can make a huge pot of something for the week ahead.
That's one of the few meals that I try to rotate out every month. Some months I just make almost a whole month's worth of stew or soup, freeze the lot of it, and just have it all month. Slow cookers are a lifesaver.
I'd really disagree that gaming is an expensive Hobby. I can pay $5 for a bundle of games on the computer that can easily get me 50+ Hours of entertainment. Loads of gems are out there that cost under 10 or twenty dollars.
I think I have maybe spent around $500 dollars on m steam collection in its life, and have over 500 games, many of which have a huge amount of content. Easily a solid return on investment per dollar. That's the equivalent of 50 movie tickets.
Well, it's more like I don't have a very good computer and won't likely be able to get more than a laptop in the future (since I need portability more than power), so, to me, it's not worth it to save up for a good rig or console. Like I said, though, I've just not been interested in them lately anyway, so any monetary investment in them doesn't sit well with me.
I don't drink. It's such a waste of money and calories, I find using cannabis in the evening much more relaxing and cheaper.
I'm with you on that, brother. Not only does it save you money,but also health. I get way more bang for my buck so to say, and the time is spent way nicer than stumbling through nightclubs losing your wallet.
So true, I would much rather come home from work, have a puff and giggle all night.
Switched to TracFone. I was on a $45/mo cell phone plan for unlimited minutes & bandwidth I did not need. Now it's more like$20 every three months. I barely make calls these days, and if I need to download any apps, I use wifi.
I didn't realize that TracFone had smart phones! That's definitely something to look into. I think my family plan is something ridiculous like $90.00 every month for only two people with limited data. Thanks for sharing!
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It's not a HUGE saving, but it does add up to a nice chunk of change:
If you like to play (and pay for) Android games, get Google Opinion Rewards. You'll get surveys from time to time, for which you get Google Play credits. It adds up in the long run!
I do that too, but the surveys seem to come in so rarely that it really doesn't do much for me.
Over the two months that I've been participating, I've earned a little over $6, and spent $5 on an app. I wouldn't have purchased otherwise. I have heard that the surveys are more common for women, but have no source on that. I get about 1 per week, sometimes a little more often.
One a week? I haven't gotten a single one in two months while my SO is getting them every two weeks or so...really frustrating as I really want to purchase some apps can't do that
I stop by the local supermarket every Monday lunchtime during work to pick up sandwich materials and fruit to cover lunch for the rest of the week.
It works out just less than £5 a week / £1 a day, much more savvy than buying lunch every day.
It also means I can eat any evening meal leftovers over the following evenings (I used to bring leftovers in for lunch), so I save time and money in that respect as well.
Lucked out by both me and the wife having work-from-home jobs. So, we've basically cut out most dinners at restaurants and cook from home now most nights. It's pretty trivial to toss a couple of chicken breasts into the crock pot, cover with some sauce, make some rice, and have a tasty, filling meal at home.
I collect used videogames and I like getting things for good prices so I can build my collection (Going for a complete PAL Gamecube Collection). If you know anything about region locking on old videogame systems, you will know that PAL region instantly means double the price, then times it by another 30% if you want the Australian classification sticker on it for the rarer games!
Anyway, to get back on topic... I now predominantly buy bulk lots of videogames for cheap prices, then resell the remaining titles I already have leftover. I usually sell my items well below what the market is charging because I have an issue with driving up prices due to it stinging me in the ass when I want to find stuff for myself! Gotten a lot of titles virtually for free because I am willing to take the time to drive a little, buy up big, seperate into piles, then put them on the market. Most auctions/sales I sell go within a few minutes recouping my costs.
The bonus is It's not just saving a chunk of change... it's also making friends (which I am not typically great at) and building a community where everyone wins.
Edit:
Dear fellow Australians, before buying anything new, have a look at ozbargain.com.au Probably the best website in the country for saving money. Before buying anything tech related, used staticice.com.au a price comparison website. Hope these additional links might save some people some money.
I work 12 hour shifts in a retail store. It's easy to buy lots of snacks throughout the day. I finally got in the habit of just leaving my wallet in my car and bringing in $3 in my pocket. With that I can get yogurt and a Belvita for lunch, which is enough lunch to get me through the rest of the day. I probably save at least $50/month in money I'm not wasting on snacks, and I'm healthier to boot.
Stopped paying for a smartphone plan, stopped paying for cable, stopped paying for internet. Now I can travel the world.
I have a 10'x14' vegetable garden. I save a huge amount on produce in the summer and beyond by planting the things I eat most that can be grown well in my region and planning meals around what's ready to harvest. Other than getting the soil right - which just takes some googling, some compost and a few bags of topsoil - and watering/weeding when needed, the time investment is very minimal. I find it relaxing to do anyhow. Plus - a summer planting of garlic (hung up to dry) can last until the next crop comes up, and kale, brussels sprouts, squash, turnips, and cabbage, among other crops, can keep feeding you until well after the first frost - sometimes even into the winter - depending on where you live.
This would be great to help cut down on groceries even more, very self-sustaining...if I didn't kill all plant life I touch. I swear, its like magic. Fresh fruits and veggies are the best though.
I used to have a 'black thumb' too. It can be overcome. For me, the key was learning how much sun and water different plants needed, and asking lots of questions at my local plant nursery. Also, there's /t/gardening!
Buy a nice electric razor and start cutting my own hair.
You can buy an awesome electric razor for $30 bucks and then never have to pay ridiculous prices for haircuts again.
NOTE: This only works if you aren't picky about your hair and don't mind short hair.
Working with a financial planner. What!? How did this save me money? Well, aside from work 401k or a savings account, I wasn't saving.
I now have a plan that is something I pay for but the money I will have later is money I wouldn't have had otherwise. I know this isn't what OP meant, but damn I wish I would have started "saving" sooner. Do it now so you don't have to work the rest of your life. It hurts at first, but it is very much worth it.
I've started making large portions of food that keeps well, that I can freeze and eat throughout the week. My current favorite go-to is curry, and I also recently made about 15 veggie lentil burgers for about $5. It is possible to make really impressive and tasty meals on the cheap if you take a couple of hours during the weekend to cook them!
I'm actually surprised how little "cooking for yourself" is mentioned in this discussion. By far the best thing you can do is cooking more for yourself. Going from a $10 takeout to a $5 cooked meal on weeknights saves you over $1000/year.
It really is a matter of changing habits, since it's all together way too easy to get in the habit of not cooking (or "cooking" a pre-prepared meal), and once you're in that habit it's hard to break. The best thing I've found is to just find a couple of dead simple meals to cook in <15 minutes and always stock the ingredients. The cheaper the meal is, the better, so salads and noodle dishes shine here, and are usually quick and easy to make.
Eating out is what kills my paychecks the fastest, so I always try and keep good healthy food around. Is there a tribe yet for cheap and healthy eating? That would be a solid addition
I buy cases of water and keep them on me when I'm driving. Any time I stop for food or get thirsty, it saves me from buying an over priced drink elsewhere. Drinks are $1-3 anywhere you go. A case is like $5 for 30, so almost $85 worth of savings on the high end
If you're in the UK, bookmark MSE and HotUKDeals and don't buy or subscribe to anything without checking these two sites first. Just last week I saved over £100 on my broadband. And all these savings do add up. Also, use cashback sites when you buy stuff online.
I use an ecig with a Vivi nova and the heads can be expensive to replace. I started boiling and dry burning mine and most turn out almost like new. It saves a TON of money. Rebuilding heads can also be a good way to save on having to buy more, too. While they're not really supposed to be rebuildable heads, they can be done pretty easily with a good youtube tutorial.
I haven't purchased new heads in a LONG time, and while I do lose a few in the process, it doesn't take very long and it's pretty easy.
Cancelled PAY-TV and subscribed to Netflix and Stan, it is saving me $1500 a year. Re-using the rinse water in the washing machine to wash the next lot of clothes is saving on my water bills at least $240 for a year(Using an old pool pump and hoses to drain from tub to machine) Hit the electricity company up and got free fluorescent bulbs(4) for my lamps. I rarely use house lights now. Probably saving $80 a year. I used to get the lawns mowed by a local gardener. Now I get the kids down the road to mow and clean yard for over 1/2 the price, Saving roughly $200 a year.
Cooking all my meals in one giant batch every two weeks! This has enormously cut back on the amount I spend on groceries and eating out. I have things ready for whenever I feel like eating dinner and something to take with me for work. I've gotten it down to a quick science. It used to take me the majority of Saturday or Sunday and clean up was a pain in the rear. Now I can finish about five meals (with standard serving sizes making about 25) in the better part of an afternoon and still have time to do my other chores. Another unexpected benefit is I've been losing weight! Apparently making your own food is better for you (who'd a 'thunk). I've lost about 25lbs since I started cooking for myself.