Food
– Don’t shop when hungry; it’s harder to resist temptation.
– Watch the cash register ring up items. Count your change. Check the receipt.
– Drink plenty of water.
– Eat 3 – 6 light meals a day.
– Avoid eating out.
– Avoid meat – you can get protein through nuts and other food.
– Keep water and mixed nuts in the car so you don’t pull into a restaurant when hungry.
If you’re handy
– Cut your family’s hair with a kit and thinning shears.
– Do home repairs with the help of the net.
– Browse ‘as is’ yards in thrift shops for furniture, appliances, parts, etc.
Where to shop
– Garage sales and swap meets. Sellers take lower offers toward the end of the day.
– Thrift stores – check periodically, the better items don’t last.
– Outlets for ‘day-old’ bread. Freeze it.
– Auc¬tions through the post office, police depts., etc.
– Outlets for ‘seconds’ and ‘imperfects’ in quality clothing.
Car
– Never ever buy a new car as you lose great amounts of money thru depreciation:
– Never buy a used one without checking its ratings on the net and having your mechanic drive it.
– Cars sold ‘as is’ at commercial auctions can be a terribly buy. No dealer will touch them.
– Cars owned by the elderly often have low mileage.
– Don’t buy a car that’s been in a wreck. Avoid cars from snowy climates – they have rust.
– Four door cars are generally cheaper and resale better.
– If you repaint, consider white as it doesn’t fade and it’s cooler in summer.
– Practice ‘preventative maintenance’.
– Insurance for older cars is lower. Get parts from a junkyard if your handy.
Legal
– You can often avoid lawyers when you divorce, make a will, sell your house, or file for bankruptcy. If you need one: be clear on fees, be organized, don’t call him much, and don’t use him as a therapist.
– Use media¬tion, arbitration, and small claims court.
Health
– 10%-30% of doctors visits, medical tests, procedures and surgeries are unnecessary.
– When possible have all tests done in advance on an outpatient basis. Keep copies of the results.
– Treatment in a doctor’s office is the least expensive. It’s more in an outpatient center, and most in the outpatient dept. of a hospital.
– Some immigrant doctors charge less.
– Community hospitals are preferred over teaching hospitals.
– Don’t go into a hospital from Friday afternoon through Sunday, unless it’s an emergency.
– Don’t go to a specialist until you need one.
– Get 2nd opinions before surgery. Many insurance plans will pay for this.
– Carefully check your bill.
– Try free samples of prescribed drugs to test for side effects. Later shop around and buy generic drugs in bulk by mail order.
Owning a house
– Vines on the southern and western walls cut the summer heat in the u.s.
– Insulating the attic (in southern Calif.) pays for itself in 3-4 years; insulating the walls does in l0 years.
– Turn down the temp. on the water heater. Insulating the tank saves $55/yr. Insulate the pipes.
– Carpet and padding cut down on heat lose.
– To the south of the house plant trees which lose their leaves in winter and shade the house in summer.
– If repainting, consider white – it doesn’t fade. Buying an airless sprayer for jobs like this can pay for itself.
– Put in double paned windows with a high R-value when replacing.
– Buy a carpet machine for rugs, furniture, and car upholstery rather than renting one periodically.
Utilities
– Look for an insulated apt. or house.
– Heavy duty door closers on exterior doors keep the heat inside in winter and out in summer, and prevent slamming by the wind.
– Hook up the clothes washer only to cold water. This saves 90% of the cost of washing. Wash only full loads. Dry only full, consecutive loads. Keep filters clean.
– Low-flow shower heads claim to save up to $90/yr.
– Turn down the water pressure for bathroom and kitchen faucets.
– Use an aerator in the kitchen faucets.
– Refrigerator. Look for one with a self-closing door. Don’t put it close to a range, dishwasher, or sunlight. Keep the freezing and food compartments full so there is less cold to air to spill out. Keep the food compart¬ment at 37 degrees.
– Use an electronic thermostat which turns the heat down when you’re sleep¬ing. Close up to 1/4th of the vents outside the bedrooms.
– An inside/outside thermometer shows when to open and close windows and doors.
– Close shades and drapes to keep heat in in winter and the sun out in summer.
– A 220 volt air conditioner (if your house is wired for 220) is more effi¬cient than a 110.
– Mount air conditioner in the shade and wind. Close off rooms not being used.
– A whole house fan pumps the hot air out of the house during summer nights and pulls cooler air in through windows. Opposite in winter when it’s warmer outside.
Garden
– Build a compost pile for fertilizer and mulch.
– Plant things you can eat.
– Automatic sprinklers probably pay for themselves. Don’t water during the day.
– A soil sample will show if you need to add elements. They will save water, chemicals, and time.
Misc
– You’re in trouble if over 25% of your take home pay goes to credit cards and personal loans (include your car loan but not mortgage, rent, food and utilities).
– You’re in trouble if three of the following are true:
– you get new loans to pay for old loans;
– you don’t know how much you owe;
– you charge items because you have no cash; or
– you borrow to pay for food and utilities.
– Your rent or house payments shouldn’t be more than 1/4 of your gross income.
– Pay off credit cards 1st, then get rid of them. Cut back on vacations, toll calls, and enter¬tainment.
– Buy off season and in bulk.
– Don’t buy anything on time.
– Don’t gamble.
– No pets, except for security.
– Ready-made glasses.
– Save receipts; send in warranties.
– Don’t be tempted by ‘specials’ and sales unless you have planned for a long time to buy the item.
– Rent a room in your house (to earn $400/mo in Org. County, Cal. in ’01). Be aware that evicting a tenant can be a nightmare. Look for tenants over 40 who work full time. Rules: no alcohol, smoking, pets or visitors.
– Rent your garage or yard for storage.
– Take your lunch to work to save $l000/yr (in ’92).
– Have a certain % of each paycheck automatically put into a savings account.
– Put aside three to six months income for emergencies.
– Save your tax records at least seven years.
– Use CONSUMER REPORTS.
– Make saving a challenge, a game. #
