How to $ave

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 – even fast food.
• 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.
• Auctions through the post office, police depts., etc.
• Outlets for ‘seconds’ and ‘imperfects’ in quality clothing.

 

Cars

• NEVER ever buy a new car as you lose great amounts of money thru depreciation:
  
• Never buy a used one without checking its ratings and having your mechanic drive it and list what needs repairing. See the net for this.
• Cars sold ‘as is’ at commercial auctions can be terrible buys. 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. Online legal services are good for forms but make big mistakes.
• Use mediation, 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 in the US

• Vines on the southern and western walls cut the summer heat.
• 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 if you’re handy.
• 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 aerators in the faucets.
• Refrigerator. 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 compartment at 37 degrees. Consider a self-closing door.
• Use an electronic thermostat which turns the heat down when you’re sleeping. Close only 1 or 2 vents. Closing more makes the system less efficient.
• An inside/outside thermometer shows when to open and close windows and doors.
• Close inside and outside 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 it) is more efficient 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
  • 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; consider getting rid of them. Cut back on vacations, toll calls, and entertainment.
• 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.
• Take your lunch to work to save $1000/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.
• Search the net for tips and infographics on ‘how to save money’.
• Rent your garage or yard for storage [if the legalities are clear].
• Rent a room in your house.
  ttps://www.timelessissues.com/category/law/legal-nightmare-over-rented-room/
  https://www.generaladvice.org/renting-rooms-in-your-house/
• Search the net for other tips and ‘microfinance’.
• Make saving a challenge, a game.