Things I've done this year to save money
- Thread starter OGNorCal707
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iamdegaussed
Kingfisher
Get money out of my checking account as soon as I can.
As soon as I get paid, I pay bills and then save a set amount every time because I realized that if I have the money in my checking account I am much more likely to spend it on shit I don't need, and also realized that if I don't have the money there I am much more frugal and think more about my purchases.
I'm going to see how much money I can start saving by buying things like toothpaste and laundry detergent in bulk off Amazon.
As soon as I get paid, I pay bills and then save a set amount every time because I realized that if I have the money in my checking account I am much more likely to spend it on shit I don't need, and also realized that if I don't have the money there I am much more frugal and think more about my purchases.
I'm going to see how much money I can start saving by buying things like toothpaste and laundry detergent in bulk off Amazon.
Buy things when you need them and never before. This is the concept of just-in-time(JIT) inventory model. This allows you to be more liquid(cash on hand) rather than have your assets tied up in inventory(things you use but aren't needed immediately). It also gives yourself time to think about your purchase before you actually make it.
Wouldn't an example of JIT be buying 1/2 lb protein powder bags, not 10 lb? You might pay a bit more because you don't get the bulk discount, but it will come back to you in the form of ensuring that you never throw anything away, either because it went past its expiry date or because you simply never used it.
I dont buy silly shit I dont need. I take good care of my clothes, and make sure they wear well with everything else I own, so I only need to own 4-5 shirts. I walk and use public transport as much as I can.
The one thing I decided not to skimp on was food and booze. I like to eat nicely and a $2 savings on a can of Folgers is not worth being without organic coffee. And life is just too short to drink cheap beer.
The one thing I decided not to skimp on was food and booze. I like to eat nicely and a $2 savings on a can of Folgers is not worth being without organic coffee. And life is just too short to drink cheap beer.
Handsome Creepy Eel said:
That's a good point. You would want to factor in delivery costs and time. If you have Amazon prime that isn't a worry. And yes, it is a trade off between buying in bulk and buying as you need. Nonetheless, the concept remains valid and if you do not use protein regularly maybe the 1/2 lb tub is sufficient for your situation.
I use protein powder regularly and I have never had a problem with expiration.
I don't know much about "JIT," but it seems to me that if you KNOW you will need 10 lbs of protein, you should buy ten. But, you have to have CONFIDENCE in that purchase. It'd be really convenient if we could just buy everything in daily portions...but that's not how packaging and sales works.
I'm having this issue now. I started taking MSM/Glucosamine/Chrondroitin pills to help my ankles/knees as I get back into playing basketball after my injury. A month's supply at Walmart is about $10, while a three month supply at Costco is about $20.
With fish oil or protein I know for a fact that I'll use it all...but I'm not so sure about these pills. The other factor is that these pills don't expire until 2016, so maybe I should just go for it.
I'm having this issue now. I started taking MSM/Glucosamine/Chrondroitin pills to help my ankles/knees as I get back into playing basketball after my injury. A month's supply at Walmart is about $10, while a three month supply at Costco is about $20.
With fish oil or protein I know for a fact that I'll use it all...but I'm not so sure about these pills. The other factor is that these pills don't expire until 2016, so maybe I should just go for it.
Ever since reading GManifesto I've always been keen on "the art of the grease." Mostly at bars, I'll always help out the staff in order to gain some advantages in the field. But GMan takes it to a step above that. In some of the situations he describes, it would seem out of place if average joes like us started dropping $20's.
But today I saw it at work.
I've become a regular at my grocer of choice. The cashiers recognize me and don't say anything. But the butchers and deli workers, they notice me. I always get good meat and chat with them during weighing. They can tell I'm in the know because I'll spend a good amount of time deciding what to get instead of getting some premade, overpriced BS like most would.
I always thought about dropping some cash on these meat guys, but I guess I won't have to.
Today I was chatting with the deli man. He rang up my half pound of roast beef perfectly, so I exclaimed, "hey we got the best deli in town here!" He prints the label, doesn't remove the meat from the scale, and busts out more sliced beef and throws it on the scale. 1.2 pounds. He goes, "that's for being good to us."
But today I saw it at work.
I've become a regular at my grocer of choice. The cashiers recognize me and don't say anything. But the butchers and deli workers, they notice me. I always get good meat and chat with them during weighing. They can tell I'm in the know because I'll spend a good amount of time deciding what to get instead of getting some premade, overpriced BS like most would.
I always thought about dropping some cash on these meat guys, but I guess I won't have to.
Today I was chatting with the deli man. He rang up my half pound of roast beef perfectly, so I exclaimed, "hey we got the best deli in town here!" He prints the label, doesn't remove the meat from the scale, and busts out more sliced beef and throws it on the scale. 1.2 pounds. He goes, "that's for being good to us."
TheSlayer
Pelican
This is something I have been doing recently. I have started to look for restaurant deals on Groupon. Surprisingly Groupon has a lot of restaurant deals, this is especially true for big cities. This does a couple of things:
You can try new restaurants for discount prices which you otherwise probably wouldn't.
The coupons are great for taking out friends/girls to different restaurants for less money.
They have deals for low-end places and high-end places. In the last month I tried two new places, took a friend to one and a girl to another and both restaurants turned out to be good options. The key is to read the fine print before you buy, I only buy the coupons which are not too restrictive. Leave the coupons with too many restrictions (no weekends, no dinner times and all that crap).
You can try new restaurants for discount prices which you otherwise probably wouldn't.
The coupons are great for taking out friends/girls to different restaurants for less money.
They have deals for low-end places and high-end places. In the last month I tried two new places, took a friend to one and a girl to another and both restaurants turned out to be good options. The key is to read the fine print before you buy, I only buy the coupons which are not too restrictive. Leave the coupons with too many restrictions (no weekends, no dinner times and all that crap).
PATIENCE is something every money-minded man needs to have.
Businesses profit off of your "need" to have it now. For example, iPhone chargers at Beat Buy are a hundred times more expensive than on the Internet. Why? Because you can't wait for the charger to come in the mail. They know this, trust me.
I want to share an example...I've lived in this apartment for two months without a dining room table. I couldn't fathom blowing money on something to eat off, especially when I have a fully functional desk and patio table.
The best option I could find was a $150 tiny P.O.S. from Ikea, and I was inches from buying it, until I got a call from a guy on Craigslist looking to sell some things. I ended up scooping a dining set EXACTLY like I want - four chairs and a circle table for $110. Dude said it was "brand new." Looking it up, this set retails $300.
:gamerecognized:
PATIENCE...money will come if you are smart and like a slow to pounce, lion in the brush.
Businesses profit off of your "need" to have it now. For example, iPhone chargers at Beat Buy are a hundred times more expensive than on the Internet. Why? Because you can't wait for the charger to come in the mail. They know this, trust me.
I want to share an example...I've lived in this apartment for two months without a dining room table. I couldn't fathom blowing money on something to eat off, especially when I have a fully functional desk and patio table.
The best option I could find was a $150 tiny P.O.S. from Ikea, and I was inches from buying it, until I got a call from a guy on Craigslist looking to sell some things. I ended up scooping a dining set EXACTLY like I want - four chairs and a circle table for $110. Dude said it was "brand new." Looking it up, this set retails $300.
:gamerecognized:
PATIENCE...money will come if you are smart and like a slow to pounce, lion in the brush.
^^^
Amen. The key for me was to stop thinking about money and instead think about cash flow. It's actually very rare to have a true one time expense. I now price everything in $/day or $/month. Delaying purchases lowers your $/month significantly. Even if you end up paying full freight for items it will lower your cash out flow by increasing your time scale.
Amen. The key for me was to stop thinking about money and instead think about cash flow. It's actually very rare to have a true one time expense. I now price everything in $/day or $/month. Delaying purchases lowers your $/month significantly. Even if you end up paying full freight for items it will lower your cash out flow by increasing your time scale.
@Ensam - the best way to do that is to use mint.com. Holy shit I can see how much I spend on everything. I've gotten to such an "equilibrium" that I am now setting goals of how much I want to spend in each category.
As for spending too much time researching prices...fuck it. Cash Rules Everything Around Me.
As for spending too much time researching prices...fuck it. Cash Rules Everything Around Me.
I bought my camper for $2k under book because I was willing to drive 3 hours to pick it up (then deal with the hassle of an out-of-state purchase).
Patience is very overlooked as a way to save money.
Patience is very overlooked as a way to save money.
TheSlayer
Pelican
DJ-Matt said:
This times X 100. I have seen my friends buy products when they need them without looking for sales and deals. Recently I had a friend who was looking for earphones and wanted to buy one particular pair for $150. I told him I had seen that pair on sale at Best Buy for half off a couple of months ago and he should wait until it goes on sale again. Of course he didn't want to and ended up buying them but to me that's a pure waste of money.