COMMENTS

19 responses to “Open Thread Update: Money Hacks!”

1. Thank you all for the excellent advice!
   I can assure you will be paying the “Goodwill” a visit!

   Reply to Kat

2. These all are awesome ideas! I will try them all.

   Reply to Sandra C Bartell

3. Years ago someone gifted me a spouting kit. Within two years I had 2 community garden plots! Those sprouts triggered the vegetable gardener I had no idea was living inside me! After 5 years of hit and miss experiments but loving growing my own food to save $$$, I started a balcony garden at home because the public garden was so much work with no help. Despite not getting any AM sun, I am still able to grow lots of my own bok choy, kale, beet/chard greens, lettuces, herbs, and even potatoes!

   Reply to Mona Lisa W

4. Stick with real food! Fruit and vegetable prices in my rural town have barely budged, but the processed food has skyrocketed! Eat simple: protein, salad, veggies. Buy your meat from local folks if available.

   Reply to Jeanette Schandelmeier

5. I cook my own food.

   Reply to janet griffith

6. We eat vegetables , vegetables and more vegetables. And then fruit, fruit, fruit. Our meat consumption has decreased by at least 50% and so has our grocery bill.

   Reply to Billie L. Jordan

7. Keep leftover tomato paste in a sandwich sized ziplock, flatten out score it in squares and place in the freezer. When you need a tbsp. or whatever just pull out a square and replace. Saves having to open those small cans for small amounts. The tubes are very expensive! Also take a small ice cube tray and place fresh herbs with some water or broth in them along with herbs and freeze. Cubes of herbs ready to go for a sauce or soup.

   Reply to Melinda

8. I decided to stop paying for Sirius XM radio. It had gotten much more expensive. When I called, they offered a price at about 1/4 what it had been. I decided to change my newspaper subscription to one day a week delivery. I called and they offered a price – 6 day delivery (all that’s possible) – for 1/3 of what I had been paying. Advice: call and cancel. They will come up with a price amazingly better – without haggling or negotiating.

   Reply to Barb

9. American Express Prime Blue gives 5% on groceries up to $6000 in purchases per year so that is $300 if you buy the maximum allowed. They pay 3% on gas. They consider Walmart to be a warehouse not grocery so if you want Walmart groceries get Capitall One for 5% back on all Walmart purchases. Cut the cord and use You Tube for news, entertainment and information sources. With $30 one time purchase of Chomcast (could be old price) you can project to your TV screen. I save more than the $125 an

   Reply to Colette F Corbin

10. Collect small pieces of soap.
    Put them into a small clear colorful pouch, you get gifts in. Tie it w the string attached.
    Put it on the soap dish in the bathroom and hang in the shower and tub. You can always open the tie and add more.

    Reply to Geula Saidoff-Sabet

11. Use very little toothpaste on toothbrush, not like the T.V. commercials. It does the same job. To whiten teeth, once a week dip you toothbrush in baking soda. Wash your face, then rinse your teeth. You teeth will be white and squeaky, and shiney.

    Reply to Geula Sabet

12. Canned tomato sauce is much cheaper than jarred. Add your own dried spices to adjust to taste like your favorite jarred variety if necessary.

    Reply to Suz in Pa

13. Leftover vegetables get put in assigned container in freezer. When full, it’s easily made into vegetable soup. (I sometimes add ground beef or chicken leftovers too.)

    Reply to Suz in Pa

14. I use the library to check out books instead of buying them and check out DVDs instead of renting
    them or buying them.

    Reply to Diana Leslie

15. Use White Vinegar in your washer instead of fabric softener. It does not add more chemicals to clothes and helps remove more soap from the fabric. Also use wool dryer balls and pillow spray (like Lavender) instead of dryer sheets so as not to add more chemicals to clothes. These options are cost efficient. Wool dryer balls are a little expensive up front, but over the long run, it will save you a lot of money.

    Reply to Kris Nelson

    1. Is there some kind of measurement that you use on the white vinegar?

       Reply to Nancy Dailey

       1. I buy White Distilled Vinegar at Costco sold as a 2 pack (each bottle is 1 gallon) for $5.29. My front-loading washing machine has 3 sections labeled soap, liquid bleach and softener. I fill up the softener section every time I do a wash. I don’t measure it, I just fill it, as it is almost odorless, and my clothes never smell like vinegar. I measured it and it holds 1/4 cup. I guess for small loads you could use less. It also helps with the mold smell you can get with front-loading washers.

16. Goodwill. Being retired I had left my supply of “good” shirts, the kind I would wear to a meeting or community gathering, get behind the times. Knowing that I don’t need custom tailoring and did not want to pay $25-35 for a dress shirt in the store, I looked at the local Goodwill stores (yes, plural, we are fortunate to have several) to see what might be available. Came away with seven shirts for less than $50 dollars. Washed, ironed and worn several times.

    Reply to Tom

17. I have always brought my lunch and coffee from home.
    I have always done my hair myself.
    I have always shopped in thrift stores and yard sales.
    I have differentiated between what I want vs. what I actually need.
    Every day, I write on a piece of paper on my table the amount I spent that day.
    I keep my house, furnace, roof, plumbing, wiring in good repair. I keep my car repaired. I do not drive on bad tires.
    I have internet but not cable TV, etc.

    Reply to Irene Marsh