Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Some simple ways to save money

I haven't worked for about four months now, so the other day I was thinking about some ways I have tried to cut back on expenses. Not that we're in a financial bind, necessarily, but every little bit helps (even if you're still working). So here's a random list off the top of my head of some ways to save money:
  • Cut your own hair - I paid $20 for a pair of clippers and started cutting my own hair. With hair like mine it's hardly worth paying someone to buzz it all off. Plus, now that it's buzzed, I don't need to buy shampoo or hair products anymore and I use less water when I shower.
  • Cut out junk food - We keep ourselves on a fairly limited diet, therefore we don't spend a whole lot on the food we keep in the house. We mostly buy lettuce, vegetables, and meat. I think avoiding junk food and a lot of baked goods helps quite a bit. We also drink mostly water.
  • Cut out over-priced coffee - If I feel like splurging for an afternoon coffee or something, I'll just go to McDonald's. Their coffee is not that bad, and at many locations you can get it for $1. Although it is rare that I ever buy coffee anyway. Usually I just make decaf at home and have it in the morning.
  • Cut down on clothes - I don't remember the last time I bought any clothes. I could probably go several years without buying anything new. I guess I did get a couple new golf-type shirts this year, but they were to replace the ones I've had for years. Just how many clothes and pairs of shoes does a person need? I remember a friend of mine once got rid of all his clothes except for 6 outfits. He was a professional person who survived quite well.
  • Cut out unnecessary driving - I've been trying not to drive much. I used to like to 'cruise around' a lot, but there are many days now where I don't even leave the house. Sometimes I will walk down to the gas station or down to Bluffton Road if there is something I need during the day. It has also forced me to touch base with my neighbors.
  • Cut out eating out - If I have one downfall it is eating out. I like to go out to eat. We always go out at least one night a week (date night), but we've tried to limit it to that. Plus I don't eat lunch out. I have a salad almost every single day. I only eat breakfast out 1 day a week - and that is more of a social thing with my pastor friends than anything. So there are ways to limit eating out.
  • Cut the cable - One thing we did before I lost my job, but it has saved us a ton of money, is get rid of cable TV. We just have an antenna and only get local stations, but you can find so much online anymore. It beats the heck out of paying $70+ a month for more channels of stuff I don't really care to watch anyway (at least for me).
I suppose there are other ways to save, but those were some I thought of at the moment. If you can think of more, please feel free to share in the comments. Happy saving!

2 comments:

Carrie Jade said...

1 - Getting books and movies at the library for free instead of paying for them.
2 - Waiting for shows to be free on Netflix/Hulu instead of paying for subscriptions. The longest we wait is one week.
3 - Meal planning. Always know what you need at the grocery and stick to it.
4 - Wait until Holidays/Birthdays to get stuff you need. Stuff like storage shelves, vacuum cleaners, shoes. People getting you gifts will hate it but because they're not "fun" but you sure do save.

That's all I can think of right now. You took all the good ones :)

dan said...

Great additions, Carrie! Thanks!