I had some lazy boys at my house, but they are all now hard-working, productive citizens. They, too, have gained charm over the years, and I expect them to outlive me.
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Money Saving Tips
- Thread starter 14Red
- Start date
Don't let fear drive you to buy gold. Currently at around $1650, it is no bargain.
https://www.macrotrends.net/1333/historical-gold-prices-100-year-chart
https://www.macrotrends.net/1333/historical-gold-prices-100-year-chart
OhioBobcatFan06
Well-known member
Exercising now will save you quite a bit of money later
14Red
Well-known member
I will try this!
I tried GoodRx for the first time a few months ago. I ended up paying quite a bit less than I would have paid under my Medicare Part D plan. I did the same thing a couple of days ago and paid $11 versus $36 for a prescription. I see that Singlecare also delivers similar discounts.
Mr. Slippery
Well-known member
When my mom gives my dad a hard time about buying a new bicycle or bike-related purchases, I am quick to remind her that it's cheaper than an angioplasty.
PantherProud
Well-known member
Hadn't heard of it until your mention here. I checked their pricing on just the prescription I talked about above, and Cost Plus came in at just under $6, so it would be something I'd consider if there are no fees for the service.
Enjoyed reading most all of your inputs on this topic. As the ultimate cheapskate, I had a few more to add.
To me , saving money is like a game that you can enjoy getting good at, and turn a profit doing it.
First, with you tube instructions available today, many jobs can be performed by yourself rather than hiring someone who often has less interest in the outcome than they should have in doing a job well done. For instance, we wanted new tile in our home this year. Two different installers told us they charge between $12 and $15 / sq ft labor to do a tile install. So, wife and I decided to do it ourselves. It is a cheap date that pays. DO NOT FORGET THE TAX SAVINGS IN PERFORMING YOUR OWN WORK.
tile job- 500 sq ft @ $10/ sq ft = $5,000. To have $5,000 to pay out you must earn at least $7,500 in most cases due to taxes incurred.
I recall reading a book many years ago that suggested one cost savings and wealth building trick was to perform as many tasks yourself as possible, thus "hiding" the labor from taxation . Example- instead of working two days for paid wages which get taxed, I work two days on a project that saves me $1,000 in labor i would have paid out for said service, such as painting my house. The house goes up in value from the restorative process of painting, but I do not get taxed on the labor spent to enhance its value. If I had bired the job done for $1,000, i would have had to earn $1,500 to have $1,000 left over after earnings taxes are deducted.
I track all of my hidden value savings in a year to see how much value I earn in hidden wages.
Brings me to my next point, live as frugal as you can. My wife is a professional employee, so all of her earnings are exposed to taxes. Fortunately, we can live just off of her income as we spend very little on anything outside the home. Eat out 3-4 times per year, drive old cars etc. We take walks , do staycations, fix our own food, garden (not really a money saver, more just a simple pleasure),
More than anything I think saving money is a mindset. Some people could care less about saving (a couple of my kids feel this way ) , while others make it a game and practice and hone their skills for a lifetime.
Is it really saving money? I bought a five gallon bucket at Lowes for $9 and one at Menards for $3 to do the mixing of our tile mortar. The Lowe's bucket is much heavier, but it takes 15 minutes to thoroughly clean after filling with mortar so I can reuse it the next time. The $3 Menards bucket works fine, but will not hold up to continual service. After cleaning buckets for 5 times or so, I decided the best savings was $3 bucket at Menards then throw out instead of clean. Cleaning made for a savings of approx $18/hr ( $3 x 4=$12 plus money needed to earn to purchase bucket exposed to tax =$18). I can far surpass $18/ hr on most jobs I do so it makes more since to save time than money in this case.
To me , saving money is like a game that you can enjoy getting good at, and turn a profit doing it.
First, with you tube instructions available today, many jobs can be performed by yourself rather than hiring someone who often has less interest in the outcome than they should have in doing a job well done. For instance, we wanted new tile in our home this year. Two different installers told us they charge between $12 and $15 / sq ft labor to do a tile install. So, wife and I decided to do it ourselves. It is a cheap date that pays. DO NOT FORGET THE TAX SAVINGS IN PERFORMING YOUR OWN WORK.
tile job- 500 sq ft @ $10/ sq ft = $5,000. To have $5,000 to pay out you must earn at least $7,500 in most cases due to taxes incurred.
I recall reading a book many years ago that suggested one cost savings and wealth building trick was to perform as many tasks yourself as possible, thus "hiding" the labor from taxation . Example- instead of working two days for paid wages which get taxed, I work two days on a project that saves me $1,000 in labor i would have paid out for said service, such as painting my house. The house goes up in value from the restorative process of painting, but I do not get taxed on the labor spent to enhance its value. If I had bired the job done for $1,000, i would have had to earn $1,500 to have $1,000 left over after earnings taxes are deducted.
I track all of my hidden value savings in a year to see how much value I earn in hidden wages.
Brings me to my next point, live as frugal as you can. My wife is a professional employee, so all of her earnings are exposed to taxes. Fortunately, we can live just off of her income as we spend very little on anything outside the home. Eat out 3-4 times per year, drive old cars etc. We take walks , do staycations, fix our own food, garden (not really a money saver, more just a simple pleasure),
More than anything I think saving money is a mindset. Some people could care less about saving (a couple of my kids feel this way ) , while others make it a game and practice and hone their skills for a lifetime.
Is it really saving money? I bought a five gallon bucket at Lowes for $9 and one at Menards for $3 to do the mixing of our tile mortar. The Lowe's bucket is much heavier, but it takes 15 minutes to thoroughly clean after filling with mortar so I can reuse it the next time. The $3 Menards bucket works fine, but will not hold up to continual service. After cleaning buckets for 5 times or so, I decided the best savings was $3 bucket at Menards then throw out instead of clean. Cleaning made for a savings of approx $18/hr ( $3 x 4=$12 plus money needed to earn to purchase bucket exposed to tax =$18). I can far surpass $18/ hr on most jobs I do so it makes more since to save time than money in this case.
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eastisbest
Well-known member
Buckets According to D4fan. Sounds like a good book.
Not certain which book the concept was in, perhaps it was in The Ultimate Cheapskate or The Millionaire Next Door.
The Millionaire Next Door speaks to how those who build wealth go about living life. It was required reading in our house and I have given almost as many copies of that away ss I have the book Season Of Life.
Eagles74
Active member
Try to live as cheaply as possible. Need vs. Want. I need a new pair of shoes then buy them. There's nothing wrong with my tv but I want a new bigger flat screen tv. Buy used cars and pay cash if you can. Financing is a killer. Pay off your credit cards every month. Financing is a killer.
Singlecare has it for as low as $293, but that's not any help for you. I see that there is no generic for it yet. Sorry to hear about your predicament.
CedarBuck92
Well-known member
I agree with a lot of what has been said above, just don't get so caught up chasing pennies that you forget to live.
Eagles74
Active member
While you're sitting around doing nothing and wearing jeans, run the razor BACKWARDS down your thigh over and over. Keeps the blades sharp. You may want to start with an old pair of jeans until you get the hang of it.
14Red
Well-known member
Impressive, eat out 3/4 times A YEAR!! There are some who eat out that much every day.
I think one thing we do very poorly educationally is equip our kids financially. Most kids with high school and even college degrees have no idea how to handle money, how to SAVE. And let's face it, we all succumb to marketing. If you see a commercial on TV for something, it's likely overpriced and there is an alternative. The drug companies do this all the time.
There was a time a few generations ago when most people did alot of their own work, mainly because most didn't have the money to hire out everything. Heck, now I know perfectly healthy guys who hire someone to mow their flippin yard, something as simple as that. Now just to do a little simple math. As long as you have a medium size yard that let's say takes you under an hour to mow, you can get a middle range mower for about $300-$400. You probably mow what 20-25 times per year, give or take. I'd say your typical person is going to charge $40-$50 per mow. You've paid for your mower in about two months of mowing during the busy season.
Thavoice
Well-known member
Same with the TV. I ended up cancelling Prime for the NFL games because I hate hooking up the computer to the TV and refuse to buy a TV when mine is perfectly fine.
I havent had a car loan since 2005...I make a 'car payment' each month to a certain account and when I need a new one...I buy in cash. However.....i do believe I will buy a new car soon because, well, I have always wanted to so I am going to pull the trigger. I know its irrational and that is why I will research for the next 6-8 months to see if that urge goes away!
As far as credit cards....I didnt have one from 2000-late 2017. Should just kept them and use and pay off, but i got rid and cancelled them.
Now I play the rewards game with them by charging and paying off each month.
14Red
Well-known member
Life insurance is so misunderstood. For people just staring out with little to no savings it makes sense. But once your older and are established, you don't need it anymore. You've got plenty of money to bury yourself. Now if you have a spouse / dependents who rely on your income, that's different, but otherwise invest that money.
Eagles74
Active member
Do not buy all kinds of cleaning solutions/chemicals for cleaning around the house. Instead use vinegar. Vinegar has just enough acidity to cut through pretty much anything. Growing up that's all my mother used. 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water I keep in a spray bottle use it in the kitchen and on windows all the time. I use 50/50 solution of white vinegar and Dawn dish soap in a sprayer to clean the bathtub, shower, sink and toilet. If you have dandruff, after shampoo, rinse hair with Apple cider vinegar. So you smell like a tossed salad for a while. The smell disappears when the vinegar dries. There a million things you can do with vinegar. Better and cheaper than having all the chemicals around the house especially with kids. They get a whiff of that and they'll run the other way! Ha!
EagleGuy
Well-known member
It would have to be an old pair of jeans. lol The only pair I can squeeze into with my bicycle thighs
has a yuge hole in the left thigh.So...I guess that leaves the right thigh and I'm glad you said BACKWARDS. I'll check it out!
14Red
Well-known member
So for months like April / May sometimes June you don't mow weekly? Sometimes if it's really wet, I have to mow more than once a week.
Alot depends on soil type and drainage. Where I live, yes, April and may about every 5 days, June once a week, and most years I can go two weeks starting mid July on. I have not mowed currently in over a month and it is not very tall in most places. Down by the stream where the ground always has moisture and is very fertile is an exception, sometimes I mow that by itself. It takes me about 12 hrs to mow everything so twice a week just isn't going to happen. 1988 and 2002 I didn't mow from June through September. That was great other than the brown lawn.
If you have a wood stove with a window in the door, you can just use wet newspaper with ashes to clean the glass. Go over it again with wet newspaper, dry it with more newspaper, and it looks great.
14Red
Well-known member
Getting close to the end of my Circle K Sip and Save program. Just a reminder for those who aren't aware of this. Circle K has a program where for $5.99 per month, you can get a drink a day at Circle K, and that included coffees, pop, freezes up to 64 ounces. They are normally .85 cents per drink for the polar pop. So quick math, I get on average one a day for about 25 days. If I paid per drink, it would be $21.25. But this is $5.99. So basically after your 7th drink, the rest are free, one per day.
I see dude walking out with 2-3 20 oz bottles of pop for $4-$5. If they do that daily for a month, that's $100 or more.
I see dude walking out with 2-3 20 oz bottles of pop for $4-$5. If they do that daily for a month, that's $100 or more.