How do you save money!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Kelt

I do a few things. For buying things like food I get all of my staples in bulk beans, quinoa, rice, spices, nuts. I buy fruit and veg that are in season and on sale at a huge ethnic produce stand, then fish/meat at a warehouse store. I do all of my cooking at home. Almost never go out, I like the food here better.

I also do a little game with my regular bills like utilities, insurance, etc. I have a Visa card that gets me Amazon points and I buy non-food items online. I pay all of my bills, most are auto-pay so no forgetting, with the Visa to earn the points and then just pay the card off each month. That way I get the extra consumer protection, maintain my Fico score (otherwise lack of activity drags it down) and net $20-30 per month in points.

All of my transactions are automatically recorded into an online finance tracker (mint.com). It is set with triggers to let me know if anything is off budget and it emails me a summary each week, you can set different intervals.

Mostly though, I just don't spend it if it isn't truly necessary.

Yes, to the paying off the credit card each month, that goes without saying. May parents do what Kelt did and I should do as well, pay all bills with a card (instead of autopay out of my checking account) that reaps me benefits.

Buying in bulk goes without saying as well. I am also super stickler for getting those Select -a-size paper towels. I also only use as much as needed. I find that for most things I only need half of the smallest Select-a-size piece. I also focus on not letting food go to waste (leftovers), that drives me nuts.

Oh, and don't forget to get energy effcient appliances. I also have my temperature control on a timer. The heat goes down during the day (when I am at work)/overnight, automatically. Other small things like keeping lights off in rooms, energy efficient light bulbs, and keeping blinds drawn in the winter to conserve heat.

My spending waste is modifications/upgrades for my sports car. Really though, I only do one project per year and I wait until I get my tax return for that.

Oh, I also hold on to cars. My "daily driver", is a 14 year old car, in fine shape. I have wanted a Wrangler Jeep for years, but have stayed strong! My sports car is 12 years old.

Ok, so it looks as though I could be worse! I am sure I would do better if I used mint.com, as it would motivate me.

Great thread!