Tips for Saving Money, Cutting Expenses, etc.

[christiangirl]

2 words: Student. Discount. Even if you're not in school anymore, if you've got your old ID card and you still look like the picture... I only go to Moe's on SD day (which is today, so I'm tempted). Plus, I eat free at work so whenever I go in, I have my meals there and the caf staff gives the extras to anyone who wants them. I've brought home days worth of meals that way.

[WVU alpha phi]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

2 words: Student. Discount. Even if you're not in school anymore, if you've got your old ID card and you still look like the picture... I only go to Moe's on SD day (which is today, so I'm tempted). Plus, I eat free at work so whenever I go in, I have my meals there and the caf staff gives the extras to anyone who wants them. I've brought home days worth of meals that way.

Good point! I use my student ID still for discounts at the movies and offer my monthly tanning package.

[texas*princess]

A few things I do:

* Every paycheck, I put away $75 in a separate account for Christmas gifts / holiday travel. That way, when the holidays roll around, I don't have to worry about finding $300 for airplane tickets and money for gifts.

* Make automatic transfers every 2 wks to a savings account away from my normal bank - this helped me build my emergency money. Ideally you should be saving 10-15% of your income - whether that be your 401K, emergency fund, saving for a car/house down payment, or a combination of them. Most people don't ever stick to budgets and won't save money if it takes EFFORT. If you make the withdrawals automatic, you don't have to think about saving money - it just happens.

* Don't use credit cards if you can't pay the balance off in full every month. Finance charges are invisible money suckers!

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by WVU alpha phi

Good point! I use my student ID still for discounts at the movies and offer my monthly tanning package.

Yup yup. I just had a fantabulous Moe's dinner and even saved half my food for lunch tomorrow. 2 meals worth for $5. I also get an SD at my hair salon. I usually only go every couple months for a relaxer because I've learned the value of DIY maintenance. I do my own hair and nails.

I cycle out clothes--when the seasons change, I'll put my clothes in a trunk and everything in the trunk comes back out so my wardrobe keeps refreshing itself without my having to buy anything.

I also have a huge bag of clothes I was going to donate, but I just saw a sign in front of Plato's Closet that they are "now buying." A lot of my clothes are stuff that are in nice condition but I either no longer want or they no longer fit. I figure I could make a little money off them and what doesn't sell can still be donated.

[oncegreek]

The ninety nine cents only store now carries groceries, and produce. You can get bags of lettuce, tomatoes, all sorts of produce for under a buck. Just get there early, before everything is picked over. The .99 sells tons of other stuff, too. Between discount stores and Trader Joe's, I manage to completely avoid the supermarket.