[Kitty]

We had a great thread last year about being frugal and saving money. I'll search for it and put a link at the end of this post.

I decided that instead of fretting about money and how much it seems to take just to make ends meet each month I'd track my expenditures each month and see exactly where my money is going.

I created an Excel spreadsheet and made a cost analysis with every single expense I have as a line item. If I spend any money....regardless of how small the amount.....I list it (and the date spent) on my spreadsheet. I also log reoccurring expenses like rent, utilities, food, etc. It's only the 4th of the month and I already have a few entries!

It's been eye-opening. I'm definitely going to keep this exercise up. It's showing me how small expenses add up. And where I could be saving money.

Does anyone else have any ideas or methods for saving money?

Here's the link to the 2008/2009 thread started by Riverwild- "Thrift and Making Do":

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...=Thrift+Making

[SandyC]

I placed a reoccurring deposit on our check. It is direct deposited so we have $200 taken out at the first of each month and placed in savings. We haven't missed it so far and that surprises me. If I need it I can transfer it back to checking. We also stopped eating out so much and only eat take out on Fridays. Winter helps too since we don't do much in the winter. lol

[SallyC]

I saved at least 2000.00, by not smoking cigarettes in 2009. I intend to do it again this year.

No other plans. so far.

[karousel]

The thread last year really did help and it was great!

I too track our expenses and it is amazing how those little things add up so fast. We also transfer money to our savings automatically and just increased it significantly. We have had to take some of the transfer back but hope now that the holidays are over we'll be okay. We didn't charge a single thing this Christmas season and that is a huge accomplishment for us!

Recently I decluttered my house and everything has it's place. I noticed I'm no longer purchasing duplicate things and saving money that way.

I look in my cupboards and cabinets to see what I have on hand before I go shopping so I won't be tempted by impulse buys I don't really need.

My biggest thing now is I ask myself before I purchase something if it is something I truly need or do I just want it. Or do I have something already at home I can use in its place. When I pass up on a purchase I don't need, it makes me feel good because I know I just saved money.

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by karousel

My biggest thing now is I ask myself before I purchase something if it is something I truly need or do I just want it. Or do I have something already at home I can use in its place. When I pass up on a purchase I don't need, it makes me feel good because I know I just saved money.

I do this, too, and it really works! I usually give myself a 24-hour "cooling off" period after finding something I feel I just cannot live without. It was hard enough to start doing even that.....but I just had to tell myself that they were not going to stop making whatever it was I wanted so badly in the next 24 hours!

I want a new couch and loveseat. But I have a set......albeit 12 years old.....but I have a set and that's more than some have. I need to be grateful for what I have. There is nothing wrong with it. It's just old and I've never really liked it. DH picked it out and I never in a million years thought I'd still have it 12 years later! But a new set isn't a necessity. The payment on what I'd like to have is about $66 a month. Since I felt I could afford that (I can't) I'm going to try putting $66 aside each month and see how uncomfortable it is. Worst thing that can happen is I'll save some money! But I did good and didn't make a purchase that I can't pay for.

You're right....it feels better not to spend money.

[TwoKidsTwoCats]

I need the encouragement and inspiration from this thread this year! DH suspects he may be let go at his job sometime this year. At least we have his military retirement, but that will only go so far.

We plan to increase our emergency fund dramatically while we can. SO we are combing over our expenses from the last 2 years looking at how we can cut costs. The first casualty will be cable. They are increasing basic/extended by $12 a month and adding disconnect fees by Feb 1. We can keep the DSL and watch via internet for most of the programming we like. We bought a digital antenna for the LCD TV and were amazed at the quality of the picture and how many free channels we found... all local and PBS. Plus our library has an enormous DVD collection of movies and seasons of TV shows that we can borrow for free.

We are setting goals for things we want to accomplish and trying to decide priorities. Most are house repairs that will need to be done in the next five years... new furnace, carpet, hot water heater.

Here's praying that 2010 treats all us better than the last 2 years!

[karousel]

Originally Posted by Kitty

The payment on what I'd like to have is about $66 a month. Since I felt I could afford that (I can't) I'm going to try putting $66 aside each month and see how uncomfortable it is. Worst thing that can happen is I'll save some money! But I did good and didn't make a purchase that I can't pay for.

Kitty we did something like this at the end of the summer and realized what we wanted to purchase was way over our heads and it made us reassess what we want. If it's not necessary, we plan to save up for the item or home improvement and pay for it in full. Otherwise we will just be in the same position we are already in - broke.

[braingonebad]

Originally Posted by Kitty

I do this, too, and it really works! I usually give myself a 24-hour "cooling off" period after finding something I feel I just cannot live without. It was hard enough to start doing even that.....but I just had to tell myself that they were not going to stop making whatever it was I wanted so badly in the next 24 hours!

I want a new couch and loveseat. But I have a set......albeit 12 years old.....but I have a set and that's more than some have. I need to be grateful for what I have. There is nothing wrong with it. It's just old and I've never really liked it. DH picked it out and I never in a million years thought I'd still have it 12 years later! But a new set isn't a necessity. The payment on what I'd like to have is about $66 a month. Since I felt I could afford that (I can't) I'm going to try putting $66 aside each month and see how uncomfortable it is. Worst thing that can happen is I'll save some money! But I did good and didn't make a purchase that I can't pay for.

You're right....it feels better not to spend money.

Good idea!

My mom's friend offered a free couch last year and I took it, thinking my ds could eventually use it.

Well, ds bought a house and the sellers left him some decent stuff - living room and a pretty nice dining room set too, plus other things.



My old couch is going to the curb, the free couch is not my style, but really comfy. A slip cover for that and our old lazy boy will suit me just fine though. The size is better than my old one too.

Maybe try a slip cover until you decide on the new set?

[karousel]

Today we found out our cable, internet and phone will all be increasing. Ugh, not again. So I called and asked how much basic cable is and how much our internet will go up if we cancel digital cable. I found out we will save $60 per month! I want to cancel digital cable but can't get the nerve up to actually do it. I love watching TV in the evenings and I won't be able to watch my favorite shows any more. If I cancel, that would be a huge savings!! Knowing that, why is it so hard to just do it?

[Kitty]

Originally Posted by karousel

Today we found out our cable, internet and phone will all be increasing. Ugh, not again. So I called and asked how much basic cable is and how much our internet will go up if we cancel digital cable. I found out we will save $60 per month! I want to cancel digital cable but can't get the nerve up to actually do it. I love watching TV in the evenings and I won't be able to watch my favorite shows any more. If I cancel, that would be a huge savings!! Knowing that, why is it so hard to just do it?

I just did the same thing today! I had a "bundle" package of Internet, TV and phone. I have a cell phone (the free Safelink phone) so I don't necessarily need the landline. I lowered my cable to just basic - we will only have 23 channels compared to the million we currently have. I have no idea how many channels we have right now but it's ridiculous. Who can watch all that? The Internet will remain the same and with all these changes I'll save about $73 a month! It'll take some adjusting but I'd rather have the money each month than the extra channels. Besides - I can watch most anything on the computer that I can watch on TV. I'm hoping this change will encourage me to read more. DS and I split the cable bill each month so he was really excited about this, too.