How much can you save this month [Archive]

babr

1-6-12, 1:20pm

I have problems with my memory but i think there was a 100.00 goal to work towards; wasn't sure how it worked but i thought we could look at anywhere you might save money;

example; i went looking for a pair of pants; didn't find anything; so there i saved 6.00; resale:)

so i want to leave it open; it might not be a large amount of money; but savings is savings

so no goal of what to achieve but just little savings or big here and there

so earlier in the week; i bought a bus pass which if i paid each time would have cost me 20.00; the pass cost 16.00 so i saved 4.00

normally dh and i go out for a drink on thursdays; we call it thirsty thursday; but stayed home and just had dinner; so 5.00 there;

geeze i am at 15.00 already!

anyone else in?

flowerseverywhere

1-6-12, 2:39pm

Actually I mentioned this in a thread and I have been tracking my expenses very closely. I found several products I was going to buy with rebates and that was free savings. It was the result of careful shopping.

Also, I was going to make pillows for a birthday present for a daughter in law. She asked me to make some of a specific color and I am very happy to. I found that pillow forms at the fabric store are ridicously expensive and getting just plain bed pillows and resizing them was about $25 dollars cheaper. That is a huge amount to save.

Between careful shopping, the pillow forms and rebates I am over $75 this month.

babr

1-7-12, 12:30pm

great flowers! wow! is all i can say; you are doing great!

flowerseverywhere

1-7-12, 3:59pm

thanks. I by chance found a large box of A&H cat litter with a little tag that said "try me for free." It was a rebate for over $10! i don't think many people noticed it. Then DH asked me to pick up some oil for the cars.
He didn't care what national brand, and as I looked I found another rebate on a case for $8. That was a big part of it. Also, about once very few months I take all my toothpaste etc. coupons and pick up things we use. That was another $14- I am having a lucky month finding good deals on things I buy anyway. one of my grocery stores puts coupons in the paper occasionally that will triple any coupon up to $2 and they print three coupons in the paper. On those days I pick up an extra paper and that saves a lot, as long as you were going to buy the item anyway.

We don't spend enough to have the big savings on a regular basis but for some reason I hit it big this first week of January.

lhamo

1-7-12, 5:25pm

I'll play this round, focusing on how much I save when I take the bus to work in the morning. Or avoid the commute at all, but working from home. It isn't always possible, especially when DH travels as he will be next week, but every little bit counts.

So far this month I have the following "saves" on my commute:

Thursday, 1/5: DH home from trip so took the bus to work. Savings: $6.50
Friday, 1/6: Bus to work. $6.50
Monday, 1/9: DD's birthday and got permission to work from home. Savings: $13.00 (no commute either way)

The rest of next week will be a bust, as DH is travelling again. But the following week I hope to work from home at least a few days and the week after that I'll be on vacation again (Lunar New Year).

lhamo

babr

1-7-12, 9:24pm

flowers you are doing great! we went grocery shopping; hitting the sales; but in our area; triple coupons are not heard of; geeze they don't double them anymore; i just realized that

Ihamo; wow beijing, China; i am always fasinated by other cultures; great on taking the bus; i don't drive anymore due to my cognitive problems as a result of M.S.; but my parents sent us on the bus at early ages; probably too early; but i have always enjoyed the experience; its a whole different world!

lhamo

1-7-12, 11:26pm

Warning -- lengthy diversion from original thread topic follows...

Bus service in Beijing is actually pretty good -- and amazingly cheap! My roughly 18km cross-town commute costs me the equivalent of US$.12 when I use my prepaid card (which gives you a 60% discount versus paying cash), as compared to US$6.50-7.00 if I take a taxi. The downsides are:

1) I have to catch one of the first three runs of the day to make it to my office by my start time of 7am, which means leaving the house no later than 5:30 am (it is a 10-15 minute walk to the bus stop, and the bus takes a little over an hour. First bus at roughly 5:40, then every 10 minutes thereafter).

2) In the winter it is FREEZING! No heat on the bus, and it has been sitting out in the freezing cold busyard all night, so it is literally like stepping into a freezer. But I bought a long down coat last winter that makes it more tolerable -- paid off that investment in less than a month of bus trips.

3) I have to deal with more obnoxiousness than I would like. Usually people are pretty nice, but at this time of year there are tons of migrant workers heading home so the early morning runs are a bit crowded and crazy. So far I have managed to get a seat most days, helps if I time it so I get the SECOND bus of the morning, not the first. I have also started walking to a stop that is slightly further from my house but earlier on the route, which means there are more empty seats when I get on. A couple of days ago I actually had a guy CLIMBING OVER ME so that he could sit perched on the back ledge of the bus. There was a wheel well next to me, so at least his feet weren't hanging on me, but it was more than a bit annoying. First time that has happened in four years of taking the bus, though, so hopefully it won't happen again. I'll make a point of avoiding that seat in the future. I try to be patient with people, especially migrant workers and people obviously from outside Beijing. They face a lot of discrimination here, and sometimes being positive to them as a foreigner makes a very strong impression on them as well as everyone else on the bus. One time I kind of broke up a fight between a young guy and a migrant worker just by offering to switch seats with the young guy. A few days later he was on my bus again and kind of sheepishly said hi and thanks for helping him keep his cool.

It is also funny how many people do a doubletake when they see this foreign chick on the bus, especially at that hour. Helps to dispel the notion that we are all fabulously wealthy and have our own cars and drivers, etc. Of course, I am fabulously wealthy by Chinese standards, but I still am a cheapskate. Anyway, whatever I can do to mix up people's stereotypes, I'm happy about!

I don't actually interact with people much. Not up for chatting at that hour. I am mostly listening to podcasts and sometimes snoozing a bit.

lhamo

Fawn

1-8-12, 6:31am

lhamo-thanks for that post. I found it fascinating.

flowerseverywhere

1-8-12, 7:57am

Ihamo, your post this morning gave me a smile. I spent a few weeks in China and it was quite the experience. So many people. Crazy dangerous traffic. I am glad I went and your posts often remind me how different it is there.

babr

1-8-12, 8:16am

Ihamo

yes thank you for the information; i just soak up what you shared; looking back i would have liked to have gone into anthropology instead of social work;

yes i go undercover when i travel by bus into the city; where there are so many desperate impoverished people; there had been a shooting and a fight where someone was injured at the main terminal where i go for my second leg of a three bus stop journey; dh was worried; but i said you wouldn't recognize me; people don't bother me;

but i help out where i can

we talk about the middle class being squeezed which i agree with; but then there are the forgotten people; the lost; troubled; tragic;

but boy did we vere; doesn't bother me; its all good

i plan on participating in the Chinese new year celebration at our local library

one way bus for me with a handicapped status is .60 cents; i am very fortunate that i live in a community which supports the transportation system; i walk a mile to my bus stop but then there is my exercise!

this has turned out to be a great post; very enjoyable; happy savings this week!

chanterelle

1-8-12, 8:49am

Babr, in my area double and triple coupons are a thing of the distant past as well.
In fact, to take advantage of many of the loss leader sales items, there is often a stipulation that you spend $25 to $50 and that sum can exclude pricy things like milk.

early morning

1-8-12, 1:17pm

Today we had breakfast with friends at a restaurant, and DD asked me to bring her a side dish home. I ordered a meal that came with two sides instead of what I normally get, saving 1.59 over buying it ala carte, and brought her the extra side. Also was very tempted by a re-usable tote bag for 1.99. It was pretty but I have lots of totes, and it was too big for books, so I left it there. Today's savings: 3.58.

babr

1-9-12, 10:12am

ooh chanterelle; we haven't had that rule yet regarding the loss leaders; dh laughs when i keep buying the loss leaders to store up because the price will go up or as you say coupons go away; etc.;

we have the money to spend on food now and dh likes to spend in this department; but i think down the road it will be not what you want but what you need only!

good for you early morning; and hi from another early riser; my mother always got up at 4a.m.; i often will pop up that early when my energy is at its highest

i have to take VD3; long medical story; anyway our store had it on sale buy one get one free; so i got an 11.00 item for free and which will last me a year and yes did check the expiration date

also was going to buy a chocolate bar at the health food store; buy put it back 2.50; so yesterday saved 13.50! oh woops found a penny; thats 13.51; lol

early morning

1-9-12, 7:30pm

I'm claiming another $2 today, because I didn't make it to the used book store as planned. So, that puts me at a whopping $5.58 for the month. OH - wait - paid a bill on line, saving 44 cents - so I'm at 6.02!
babr, my name is a play on my real name - but I'm an early riser, anyway! My Dad used to leave for work at 3:30 AM, and my schedule pulls me up by 5:30, during the week at least!

Mighty Frugal

1-9-12, 8:56pm

Went shopping last wknd to replace my high heeled leather boots-I've had these for about 4 years now and the heel is wearing as well as pretty scuffed up. Decided during our shopping trip that I'd just send my old pair in to be fixed (probably $20 to fix) rather than spend $100+

So that's $80 saved.

dh brought lunch into work today so saved about $5.00

$85 so far!

Stella

1-9-12, 10:03pm

Well Dad offered to pay for Zach's books for his last semester of school tonight, so that's $250 saved. Dang. That starts the month off on a good note.

lhamo

1-10-12, 6:03am

Score, Stella -- I think that puts you at the top of the readerboard on this thread so far!

Tried to get a taxi in vain for about 10-15 minutes this afternoon, and the people waiting just kept ticking up, no place to queue and didn't feel like doing the "don't you dare steal my cab I was here first!" shuffle, so I took the bus to the subway stop nearest work, subway to stop nearest home, then another bus, then a 15 minute brisk walk home. Saved roughly $6.00 ($.06 bus + $.31 for subway + $.06 for bus). Took about an hour and a half, not counting the time I wasted waiting for the taxi. I am bummed because the part of the new subway line I THOUGHT was opening up at the end of 2011 won't open for another year. Grrrr. And I have to wait until the end of 2014 for the line near my house to open up. But we've been in Beijing almost 5 years now so 3 years doesn't seem that far away anymore.

lhamo

mara61

1-10-12, 6:04am

We are hoping to go away in early March, so I am doing my best to "save" all those found money situations.

*received a refund of $5 from Lands End. I sent in a pair of pants from one of the boys for an exchange (blown knee) and there must have been a priced difference.

*working on hitting Walgreens/CVS kinda hard to stock up but take advantage of all the freebies. I donate what we don't use and keep what we will. I am also trying to buy the "free" after rebate items with those funds so it's no money out of pocket except for my initial outlay. I just sent in a rebate for $9 in movie cash (can be used at Target on movies to). Will be sending in another for $10 from Arm and Hammer (my costs for that were $4, so $5.50 profit after stamp). $10 from Band Aide (buy a certain number of products and CARS 2 (bought that using coupons at Target for $5), another $5.50 profit since the Band Aide items cost me nothing.

babr

1-10-12, 1:46pm

go every body go; as i tell dh; each bit gets you closer to part time retirement; or whatever goal you are choosing; i always put my savings towards dh and travel!

today mine was our house insurance went down by 7.00 as our credit score had gone up to 950?; anyway to get a bill that is cheaper than last year is a reason to cheer!

Ihamo; how did you happen to get to Bejing? if its not too personal; just curious

flowerseverywhere

1-10-12, 2:32pm

Haven't driven in about five days (no car) and I don't shop online so have had a lot of no spend days. I did walk to work today but spent no money when I was in town.

I did have a lot of motivation to keep the spending down though. Someone told me about their friend whose husband lost his job at age 67 and they don't know how they are going to live. Please don't let me be old and poor.

Stella

1-10-12, 4:10pm

I took James out for a once-a-month mom and kid date. The budget was $10. We went to JoAnn Fabrics because I was thinking of getting him some toddler art supplies, or maybe one of those little tubes of toy dinosaurs or farm animals. He didn't want any of that, just a $1 book of car stickers and a $2.50 ice cream shaped egg timer. He has already broken the timer function on the egg timer, which is fine by me. He wanted it to use as play food and I don't need the extra noise. Anyway, only $3.75 (with tax) of the $10 budget was spent, leaving me with $6.25. That is about the cost of a pot of tea for two at the tea shop, so if I can talk one of the girls into going their for their mom-and-kid date I think I can probably save the $10 for that date too. They love going to the tea shop, so it's not like it would be a hardship. Hmmm. Maybe both of them would like to go out for tea. I'd save about $14 total.

lhamo

1-10-12, 4:23pm

Warning: another thread diversion. Answer to the question of how I got to Beijing.

Developed an interest in Asia as a teenager. Took a course on Chinese studies in my last two years of high school. Ended up studying Chinese and Anthropology as an undergrad. Didn't know what to do with my life and academics was fun, so went straight on to grad school. Did dissertation work on minority education/ethnic identity issues in China, with a focus on Tibet. Hooked up with DH, who is from Inner Mongolia originally. We were both working under the same advisor, and likelihood of getting two decent academic jobs post Ph.D was slim to none. Opportunity came up with a private foundation that does development work in Western China, focusing on developing and running their scholarship programs. Applied jointly for one position, and they hired both of us. Worked from NYC for the first couple of years, with lots of travel. Then relocated to China -- to a different city, though. Several years in, I hit some snags at work and DH and I decided that for both personal and career reasons, Beijing might be the better place for us. I got a language fellowship to use as my springboard. DH arranged to work remotely. We moved to Beijing in early summer 2007. And here we still are! Probably still here for the long-term, but you never know. My job is pretty stable and looking to become even more so. DH's is more due to issues beyond his control, so we'll see.

End of digression. And I have now totally outed myself to anyone who knows me IRL. Oh well! I don't say anything here that I wouldn't say to good friends anyway.

lhamo

lhamo

1-10-12, 5:07pm

I had a cash-back credit of $14.63 waiting on one of my credit cards, so I cashed that in. I think that puts me at around $47 so far.

lhamo

Mrs-M

1-10-12, 11:56pm

Unfortunately I haven't been keeping track of my savings for the month, but here's a first to help open things up.

(Wal-Mart). Purex 30-Double Rolls = 60-Single Rolls Bathroom Tissue
Price: $11.98 (Was: $19.96) SAVE $7.98

Two packages= $15.96 total savings.

lhamo

1-11-12, 5:18am

Got permission to work from home the next two days -- yay! I have a huge stack of applications to read through and comment on for the Embassy, so that is plenty to keep me busy. In addition to two round trips by taxi ($26), I'll save roughly 4 hours in commuting time. Plus I get to more or less set my own schedule for the next two days, which is priceless!

Picked the kids up from school and went to get their new glasses today. I gave our helper the afternoon off, since she had medical appointments, and was planning to take the kids out to dinner. Instead I offered to make french bread pizza, which they enthusastically agreed to. So I probably saved over $20 compared to what we would have spent for a dinner out. Plus the kids agreed to walk home from the hospital (about a 15 minute walk), so we saved about $1.50 on a taxi home.

So, that puts me up another $47.50, or $94.50 total for the month so far. Yay me!

lhamo

flowerseverywhere

1-11-12, 8:17am

got a rebate check in the mail for $18 yesterday, I don't remember sending it in, it must have been months ago.
Today I have the car so I am going to Salvation army -half price book day and I buy kids books for grandkids, (final cost will be 24-50 cents apiece) most of them look brand new.

I am also armed with a list and will stop at the grocery store and pick pu a zipper for a purse I am making with scraps of fabric, I'll use my 40% off coupon for the zipper.

babr

1-11-12, 10:23am

i just can't believe how a little bit adds up; way to go everyone; even adding our time is a savings; i think;

and i admire your creativity!

we saved 3.00 on lg. bag of chicken breasts; and 2.00 on margarine which i plan to use to make cookies for my mom and dad who sent me a cookielicious recipe book; mom wants gingersnaps

plus got 20 minutes added airtime on my trac phone by waiting until the last minute to renew; worked out well that dh got me this phone as i locked myself out and had to call the neighbor to unlock the door as dh is 30 minutes away; so the trac phone saved us 20.00 in gas money for dh to drive home and back

thanks for sharing ihamo; i live in a university town and was waiting for the bus and two asian students were waiting as well; one was texting; i asked if they have key pads to text in their language; i said that because they were not speaking english; again i am ever so curious; they said yes but use english; fasinating to me

keep up the good work everyone; and welcome to all newcomers;! this is something i really enjoy

thanks for posting!

early morning

1-11-12, 8:42pm

Today simply went haywire -and on my way home DH called to see what I wanted from the fast-food place since dinner was non-existent and he was going to go pick up something. I offered to pick it up on my way home (saving about $3.5 in gas) and got him to talk himself down from a $6 purchase to a $2.5 one, saving an additional $3.50. I didn't get anything, saving $1. (We're fans of the dollar menus lol). Brings me to 14.02 for the month. Not shining, but I'll take it!

Mrs-M

1-11-12, 8:44pm

Everyone is doing so well!

babr

1-12-12, 1:42pm

I know it makes me feel so good to see how in each persons lives they find a few cents here a few cents there

I have been getting physical therapy as my arms lose their endurance quicker; fatigue easier; well i got up late by accident; was rushing to catch the bus and the thought hit me; i have a bike that has been sitting there for two years or more; it was causing me nerve pain; but i thought what the hell; i can slow down and if i ride my bike i still can make my appt.

well i did it! we will see how my legs feel later; but if pain thats okay; i am adjusting to pain; i didn't save on the bus; but i got more exercise so hopefully it will make up for the two candy bars that had been sitting there; gifts from dh's mom;

not to complain; but i am trying to lose weight; and getting candy is so hard for me just to throw out; its not her fault; bless her heart; she wants to buy something for us;

so i will take back the complaint:|(

if it makes her feel good; who cares; its my choice to eat it

anyway we should have snow on the ground but its been just rain so perfect to try the bike

and if you spend some money; a treat for yourself; don't feel bad; we put ourselves down enough; at least i do anyway

take care

Stella

1-12-12, 2:54pm

lhamo that was a really interesting story to read. What a great, adventurous life!

I was planning to get take-out after I messed up my back yesterday, but DH cooked, saving us about $25.

Another one I forgot from early January is that we got a free high chair. I was going to buy a cheap one from IKEA for about $25, but my neighbor gave us one her brother was getting rid of. I'm over $300 for the month so far. Not bad!

babr

1-13-12, 1:00pm

go stella go

i had a no spend day yesterday! whee!

dh and i are going swimming at the "fancy" athletic club! he got 4 free passes for this month and next

free is good too i think;

babr

1-18-12, 9:34am

i forgot several savings; i have been getting away from the bulk candy as the dyes/preservatives wreak havoc on my body; normally i would buy a 2-3 pounds per week; so saved around 14.00

dh didn't buy his normal treats during the weekend which again run around 14.00;

28.00 right there! a pat on the back for me!

also had two no spend days!

lhamo

1-18-12, 4:36pm

Not doing so great this week. MOnday needed to take a taxi to work as I had a ton of stuff to take back and didn't want to lug it all on the bus. Did manage to take the bus on tuesday and wednesday, which was good -- almost wimped out when I wok up late on Tuesday, but decided to skip a shower and that gave me enough time. Woke up late again this morning so I'm going to take a taxi. So only $6.50+$6.50 this week on taxi savings.

I did make dinner last night instead of ordering food, which I was slightly tempted to do. So probably $20 saved there. So I guess I'm up about $130. I will try to ignore the fact that we bought a bunch of furniture at Ikea that cost way more than that. But it was planned/budgeted for and the house is definitely feeling more like "us" as we add some more personal touches.

lhamo

babr

1-19-12, 7:37am

thats alright Ihamo; things happen; and like you said you saved for the furniture; and if it makes you happy then great! you could look at it that it was actually a saving because you didn't go out and impulsively pick up furniture

i am looking at saving while dh is buying; he bought me a new pair of long underwear; he said it was 60% off but it still would have been too high for me and i have long underwear; actually live in long underwear until may:) but i try to let that go; it came out of love and he doesn't do it all the time; i am very fortunate to have a partner that is very romantic; always leaving me little notes in the morning; things like that; and i am so unromantic; i used to be into the romance stuff until i was in college and dating a guy; it was valentines day; and you could hear all the other girls oohing and aahing over their flowers; well the delivery guy came and gave me a plant; it was the ugliest thing that i ever saw; and i enjoy looking at plants; but at the time i was embarrassed so i said thats it i am swearing off of romantic

and then dh comes along and caught me when he showed up at my apartment with my favorite ice cream; none of the other guys i dated cared enough to know what i liked; so i kept him and 30 years later have no regrets

well i certainly am long winded today

i was just going to write to say that i realized as i was making bread that i save about 5.00 a week as dh used to go to this specialty bread place and buy this tiny loaf; i always thought the price was outragious; so found a homemade recipe and he has been hooked ever since

i need to add up my savings! 20.00 for the bread:cool:

babr

1-20-12, 10:07am

back again:) i actually think its funny when i reply or continue my posts; i guess its a minnie blog

anywho i decided to cancel horseback riding lessons; long story but 30.00 a week plus 4.20 in bus fees; so that would be 34.20 for this month; but next month it will be 136.80!!!! yea for us!
i will have to keep track of this next month

keep saving bit by bit!

lhamo

1-20-12, 7:58pm

I'll take ice cream over flowers any day!

Took a taxi to work both Thursday and Friday mornings -- overslept on Thursday (not the best excuse) but yesterday I decided to stick around and help DH get the kids out the door to the airport. Hopefully earned some bonus mommy/wife points there for the $6.50 spent in taxi fare.

I DID save by taking the bus and subway/bus to and from a dinner meeting I had last night. Only me in the house so no reason to rush home. It was surprisingly stress free and cheap. Direct bus to the area we were meeting from my office took only 20 minutes (no traffic) and subway/bus home took less than an hour. I probably would have spent at least 20 minutes trying to get a taxi, and gotten home no faster. Longer distance than from the office, too, so probably saved $7.00, which pretty much paid for my burrito (which was yummy...)

lhamo

early morning

1-20-12, 11:52pm

Was planning to gas up the car last evening, but didn't and the prices came down 15 cents! I put in 7 gallons, so that saved a whole 1.05. I was very tempted to pick up sandwiches with my last two McD coupons, but I decided not to "spend to save" and save more... about $7.50. So - 14.02 from before and 8.55 is a grand total of 22.57. Slow going, for sure, and a little discouraging...

babr

1-22-12, 6:50am

Ihamo; that cracks me up thinking of burritos in China

early morning; i won't tell you to not be discouraged; you have a right to your feelings; but 22.57 is still better than being short 22.57 IMO

speaking of discouraging; we went to the local food coop and dh always goes a bit crazy; we spent over 35.00 for just one bag of groceries; but its healthy so i guess there is a positive there

we did use up some food that was sitting in the fridge so that made me feel better and dh didn't buy his normal big burrito yesterday

i also told him i could make corn chips for him instead of buying a bag and they would be healthier; so we bought a small bag of corn tortillas which i will cut up and bake in the oven

and its fun to try to see if i can beat "the man"

take care everyone and every little bit counts

babr

1-23-12, 2:40pm

i returned some vitamins; thats 4.99 plus i will be returning some paper towels which i discovered when i made up my price book that they weren't a good deal;

think next week i will add up my positives; forget the little negatives

early morning

1-23-12, 7:40pm

I've been looking for a large antique cupboard or shelves to put where my old piano (that I haven't managed to get rid of yet, oops!) is. I had some money put aside for it. Everything I've even half-way liked was way too expensive, but yesterday we went to a really nice sale and I found just what I wanted. It was still more than I wanted to pay, even though it was lots cheaper than what I'd been looking at - but then I realized it was half-price, and within my budget! So, I "saved" $225! I feel a little guilty claiming that savings, though, since I wouldn't have spent that much. ;)

flowerseverywhere

1-24-12, 11:03am

Babr good idea to return things like paper towels, I would not have thought of that.
We rarely buy paper products, I have a series of cleaning rags and "car wash towels" that we use for almost everything. Through the years I know they have saved a bundle.

and early morning, I think that the reason we all try to be frugal is so that we can really enjoy things that we do buy and have value to us. If you are going to enjoy and use the cupboard than great, rejoice that you were able to save.

Back to savings, I donate blood every two months and have for years. I didn't realize it but Best buy has a bonus program for blood donors. I have accumulated about $50 in credits through red cross racing. I also got a free bag of dunkin donuts coffee. The full price is $8.49. I grabbed it on the way home from the blood donation center. of course I would donate if there was no reward, but what the heck. If companies are going to give me free stuff for stuff I am going to do anyway I am not going to turn it down. I hope all the gallons I have donated have saved some lives along the way too.

Also, I got a rebate check for $18.04 from some credit card class action suit, and a friend came down with a delicious Pizza she made as a thanks for making napkins and placemats for her out of an old tablecloth.

So things are snowballing for me.