Making Money by Saving Money

[larknm]

flowerseveywhere, maybe you mean The Simple Dollar.

[Zoebird]

We have been able to support ourselves at in manhattan COL for under $40k/yr, and we hope that, when we move, we'll save even more.

we have decided to let go of a cell phone because we'll use our home phone to catch messages and we hardly use either phone anyway. It's bundled with the cable internet (and we won't use cable but they can't be divided).

housing is the hardest part -- and it's frustrating because my parents feel they need to be happy with it. and they only like suburbia. :P

[Lainey]

Steve,
I get the idea of less eating out after retirement because of not buying work lunches, etc., but these last few years when I've taken week days off (aka, pretending to be retired!) I find that I enjoy going out to eat bkfast (get the 55+ discount) as a leisurely treat. Then I find myself wandering over to the bookstore and picking out a paperback or two. Next it's over to the thrift store to see if there's something calling my name.

Basically, the weekdays that I'm not working just seem to morph into out-and-about spend days. I know I have to curtail that when I actually retire (targeting 2015) but I can see now how easy it is to spend $50 by the end of the day without even trying!

[SteveinMN]

I enjoy going out to eat bkfast (get the 55+ discount) as a leisurely treat. Then I find myself wandering over to the bookstore and picking out a paperback or two. Next it's over to the thrift store to see if there's something calling my name.

One of the surprises of retirement, for me, was how happy I am to be puttering around the house instead of being out and about. So going out is kind of a treat for me. It does take some discipline for me to drive past the thrift store or record store. But I figure while I'm trying to purge myself of possessions, bringing more of them into the house does not help me.

I can see now how easy it is to spend $50 by the end of the day without even trying!

On the other hand, I can spend $50 or $100 without my fingers leaving the computer keyboard! True, most of it is bills. But it still can be a little shocking.

[catherine]

One of the surprises of retirement, for me, was how happy I am to be puttering around the house instead of being out and about.

Puttering is my favorite activity!!! I can keep myself SO entertained.

[try2bfrugal]

Besides food and other necessities, I try to limit my purchases these days to items that save money in the long run. A big part of this has been reducing disposable items. Some of my purchases this past year have been reusable produce bags, rechargeable batteries, cloth napkins, stainless steel scouring pads that last much longer than steel than Brillo type pads, cloth towels to use instead of paper towels, solar Christmas lights, solar patio lights, LED light bulbs for inside, LED motion detector lights for outside, a solar charger and lots of 50 cent - $1 used books on sustainable living topics.

[Selah]

Scavenge for clothes and furnishings, instead of buying them!

It sounds strange, but in our apartment we have: a night stand (which we refinished and put new hardware on), a storage unit, a plant stand, two Persian carpets, a lovely piece of artwork, numerous items of functional Tupperware, over a dozen plant pots, a pristine bulletin board, a beautiful wooden box that holds our remote controls, a small vase that serves as my pen-holder, a board that serves as a table top for our home recording studio, my purse, a leather briefcase (which after a good was and polish looks like new), and some lovely glassware as well as numerous items of clothing. ALL were left out in the street...I just picked them up, took them home, washed or otherwise spruced them up, and incorporated them into our home.

The other day, someone left out a 50 gallon aquarium in great shape...but DH didn't want to shlep it upstairs and have that big a tank to look after! I've seen entire bedsteads, including gorgeous wooden headboards, as well as zillions of dismantled standing wardrobes that people just leave out for others to take away, before the garbage men do.

Speaking of pets, one good way to save money if you are thinking of adding a new non-human member to your family, is to buy or scavenge or make the equipment the animal will need, over time, before you actually get the animal. For example, look for second-hand aquariums or bird cages, or filter equipment or sales on bird seed, etc. Stock up on these things over time, and watch for bargains even on the pets themselves by scanning classifieds or Craig's list for people looking for good homes for their fish, birds, gerbils, etc. Yes, adding another dependent animal is not a way to save money, of course, but if you are going to do it anyway, you might as well do it mindfully and as frugally as possible.

[Spartana]

Free entertainment and activities. I borrow books, DVDs and CDs from library rather then buy or rent them. I do free sports activities like hike, bike, play beach volleyball, etc... rather then ones that cost money to do like golf. I don't do any projects for enjoyment that cost more - in both time and materials - then they are worth to do. I find other projects - or none - that I enjoy that are free instead. I rarely buy anything at all unless needed - then try second hand or discounted. Mainly I keep things very simple, uncomplicated and hassle free. Also living in shared digs helps greatly with reducing housing expenses. As would be living in a less expensive area or part of the country.

[Packratona!]

we retired at age 55 and researched where to move now that we were no longer tied to the workplace. We looked into how much taxes were, utilities and need for cooling in the summer and heat in the winter, ability to ride our bikes as opposed to driving among other things. We sold our house and bought one of equal value. Our taxes: from $8,000 in NY to $2,000 in Florida. Utility bill has not been over $80 yet, but august has been really hot so will be higher. One car with little mileage put on due to being able to walk and ride bikes, plus proximity to grocery store, library, farmers market etc. I estimate our living expenses will be at least $10,000 per year less altogether based on tracking this year as opposed to two years ago. Property Taxes play a huge part, as well as only one car. It makes a huge difference in how much you need to leave the workforce.

Love this, we did the same, moved to FL from NY, went down to one car. Everything we need can be gotten to by walking, biking, bus, train, or plane but can't convince the husband to give up the other car! I can cheaply and easily make multiple trips to a lot of stores to get the deals! Also utility bills are very low.

[awakenedsoul]

Same here. I have a car, but I only use it once a week. I can catch the bus a block from my cottage. I usually put my bike on the bus, and bike to the rest of my errands. I used to spend over a hundred dollars a month on dance classes, now I do yoga and pilates at home. (The classes and mileage were a deduction at that time, though.) I make an effort to cook from my stockpile and to use up all of the leftovers. I buy things that are well made and last forever. My dogs are using leather leashes that my mom gave me for Christmas 25 years ago. I've used them on six dogs. Same with the dog beds. I recover them. Instead of buying gifts, I knit people socks, or crochet them potholders. Everyone comments on how much they use both, and how they prefer the hand made ones to store bought. Sometimes instead of taking the bus I'll just ride my bike. Each dollar counts. I also use the Internet instead of t.v. I can listen Suze Orman's podcasts for free, and I like seeing interviews on Youtube.

Excellent thread and posts, by the way!