tips for frugal living

[LawlietMD]

Oh, and make sure you change your router's admin password if you haven't done so thus far. I read about a new internet attack the other day that guesses the usual default passwords of "password" or "admin" and uses it to change your settings.

/end geekfest

That only works if you have remote access enabled, which is pretty dumb unless you have to use your Laptop to change the settings.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ATrain]

where Did I Ever Say That? Put Another Way, Which Of These Two Words {at, Least} Were Unclear? But Anyways...



No Company That I Currently Do Business With Has Done That. I Have A Discover Card (in Addition To American Express, Citibank, And Chase Cards,) And My Autopay Pays On The Due Date, Whenever That Due Date Is. I Can't Speak For Bank Of America.

However, If Anyone Tried To Pull The **** That You Are Describing On Me, I Would Immediately Cancel That Card And Take My Business Elsewhere. I Guarantee You That They Wouldn't Let Me (the Cost Of Replacing A Customer Is More Than They Will Lose From Just Waiving The Fees.)



Hey, You Obviously Know The Rules Of The Game. If You Don't Like Them, Don't Play. Of Course They Are Out For Profit, But Credit Cards Are A Convenience And A Way To Get Some Rewards Back If You Pay Off Your Balance In Full Every Month.



So What? Let Me Guess What Your Next Big Revelation Will Be: That Those Commericals That They Put On Children's Shows Aren't To Just Amuse Kids With Ronald Mcdonald And The Hamburgler -- They Are There To Try To Sell More Burgers Those Bastards!

S-e-n-s-e

 

[shantster]

Are you aware that some companies have changed payment due dates without changing the date those automatic payments are drafted? Discover and Bank of America are two that surreptitiously moved their dates up by a couple of days late last year.

Step 1: Change due dates.
Step 2: (this is where the underpants gnomes lost out) let the customer think "Gee, I have an autodraft. No problem for me"
Step 3: Profit.

Having a credit card is a contract between the company and the person who has it. They are not allowed to change any of the rules of usage (e.g. interest rates, due dates, rewards schedules, etc.) without letting you know in writing before this change occurs. It's your fault if you decided to not read the brochure that they sent about these changes with your credit card statement, not their fault.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

Having a credit card is a contract between the company and the person who has it. They are not allowed to change any of the rules of usage (e.g. interest rates, due dates, rewards schedules, etc.) without letting you know in writing before this change occurs. It's your fault if you decided to not read the brochure that they sent about these changes with your credit card statement, not their fault.

hahahaha, now that's a good one. You've read those new contracts front to back when you've received them always?

Ignoring that most people don't have a chance of making it through the legalese contained in those things, it's outrageous that they can make materially significant changes to these contracts on the fly.

You're right: It *is* a contract. And contracts are pretty close to immutable unless both parties consent, in writing, to a change. The credit card companies have, through their generous contributions to our corporate pawns, I mean legislators in congress, been able to circumvent that and can now essentially change contract terms at will. It's the worst kind of bait and switch, and it's no wonder so many get screwed.

 

[bodonid]

I found some knock-off lean cusine like things in my grocery store for $1 apiece. My question: is that kind of stuff bad for you? The sodium doesn't look too terrible on most of them, but it is still microwavable dinners... what is your opinion?

 

[leskibugg99]

Ok so this one is pretty random and a little intense, but will save money once you add it all up. White vinegar can be used for just about anything...seriously. Go online and look up the many uses of vinegar. Mix 1 part with 4 parts water and you have a great all around cleaner. It cleans everything except things that you would really want to disinfect (ie bathroom, kitchen sink--but thats nothing a little comet cant handle), and is really great for windows, mirrors, cabinets, floors, countertops, even your toilet (you're supposed to leave it in overnight--although i'm a little skeptical about how much that really would work). Plus, it doesnt smell as strongly as clorox containing products, and doesn't contain any "harsh" chemicals if you are against those sort of things. Straight vinegar will clean lime and rust deposits, help dissolve clogs in drains, and even your clean your oven. If you're moving in to a new place, its a fabulous wallpaper remover (i just did and had to tear down a bunch of icky nasty old wallpaper and it worked great!). It can be used as a fabric softener and stain remover too.

 

[PreMD86]

Ok so this one is pretty random and a little intense, but will save money once you add it all up. White vinegar can be used for just about anything...seriously. Go online and look up the many uses of vinegar. Mix 1 part with 4 parts water and you have a great all around cleaner. It cleans everything except things that you would really want to disinfect (ie bathroom, kitchen sink--but thats nothing a little comet cant handle), and is really great for windows, mirrors, cabinets, floors, countertops, even your toilet (you're supposed to leave it in overnight--although i'm a little skeptical about how much that really would work). Plus, it doesnt smell as strongly as clorox containing products, and doesn't contain any "harsh" chemicals if you are against those sort of things. Straight vinegar will clean lime and rust deposits, help dissolve clogs in drains, and even your clean your oven. If you're moving in to a new place, its a fabulous wallpaper remover (i just did and had to tear down a bunch of icky nasty old wallpaper and it worked great!). It can be used as a fabric softener and stain remover too.

lol, this is up there with wiping your a$$ with tree shrubs to save on toilet paper.

 

[jem]

Ok, here's another tip: I wash my hair with baking soda (super-saturated ), and condition it with very dilute (1:4) apple cider vinegar (I use the fancy Bragg's stuff).

It actually works better than shampoo...and I save a ton of money because after doing it for awhile, I find that I need to wash my hair just a smidge over once a week...and I am NOT a dirty hippie. I'm a clean hippie, thank you very much .

And I decided against a roommate - at the end of the day, it's just so nice to have your own place! But I'm a bit older...and find that I'm less amenable to sharing than I was in my younger days.

Here's to being poor for another 8 years!

 

[kypdurron5]

Ok, here's another tip: I wash my hair with baking soda (super-saturated ), and condition it with very dilute (1:4) apple cider vinegar (I use the fancy Bragg's stuff).

It actually works better than shampoo...and I save a ton of money because after doing it for awhile, I find that I need to wash my hair just a smidge over once a week...and I am NOT a dirty hippie. I'm a clean hippie, thank you very much .

And I decided against a roommate - at the end of the day, it's just so nice to have your own place! But I'm a bit older...and find that I'm less amenable to sharing than I was in my younger days.

Here's to being poor for another 8 years!

Wow....that's a bit extreme >). I have 16 bottles of shampoo, and I only paid for about 2 bottle's worth thanks to coupons.

 

[sendwich]

Wow....that's a bit extreme >). I have 16 bottles of shampoo, and I only paid for about 2 bottle's worth thanks to coupons.

coupon king?

 

[Dr M T Head]

coupon king?

Or QUEEN!

 

[nsx]

The dryer in my complex is broken yet AGAIN, and I just finished a wash. Laundromat is about as convenient as shooting myself in the foot. I can hang most of the clothes up on hangers in various places to dry, but what about the sheets? Just finished hanging them from the fans, turned on high. Now the sheets are spinning and air drying in every room. Unconventional dryer

 

[lord_jeebus]

The dryer in my complex is broken yet AGAIN, and I just finished a wash. Laundromat is about as convenient as shooting myself in the foot. I can hang most of the clothes up on hangers in various places to dry, but what about the sheets? Just finished hanging them from the fans, turned on high. Now the sheets are spinning and air drying in every room. Unconventional dryer

just make sure to dust them first

 

[BurnEmUpBears]

Take a look at HSBC Direct. They are generally just a bit higher than ING Direct. Right now they're at 3.5%.

HSBC's definitely the best. Always has the highest interest, and it's the only one I've seen that gives you an ATM card. HSBC seems more legit than ING/Etrade too, supposedly its the world's largest bank.

They also have an Online Payment Account (usu. 2.5%), which has an ATM card than you can use for Debit/Bill Pay, 3 free withdrawls from non-HSBC ATMs per month, and instantly transfers with the Savings Account.

 

[Ginzo]

HSBC seems more legit than ING/Etrade too, supposedly its the world's largest bank.

As of 2007, ING Group covers 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in 50 countries with a workforce of over 120,000 people. It has offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Romania, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, UK and United States. It owns ING Direct, a virtual bank with operations in Australia, Canada, Spain, UK, USA and elsewhere. In the 2008 Forbes Global 2000, ING was the ninth-largest company in the world.

How are they not legit? I've had an ING Direct savings account since 2001 and been very happy with them. They're incredibly user friendly.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Any checking account that's FDIC insured is legit enough

If you're putting more than 100K in a single checking account, stop it. Otherwise your money is safe, period.

 

[Thantis]

Behold my source of goodness for your banking interest needs, come hither and see: http://www.spoofee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=104734

Spoofee is good for many kinds of deals that come about now and again.

 

[linuxizer]

If you're putting more than 100K in a single checking account, stop it. Otherwise your money is safe, period.

I certainly don't have this problem, but supposedly what matters is 100k in any *bank*, not in any account.

Ari

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Shop at Sam's or Cost-Co. Haha buy in bulk. Also, as much as it sucks, fresh food is a LOT more expensive. I try to eat healthy, but I have found that in most cases, the less healthy it is, the less expensive it is. And they wonder why America is obese! If you live somewhere cold, getting a heated blanket could save you on the heating bill...though if may raise the electric bill so I suppose it depends on what you are paying for...
Garage sales are nice too...you can get furniture and stuff for cheap. I got a really nice vacuum and bookshelf for $5 each! Craigslist is great too...

 

[montessori2md]

Wierdest thing I do to save money:
I trade veggie oil for free biodiesel so I don't have to pay for gas.

I second votes for craigslist and discovercard. Discover cashback has saved my behind so many times when I needed a wedding/graduation/whatever gift for someone, b/c I just ordered a giftcard and either spent it or sent it.

I totally disagree about decent food costing more than crap food, but we have great korean groceries and they're super (almost scary) cheap. Not buying pre-made or processed food or single-serving beverages (eg bottled water, soda, etc) saves us money. I tried costco, I think I actually spend more $$ shopping there, unless you're buying a lot of medication or diapers. Don't recommend it for groceries unless buying for a party. When you want to eat out, go for lunch instead of dinner.

Develop a regular set of places you eat/shop, because you'll know the pricing and what you like, so you won't be surprised into dropping a bunch of cash on something you didn't want, and if you're regular enough, you'll end up getting deals. The best way for us to accidentally overspend is to go buy groceries in some megamart we've never been to before.

I use coupons for bathroom supplies (toothbrushes, etc) and we use the concentrated cleaners like Mr. Clean b/c you get more for your $$ with a bottle of those. Simple Green concentrate is the best value cleaner and it works for everything from the toilet bowl to glass (don't use the same sponge for each!). We clean with towels instead of paper towels.

If you're in the right group, going home to visit the 'rents and loading up on treats to take home is hands down the most sure-fire way to save cash.

I'm also a fan of not buying textbooks (or getting them super cheap) to save money.

Our credit unions kick ***** as far as interest rate go, they beat the heck out of bank of america. If you have any family in the military or vets, get them to join NFCU so then you can join, esp if you're getting a mortgage. (Not working for them, I swear!)

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Wierdest thing I do to save money:
I trade veggie oil for free biodiesel so I don't have to pay for gas.

I second votes for craigslist and discovercard. Discover cashback has saved my behind so many times when I needed a wedding/graduation/whatever gift for someone, b/c I just ordered a giftcard and either spent it or sent it.

I totally disagree about decent food costing more than crap food, but we have great korean groceries and they're super (almost scary) cheap. Not buying pre-made or processed food or single-serving beverages (eg bottled water, soda, etc) saves us money. I tried costco, I think I actually spend more $$ shopping there, unless you're buying a lot of medication or diapers. Don't recommend it for groceries unless buying for a party. When you want to eat out, go for lunch instead of dinner.

Develop a regular set of places you eat/shop, because you'll know the pricing and what you like, so you won't be surprised into dropping a bunch of cash on something you didn't want, and if you're regular enough, you'll end up getting deals. The best way for us to accidentally overspend is to go buy groceries in some megamart we've never been to before.

I use coupons for bathroom supplies (toothbrushes, etc) and we use the concentrated cleaners like Mr. Clean b/c you get more for your $$ with a bottle of those. Simple Green concentrate is the best value cleaner and it works for everything from the toilet bowl to glass (don't use the same sponge for each!). We clean with towels instead of paper towels.

If you're in the right group, going home to visit the 'rents and loading up on treats to take home is hands down the most sure-fire way to save cash.

I'm also a fan of not buying textbooks (or getting them super cheap) to save money.

Our credit unions kick ***** as far as interest rate go, they beat the heck out of bank of america. If you have any family in the military or vets, get them to join NFCU so then you can join, esp if you're getting a mortgage. (Not working for them, I swear!)

What exactly is Discover cashback and how do you get it?

We have places like those too, but the diff. is they are NOT cheap lol Actually way more expensive...but then maybe I am just looking in the wrong place, eh? I like Good Ol' Freddie's and Wal-Mart. haha

As for military ppl, USAA is a kick ass bank. I don't know if/how you can get into it if you are not in a military family, but I would definitely suggest it. They have a neat debit/credit program where if you use your debit card as credit, you get money back. Good interest rates on savings too.They have some other stuff I can't think of off the top of my head too...

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Don't buy name brand. laugh: Yaaay for stating the obvious)

 

[samenewme]

Bring your own bags and get your bread, cereal, and many staples at Aldi. Some things (like toilet paper) cost more at Aldi than at larger supermarkets on sale, but many of their regular prices are hard to beat.

 

[montessori2md]

Discover "cashback" is a rewards system like oh so many cc rewards, except that they give 5% back on rotating items (this quarter it's gas, sometimes it's groceries, hotels, whatever). To "cash it", you log on and either apply it to your card balance or exchange it for gift cards. The gift cards usually are for more than the reward (so you get a $25 card for $20, or $50 for $40). So I can trade $40 of money that was free anyhow for a $50 card to Macy's or what have you.
The best was when it was for hardware stores and we were in the middle of redoing our bathroom.

This of course, is totally not worth it if you don't pay the balance every month.

 

[SpinnerOfTruth]

This is the ultimate way to cut costs.

Distinguish between Wants and Needs.

Do you need or want to live in a nice apartment all by yourself?

Do you want or need cable and internet? (your school has internet access so don't even try)

I could even go so far to say that you don't really need a vehicle. A 10 mile bike ride every morning does wonders for the heart. But this one is a stretch, even for me.

You need to eat, not eat out.
And any idiot who pays $4 a day for a frappamochalattaccino is ******ed and needs their money taken away before they pay $2,000 for a Louis Vuitton hand bag ( which looks like K mart crap) because it is sooo worth it. No offense to K mart. And throw in a male equivalent.

Get my point. You need next to nothing by American standards, it is all wants.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Not sure if this was already posted, and this is another one that is high on the "duh" factor, but if you _must_ eat at a restaurant (there are just some days that I don't want to cook) get the food to go. You don't have to tip (think of this as a 15-20% discount) on the food, and you don't need to get drinks which are high margin for the restaurant.

 

[Raider11]

Not sure if this was already posted, and this is another one that is high on the "duh" factor, but if you _must_ eat at a restaurant (there are just some days that I don't want to cook) get the food to go. You don't have to tip (think of this as a 15-20% discount) on the food, and you don't need to get drinks which are high margin for the restaurant.

I understand the premise of the thread, and I normally agree with you on what you post, but that is just classless. I worked at a couple of restaurants during undergrad to help pay for personal expenses. I am lucky to not HAVE to work at a restaurant on 2.13 per hour and then solely rely on tips, as some of my coworkers, for their main source of income. If it's a fast food joint or a starbucks, tips aren't really warranted. If you sit down somewhere and have someone serve you, then tip them. They need that $4-$5 a lot more than you do. I know that this is tips for frugal living, but that's about as good a tip as "walk the check, FREE FOOD".

 

[sendwich]

I understand the premise of the thread, and I normally agree with you on what you post, but that is just classless. I worked at a couple of restaurants during undergrad to help pay for personal expenses. I am lucky to not HAVE to work at a restaurant on 2.13 per hour and then solely rely on tips, as some of my coworkers, for their main source of income. If it's a fast food joint or a starbucks, tips aren't really warranted. If you sit down somewhere and have someone serve you, then tip them. They need that $4-$5 a lot more than you do. I know that this is tips for frugal living, but that's about as good a tip as "walk the check, FREE FOOD".

I think what he meant was instead of sitting down for dinner, order the food for pickup. if you dont get service, you shoudln't have to tip.

 

[Raider11]

Well hell now I look like an ass. Sorry about that. Didn't read that part and responded to what I thought I read. Agree with the pick-up food = no tip because the kitchen staff does it anyways.