how to save on anything

[elite7]

Haircuts:I live near a beauty school and they charge 5 for good haircuts and hot towel shave I've also shaved my head alot this year saved a bundle.
Home:I live in foreclosure capital of the world miami florida you can get a condo for 50,000 on the beach.Not a fan of renting but thats just me.A good rv can come in handy.
Car:Buy used or go with the classics also learn to do your own tuneups.I ride my bike alot and use public transpo.Then again I also live in miami where that is practical
Entertainment:I have a bud who work at a theatre who lets me in free and dont get me started on the amount of time I have snuck into movies with out getting caught I also share a netflix subscription .
Foodublix has price matching which is huge for me but lloking to find a way to do all my food shopping online which can save me tons and save time.

Any suggestions?

 

[Kailex]

Hair: Up until last year, I used to shave my head. From age 16 to age 29. I saved so much by simply using a razor and shaving cream. Now I go to a barber every 3 weeks. I could go 2 weeks but have it set up so it can last me up until 3 weeks.

Home: I rent. I went and found the cheapest place possible in the nicest area possible with all utilities included. I pay for rent what most people pay for in property taxes here. I made sure I went out there and shopped for apartments, specially the ones with no pictures on Craigslist. That's how I found my current one.

Car: I bought and paid in full for a used car. I do my own tune ups and know how to do a lot of the minor repairs.

Entertainment: I use Redbox for movies, but because it gives me 25 points on my Debit Card for every $1 I spend. The points, I use them for plane travel. It adds up quickly. I watch about 2 movies a week and I never watch them at a theatre. So not only do I save up money from the ticket price, but watching movies helps me save up for air fare.

Food: I use coupons. I have shoppers mailed to me like it's going out of style. I live within the vicinity of about 5 different chains and a few Walgreens. Anything I get, is within the logical distance of driving without sacrificing too much gas. I buy extra too. Although it's just myself, if water is on sale.. I buy enough for 3 weeks. I might be spending more now, but I save over the next two weeks. If I see rice and beans on saleat a supermarket, I'll buy a month's worth. I also get a lot of discounts for local restaurants. I cook 95% of the time, but you have to treat yourself every once in a while. I get a free meal 1 out of every 3 times I go out to eat.

Credit Cards: Avoid them.


Shopping online can get expensive. I think PeaPod charges like a service for it.
It's not worth it for me. Like COSTCO. I live by myself, there's really no reason to pay a yearly fee when I can't really take advantage of most of the stuff there.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Paying a Sam's Club membership is worth it for me because I have four big dogs to feed. Their brand of dog food is good stuff: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1960826

 

[highconscienceness]

Guys that's not saving, that's penny pinching.

I live in Russia, make less than I used to make in USA, but still its twice more than the average dude earns here. I use a little of that money for food, rent, entertainment, gas, roughly 35% as I count it now, the rest of my paycheck I save.

Can you say you'd be spending 35% of your paycheck and saving 65% while living in USA?

Can you say you'd be saving 65% of your paycheck in USA in 20 years?

I think not. I think even business owners have trouble making that mark.


With my current pay rate I can afford a brand new car every year, not loan, I could buy it with cash. The price of living is just too damn high in US, either you work your butt off to make it, or you go homeless. All that self sacrifice for what? So you could walk into a store and choose 40 different brands of cereal? 40 of which are made with GMO crops and cause early death.


Europe used to be good before they created the EU. Today countries you could really make it are Russia primarily. China. Japan. Taiwan. Venezuela. You move into one of those and you live like you've made it into middle class, all on your above average paycheck, thanks to higher creds being given to US education. (not that it's the best or good, or even marginal, it's just valued just like Tommy Hilfiger, never mind it's made in China!)


You people could make a move too if you grow a pair big enough. Now that's the summer season is over you could buy a two way ticket for under $900. Go check it out, maybe even see if you could find a job. Heck! Maybe you'll stay over and decide to become illegal alien than return back to USA!

 

[f283000]

highconsciencess, what kind of work do you do? It's probably pretty hard to just move to eastern europe and make it there unless you have a degree in engineering or something really important and know the language.

But I do take your point. Guys should try to live somewhere less expensive rather than sacrificing their quality of life. What's the point of living in cali/new york if you don't make the big bucks?

 

[highconscienceness]

I do IT work. I'm not top notch ITist. I'd say 20% out of 100%. I have MCSA, even though everyone thinks I'm an MCSE. Never finished the last exam.

My work consist of coming to work around 10am, but I could show up there later, doesn't matter. Doing small stuff, like putting merchandise into online shop, then if there is any go to calls, I probably get 5 calls a month. I could leave anytime I want if my chores are done, and usually I have no chores. I just sit and don't pretend to be useful or anything. I play subspace continuum right in front of the boss. In US I'd get my butt fired. Here I'm a valuable part of the team and pride of the company. Cuz I'm from USA.

Basically it don't feel like I'm working. I live my life the way I want to, taking it easy every single day. I can afford what I want and when I want. I even have 4 hoes on my budget every month, even though I haven't visited the hoe house lately.


Weed is a lot stronger here as well. I smoked top notch cripie in Miami, 360 an oz. Here that's child's grass, most weed here will murder you.


You'll learn language quickly. Learning to read and write is another thing. I basically have a top notch job and can't read or write. :crackup:


You could also move here because of women. Women, especially in upper Russia are mostly 8+. They cook, and they clean, and they will change your spare tire if you get a flat.


Place I'm at is a real deal if you decide to really make it. There are more millionaires per capita in Russia than any other country. If you even open a small business, with the brains you got from living in USA, that could afford you a villa with couple of cars in garage and a yatch.

 

[elite7]

bump.

 

[shilohgomz]

Two more suggestion to save money :

Food : Buy in bulk whenever possible.
Study : Instead of buying books, borrow books from the library

 

[azanon]

To each his own, but I don't want someone else's car. People talk about losing x% of its value in the first two years, as if that's supposed to mean something to someone who intends to own it at least 10. Also, the reason a car loses a lot of its value the first 2 years, is because those are the most enjoyable years of a car's life; when it smells new and drives new. OF COURSE, it should cost more to own a new car than one that's 8-10 years old, in terms of depreciation.

I know exactly what has, and has not, been done to my car. People who buy used hope that the oil was changed, or that the original owner didn't floor the car multiple times during the first 600 miles. And only speaking for me, the only reason I'd sell a 2-3 year old car is because something is wrong with it. Buyer = sucker, IOW.