What's your favorite way of pinching pennies?

[hygebeorht]

Let's face it: the debt/salary ratio for vet med can be pretty crippling. It's never too early to be pinching those pennies until they scream. If we manage to take out less in loans while we are in school (pre-vet-school and during) then we will have less loan money to pay down, and with our razor-sharp financial acumen we will pay them down with extreme prejudice.

What are some things I do to keep costs down in my life? Hmm...

- I use stall pellets for cat litter. 40 lb bag is about 6-7 bucks and lasts a month or two.
- I buy used nearly always. I even buy my proactiv off people on Craigslist who order too much.
- I have an apartment washing machine which paid for itself a year or two ago already.
- I don't eat out except once a month, and then I try to keep it low-key.
- Unless I'm working (which creates positive $ flow) I do not drive to school (I live about an hour away!). Instead I ride the bus for free with my student ID.
- I eat a lot of cheap grains I buy in bulk, like rice and oatmeal. Food's an area I won't sacrifice quality, so I eat tons of fresh fruits and veggies, but the bulk grains help keep costs down.

What are your favorite tricks for keeping money in your pocket?

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[BladeofGrass]

I also am a money-scrimper and am always looking for new ways to save! Here are some of the things I do:

-I buy certain food in bulk and make individualized sizes of each (ex: greek yogurt divided into glass tupperware with honey drizzled on top or with a handful of blueberries)
-Use shredded paper (or class notes after the end of the semester) to help get the fire going in the fireplace
-Plastic bags from shopping = trash bags, doggie pick-up bags, lunch bags
-I close a couple rooms I don't go into much (ex: laundry room) and close the vents so the place uses less heat

I'm excited for this thread to see what other ideas there are!

 

[wolfspeaker]

Here's a thread to check out on this topic.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=940537&highlight=save+money

 

[wolfspeaker]

Also, instant streaming Netflix instead of cable! $8(or so) a month.

 

[orca2011]

Also, instant streaming Netflix instead of cable! $8(or so) a month.

We've been doing this all year, but got a deal with Comcast recently where we're supposedly going to be paying around the same price for the DSL we had with verizon, but get faster internet, cable and 6 months of free HBO. SO if you really need cable, look around for those kind of deals too. Having a roommate helps keep the bills fairly low too since they're split.

 

[sidvicious]

I like this thread!

This is really lame, but I hoard toilet paper, paper towels, soap, sugar packets, garbage bags, napkins, (you name it!) from campus. My roommates joined in and some days we crack up how much stuff we drag home in our backpacks. We haven't bought any of that stuff all year! And we go through a lot of paper towels... I have two lovely rats that need to be picked up after!

And likewise, I walk everywhere. And I also don't skimp on produce. But a fair amount of my diet is black beans and rice... can't get much cheaper than that

 

[Virginger]

(1) retailmenot
(2) costco
(3) buying from the bulk bins
(4) living in a studio apartment
(5) taking public transit instead of owning a car

 

[skittles12]

Having a roommate helps keep the bills fairly low too since they're split.

I also love the Dollar Tree--cleaning and kitchen supplies, snacks, etc. for $1 each! Pretty hard to beat that...

 

[ShibaMom]

We've been doing this all year, but got a deal with Comcast recently where we're supposedly going to be paying around the same price for the DSL we had with verizon, but get faster internet, cable and 6 months of free HBO. SO if you really need cable, look around for those kind of deals too. Having a roommate helps keep the bills fairly low too since they're split.

Haggle with the cable companies. They are feeling a lot of heat from their competitors and are losing customers to Hulu, Netflix, Uverse, etc. Keep pressing for a better deal, even if it means a few extra minutes on the phone. I would say that eight times out of ten then will fold, especially when you can back-up your demands with a competitor's channel, service and price list.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I like this thread!

This is really lame, but I hoard toilet paper, paper towels, soap, sugar packets, garbage bags, napkins, (you name it!) from campus. My roommates joined in and some days we crack up how much stuff we drag home in our backpacks. We haven't bought any of that stuff all year! And we go through a lot of paper towels... I have two lovely rats that need to be picked up after!

And likewise, I walk everywhere. And I also don't skimp on produce. But a fair amount of my diet is black beans and rice... can't get much cheaper than that

That sounds an awful lot like stealing. That should be a different thread.

 

[felinelvr44]

That sounds an awful lot like stealing. That should be a different thread.

I agree. I could see grabbing a few extra sugar packets with your morning coffee but if I took toilet paper, garbage bags, and soap from my current job, I would be fired.

 

[macita183]

I love Habitat for Humanity restore shops to buy furniture or to replace fixtures. I got a really cute desk thing (it was originally a wine rack but I use it as a desk) for $15

I also go to the dollar store a lot and I'm a clearance queen when I go to other stores.

I've been trying to cut coupons for groceries but I tend to forget to bring them with me to the store.

 

[BlackDog17]

This is really lame, but I hoard toilet paper, paper towels, soap, sugar packets, garbage bags, napkins, (you name it!) from campus. My roommates joined in and some days we crack up how much stuff we drag home in our backpacks. We haven't bought any of that stuff all year! And we go through a lot of paper towels... I have two lovely rats that need to be picked up after!

My roommates and I did that for a little while too. Mostly toilet paper, because none of us was willing to dish out the cash and buy enough for four people. So we started swiping the industrial rolls from the public bathroom in our on-campus apartment building. Maintenance caught on pretty quick, now the rolls are under lock and key.

In undergrad my friends and I always took a lot of food from the dining halls too. You were allowed to bring out one piece of fruit with you, so we would take a piece of fruit every single time. Even if we didn't particularly want it at that moment. Because six hours later when you're hungry and don't want to spend $8 on a tiny sandwich at the library, suddenly that fruit looks incredibly appetizing. We also perfected the art of swiping other food items - bagels, sandwiches, cereal, pretty much anything that could be carried in a backpack for a day without spoiling. We justified it by claiming we were making up for the absurdly high price of our meal plans.

I also pinch pennies by hardly ever buying things for myself that aren't necessities. The last time I bought myself new clothes was when I bought khakis for my summer job. Before that, I think I bought a couple pairs of jeans two years ago. Mostly I just wear the same boring clothes until they fall apart. Occasionally I'll buy myself something new if I see something nice and it's on sale really cheap. But I can't remember the last time I did any serious "clothes shopping". I will treat myself if I have cash that people have given me as gifts (I've discovered my family gets really angry if they find out I used my Christmas money to buy groceries! ) so if there's something I want, I'll usually wait until after Christmas or my birthday to buy it for myself.

 

[kernel]

There was a lot of talk of food-related ways to save money in the other thread. I have some to add. Sorry if they are old news:

- If you drink a lot of juice or soda, try to wean yourself off of it. All that sugar is unhealthy anyways, and your body prefers water!

- Again, buy in bulk. Spices are WAY cheaper that way. You can also get tons of yummy cereals and grains for cheap: rice (incl. brown, wild, etc.) quinoa, lentils, and much more.

- Stay away from packaged & processed snacks. Yes, carbs may be "cheap," but they're actually just a waste of money. Don't get me wrong, I love my Cheez-Its, Oreos and tortilla chips, but they are empty carbs. When you're trying to save money (and stay healthy!), that's not the way to go. Eat nuts, fruit (fresh or dried) and veggies for your snack. More bang for your buck, AND you'll feel better!

 

[kernel]

OH!!! Also, eBAY!



This semester I started shopping early for my textbooks. I saved $120 on my physics book alone.

I was also in desperate need of new jeans this year. As "first world problems" as this sounds, I hate buying jeans from places like Target because they never fit right and they usually fall apart pretty quick. So I picked out a couple pair of higher-end jeans at different stores and then found them on eBay for like 1/4 the price. For example, I paid $30 for a pair of "Hudson" jeans that fit my stork-legs and childbearing hips like a glove...I think they retail for like $160 I would never actually spend that much on clothes...

 

[ViaBea]

I also shop around for my textbooks, and I almost never buy them from my school. I like to use textbook comparison websites like bigwords.com that list all the current prices that books are being sold for, and they sometimes have codes you can put in to save more money. One time, I paid $5 for a philosophy textbook that was in fairly good condition from half.com that my school was selling for $60 used. When I got the book, it was a copy that had my school's sticker on it.

I also compare whether it is cheaper to buy or rent a particular book after you take into account selling the book back.

I also look at how much different websites are paying to buy the books back (even though you have to watch out for the places that will only give you store credit if you never plan on buying anything off of them).

 

[orca2011]

Haggle with the cable companies. They are feeling a lot of heat from their competitors and are losing customers to Hulu, Netflix, Uverse, etc. Keep pressing for a better deal, even if it means a few extra minutes on the phone. I would say that eight times out of ten then will fold, especially when you can back-up your demands with a competitor's channel, service and price list.

Agreed, but well probably cancel our plan at the 6 months cause my roomie and I are adding our friend who already has a 2 year contract that I think her mom is paying for.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I also shop around for my textbooks, and I almost never buy them from my school. I like to use textbook comparison websites like bigwords.com that list all the current prices that books are being sold for, and they sometimes have codes you can put in to save more money. One time, I paid $5 for a philosophy textbook that was in fairly good condition from half.com that my school was selling for $60 used. When I got the book, it was a copy that had my school's sticker on it.

I also compare whether it is cheaper to buy or rent a particular book after you take into account selling the book back.

I also look at how much different websites are paying to buy the books back (even though you have to watch out for the places that will only give you store credit if you never plan on buying anything off of them).

Or even better for vet school, be very smart about which books to buy because you actually need very few. If you actually buy all of the required books (and heaven forbid, the recommended books) that's thousands down the drain.

 

[orca2011]

Or even better for vet school, be very smart about which books to buy because you actually need very few. If you actually buy all of the required books (and heaven forbid, the recommended books) that's thousands down the drain.

I've only bought Dyce and my dissection guides. I've lucked out and had two the recommended text books for classes already from undergrad, but other than that, I haven't bought any other books since they're all in the library anyways.

And when I have to buy books, it's usually on half.com since that's where I usually find them the cheapest.

 

[that redhead]

Food-
- Go grocery shopping on Tuesdays, since students get a 10% discount.
- I try to buy things that are on sale, even if it means switching up my meal plans for the week.
- I found myself craving hot chocolate for a while, so instead of buying it by cup-ful from Tim Horton's, I bought a big container to make for myself (have a travel mug to bring to school).
- Eat my meals at home and bring snacks to class so I'm not tempted to buy from the cafeteria.
- I'm making an effort to not waste anything, so eating prepared food in a timely manner or freezing it right when I get home.

Gas-
- I do my errands on school days when I need to drive into town anyway (~12miles just in to town)
- I don't heat up my car in the mornings. It can be brutal but it saves even a little.
- I don't drive super fast, so better on gas and no tickets!

Other-
- I don't buy things "for me" at the moment, but when I have they've been either Goodwill or >50% off (woohoo).
- Instead of going out (bars, restaurants) with friends, we usually do pot-luck style get togethers.
- I turn off lights/turn down heat when I go to bed and while I'm away at class.
- I'm planning to start researching recipes that aren't just cheap but make a lot of food that I can then store, instead of a few meals over the course of the week.
- Wash all of my clothes/towels/sheets in one load in the giant washers at the laundromat and go as long as possible between trips
- I don't buy textbooks, except for anatomy.

 

[wolfspeaker]

Invest in a chest freezer! Buy bulk on sale and freeze what you can't use right away.

Make extras of food you make at home, freeze it and pop it in microwave or oven on those 'lazy' days to prevent you from ordering out.

 

[Andie1]

I love this one! I pay a fortune for laundry, but never have looked into these.

- I have an apartment washing machine which paid for itself a year or two ago already.

Echoing some sentiments, I am pretty consistent in some hygiene/makeup products that I use and check eBay every so often for blushes and powders. Cost drops from $40 to $10-$15 which may last me months (if not a year plus sometimes).

Another eBay steal is movie passes (like for AMC theaters). Movies cost about $15 dollars a ticket where I live (city living!). I'll buy a few movie passes for about half the price so I don't have to break the bank just to see a new movie.

Also, I'm a big coffee drinker and am surrounded by Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts on my daily commute. I make sure to prep my coffee maker the night before and try to limit buying expensive coffees to a treat here and there.

 

[deleted497320]

-I buy generic brands of whatever I can- food, medicine, toiletries, paper products, etc. Stores like Kroger or CVS usually have discounted prices + sales when you buy their brands.

-If I actually have free time to read a book, I'll get it from the library.

-Thrift stores have awesome clothes.

-I comparison shop online like a boss. This can be annoying b/c I will spend *weeks* looking at every website imaginable for a new backpack or pair of shoes just in case there's a lower price out there, somewhere. But I always get a good price.

 

[wolfspeaker]

"Sell It" on Facebook. Look it up, I bet your area has a page and cities/towns near you. I have probably bought $2500 worth of stuff for under $500 this past year. (I am slowly replacing roomies ex's furniture with better looking stuff)

$10 for an awesome pair of black suede boots worth over $60, and only worn once? Hells yes!

 

[LittleWiz]

"Sell It" on Facebook. Look it up, I bet your area has a page and cities/towns near you. I have probably bought $2500 worth of stuff for under $500 this past year. (I am slowly replacing roomies ex's furniture with better looking stuff)

$10 for an awesome pair of black suede boots worth over $60, and only worn once? Hells yes!

I'm going to check this out. Thank you!

 

[hygebeorht]

Love all of the suggestions. I also like getting books from the library. (Even coursebooks sometimes, if I only need them for a while. Depends of course on the book and availability.)

eBay and Craigslist and Facebook have great forums for selling stuff too. I love RetailMeNot and I, too, comparison shop FOREVER before buying anything so I get that great price! Glad I'm not alone!

I have a friend who saves money on heating by just keeping herself warm. Heated keyboard and mouse (yup, they exist), heated foot pad, and a heated mattress pad help her keep her house low and still be comfortable. I personally like putting rice in a sock and microwaving it until it's warm. Great for cold feet, cramps, whatever, and you can reuse them for a year or two.

What's the one area you won't sacrifice quality on, even if you're buying on sale with coupons etc.? For me it's quality food. Good healthy fuel for my mind and body are important especially when we are putting such a heavy load on ourselves.

 

[that redhead]

What's the one area you won't sacrifice quality on, even if you're buying on sale with coupons etc.?

Toilet paper, dog food and produce.

 

[hygebeorht]

Toilet paper, dog food and produce.

Love the cushy stuff, it's like wiping your ass with a cloud. Also my pets eat better than I do so I'm right there with you.

 

[hygebeorht]

Also, instant streaming Netflix instead of cable! $8(or so) a month.

Netflix 4 lyfe! If you have buddies you can split it, too. My parents have a subscription that they and all of their children (including me) use. It may seem silly to split such a cheap subscription, but it's easy to do and $8 a month does add up over time.

On the same note, I called my internet company and politely threatened to go with the competitor for their intro rate. My service currently should be about $50/mo, but they set mine at $25/mo for the next year. And I have a cool neighbor who I talked into splitting the service with, so she uses our wifi and pays us $12.50 a month. Doing those two things lets us afford internet for $150/year instead of $600/year. BIG difference!

We don't own a TV and don't get any TV services, and I'd never go back. There are so many great shows on Netflix and I never have to watch a stupid, stupid commercial again! Some people absolutely MUST see the latest episode of something when it comes out, but I like waiting for a whole season to finish so I can sit down and marathon that mofo.

We also carry the bare minimum legally required car insurance, since both our cars together probably wouldn't sell for more than $5k. Our only household bills are the internet and electricity, since our landlady covers everything else. We of course have CFLs so our electricity usage is quite low.

I have one credit card with a good reward program and I pay it off every single month. Your credit card should always pay you, never the other way around, if you can possibly help it.

Any other bill-slashing tricks?

 

[orcagirl]

I do have TV but I purchased a $30 digital antenna. Haven't paid to watch TV (other than in electricity) since then.

 

[485501]

Estate sales. Often the people holding the sale want to get rid of stuff as fast as possible, and don't care what it cost originally. Last fall my SO and I got a professional quality, barely used massage table for 20 bucks . I will confess we left the sale immediately upon buying it, lest the people realized how good of a deal they gave us.

 

[hygebeorht]

Estate sales. Often the people holding the sale want to get rid of stuff as fast as possible, and don't care what it cost originally. Last fall my SO and I got a professional quality, barely used massage table for 20 bucks . I will confess we left the sale immediately upon buying it, lest the people realized how good of a deal they gave us.

20 dollars? Hot damn! I haven't ever been to an estate sale. How do you scope them out?

 

[485501]

20 dollars? Hot damn! I haven't ever been to an estate sale. How do you scope them out?

I know, right!

We usually find estate sales listed in the same places as garage sales. Mostly we check Craigslist and the local newspaper's classifieds.

 

[felinelvr44]

I pinch pennies in lots of ways (buy staples in bulk, eat lots of rice and beans, etc.) but something I haven't seen posted yet is that I make my own laundry detergent. I did a ton of research online and came up with the easiest recipe (for me)... 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of washing soda, 2 grated bars of laundry soap. I use 2 tablespoons per load of laundry. It gets your wash clean although there isn't a strong perfume odor afterwards if that's what you're used to. I also don't use dryer sheets. Rolled up balls of aluminum foil in the dryer work great at getting rid of stack-electricity. It sound weird but it works!

We've also cut down on fancy toiletry products. We buy a giant bottle of peppermint Dr. Bronners and use that as body wash. It last forever and smells great. I also use it for random cleaning since it's just soap.

Edit: Thought of another thing to add. Learn to sew. I had a bunch of pants with "flare" or wide legs that just weren't cutting it anymore. Instead of getting rid of them and buying new pants, I took in the legs at the side seams. Now it looks like I have a brand new pair of matchstick skinny cords from J Crew and my $100+ work pants are a little more stylish than they were before.

 

[hygebeorht]

Is it a huge pain to grate that laundry soap? And how much do you save making your own laundry soap v. buying it?

 

[felinelvr44]

Is it a huge pain to grate that laundry soap? And how much do you save making your own laundry soap v. buying it?

Not really, it takes a few minutes. Or if I'm really lazy I just throw it into my food processor

As for cost effectiveness... it definitely depends on how much you spend on laundry detergent now. I live in NYC and everything here is expensive. I was also buying the "natural" brands like 7th generation or Ecover which aren't cheap (I am vegan). Making it myself therefore makes it much cheaper... I think when I calculated it it was something like 10 cents a load. Most recipes tell you to use Fels Naptha, a bar laundry soap. I do not because it contains tallow. We actually had a stockpile of random bars of soap, including stuff from hotels so I have been using that for a while. It becomes much cheaper if you use cheap soap!

Here are some other sources:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Laundry-Detergent/
http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

 

[hygebeorht]

Well, the Method detergent I currently use breaks down to about $0.15 a load, but according to the simple dollar the homemade stuff is like 2-3 cents a load.

I spend about $32/year on detergent now, but it could be $6.72/year if I made my own.

Not bad! I think I will use up what I have, and then I'll be moving, but after I move I should make my own!

 

[felinelvr44]

Yeah, the cost is probably below 10 cents but I wanted to estimate on the higher side. The boxes of washing soda and borax are probably a bit more where I am but it's still totally worth it.

 

[parula]

I pinch pennies in lots of ways (buy staples in bulk, eat lots of rice and beans, etc.) but something I haven't seen posted yet is that I make my own laundry detergent. I did a ton of research online and came up with the easiest recipe (for me)... 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of washing soda, 2 grated bars of laundry soap. I use 2 tablespoons per load of laundry. It gets your wash clean although there isn't a strong perfume odor afterwards if that's what you're used to. I also don't use dryer sheets. Rolled up balls of aluminum foil in the dryer work great at getting rid of stack-electricity. It sound weird but it works!

We've also cut down on fancy toiletry products. We buy a giant bottle of peppermint Dr. Bronners and use that as body wash. It last forever and smells great. I also use it for random cleaning since it's just soap.

Edit: Thought of another thing to add. Learn to sew. I had a bunch of pants with "flare" or wide legs that just weren't cutting it anymore. Instead of getting rid of them and buying new pants, I took in the legs at the side seams. Now it looks like I have a brand new pair of matchstick skinny cords from J Crew and my $100+ work pants are a little more stylish than they were before.

Although it would add to the cost, if you're opposed to your laundry not having a perfume odor, you could always add a drop or two of essential oils into the load! I imagine even with essential oils it would still cost less to make it vs. buying it!

 

[MommaFox]

Appliances:
-BF, roomate, and I do not use the dishwasher. Also, everything is on a power strip and can be unplugged when not in use. Sounds ridiculous, but those sorts of things do draw power, even if not on.
-Contact the local water company and have them install a switch on your hot water heater. Mine did it for free. Normally hot water heaters are running 24/7 to keep hot water readily available, but the switch allows it to only fill and heat during the times you need it.
-Try to take showers in the middle of the day. My water company charges more for water/electricity used during peak hours. (6am-9am, 5pm-8pm)

Hygiene:
-It's gross, but I usually wear things at least twice (prettymuch anything except socks and underwear)
-EBAYYYYYYY EBAY EBAY EBAY EBAY!!!!
-Dollar tree

Groceries:
-Buy on sale, freeze it.
-Couponing!

Clothing:
-Thrift shop is your friend.
-Ebay!

Edit: Also, for those of you who may have some credit card debt that you want to pay off, but the interest rate is awful. Find a credit union that does balance transferring and take advantage of it. My credit union does it and I went from a crazy never-going-to-pay-this-off rate to a manageable one.

 

[wildcatj]

[YOUTUBE]QK8mJJJvaes[/YOUTUBE]

It is just so fitting.

 

[MommaFox]

Oh my gee, my anthem.


Damn, I's a cold ass honkey.

 

[MysteryCat]

We've also cut down on fancy toiletry products. We buy a giant bottle of peppermint Dr. Bronners and use that as body wash. It last forever and smells great. I also use it for random cleaning since it's just soap.
.

Dr Bronners FTW! That's all we use, too! We also almost never go out to eat, we make coffee at home every single morning, we use a small, designated amount of "family fun money" every month, and we budget groceries so that we can buy high quality ones 1x/week. I also cram my classes into 3 days a week so that I have less driving to do, and I use public transport on one of those days (when I'm out early enough).

 

[psilovethomas]

Just learned this trick from a roommate:
Instead of buying new sponges every week, wash the one you currently have in the dishwasher. Turns out just like new after one cycle.

 

[BlackDog17]

Just learned this trick from a roommate:
Instead of buying new sponges every week, wash the one you currently have in the dishwasher. Turns out just like new after one cycle.

Do people really buy new sponges every week?? I certainly don't.

Microwaving them for 30 seconds is a good way to disinfect them periodically.

 

[iatrest]

The flat way.

 

[hygebeorht]

I've never heard of anyone buying new sponges every week. To me that's like buying a new toothbrush every week...overkill! I replace them once they start falling apart, which is usually 6 months to a year.

If they seem gross, I put them in a cup and let them soak in boiling water. I don't like sponge smell, so I don't microwave them, but lots of people do.

Or you could get a scrubber brush if sponges are too gross for you. Scrubber brush thing should last longer too.

 

[psilovethomas]

I'm a germ freak and live with 3 other people, so I like to change my sponges often..

 

[Foxhunter]

our cat eats our sponges a lot, so we go through them kinda quickly (as in one every 2-6 weeks)

 

[wolfspeaker]

I used to go through 1(or more) sponges a week. The roommate would do dishes, then leave the sponge all nasty and full of food on the back of the sink. He didn't like rinsing dishes before washing and just washed them in dirty water with a dirty sponge.

Then I banned him from doing dishes. Now, I boil the sponge maybe once every two weeks(I only do dishes couple times a week living by myself). Keeps it nice and germ free. When it gets ragged and bits are falling off, then I replace it.