Thrifty tricks for saving some dolla bills!

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hopefulinva

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Props to Camelidcrazy for the name and the idea. =)

Anyway, since we're all basically gonna be some kinda broke for the next 4 years (or, y'know, more...), why not share some tips on thrifty thriving?

I'll kick it off with a couple of suggestions:

1. Grow your own food. =) Veggies like tomatoes and squash can be grown pretty darn easily in most places of the country (and beyond) - even if you don't have a lot of space. I grew tomatoes in a bucket this summer with a lot of success. =) Also growing in some left-over yogurt containers: peppermint, basil, and dill.

2. The Dollar Tree sells office supplies (including basic desk organizers, leaflet paper, and notebooks) for - you guessed it - $1. They also have brand-name detergents, hand soaps, makeup accessories, and other basic household items. And even bread - like, the good kind - as long as you don't mind buying a loaf on its "Sell by" date. =)
 
I make my own all purpose cleaner from equal parts vinegar, water and liquid dish soap. It's great for cutting soap scum in the shower and works well on windows/mirrors too!

I also bake my own bread (SOOOO easy) and form rolls/loafs and freeze. You can make like 20 loafs of bread/rolls for the cost of some flour and packet of yeast. Way better than normal bread! (message me if you want my family recipe)

Need a drink? Don't want to splurge on that 15$ bottle of wine? A little 2$ Chuck and some sliced oranges/lemons (whatever citris you have, really) makes great sangria. Plus it keeps in the fridge for a few days!

Subsisting on ramen noodles? Worried you might need some protein? My husband and I perfected 'fancy ramen' by adding whatever veggies are in our fridge to the noddles and cracking a few eggs into the boiling water of the ramen. Kind of like a delicious poor man's egg drop soup.
 
Make your own food, cook at home, use your freezer. I can bake 6-8 loaves of bread for the cost of one loaf of fancy wheat bread at the grocery store. They freeze super well. Same goes for tons of other meals - my freezer usually has at least 2 kinds of soup, mac and cheese, chicken dinners, etc. It's a lot more cost efficient to cook a family size meal than it is to cook five or six individual size meals. (On that note, buy in bulk if you have the space!)
 
If you have the $ and the space (garage or basement is perfect!), invest in a freezer chest!!!
If you buy your produce, wait for a great deal and stock up!

Also, find someone with a Sam's Club/Costco/whatever membership and buy meat in bulk. We would get a big package of ground beef patties, bag up 2 in a freezer bag (which was about 1lb), then froze them. Ground beef available for tacos, spaghetti sauce, chili, WHATEVER on demand! 🙂
 
Our freezer chest is full of old frostbitten meat. I don't even want to think about the $$ that's in there, gone bad.

Need to clean it out and then actually use it.

I'm saving money doing a renovation, but I don't do as well at everyday savings. Especially food.
 
Ohhh, making your own bread sounds like a great idea. I feel like I'm going to be eating a lot of sandwiches for lunch. Just not sure I'll have the freezer space to make a million loaves at a time.
 
- Buy a reusable coffee mug and make coffee from home.

- Hoard your change! Whenever my wallet gets heavy, I throw my change into a piggy bank. Once my piggy bank gets heavy, I roll my change. So far, I've rolled about $80 worth of change. When it's not in my wallet, I'm not tempted to spend it on coffee, gum, etc. If I see a penny on the street, I pick it up 😛

- Reusable shopping bags for moving. I don't own a house full of stuff and furniture. Whenever I move, it's one or two carloads. I put most of my stuff in those square reusable bags that you get at most stores for a buck or two (or free). They pack pretty well. And it beats buying boxes or totes.
 
Trematode said:
- Buy a reusable coffee mug and make coffee from home.

.
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Definitely doing this one as well. I'll actually probably make a pot or two, put it in a giant pitcher in the fridge and keep it cold to use as iced coffee for the mornings when it's still warm out.

Still might end up buying coffee somewhere else during the day for when the morning cup wears off. Or buy the 5 hour energy drinks in bulk from Sam's Club.
 
- I bring my lunch and coffee (even have extra coffee in my locker at school) the cafe in the building is really tempting. But the coffee can add up.

- At home we use our freezer a lot. We buy things on sale that freeze well and then have them for a while.

- Hubby is a coupon clipper, me not so much, but trying to be better about it.

- And not for everyone, but if you are a Target shopper, we got their card. You get 5% off everything when you use it. The important thing is just paying it off every month or else, there is no point in saving 5% when you have a large interest.
 
orca2011 said:
Definitely doing this one as well. I'll actually probably make a pot or two, put it in a giant pitcher in the fridge and keep it cold to use as iced coffee for the mornings when it's still warm out.

Still might end up buying coffee somewhere else during the day for when the morning cup wears off. Or buy the 5 hour energy drinks in bulk from Sam's Club.
Click to expand...

Our school has a hot water dispenser in the student lounge - I found a travel french press mug that I use at school. I just keep coffee in my locker. If you have access to hot water it is definitely worth it. I love my mug😍
 
Packen said:
Our school has a hot water dispenser in the student lounge - I found a travel french press mug that I use at school. I just keep coffee in my locker. If you have access to hot water it is definitely worth it. I love my mug😍
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Ohhh, nice!!! I think one of the libraries on my campus gives out free coffee so maybe I'll just have to use that...can't remember if it's the vet one or a different one though.

Would heating water up in the microwave work for that??? I'm sure I'll have access to a microwave at the least. If so, I might have to look into one of those mugs.
 
I know this may seem obvious, but scope out your local second hand stores-- 'consignment' in the title generally makes for nicer goods-- and pick through their clothes. Especially if you live in a college town where undergrads have mommies and daddies to buy them new nice things all of the time. There is a consignment store in Pullman that only sells nicer brands and nothing that's frayed or stained. Their clothes are all very nice and cost less than half the new prices. And most of them are from this or last season. It's amazing what people with money will give to a consignment store.
 
orca2011 said:
Ohhh, thank you!!!
Only problem is that using cheesecloth makes me think of my biochem lab where we had to strain our lovely, smelly soybean puree to extract lipoxygenase from it... I'm sure I'll live though.
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I bet you could use a coffee filter!

Cowagirl, the Vietnamese version looks decadent on that site. Might have to try that some time!!
 
I just used paper towels - 2 or 3 thick. Much easier than buying cheesecloth. Never thought of coffee filters- I'll have to try that since I have a stack of them left over from before I got a Keurig

And Packen- it is!
 
My favorite poor-girl recipe is brown rice made with low-sodium chicken broth, some steamed frozen veggies thrown in, and then make the protein source of your choice to go with - I use mostly shrimp, because I can buy big bags of it frozen, but it works just as well with scallops, beef, chicken, whatever. I put it all together. I make a cup of rice at a time and eat for a week or so! I can write up the actual recipe if anyone wants it. I based it off of this: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/05/shrimp-peas-and-rice.html but changed it to brown rice, added veggies, and made some tweaks to make it easier and more to my taste. Bonus, it's healthy if you make it right!

I'm always looking for cheap, tasty things to make that last for a while!
 
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Camelidcrazy said:
I know this may seem obvious, but scope out your local second hand stores-- 'consignment' in the title generally makes for nicer goods-- and pick through their clothes. Especially if you live in a college town where undergrads have mommies and daddies to buy them new nice things all of the time. There is a consignment store in Pullman that only sells nicer brands and nothing that's frayed or stained. Their clothes are all very nice and cost less than half the new prices. And most of them are from this or last season. It's amazing what people with money will give to a consignment store.
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I tell people this all the time and they look at me crazy. I even went into a Goodwill one time and found a crap ton of new, brand name clothing since it was located right by sorority row. Northface jackets with the tags still on them for $5!!!! 😱
You have to put in the time to search, but it can really work in your advantage! Plus, I'm not ashamed to buy clothes anywhere. I'm too freakin cheap to care! 😉 Just wash everything really well :scared:
 
Emiloo4 said:
I tell people this all the time and they look at me crazy. I even went into a Goodwill one time and found a crap ton of new, brand name clothing since it was located right by sorority row. Northface jackets with the tags still on them for $5!!!! 😱
You have to put in the time to search, but it can really work in your advantage! Plus, I'm not ashamed to buy clothes anywhere. I'm too freakin cheap to care! 😉 Just wash everything really well :scared:
Click to expand...
We have some amazing ones here in SB/SoCal in general. And these are the thrifts, not even the consignment. (I'm not that fancy most of the time) I have 4 pair of Express jeans, the most expensive of which was $15.99 A Banana Republic leather jacket, $20. I paid $7 for my ski jacket!

My favorite find, however was a full set of accessories for my KitchenAid Mixer, $10 for the slicer, meat grinder, an extra dough hook, batter blade and whisk.
 
Packen said:
- I bring my lunch and coffee (even have extra coffee in my locker at school) the cafe in the building is really tempting. But the coffee can add up.

- At home we use our freezer a lot. We buy things on sale that freeze well and then have them for a while.

- Hubby is a coupon clipper, me not so much, but trying to be better about it.

- And not for everyone, but if you are a Target shopper, we got their card. You get 5% off everything when you use it. The important thing is just paying it off every month or else, there is no point in saving 5% when you have a large interest.
Click to expand...

Just want to say there's an even better way to save at Target if you're worried about interest. If you have a checking account, you can get a Target debit card that will link to that account. No fees, don't have to worry about interest, just have to have the money in your account. You save the 5%, which can be like tax. I think it's saved me like $50 already this year. Only thing is you can only use it at Target.

fromthebox said:
We have some amazing ones here in SB/SoCal in general. And these are the thrifts, not even the consignment. (I'm not that fancy most of the time) I have 4 pair of Express jeans, the most expensive of which was $15.99 A Banana Republic leather jacket, $20. I paid $7 for my ski jacket!

My favorite find, however was a full set of accessories for my KitchenAid Mixer, $10 for the slicer, meat grinder, an extra dough hook, batter blade and whisk.
Click to expand...

Jealous.
 
Clothing... definitely go to goodwill. But also look into ebay and other online sites. I got a goretex rainjacket for $15 on ebay--the same jacket costs $160 if you actually go into a store looking for a similar one.

Meals... my favorite super-cheap option is pasta with an herb butter sauce. Making it is simple. Boil pasta. When it's done, throw in a small chunk of butter and herbs to taste. Maybe a little permesian cheese.

Groceries... Costco is the cheapest place in my area. The only problem is you have to buy in bulk. But if you only buy things that you will use in bulk, that isn't much of a problem, is there?

Travel... Bike, or take the bus if you can. For me, getting the bus to school is actually cheaper than it would cost for the gas to drive there, which says nothing about the price of the car, parking, and upkeep of the car.

Housing... The biggest item on anyone's budget is rent/mortgage/utilities. Get with some friends and split the cost. If you can stay with family for cheap DO IT.

Eating Out... Okay, ideally you shouldn't do this if you are on a super-tight budget. But it happens and there are ways to save. First, never buy alcohol. Second, go to cheap places that are somewhat healthy. (I like Subway.) Third, if you want to go somewhere nice, find a good bar and go during happy hour. My favorite has 1/3rd price appetizers so I can get a really decent meal for about $10 (before tip).
 
Speaking of cards... I just realized that I should be using my VISA card for every single purchase and then paying it off immediately. Apparently, I had been collecting reward points since I got my VISA in 2007 and did not realize it. I get one reward point for every $1 I charge on the card. When I first checked my account a month ago, I had 29 000 points. I was able to trade in all of those points for $300 off my student line of credit. So, by using VISA, and paying it off right away, I earned $300 in debt reduction. Not to shabby. The boyfriend gets even better rewards.
 
Just wanna say that I second going to thrift stores or even Goodwill for clothes if you have to.

Buying in bulk (Sam's or Costco) can help if you have the room to store it. Oh and coupons can be lifesavers.

If you're really into fresh veggies and such, find a local farmers market. We have one close to TAMU called the Farm Patch and I swear I got veggies to last me 2 weeks for less than $3. Totally worth it.

Take your lunch to school, bring your own water bottle (refill it there) and definitely make your own coffee. (Seems pretty obvious to me, but you'd be surprised at some of my classmates...)

My favorite easy-on-the-wallet meal? Take veggies from a farmers market, sautee in a little olive oil, add cooked pasta or rice (whichever you want) and season to taste. It lasts you forever and you can add whatever meat you want.

If you need any home decor or books, see what upperclassmen are willing to sell. One of my roommates just graduated from vet school and is moving out, so she sold me her desk/chair and some of her other stuff for a very reasonable price.
 
For decor in the apartment, I'm taking some of my sister's pieces from her art classes. She's pretty talented actually and they're unique. Hopefully the roommate doesn't find the one a little weird (I could see it being taken that way) but I like it. If she really doesn't like it, I can put it in my room.
 
Ooh are we talking about decorating for cheap, too? For decoration in my living room, I've got a ferret "painting" - pretty much put them in a tub with a roll of butcher paper with a couple non-toxic splotches of paint, and let them run around. This resulted in a big paint-splotched piece of abstract art. 😛 I'm sure it would look even cuter with dog and cat pawprints, too.

I don't have a frame or back on it, but do plan on just giving it a black paper border at some point. It's pretty adorable, and is a good conversation piece.
 
Trilt said:
Ooh are we talking about decorating for cheap, too? For decoration in my living room, I've got a ferret "painting" - pretty much put them in a tub with a roll of butcher paper with a couple non-toxic splotches of paint, and let them run around. This resulted in a big paint-splotched piece of abstract art. 😛 I'm sure it would look even cuter with dog and cat pawprints, too.

I don't have a frame or back on it, but do plan on just giving it a black paper border at some point. It's pretty adorable, and is a good conversation piece.
Click to expand...

I have something like this done by a baby penguin I helped care for when I interned at a zoo. I just need to find something dark to put behind it because it's on a white background. I also have some pictures from a photography class that I'll bring. Only one of them is really decent though. Maybe one other one. The others are kind of embarrassing, yet my mom has copies hanging up around the house.
 
Add one more to my previous list:

Books... This can be a killer. First off, try to get any book you need from the library. If that doesn't work, I go to ebay or amazon next. If even that is too expensive, see if you can split the cost with one of your classmates or buy a used copy from someone a year ahead of you. Second, never ever ever EVER buy a book from the campus bookstore. Third, get a book that is 1 edition old whenever you can (I know, that's not always possible). Fourth, don't buy ebooks unless you can sell them (that's not even possible, is it?). And lastly, when you're done with the book, sell it back via ebay or amazon (or to someone in the year below you). Assuming you didn't destroy it, you should be able to get about what you bought it for, meaning you got to use it for almost no cost at all.

(I was in one history class where we all needed some biography. I got mine from the library for free. Everyone else complained that the book cost them $20 or more. When I asked why they didn't use the library, they all stared at me like I was nuts!)

Sorry, that ended up way longer than I wanted it to.
 
Try the generic brands of foods. Some of them will actually surprise you with how well they taste. (some, not so much. You have to experiment a little to find which ones you like and which you don't.) Can save you half of your grocery bill.
 
You can save some serious bucks using street hookers instead of high class escorts.

True story.
 
Spinach Dip said:
Add one more to my previous list:

Books... This can be a killer. First off, try to get any book you need from the library. If that doesn't work, I go to ebay or amazon next. If even that is too expensive, see if you can split the cost with one of your classmates or buy a used copy from someone a year ahead of you. Second, never ever ever EVER buy a book from the campus bookstore. Third, get a book that is 1 edition old whenever you can (I know, that's not always possible). Fourth, don't buy ebooks unless you can sell them (that's not even possible, is it?). And lastly, when you're done with the book, sell it back via ebay or amazon (or to someone in the year below you). Assuming you didn't destroy it, you should be able to get about what you bought it for, meaning you got to use it for almost no cost at all.

(I was in one history class where we all needed some biography. I got mine from the library for free. Everyone else complained that the book cost them $20 or more. When I asked why they didn't use the library, they all stared at me like I was nuts!)

Sorry, that ended up way longer than I wanted it to.
Click to expand...

Be careful of this in vet school. A new edition can be the difference between an incurable disease and having a treatment that works.

I would actually recommend not buying books unless you have to or will use them outside of school. Anatomy books yes. But unless you learn well from a text, I hardly had the time to go through notes every night, much less any textbooks
 
I bought a painting done by a kitten for a friend. I own one done by a raccoon. Both I purchased from rescues/rehabilitation centers.
 
wolfspeaker said:
Try the generic brands of foods. Some of them will actually surprise you with how well they taste. (some, not so much. You have to experiment a little to find which ones you like and which you don't.) Can save you half of your grocery bill.
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I agree with this!!

The boyfriend has never tried President's Choice decedent chocolate chip cookies. They are cheaper than Chips Ahoy and by far the best tasting cookie of that kind out there. He agreed.

My friend makes a mean Mac and cheese. She buys the no name white cheddar an adds broccoli and nutmeg to it. Mmm.
 
Trematode said:
Speaking of cards... I just realized that I should be using my VISA card for every single purchase and then paying it off immediately. Apparently, I had been collecting reward points since I got my VISA in 2007 and did not realize it. I get one reward point for every $1 I charge on the card. When I first checked my account a month ago, I had 29 000 points. I was able to trade in all of those points for $300 off my student line of credit. So, by using VISA, and paying it off right away, I earned $300 in debt reduction. Not to shabby. The boyfriend gets even better rewards.
Click to expand...

Definitely! I have discover and am looking into paying tuition in payments using that (put it on the card then pay it off in increments of my credit card limit). I get 1-3% cash back on everything. Would be a couple hundred bucks, haven't figured out if it is actually possible yet, though. Hoping it is because I'm already over my budget for August 😱. A lot of that is because I'm just moving in, though, and the huge expense was that I had to get my car repaired, hopefully it's good to go now and won't need work for a long time 👍. Should be back on track next month 🙂.
 
dyachei said:
Be careful of this in vet school. A new edition can be the difference between an incurable disease and having a treatment that works.

I would actually recommend not buying books unless you have to or will use them outside of school. Anatomy books yes. But unless you learn well from a text, I hardly had the time to go through notes every night, much less any textbooks
Click to expand...

Of course, if you are going to use a certain book as a reference for a long time, it's probably best to spend a little extra to get the most up-to-date edition.

Every book I used in undergrad does NOT fit that exception, though.
 
Spinach Dip said:
Of course, if you are going to use a certain book as a reference for a long time, it's probably best to spend a little extra to get the most up-to-date edition.

Every book I used in undergrad does NOT fit that exception, though.
Click to expand...

I also don't want people to be fooled by the "required" texts that vet schools have. They are rarely needed at all. The exception is the anatomy guide. My first year, there were like 3 required texts for physiology. I didn't use any of them at all. But I'm not big on textbooks to begin with
 
dyachei said:
I also don't want people to be fooled by the "required" texts that vet schools have. They are rarely needed at all. The exception is the anatomy guide. My first year, there were like 3 required texts for physiology. I didn't use any of them at all. But I'm not big on textbooks to begin with
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👍 I very rarely use textbooks. Also, ask upper classmen what books they used. It should give you an idea of what you actually need versus what would be a waste to buy.
 
Spinach Dip said:
Of course, if you are going to use a certain book as a reference for a long time, it's probably best to spend a little extra to get the most up-to-date edition.

Every book I used in undergrad does NOT fit that exception, though.
Click to expand...

Guessing you avoided the environmental studies department? The previous editions of those texts are way off because the field changes so quickly.

I buy the old edition of textbooks for classes such as General Chemistry that don't change. I would never do that for my advanced classes such as Developmental Biology though.

My constructive addition to this thread: Learn how to groom your own animals! The cost of nail trims and grooming adds up. Learn how to cut your own hair & pluck your own eyebrows too if you're brave.
 
SnowyRox said:
Guessing you avoided the environmental studies department? The previous editions of those texts are way off because the field changes so quickly.

I buy the old edition of textbooks for classes such as General Chemistry that don't change. I would never do that for my advanced classes such as Developmental Biology though.

My constructive addition to this thread: Learn how to groom your own animals! The cost of nail trims and grooming adds up. Learn how to cut your own hair & pluck your own eyebrows too if you're brave.
Click to expand...

I now cut my own hair and it makes life so much easier. I just end up needing someone else to look and trim up any loose bits. But other than that it works great.
 
SnowyRox said:
Guessing you avoided the environmental studies department? The previous editions of those texts are way off because the field changes so quickly.

I buy the old edition of textbooks for classes such as General Chemistry that don't change. I would never do that for my advanced classes such as Developmental Biology though.

My constructive addition to this thread: Learn how to groom your own animals! The cost of nail trims and grooming adds up. Learn how to cut your own hair & pluck your own eyebrows too if you're brave.
Click to expand...

I cut my own hair for the first time last month! I've always done my own brows. My one indulgence is pedicures in the summer - I usually treat myself to one or two!
 
How do you cut your own hair? 😕
 
Emiloo4 said:
How do you cut your own hair? 😕
Click to expand...

I have REALLY long hair, so it's really easy to do when I just get out of the shower - I was told that if you put your hair up into a ponytail on the TOP of your head and cut from the end of the ponytail, it cuts layers. I tried, and it actually works reasonably well. It was a little uneven, so I then brush my hair out, part down the middle, and bring each half forward over my shoulder - you know how they do at the salon? So the ends are resting on your chest/collarbones? Then I can see where it's uneven and tidy up the ends.

I'm not really recommending that people do this - if you do have long hair and want to try, just do a litttttle bit the first time to see how it works and if you like it! I don't have any tips for people with short hair!
 
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