Reporter's Query of the Week: Changing Habits to Save Money

[Frugal Duchess]

Greetings,

For an upcoming Frugal Duchess column, bad habits are on the agenda. Specifically, I want to know: What habits drain time or money and how can those habits be banished?

Leave an answer on this forum or e-mail me at FrugalDuchess@gmail.com.
It's okay to be anonymous, but I'll give you (and your website or blog) credit if you provide a name.

My column -- distributed by the Mclatchy-Tribune news service -- is picked up by different newspapers around the country.

Please keep in mind these tidbits:

If I select your tip, I need to quote you by your real name.
I can't guarantee that I'll definitely use an idea from this thread, but if I do I'll do my best to quote you.
Thanks!!

[Cecil Dellison]

One Habit that always puts a drain on the pocket -- buying stuff not in your grocery list. Stick to what you need, don't pick up stuff on the way to the register. If you didn't plan on getting it, you probably don't need it. I saw a lot of tips at http://www.clearchoicecreditcards.com, great site and info.

[zyzzyva57]

My Master Credit Card doubles warranties

Next, by paying off the card WEEKLY, I find this is a simple way to budget

It is also nice to having an easy record of purchases

By downloading into Money, Quicken, or a spreadsheet, I can farther refine my expenditures or records

When I use cash, I always save the dollar bills to build up my mad money for Christmas season

[NinjaMonkey]

I used to be so tempted by all of the daily emails I would receive from vendors from which I had purchased things in the past. How could I pass up 20% off for today only, or free shipping since I was such a valued customer??

Out of sight, out of mind. If I am not tempted to begin with, I don't feel like I am missing out on the (daily) deal of a lifetime, and I don't feel pressured to save a lot of money by taking advantage of today's offer (which, if done daily, wastes a LOT of money!).

[EnigLdy]

If you're serious about tightening the purse strings, you must be aware of everything you spend money on. Just like counting calories --- if you don't record EVERY SINGLE thing then you don't realize what you're doing. It's easy to say you don't eat/spend that much until you see the reality of what you do day in and day out. The first step to breaking any habit is being aware of it - knowledge is the greatest tool.

[crunchymomofmany]

One of my favorite ways to save money is to not leave the house! Especially on the weekends, if I just stay home and get involved in a project - like cleaning out a closet, or even just working on my blog or playing in the yard with the kids - I find I don't spend a dime! However, as soon as I leave the house - well, then I buy a coffee...and the kids are thirsty, so they get a juice...then I see a yard sale and buy something...then I should stop by the store real quick...well you get the idea.

Stay home - it's the best money-saver I know!

[jim_p_54115]

What's for dinner? Darn! Forgot to take something out this morning. Well McDonald's is close.

Without a meal plan we constantly are scrounging the cupboards for easy to prepare (aka more expensive) food or going to the store last minute or to the Quick Serve Restaurants. With a plan we know what to make each day. What to take out of the freezer in the morning. The big benefit is we stick to the grocery list and do a major shopping trip rather than 7 daily trips picking what looks good. We save money and eat healthier. We also remember the coupons since it is a planned trip with a planned list.

Jim Parfitt
www.ChangeJarSavings.com

[Paul Van Lierop]

My Bad Habit? Video Rentals
I will be honest, there are few rental places left within a 10 mile radius of my home that I can actually patronize anymore. The amount of late fees I have racked up have paid for many of their new releases. I seem to be wired in such a manner that I have video rental amnesia for weeks on end. What? I rented Band of Brothers Disc 3 over 2 weeks ago? Oh right. I’ve had to stop altogether, for our budgets sake, not to mention the store bans. In a year I could easily amass over $100 in late fees.

Have you Tried Netflix?

As a matter a fact I have tried Netflix. Twice. They have cancelled my account twice. Why would Netflix cancel your account you ask? Did your debit card expire? Did you use the service too heavily? Nope on both accounts, it was for lack of use. Just because the movies came in the mail didn’t mean my specialized form of amnesia didn’t apply. I was simply unable to ever return the movies. I think that Netflix just assumed I was dead and stopped my monthly bill and charged me for the movies. Netflix is kind enough to refund the purchase price when you realize what’s happened and merely return the movies.

So what's my answer? On Demand.
I haven’t figured out a way to screw this one up yet, although the initial price is more than a standard movie rental especially if you use something like RedBox in the long run it’s way cheaper for me. No late fees, you know what you’re going to get. I’m a true believer.

--------
Paul Van Lierop
Blogs at http://www.fiscalgeek.com

[msintuitive]

If people humble themselves by shopping at certain stores, they will save money! I was flushing my disposable income down the drain until I changed my thinking. When I was a struggling college student I shopped at the Dollar Store, Aldi, Goodwill and garage sales. I moved from that frame of thought as I progressed in my career and wasted a lot of money in the process. A few weeks ago I walked out of Target and into the Dollar Tree and saved myself $32. If I have the urge to stroll the aisles of a department store, I go to the Goodwill/Salvation Army instead.

[LeanneCoffman]

What drains our cash and time? Being poorly prepared. You'll drop a ton of money in little ways. The remedy is investing a small amount of preparation to save big bucks- which ultimately saves you further time working to achieve more income. You'll break the cycle by a small savings learning curve. In other words, you've got to invest initial time to save both cash and future time.

Saving money isn’t a chance occurrence- like winning the lottery. It’s a skill, which takes knowledge and willingness to research new ways to save.

The most important step is trying to find the best buy for every penny you spend. Before you drop a dime on that gallon of milk, morning coffee, weekend trip or salon visit- ask yourself, “Is this the cheapest route?” “Are there other ways to get the same service or product less costly or are there similar products available cheaper?” If you don’t know the answer, you haven’t done your research and likely are spending more than you could be.

Take this challenge: For one week, don’t spend a single penny without first knowing you’ve gotten the best price. This includes gas, groceries, clothing and personal care products. Stopping after work to buy that gallon of milk? What places offer it the cheapest in your town? Need laundry soap? Where can you get it on sale or are there coupons for this? I’m betting if you do this for a week, your spending habits will change greatly.


You'll ultimately drain less out of the pockebook and will save time, by learning to live on less.
Time is money- spend it wisely!

http://www.couponhounddog.com/time-d...-your-savings/