[Win $250 giftcard] Are you cutting your budget?

[Bobster126]

I budget everything. This has helped me tremendously in keeping track of all my spending. I also take my lunch to work and 'bulk' cook meals on weekends. Cut & use coupons, but I only cut what I would normally buy. I try to stay out of the "inside isles "of the store too. Please enter me.
Thanks,

[zuikaku]

We are cutting back since it seems like the economy is going to be poor for a while. I've cut down my car trips by shopping at stores on the way home from work, for example. We are probably going to go without cable as well, and the last time I was this interested in coupons was probably the early '90s. This will be the second Christmas that we have cut back on our gift giving.

[rask330]

I would like to say yes, I am, but having just moved to a new state for a new job with a new everything else, I've experienced a deluge of expenses. I'm certainly spending less on things I -want- to spend on... But I dunno if that counts.

[TxTupperMom]

We use lots of coupons and buy in bulk to save money in the long run. If it's not on sale or I don't have a coupon for it, I don't buy it. I try my best to utilize double and triple coupons with sales and sometimes end up getting things free or practically free. We cut back out eating out and even if we don't "think" we have nothing in the house to eat we still cook at home! We can have noodles or breakfast for dinner.

[sdfalcon]

I have my wife and 5 children. We have been cutting out various things for the last year or two in an effort to get out of debt and save. We rarely eat out and we do not buy anything that's not a needed except for gifts for birthday, Christmas, etc. We have cut back on phone bills by using VOIP only and have redone some insurance, etc. Our next cut will be to do away with the satellite and going to strictly over the air with an HD converter.

[DealSeeker]

I've been cutting back for some time now, to live a simpler, less-costly, less-wasteful life. I took an early retirement due to a work-related injury, so cutting expenses was a given, with the reduction of income.

I did away with all credit cards and now live completely debt-free. I use a debit card only, to keep track of expenditures, and to help resist impulse purchases. If I don't have the money for it, I either save up for it or don't buy it. I kept a line of credit on my free checking account (aka "overdraft protection"), which I keep for emergencies only (due to related fees).

But my bank has just failed in what has been described as the biggest bank failure in US history, so I now worry my free checking account and the related line of credit may go away with the new bank acquisition. The downside of having lived an all-cash lifestyle over these last years probably means I would have difficulty in obtaining a new line of credit in this strained financial market, if my free checking acct and associated line of credit change in the transition to the new bank.

I've kept the same car for years, which also means lower auto insurance costs. As the car gets older, things need repair or replacement due to general age, but the overall cost is much cheaper than the cost of a new car every few years. Driving less came along with the early retirement (no more commuting to/from work), but I also reduced the amount of non-essential driving. I moved to a new state, where it costs less to live, but in having reduced my driving, I'm not "exploring" the new state as I would have normally done.

I've stopped going out for entertainment, and have stopped purchasing entertainment-type items like books, CDs and DVDs. Instead, I borrow from the local library - for free. Of course, it means they may not have everything I might want to read, watch or listen to, and I might have to wait some time for my turn at new-release items, but the savings is significant, when I consider the costs of new books, movies, and CDs, that I might only use once or twice. I discontinued magazine and newspaper subscriptions (save some trees AND some money!) and now read newspapers and magazine articles online.

I don't need a professional wardrobe any more, so I haven't bought new clothing in quite a while. Having been a "technology junkie" all of my adult life, I've found it hardest not to buy the latest and greatest new electronics (no iPod or iPhone), but I've managed to resist those things I would have otherwise bought in the past.

I don't "need" a cell phone. I discontinued my basic cell phone service, and opted for a prepaid cell phone, which I have only for emergencies while I'm on the road, now that my car is older. I purchased a prepaid cell phone on sale as a discontinued model. After a rebate, I got the new phone for $2.99, which came with free minutes, and more free minutes for registering.

Initially, I purchased minutes to keep the phone active, but now there’s a plan to keep the phone active that doesn't require purchasing additional minutes. I’ve saved up enough minutes so I just pay the basic monthly "keep active" fee. Instead of $20/mo for a basic cell phone plan, I pay $5.99/mo to keep the prepaid phone active, and will only have to purchase additional minutes when/IF I use up the saved minutes.

I've contemplated discontinuing the "land line" home phone service, but decided for me, it's not feasible. I had already reduced costs for home phone service, by discontinuing long distance service, and by changing to a basic "lifeline" home phone plan. It would cost more for me to drop the home phone in favor of just a cell phone (prepaid or regular cell phone plan), than it is for the "lifeline" home phone and the prepaid cell phone combined. I use email and IM, or if necessary, a "10-10" phone service, for the rare need to make an actual long distance call.

I had several TVs, but as they have died, I have not replaced them, and found that repair of such items is no longer cost-effective, as it once was. My last TV died back in June. I decided to try and resist purchasing a new TV for awhile, hoping to find a good deal during the anticipated Christmas shopping frenzy.

I'm a baby boomer, raised on TV, so being without a TV has been difficult. I used to have 3 VCRs running at any given time in the day/night, recording programming I wanted to watch through the week. But now I find TV programming these days is hardly worth watching, let alone recording for later viewing, so that helps. I have tried finding the shows I like online, but it's been hit and miss - either the full episodes are not available online, or the viewers used to play the episodes are problematic, making viewing online a frustrating experience. But I'm making do, or doing without.

Just before the TV died, I had decided to cut my cable TV service back to the "basic" channels only - meaning channels 2-13, because I have no outside antenna. That was a saving of $60/mo for "standard" cable vs less than $10/mo for the broadcast-only channels.

When the TV died, I canceled the cable service altogether. That was an interesting experience, because the cable company was resistant to completely canceling the account, warning me I would be subject to installation charges when (or IF) I chose to reactivate. In all the years I had cable, while living in 2 states, I never paid a single installation fee/charge, so I found this "warning" to be further confirmation I had done the right thing in getting rid of a cable bill that continued to increase, for unsatisfactory service. I've been researching online, and will explore the possibility of an indoor antenna when I finally buy a new TV, to avoid using the local cable company for even the broadcast channels.

My computer died just over a year ago, and it's the one thing I feel I can't do without, as it's my sole source of entertainment, news, and just plain access to the outside world. Not wanting to be without the computer for the time it would take to save for a new computer, I sold some unneeded stuff on eBay, and was able to completely cover the cost of the new computer. Also, selling stuff on eBay paid for my moving expenses last year. I'm planning to sell more stuff on eBay, to hopefully cover the cost of the new TV, when/IF I find a new TV "deal."

I've been coupon-clipping for a long time - long before I retired or started changing to a simpler, cheaper lifestyle. I've made it a challenge - to see how cheaply I can get stuff, or how much stuff I can get free, by creative use of sales and coupons. I've been so successful at this that I made a believer of at least one friend, who began couponing with his 2 young sons.

Grocery shopping is probably "easier" for me, since I'm single, because I now purchase based on what's on sale, and by what I have coupons for, not just buying what I want. Granted, a family, with kids, has things they need to purchase when they need them, not always when they're on sale.

I don't buy things I don't/won't use, or can't use before they spoil, even if they're on sale, because that's not really a saving to me. When I can work a "deal" for something I know I won't eat or use, or I can get more of than I can use, I donate those items to the local food bank/community action program. One example - I was able to get brand-name toothpaste, regularly $3/tube, for .25 each, after combining coupons with a sale. I kept a supply for myself, and donated the rest.

Two of the local grocery chains offer "double coupons," and the 3rd grocery chain will honor the coupons from the other stores, including the double coupons, so I'm able to combine these for significant savings. A recent trip to the grocery store netted a 64% savings for the few items I bought, with sale prices and coupons combined.

I stock up when things are on sale, and when I have coupons, space permitting, so I don't have to buy "necessities" at regular prices. A recent score allowed me to stock up on dishwasher detergent "tabs," that I got FREE, after combining excellent manufacturer's coupons and a sale. Since I don't think these will "go bad," I now have enough dishwasher "tabs" to last me for at least the next 2 years!

I gave up buying/drinking soda, which was difficult at first, but now, it's not even a consideration. Instead, I started using an ice tea maker I'd had for awhile but had rarely used, and now I make iced tea and iced coffee for far less than I can buy pre-made at the store, even on sale. Of course, I wait for sales and coupons to stock up on tea and coffee. I switched from bottled water to a filter pitcher (keep plastic bottles out of the landfill AND save money!). I wait to buy milk when it goes on sale - usually for $1.99/gal these days (with local store coupon), vs around $4/gal (or more). I like milk, but if it's not on sale, I don't buy it.

I don't buy as much pre-packaged, convenience foods as I used to - hardly any at all now. I do more cooking from scratch (granted, easier since I don't spend all day at work now). I use a bread machine, and even make my own pizza from scratch, saving the cost of take-out/delivery pizza or frozen (most of which aren't that good anyway).

I use a vacuum food sealer so I can purchase things in bulk that might otherwise go bad, being used only by a single person. I decided to keep my Costco membership because they have monthly coupons for items I use and because this location has a gas station, which always has the cheapest gas price among all the gas stations in this city. I buy Costco large-size items and repackage them in smaller sizes - separating a portion for current use and vacuum-sealing and/or freezing the additional portions for later use.

I could go on, but this is already long enough. I hope this give others ideas on cost cutting.

[dingosatemybaby]

Yep, I make a VERY good living, but like everyone else, am cutting back. My wife and I took a hard look at our budget mid summer and cut to the BONE. We got rid of all non essentials and refocused our efforts in things that matter - savings, retirement, etc.

We consolidated all the little debts into one loan and will be paying that off at the end of the month.

[pseudoyams]

We are, although, we started just before the markets took a dive so its in no relation to that. More than anything we are just being better aware about our money and where its going. Nothing really got "cut" per say, but we are being much much more frugal about EVERYTHING and really asking ourselves if we really need what we are thinking about buying. More often than not, we dont need the item(s) and pass on it - saving the money and putting it to better use someplace else.

[teresarobertson]

Absolutely...we have to cut back as much as we can.

The main area where we are cutting is our dining out budget. When we do go out to eat we always have a coupon! Thanks for the opportunity to win this contest! =)

[babyboofelt]

As a stay at home mom having only one income we've been working on cutting back all spending. We cut back how often we eat out, how many movies we go see, even how many DVD's we buy. My sister in law and I look for events and activities for kids and adults that are free, and we then car pool to get there.