While I was researching for the Articles on ways to save much hard earned cash, I came across these fine tidbits of information from people all across the United States. I did not include these in my regular Articles for obvious reasons, however, some of these have merit, while others, are downright illegal. Use your common sense when reading what these people have to say, and whether or not you could use these suggestions.
Use furniture
wax on your car. Just spray it on and shine it to a quick buff! Much quicker
than car wax and it's just as effective!!
Marry someone
frugal. If you're having trouble with money, seek out a partner that has a
great financial head on their shoulders. If you're in debt, they'll help you
get out of it. If you throw money away, they'll help you save.
Don't waste
money on toilet paper. Use newspaper, junk mail, bills and more! There is a
great deal of satisfaction that comes from wiping your butt on a credit card
mailing or an electricity bill. And it helps the environment as well as your
pocket!
Unplug
everything. In your home when you're not
using it. Even clocks! Before I go to bed at night, I spend 10 minutes walking
around the home unplugging everything that isn't in use. That includes the TV,
the DVD player, the toaster, the computer and even the alarm clock on my
nightstand if I'm not at work the next day.
Turn your old
wine into vinegar. If you've got some old wine lying around that isn't
drinkable, you can turn it into vinegar. Just pour it into a container,
preferably a barrel, and let it age. Voila, fine vinegar!
Top-up your
condiments with packets from fast-food restaurants. You always get a bunch of
extra ketchups, mustards, mayonnaises and other condiments when you eat at a
fast-food joint. Don't throw them away. Open them up and pour them into your
bottled condiments at home. You'll be surprised how much longer your bottle of
ketchup will last.
Ladies, order
LARGE meals on dates! Hey, when you're taken out to dinner make the most of it.
I know I do. Just order a large meal and take half of it home in a box or doggy
bag. Two free meals for the price of one.
Spend less
money than you make. Need I say more?
Double your
toilet paper by separating it. Buy 2-ply paper and pull it apart to make 1-ply.
You can get four rolls out of one double-roll.
Limit toilet
paper usage to two sheets per wipe. Put a sign above the toilet at home
reminding people exactly how much to use each time.
Cut your own
hair. It's not difficult. Also cut the hair of your children and the rest of your
family. You'll save a small fortune.
Use the free
envelopes you get with bills and junk mail. Cover the company's address with a
label, put on your own stamp and use it for whatever you want.
Get free
lemonade whenever you eat out. Order a glass of water with extra lemons, pour
in some sweetener from the beverage holder and hey presto, lemonade for free!
Free umbrellas
are always available. Just pop along to your local library and tell them you
lost one. They usually have a stash in the lost and found section — say yours
is black and small and they'll almost always have one. Score! It also works for
sunglasses.
Buy something
for $1. Sell it for $2. Repeat. This one actually came from a friend of mine.
It was a joke at the time, but to be honest I think he's right on. Buy low,
sell high, repeat, and retire. It should be taught in every school.
Buy for pennies then sell for triple what you paid for the item at yard sales, swap meets, and second hand stores. Score!
Plant plastic
flowers in your garden. They last for years, require no maintenance and are in
full bloom in winter.
Use old toilets
as flower planters. They look bold and attractive (??) and are usually
available for free on Craigslist, or houses that are being torn down. Bathtubs also works great, as does garbage
cans or other containers that are free.
Use your
employer's resources. It's not stealing if you use them at work. Don't bring
your own headache pills, tissues or drinks. Your employer should provide them
all and you should take full advantage, including the endless supply of free
coffee and tea!
Turn off your
car engine at red lights. You will save a bunch of gas over time instead of
leaving the engine idling.
One man's trash
is another man's treasure. There's no shame in going through the neighbors'
trash once it has been placed outside for collection. Its public domain and you
can pick up some great things that other people just don't want or need any
more.
Free food from
the grocery stores. They throw away perfectly good food every night. You can
eat like a king for free on the bags of food they throw away at the end of the
day.
Take a
"vacation" at Christmas to save money on gifts. Just let everyone knows
you're going away for the holidays and will exchange gifts when you return.
Then lay low, buy all of your presents in the after-Christmas sales for way
less money and have a very happy New Year!
Keep one cup
from every fast-food restaurant you visit. Whenever you go back, just take the
cup in with you and refill it at the fountain. You'll never have to pay for a
drink again!
Cover your
floors with carpet samples. You can pick them up very cheap, and sometimes
free, from most carpet and hardware stores. Just arrange them in squares and
glue them down. Great for a basement, playroom or even a hobby room. Also works
with wallpaper samples.
Spill your
drink at a bar or restaurant. Wait until your beer is around one-third full,
then get in the way of a member of the wait staff and make sure they
"make" you spill your drink. They'll usually offer to get you a free
replacement, and it will be FULL!
Keep a pitcher
close to the sink. When you're running the faucet waiting for the hot water to
come through, let the pitcher catch the cold water. You can use it later to
water plants, flowers or boil pasta.
Donate your
clothes then buy them back. The local charity will clean them for you, and you
can just pop back in a week, buy the ones you want for a few bucks. It's
cheaper than a dry cleaner.
Train your cat
to use the toilet. It's easy to train a cat to jump up onto the seat and go
into the toilet. It will save you a fortune in cat litter. Getting him to flush
is the hard part.
Get your paint
at one quarter of the price. So this one is sneaky but it works. Pick out the
exact color you want and get it mixed in the quantity you want. Take it back
the next day to the hardware store you got it from and say the shade is off.
They'll give you a full refund, and also put the "bad tint" on the
sale shelf for $5 a can, roughly $15 less than the full price. Just go in the
next day and buy all your paint back! Score!!
Free flowers
for birthdays, weddings and more! Just go to a nearby cemetery and swipe some
new flowers from a grave. The dead people won't miss them and someone else will
get a smile from them.
Use Canadian
coins in Laundromats and soda machines. The exchange rate will give you a
saving.
Old hair makes
great stuffing for pillows. If you don't cut your own hair, the local barber
shop or hair salon will gladly give you the cuttings from the floor. It's soft,
free and biodegradable.
Newspapers make
great blankets. They're not just for homeless people. If you get chilly at
nights, slip newspaper pages between the sheet and duvet. Newspaper is a
tremendous insulator.
Shop at
midnight. Those late-night hours are great. You'll have no lines at the
checkout, no crowded aisles, and your pick of the bargains and markdowns that
are being put out for the next day.
Flush with less
water. Place a common house brick inside a plastic bag and seal it. Repeat this
seal with another bag, just to make it super water proof (you don't want brick
corrosion). Put this in your toilet's tank and it will save you a lot of money
on your water bill over the years.
Learn to speed
read. You'll be amazed at how many new books you can read for free if you
increase your reading speed. I spend an hour or two at Borders almost every
evening and usually get through two brand new books every week. No charge.
Go through the
trash at a college campus on move-out day. College kids throw things out with
no regard for their worth. They just want them gone, and they don't want to
move them. I have picked up refrigerators, microwaves, desks, chairs, shelves
and even TVs!
Negotiate your
hours at work. Rush hour driving is a gas guzzling experience. Train tickets
are also more expensive at rush hour. See if you can start early and leave
early. You'll work the same hours but save commuting cash!
Chop your
veggies before you check out. Most of the time, the real weight from your
broccoli, beets and other veg comes from the thick stalks and stems. Cut them
off, you'll cut the price by at least half!
The ice cream
con job. To most kids, the sound of the ice cream truck is a sign to come
inside and beg for money for an overpriced popsicle. But not in my house. I
told my kids that when the ice cream truck plays a tune, he has ran out! Then,
I give them a much less expensive popsicle from my own freezer.
Drive at 55 mph
on the highways. It may take you a little longer to get where you're going, but
this is the optimal speed for good fuel consumption. You'll get a way better
mpg from your car.
Don't throw
away old, bruised and soft fruit. They can be great for making smoothies,
muffins and other snacks and drinks that require flavor without needing the
fruit to be in perfect condition.
Use your
electric oven wisely. These things take so long to cool down that you can
actually turn them off 5 minutes before the cooking time is up, and your dish
will come out fine. Also works well with toaster ovens.
Dump your
partner at the right time. If you're thinking of quitting a relationship, make
sure you exit before any major anniversaries, birthdays or anything like that.
The last thing you want to do is buy an expensive present right before you go
your separate ways
Go at least one
year without buying clothes or shoes. I'm serious! Usually, you're just buying
on impulse anyway. It's been proven that most of us only use about 20% of the
stuff in our closets, so why add more to that unused portion? After a year, you
will have saved hundreds of dollars.
Men, don't get
married. There may be tax breaks but when you're single you're rolling in
money, even on a low salary. Get married and it will all go away. For a start,
women need way more money than men, including toiletries, clothes, shoes, hair
styling and more. Most women can't go five days on one big batch of chili or
spaghetti - they want variety. And salads cost a fortune too. Once you start
having kids, kiss goodbye to any extra cash you did have. Seriously, stay
single. It's the best way to save money.
Do the
gift-giving lottery. Simple premise but it saves all of us a fortune in my
family. We put all the names in a hat at Christmas, and then each pick out one.
And that way, you're all not buying gifts for everyone
Become good
friends with your neighbors. They will always have things that you can borrow
instead of buying them. My neighbor comes over to use my edger, and I use his
cultivator. Works great.
Tear baby
wipes, make-up wipes and all other wipes in half. They're just as effective in
a smaller size and they will last you twice as long.
Go on a
one-day-a-week fast. That means only six days a week of meals instead of seven.
Over 52 weeks, that's over 150 combined breakfasts, lunches and dinners that
you don't have to buy. And you'll lose weight too!
Shop with a
friend. All those BOGO offers are great, but only if you need two. Instead,
split them with a buddy and split the bill. Score!
