A few more tips to help you save money! Hope the information is useful!
1. Do you have a cell phone? If so, you might want to consider getting rid of your land line. Why pay two phone bills?
2. Do you accumulate a lot of those plastic grocery bags? There are two remedies for this situation. First, help save the environment by using a fabric tote bag. Leave them in your car so they are there when you do your shopping. Second, use the plastic bags that you have already accumulated by lining your smaller garbage cans (such as in the bathroom or office). You can also use them to pick up after your dog, instead of buying special bags that are now sold specifically for that purpose!
3. Ride your bike! Now that the warmer weather is here, it's an ideal time to get your bicycles out! It will help you save on gas, wear and tear on your car, and also help you get into shape for shorts weather! It's just around the corner!
4. Drive your car as long as possible - especially if it is paid off! However, if you find you are putting more money into maintaining your old car than you would spend on a car payment, it may be time to begin car shopping!
5. Don't buy a car brand new! Always buy a pre-owned vehicle. Even though dealerships are offering no interest loans, if you buy a new vehicle, it will depreciate significantly the moment you drive it off the lot. Avoid the temptation to buy new!
6. Save money by avoiding coffee houses! Many people make this their first stop of the day on their way to work. Instead, bring coffee from home. Or better still, wait until you get to work. Many companies provide free coffee for their employees. Your $4 per day can quickly add up to $1,000 a year based on a 50 week working year. More if you buy more than one cup per day!
7. If you drink bottled water, refill the bottles a few times using tap water. If you have a filter on your tap, that's even better. Be sure you wash the bottles before reusing.
8. Do yo love to read? How about buying used books? Or trading with friends? Perhaps you can start an "exchange" at your place of work, or church, or other group. Be sure to write your name in the inside cover so you will know right away if you have already read a book! You can always use your local library as well.
9. Cancel your health club membership and work out at home. You don't need a gym to walk, run or do push-ups, sit-ups, etc. If you can also walk to stores instead of drive, you will not only get exercise, but also save money by not buying more than you need! Who wants to lug home more than you have to?
10. If you must go out for dinner, consider cutting back on drinking. I have recently replaced my usual two glasses of wine with a glass of iced tea. It costs less than half the price of a glass of wine, and the refills are free! Or, simply drink water instead. Waiters are happy to supply a slice of lemon if you are looking for extra flavor.
Do you have ideas on how to save money? We are always intrerested in hearing your ideas!
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I have to disagree with the ALWAYS buy used cars. Apart from the emotional value of buying new, there's also a risk of buying someone else's issues. I bought a new Nova in 1989 and put nearly 230K miles on it. My '01 Saturn has 124K on it and I'm hoping to run it into the ground, but I won't risk my life as a friend of mine did when one of his front control arms broke on his rustbucket while he was doing 60 on the Eisenhower in Chicago. He rolled it twice and ended up with a broken femur. Fortunately no one else was hurt, but as a construction "finisher", he was off work for a very long time. Saving money on an auto payment ended up costing him and his wife a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the plastic bags, the local grocery chain here in the western states (King Soopers/City Market) will credit you five cents for every reusable bag you bring in, even if they're not all used for your groceries. They usually get a kick out of my bright orange Home Depot bag (a bag which I like because the top clips closed and my stuff doesn't roll around the trunk).
ReplyDeleteI, too, believe in "running your car into the ground". My 1991 Toyota Camry has nearly 160K miles on it. While the body is going, the "guts" are still in great shape. I was recently surprised on two separate occasions to have been made offers to buy my car when I am ready to sell. Apparently this model has a good reputation for lasting a long time and having relatively few problems.
ReplyDeleteI admit that I am no expert when it comes to cars, and I cannot say which problems can or cannot be predicted when a used car is inspected and put up for sale at a dealership. Structural problems especially can be difficult to detect, I am told. However, if you log onto www.vehix.com you can find out if a car has been in an accident, flood or other major incident. At least that can be somewhat helpful information.
I wouldn't write off all used cars, either. Mine was used when I bought it in 2000. Interestingly, it was in an accident! Guess I was one of the lucky ones! I'm sorry about your friend's accident and hope he is doing well. What an awful experience! He is lucky to be alive!
BTW, thank you so much for this discussion, It will give potential car buyers food for thought when car shopping. A side bonus to me and my blog viewers is that we have successfully been able to change the ads on this site from those awful ones (don't want to mention them again!) that were on for so long! Thanks!
I wasn't saying buying used is bad. I'm just saying that ONLY considering buying used is bad. I personally owned a used Chevelle (the passenger B pillar broke on that one but it was a good starter car), and my husband and I have owned a couple of used vehicles over the years, including a ratty ol' Metro (that I hated but it got good mileage for my DH's 70 mile a day round trip commute). I think I rather objected to the "ALWAYS" buy pre-owned. There are a lot of people employed by the auto industry in this country and if no one bought new, it might be problematic. Oh, wait, it already is...
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the Midwest, but here in Colorado, the prices of used cars have shot up and the dealerships of new vehicles are hurting. And with some of the deals out there, it really can be a good time to buy new. If you can get the credit in this time of frozen credit lines, that is. But let's not go there... :-)
I hear what you are saying. If everyone bought only used cars, the auto manufacturers would be in worse trouble! I guess I assumed that the readers of this article would be those who really need to save money, not those who have it and can afford to buy a new vehicle. For the purposes of those on a tight budget (like me) I would recommend buying used over new. Too bad we can't fix the depreciation problem! There really are some very good deals out there right now for new cars! :-)
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