Author Topic: Ultimate Money Saving Guide  (Read 14776 times)

pinch_that_penny

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Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« on: June 27, 2016, 09:23:40 AM »
Please note I do not work for these companies or sell their products, they just work really well for me, save me a lot of money,  and I am happy to recommend them.

1. Cell Phone Service

Google Fi has an excellent value.  $20.00/mo unlimited talk and text  1GB of data is $10.00 whatever is unused is refunded, simple fair pricing.
https://fi.google.com/

Ring Plus offers free cellphone service, text and data if you are willing to pay $120 to become a member+ and listen to ads for a few seconds before your call connects.  If you are willing to wait for a deal, you can get as high as 5GB of data per month. I use their service for data only, and it works well. If you willing to wait for a deal to come up, have a phone ready to activate, and watch for deals daily here:
https://social.ringplus.net/

2. Prescription Glasses

Zennioptical is amazing. I got 3 pairs of tinted glasses shipped for $36.00,  it would have been cheaper without the tint and extra options.  All you need is your Rx and PD from your optometrist. 
http://www.zennioptical.com/


3. TV

Get an indoor Amazon Basics HD Antenna, and a Roku 4.   We get several local news channels that the antenna doesn't pick up on the Roku, and with netflix and prime video, and all the free channels there is always something to watch. 

4. Rechargeable Batteries

Invest in a good Nimh battery charger, and rechargeable batteries.  Panasonic Eneloops are the best right now with 2100+ charge cycles.  These are low self discharge so they are suitable for remotes, clocks etc. 

4. LED lights

Walmart brand Great Value LED bulbs are extremely cheap $2.17 at the time of this posting.  The service desk will replace or exchange if they go bad, so far none of ours have. 

5. Prescription Medicine

GoodRx will show you which pharmacy in your area has the lowest price using their coupon code. I usually save 50% or more on generics!
http://www.goodrx.com/

HealthWarehouse is a legit US pharmacy and has prices lower than using GoodRx
http://www.healthwarehouse.com

6. Coupon Codes

Before you buy online check retailmenot to see if there are any codes you can use for a discount on the website.
http://www.retailmenot.com/

7. Grocery Stores

We have a discount grocery store called UGO, they sell dent and ding cans etc, and usually have amazing deals on everything.   If they don't have it we head over to another store.    Shopping this way cuts our grocery costs in about half.

8. Shaving

So if you listen to the recommendations from the double edge razor enthusiasts over on B&B or WE you will cut your face to shreds. Like many people I just want a good shave, for as little money as possible, with as little irritation as possible.   If you aren't looking to make shaving a hobby, you want a less aggressive razor, and blades meant for sensitive skin.   The least aggressive razor on the market is the Weishi 9306,  it works very well and paired with Derby blades it provides a better experience than an M3 without any nicks or cuts usually associated with double edge shaving.  The Weishi is a twist-to-open razor and makes changing blades super easy. The Weishi 9306 is $11 on amazon, and 200 Derby blades are $15.   The blades will last well over a year.   It gives a closer shave, with less irritation than an m3, and is vastly cheaper. There are no disadvantages.


9. Showers

Water is usually very cheap, but heating the water costs a lot more.   I use a Bricor Ultramax 0.625 gallon-per-minute shower head and save about $10-12 a month on my power bill. 


10. Thrift Stores

All my pants, shirts, jackets, blankets, cast iron cook wear, pots, pans, glasses, mugs, silverware, etc.  I get all these at thrift stores and pay next to nothing.  I  am well dressed, wearing nice brand name dress shirts, and khakis.  Most of the clothes I find are new, or close to being new. Goodwill seems to have higher quality clothes than most. 

11. Cars

Most people I meet just go to the car lot and pick something.  In 7 years after the loan is paid off the transmission falls out, and they repeat the process without thinking twice.  Do your homework, and pick a good car.    I recommend you buy one of the top 10 best selling cars, one that is around 5 years old.  Look on http://www.carcomplaints.com and http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues to see which years had the most problems.    A 2012 Toyota Corolla looks to be a safe bet.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2016, 07:17:35 AM by pinch_that_penny »

21runner

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2016, 11:23:57 AM »
Great thread idea! For TV, I use an OTA antenna that I built myself (plenty of DIY videos on YouTube) and also have a Roku and Netflix. Works perfectly for me.

I don't really have any options near me for grocery shopping besides Wal-Mart, but I use the Wal-Mart Savings Catcher App to get additional savings on groceries or just anything purchased from there. The app scans the receipt barcode and searches competitor prices and gives you the difference if one of their competitors charges a lower price for an item.

Secretly Saving

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2016, 02:39:54 PM »
I agree, great list.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2016, 03:02:31 PM »
This seems above board, and all the recommendations are good and aren't affiliate links, but it's weird this was a first time post.

I'm probably paranoid.

Great list.

Secretly Saving

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2016, 03:19:28 PM »
This seems above board, and all the recommendations are good and aren't affiliate links, but it's weird this was a first time post.

I'm probably paranoid.

Great list.

I actually had the same thought, but didn't verbalize it.  I think this new poster maybe just finally found a place of like minded people where they can share some of their best finds!

pinch_that_penny

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2016, 06:03:26 PM »
This seems above board, and all the recommendations are good and aren't affiliate links, but it's weird this was a first time post.

I'm probably paranoid.

Great list.

Just for reference I am mod of https://voat.co/v/frugal, not a shill.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2016, 06:12:31 PM by pinch_that_penny »

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2016, 06:53:20 PM »
This seems above board, and all the recommendations are good and aren't affiliate links, but it's weird this was a first time post.

I'm probably paranoid.

Great list.

I actually had the same thought, but didn't verbalize it.  I think this new poster maybe just finally found a place of like minded people where they can share some of their best finds!

I agree! It's just weird. Once I got over the weird, it was refreshing and inspiring =)

Welcome to the community Pinch!

Lski'stash

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2016, 09:06:30 AM »
Great post!

Car Jack

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #8 on: July 13, 2017, 04:45:48 AM »
Prescriptions can be a non starter.  Our health insurance pays for prescriptions if we buy from the one and only pharmacy chain that they're contracted with.  Otherwise, we pay full price.  Even at a discount chain, we have no interest paying full price for high cost equipment, which is 50 times what our co-pay is.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #9 on: July 13, 2017, 05:52:19 AM »
Showers/washing hair:

When washing my hair, I like to take my time to soap it in and massage my head. Nowadays I turn off the shower after wetting my hair. Take time to soap and massage and then turn the shower on again to rinse out my hair. This works better than letting the water run and stressing to soap in my hair as fast as I can.

Laundry:

Hang outside to dry in the season that the weather permits for it. The rest of the year, if your house or bathroom is heated, hang it up to dry indoors.

Buying small stuff:

Especially in Norway small products, like a cell phone cover, as extremely pricy. And when buying online within the same country, sending prices are very high. Nowadays we order most of these things at shops like AliExpress (no, I get nothing for writing this). Very low prices and most often free sending.

Phone:

Don't pay for more data than you actually use. Look at your user statistics every now and then. If you used under half of your prescription for several months, maybe you can buy a cheaper subscription. On the other side, if you often need to buy extra data for a high price, you'd better buy a subscription with more data included.
In Europe: get a subscription that has free data usage in whole Europe included, and free calls inside other European countries.

TheGadfly

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #10 on: July 13, 2017, 08:42:08 AM »
Maybe this is obvious to everyone here but...

#12 - Transportation
- Buy a bike and use it to get your ass to places that are less than 5 miles away (or 10 if you're like me).
- Learn from youtube and do your own routine car maintenance (if you have space/equipment to do so).
- Sign up for airline/hotel credit cards that will allow you to travel for less (of course, a lot of caveats here but I probably save thousands every year using points/miles).

DarkandStormy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #11 on: July 13, 2017, 11:14:07 AM »
3. TV

Get an indoor Amazon Basics HD Antenna, and a Roku 4.   We get several local news channels that the antenna doesn't pick up on the Roku, and with netflix and prime video, and all the free channels there is always something to watch. 

4. LED lights

Walmart brand Great Value LED bulbs are extremely cheap $2.17 at the time of this posting.  The service desk will replace or exchange if they go bad, so far none of ours have. 

8. Shaving

So if you listen to the recommendations from the double edge razor enthusiasts over on B&B or WE you will cut your face to shreds. Like many people I just want a good shave, for as little money as possible, with as little irritation as possible.   If you aren't looking to make shaving a hobby, you want a less aggressive razor, and blades meant for sensitive skin.   The least aggressive razor on the market is the Weishi 9306,  it works very well and paired with Derby blades it provides a better experience than an M3 without any nicks or cuts usually associated with double edge shaving.  The Weishi is a twist-to-open razor and makes changing blades super easy. The Weishi 9306 is $11 on amazon, and 200 Derby blades are $15.   The blades will last well over a year.   It gives a closer shave, with less irritation than an m3, and is vastly cheaper. There are no disadvantages.

We barely have enough time for Netflix.  I can't imagine paying for Netflix AND Prime video.  We use an antennae and have an old Chromecast to stream.

Bought a bunch of LED lights at Costco - with the rebates going on they came out to $1 per bulb.

Have had the same electric razor for over 10 years (don't know the cost since it was a gift).  I think over the course of 10-12 years it is probably better to go electric than disposable - a lot less waste going to the landfill(s), too.

Guy Ensenada

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #12 on: July 13, 2017, 01:47:43 PM »
We tried indoor antenna, family deemed it ineffective- we only got channels if we ran unsightly wires and placed the antenna in a window, and to see more than 2-3 stations at a time, we had to adjust the retractable antennae. Very 80s style. Is there anything more powerful or effective? We used an RCA multi directional antenna from Best Buy.

DarkandStormy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #13 on: July 13, 2017, 01:58:33 PM »
We tried indoor antenna, family deemed it ineffective- we only got channels if we ran unsightly wires and placed the antenna in a window, and to see more than 2-3 stations at a time, we had to adjust the retractable antennae. Very 80s style. Is there anything more powerful or effective? We used an RCA multi directional antenna from Best Buy.

https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplified-Detachable-Performance-Cable-Black/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=zg_bs_172665_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1RH9C1AXCPJXE980X8WF

We bought this one.  Gets all the local channels + PBS + some oddballs.

Guy Ensenada

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #14 on: July 13, 2017, 06:20:16 PM »
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplified-Detachable-Performance-Cable-Black/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=zg_bs_172665_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1RH9C1AXCPJXE980X8WF

We bought this one.  Gets all the local channels + PBS + some oddballs.

Thanks- but how strong/effective is it? Does it need to be placed in a window or on outside walls?

DarkandStormy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #15 on: July 13, 2017, 06:33:31 PM »
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplified-Detachable-Performance-Cable-Black/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=zg_bs_172665_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1RH9C1AXCPJXE980X8WF

We bought this one.  Gets all the local channels + PBS + some oddballs.

Thanks- but how strong/effective is it? Does it need to be placed in a window or on outside walls?

We put it on a window on the 2nd story just to optimize range. When we hooked it up, all the channels were working as I was holding it in my hand on the first floor. We haven't noticed any fuzz/loss of signal at our new place so far. We're less than a mile to a fairly major downtown and in a somewhat "urban" neighborhood - our neighbors houses on the side are maybe 3 feet away.

HildaCorners

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #16 on: August 02, 2017, 05:09:45 PM »
Phone: If you don't use your phone much, Ting is a better plan: $6 per phone plus usage costs. My teen child and I share a plan (2 phones) and average $25 a month.

You need to buy your phones, but with a little care they can last many years. My phone is a 2011 model.

Links:
Non-affiliate: https://ting.com/
Affiliate: https://zq57494qotb.ting.com/   we each get $25 off our service or phone purchase

GenXbiker

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #17 on: August 02, 2017, 06:57:45 PM »
Ring Plus offers free cellphone service, text and data if you are willing to pay $120 to become a member+ and listen to ads for a few seconds before your call connects.
RingPlus stopped providing phone service over 6 months ago, although the OP was incorrect as member+ was an unnecessary add-on which I never had in my year and a half with their service.  I saved hundreds when I switched to them and got others onto them also for a single investment of $5 to $35, depending on the plan.  It was sure great while it lasted.  After RingPlus stopped their service, I switched over to Tello (not Ting) and have only used about $5 of my original balance from February.  Tello, being another Sprint MVNO, allowed me to use the same phone I had used on RingPlus.  Had I not switched to Tello's PAYG service, I would have gone with a Twigby plan.  Due to my very low usage, Tello was the best option.  I haven't had a land line in years but have an Obi box that I never bothered to hook up.

As far as TV antennas, those indoor amplified antennas were only useful for a local station.  I had to purchase a large VHF rooftop antenna (great deal - about $15+ shipping) to pull in distant stations in a city over an hour away.  I cut the cord on cable several years ago and don't subscribe to any streaming service, either.  With my HTPC and tuner cards along with free streaming, I get as much media content as I need and when I want it.  I haven't rented any movies in many months, either.

I remember from years ago that Clark Howard said blades last a lot longer if you make sure they're dry after using.  So I always take a few seconds to do that.  It lasts for weeks.

powskier

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #18 on: August 03, 2017, 02:55:04 PM »
I went most of my adult life without TV but since the English Premier League now plays on NBCSN I purchased cable, it is the only thing I watch and the only reason I have a TV. I understand it is an expense at $70/month for 200 channels when I only watch one that gives me great joy. Does anyone now of a way around that?

btw , many of us have found that ditching shampoo and just occassionaly using a conditioner results in nicer hair.

ketchup

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #19 on: August 03, 2017, 03:40:07 PM »
I do literally everything on your list, barring cell phone service (on a cheap "family" plan with GF and BIL), rechargeable AA batteries (still going through a giant ~$15 pack of AA alkaline I bought a few years ago; if I used batteries more often NiMH would make sense), prescription drugs (luckily no need in my household), and cars (I presently drive a 2001 and the newest car I've ever owned was seven years old upon purchase).

Good list and welcome to the forum!

neonlight

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #20 on: August 04, 2017, 03:47:45 AM »
Showering cold is better health, so sometimes just turn off the heater and enjoy the cold water :)

DarkandStormy

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #21 on: August 04, 2017, 07:23:10 AM »
I went most of my adult life without TV but since the English Premier League now plays on NBCSN I purchased cable, it is the only thing I watch and the only reason I have a TV. I understand it is an expense at $70/month for 200 channels when I only watch one that gives me great joy. Does anyone now of a way around that?

btw , many of us have found that ditching shampoo and just occassionaly using a conditioner results in nicer hair.

Find a family member/close friend who is willing to give you their login info and use the NBCSN app for free?  *Note, this may be illegal sharing on THEIR part, not yours, though I am not 100% sure of the applicable laws.

sw1tch

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #22 on: August 04, 2017, 07:47:59 AM »
Maybe this is obvious to everyone here but...

#12 - Transportation
- Buy a bike and use it to get your ass to places that are less than 5 miles away (or 10 if you're like me).
- Learn from youtube and do your own routine car maintenance (if you have space/equipment to do so).
- Sign up for airline/hotel credit cards that will allow you to travel for less (of course, a lot of caveats here but I probably save thousands every year using points/miles).

I'd like to re-iterate this suggestion.  Biking GREATLY lowers or might even eliminate your car usage around town.  Plus, if you're disciplined enough, you have the added bonus of less need to pay for a fitness program or gym membership (saving you even more).  That's not including the health benefits of doing so which are harder to quantify.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #23 on: August 06, 2017, 01:46:27 PM »
https://www.amazon.com/1byone-Amplified-Detachable-Performance-Cable-Black/dp/B00IF70T4M/ref=zg_bs_172665_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=1RH9C1AXCPJXE980X8WF

We bought this one.  Gets all the local channels + PBS + some oddballs.

Thanks- but how strong/effective is it? Does it need to be placed in a window or on outside walls?

The trick is to live high. Our house is standing high on a hill, looking out over everything else. Our tiny indoor antenna in the window is giving an excellent tv signal. While in our previous house we needed an antenna and antenna enforcer on the roof and still had a worse reception than we have today. If the source is really far away, the signal gets very dependent on the weather, even with an outdoor roof antenna.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2017, 01:51:42 PM by Linda_Norway »

Rimu05

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Re: Ultimate Money Saving Guide
« Reply #24 on: August 08, 2017, 01:43:19 PM »
I went most of my adult life without TV but since the English Premier League now plays on NBCSN I purchased cable, it is the only thing I watch and the only reason I have a TV. I understand it is an expense at $70/month for 200 channels when I only watch one that gives me great joy. Does anyone now of a way around that?

btw , many of us have found that ditching shampoo and just occassionaly using a conditioner results in nicer hair.

This. I also only ever pick up TV for football. Gone are the days of buying that "Soccer" bundle although it did have all the leagues. Unfortunately, living in the states, you will miss a lot of games that are not on the weekend due to the time difference. Especially, Champions league games. I love the champions league even more than the World Cup but simply impossible to watch anymore.