Things you do yourself to save time/money?

[Amelorn]

Also as disgusting as this sounds, depending on where you live where water isn't free, skip showers.

 

10,000 gallons used over a 3 month period cost $40.  At 4/10 of one cent per gallon, water is cheap.  

[bakalamba]

When shopping, I immediately go to the back of the store and find the sales rack or shelves. For clothing stores, I'm not really aware of anything that's not on sale; also for clothes, I try to buy out of season and anticipate what I need (in moving across the country to an actual seasonal climate, I bought a bunch of sweaters last month in H&M for around $5 each).

 

Watch out for psychological tricks, especially in advertisements. Just because it's on sale doesn't mean it needs to be purchased. I learned this lesson from my dad, who goes crazy with coupons and sales and stockpiles items. Open a cabinet anywhere in the house and thirty toothbrushes will fall out. Don't focus on the amount of savings; instead, think about how much the item actually costs and whether you need it. Does the item cost $15 and you walk away? You just saved $15.

 

Most grocery stores have manager's special on meat that's near expiration. I buy it and freeze it immediately, or cook it in the next few days. I cook a lot, mostly because I enjoy doing it, and have adapted to a much lower grocery budget. If you have a store where you can buy dry goods and spices from bulk bins, do it. I refill my sea salt container for a few cents, and have large containers to store rice, flour, beans, etc. which are great staples to integrate into every meal. Eating out is fun when you don't do it all the time; and, since it's an occasional luxury, I can go out to a decent place with good food.

 

Although I've never done it here, but from living abroad I learned you can shower with only a few gallons of water. If I wanted to save more, I'd get a plastic bowl, fill it with water from the tub, and bucket bathe with the shower turned off. You'd be surprised how little water it takes to clean you.

 

Get a family plan for your cell phone. I know a lot of friends, not even families, that are on one together. Recruit more friends for more savings.

 

I try to use open source software whenever possible. I have an old laptop that stutters through Windows, so I prefer to dual boot it with a very lightweight Ubuntu.

 

Don't go crazy with time management schemes. It's good to be organized, but there's definitely a bottomless pit when it comes to lifehacking and productivity boosting - are you really saving time if you spend hours in the week finding new apps, new systems, new ways of saving?

 

Get a spouse that has the same attitude towards money (I like to save, but I also don't feel guilty spending a little on something I enjoy). My wife has been a student longer than me, so we're definitely on the thrift bandwagon. The most persistent fights I see in couples revolve around finances (and not always shared money).

[bakalamba]

Oh - if you own a bike and use it for commuting, find a bike coop or bike center at your University and take a class in bike maintenance. Invest in a multi-tool, but also find out if you can borrow tools or do repairs in-house at the center or coop. It will extend the life of your bike and save you money on repairs; also, a bike that's been tuned up and continuously loved is a much better ride.

And, if you know basic things about bicycles, you can buy a decent bike for cheap on Craigslist that's been sitting in someone's garage, and repair it and tune it up for use.

Edited June 24, 2014 by bakalamba

[wildlifer]

As with many others on this thread... don't pay for cable. Even if you paid for internet and hulu or netflix, it would most likely be cheaper than a cable bill. Besides, most people tend to only watch a handful of shows so why pay for 100+ channels when you maybe watch like 2-5. 

 

Consignment/light used clothing stores are great. You never know what you'll find and the prices are very reasonable. I found a barely used L.L. Bean down jacket for less than $10 at a good will once, retail on those jackets are upwards of $90!! And along those lines, yard/garage sales. That might be a good way to get furniture if you just recently moved across the country for your program. 

 

I also sometimes use the dollar stores, depending on the item, it's worth it if you're strapped for cash. Sure the quality may not be great, but it'll work while you're a broke student .

 

For car repairs... if I can figure it out myself or have a friend/family (Dad) help me with it, then I just buy the parts online. And even if I do need to go the mechanic, if I know what parts to get, I'll get them ahead of time and just pay the mechanic for labor. I can almost always find the parts cheaper than what he would charge me. 

 

Having only water when going out to eat.. I know, boring, but drinks are stupidly expensive. 

[maelia8]

Another tip: make use of the free or low-cost resources that your school may offer! My university offers a semester-long gym subscription with unlimited use of facilities of 4 different campus gyms and over 100 exercise classes - for $10! My department also has frequent dinners and luncheons attached to presentations that provide free food if you register in advance, and our student health care covers all immunizations, basic health care, and preventative dental for free. If your health care and gym membership are basically free, then it's easy to stay happy and healthy. I also second the public library - as a humanities person, I hate having to shell out hundreds of dollars for books each semester that will be relevant for one class meeting (without even knowing if they will be relevant to my future research), so I get a lot of them at the public library when the university library copies are checked out already and ILL won't get them to me fast enough.

[bsharpe269]

Another tip: make use of the free or low-cost resources that your school may offer! My university offers a semester-long gym subscription with unlimited use of facilities of 4 different campus gyms and over 100 exercise classes - for $10! My department also has frequent dinners and luncheons attached to presentations that provide free food if you register in advance, and our student health care covers all immunizations, basic health care, and preventative dental for free. If your health care and gym membership are basically free, then it's easy to stay happy and healthy. I also second the public library - as a humanities person, I hate having to shell out hundreds of dollars for books each semester that will be relevant for one class meeting (without even knowing if they will be relevant to my future research), so I get a lot of them at the public library when the university library copies are checked out already and ILL won't get them to me fast enough.

 

 

The free lunch thing at school is a great thing to mention! We have weekly luncheons with speakers and its a great way to network while eating free food.

 

I actually might go overboard with book buying. I learn best by reading textbooks (as opposed to hands on learning or lectures) so I always buy books that are optional for classes because I end up learning alot from them. I do always buy them on half.com or amazon though used and get old editions if possible. If you buy the 1-2 editions old books then you can sometimes get them for under $5 even. If a professor puts a new edition book on the sylabus then I always ask if the old one is fine too.

[danieleWrites]

I cut my meat with beans. For example, if I'm making tacos for dinner, I'll use a can of black beans or pinto beans and 1/3 pound of beef instead of a full pound of beef. Not only is it cheaper, it's healthier, and has a more interesting texture. White beans for ground or diced chicken, and so on. I make a lot of meals that involve stir fry techniques, so this works out well for me. I make enough to store.

I don't have a microwave. I know, say what?!?!?! We were going to get one, but we never did. We not only eat healthier, but cheaper. We have a toaster oven instead of a microwave, so those things that needed to be heated and we don't want to turn on the oven? Toaster oven. Microwaves do save time, but our food bill dropped when we quit buying microwave dinners and started making toaster oven dinners. This meant spending some money on glass storage containers, but that's actually worked out better because we haven't replaced them in years, unlike plastic ones (which can get seriously nasty). I do have a breadmaker and bread slicing knife and guide. I got the breadmaker at a garage sale for $5. It paid for itself in two loaves. The knife took 2 loaves and the guide took 5. But now, it's the cost of flour, yeast, sugar, and oil. It's actually easier to make bread than buy it and cart it home.

 

We live close to the grocery stores we go to. One is four blocks away, so we often walk to it. My bus stop actually puts me halfway between the store and my house. Our kitchen has a tiny freezer and we don't have much storage space, so we don't stock up. I buy stuff at the store every few days. I get in a bit of extra exercise and the fact that I have to haul everything home by hand means that I don't buy extra stuff. The other store we go to is a mile away and we bicycle to it. Again, space restraints and the fact that a hill that belongs in the Alps as between that store and my house keeps us from overspending.

 

I do wash my car at least once a month, more if its winter and they're salting the roads. I pay for the drive through part so I can get the undercarriage. I apply regular wax by hand at least once a quarter. Yes, it's cheaper not to, but only in the short term. We keep our vehicles for long periods of time, and maintaining the paint is just as important as maintaining every other part of the vehicle. Those hundreds of dollars saved on car washes are not worth the thousands of dollars in depreciation that goes with a fading or chipping paint job.

 

We winterize *and* summerize our home, even though it's a rented duplex. We make sure the filters in the airconditioners and heater are kept clean. Twice a year to replace a filter that's expected to be in use all  year (like for a combo heater/ac) and at the beginning of a season for one that's in use for a season (like a window ac). This means calling the maintenance guy in October and nagging until the filter is changed. Utilities are part of the rent, but if they go up, so will the rent. We put plastic over the windows. This cuts utility bills like crazy. We also make sure to get anything leaky fixed as soon as possible. Nag, nag, nag the maintenance man.

 

Flu shots make a difference.

 

The biggest saver of time and money has been cultivating entertainment and spouse-time tastes that involve doing things that don't cost ad hoc money. We bicycle out somewhere, have a picnic, and I always a bring a book. He'll nap, I'll get some paragraphs in before I fall asleep, too. We did spend extra money on really good bicycles, but we use them all of the time. Our community is bike-friendly. We go to free plays or shows. We (usually me) go to lecture series. We go to the farmer's market. We
 

[seeingeyeduck]

I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol or coffee, have no cable, and only eating out on special occasions. I can't cut hair, but only get it cut once or twice a year. I also use a simple flip phone and have a prepaid plan that averages out to $8-10/mo. I use T-mobile's free 200mb plan for tablets on the iPad and that's enough to navigate and check emails when I really need to, and when I'm on campus, I use the internet on my laptop.

 

I also love the library. If I bought all the books I read, I'd be out thousands. And if you live in or near a big enough city, you can find a lot of course books there too, which you then don't have to buy. I also use the copies of course materials put on reserve for courses if they aren't main texts, rather than buying books.

[FoggyAnhinga]

I haven't eaten out in quite a few months now (not even for a cup of coffee). I also try to take buses as much as possible (saves money on gas). And I pack my lunch every day.

 

I also love the library. If I bought all the books I read, I'd be out thousands. And if you live in or near a big enough city, you can find a lot of course books there too, which you then don't have to buy. I also use the copies of course materials put on reserve for courses if they aren't main texts, rather than buying books.

 

Hear hear! Libraries are awesome. If I really need to buy books (leisure reading or a textbook) I buy them via my Kindle since the e-book prices are usually cheaper. Although Kindle kinda kills the actual reading feel (it's never the same as holding an actual book) but at least I don't have to lug around 4-5 textbooks daily haha (maybe that's an exaggeration).

[eeee1923]

The slow cooker has been quite a nice investment. Also the fact that I cut my own hair.

[maelia8]

My way of not paying for haircuts is that I just don't cut my hair. I get it cut once a year, by my sister, for free, and I just get the split ends trimmed. I find short hair to be a lot of maintenance (it needs daily styling and frequent cutting), but with midlength hair I just braid it, put it in a bun or ponytail, and then it doesn't need any extra work to look good. As long as you brush it and keep it clean by regular washing and deep conditioning, it will stay healthy and be pretty cheap to maintain.

[landshark]

I buy my clothes at Goodwill or other thrift shops.  If I know I'm gonna need sweater the next winter, I buy them form the sale rack in the spring before...buying off season is so much cheaper!  Sure you're a year behind "trends", but I tend to buy more classic items anyway.  trendy stuff always looks weird to me.  Also, we ditched Cable ages ago and set up our TV with a digital antenna...so we get basic channels for free.  We buy things that store well or that we know we will use up fairly quickly from bulk stores like Sam's Club or Costco.  I sell my kids' old clothes to help pay for their new ones each year.  I like to shop farmers' markets and the local co-op for locally grow food at a decent price, compared to the shipped in stuff.  Better for you as well since it wasn't picked green.  Online swap sites (like on FB, Craigslist, etc) are great for getting cheap clothes as well.

[RunnerGrad]

Clothes I buy on sale. I don't buy from Goodwill or swap sites, due to worries over bedbugs. Having dealt with bedbugs once, I don't want to deal with them again (I'm extremely allergic to their bites and have a severe reaction to their bites).

I cook my own meals, in bulk, from scratch, on the weekends. So I make my own pasta sauce, chili, etc, and freeze the leftovers. It's healthier and saves money, compared to buying processed foods.

I shower at the gym at the university (free gym membership for grad students), which saves on water, and water heating, costs.

I don't have cable, or Netflix, or Hulu. We watch shows for free via TV websites. Yes, new shows are only available for one week after airing, but that's enough for us. Older shows or movies we can borrow from the library. Our library also has all kinds of e-books and audio e-books available via an app for free.

[Sarochan]

My way of not paying for haircuts is that I just don't cut my hair. I get it cut once a year, by my sister, for free, and I just get the split ends trimmed. I find short hair to be a lot of maintenance (it needs daily styling and frequent cutting), but with midlength hair I just braid it, put it in a bun or ponytail, and then it doesn't need any extra work to look good. As long as you brush it and keep it clean by regular washing and deep conditioning, it will stay healthy and be pretty cheap to maintain.

 

As a short-haired person for probably ten+ years now, I have to disagree! Long hair was always way more work for me (took forever to dry, brush, was generally unruly and uncomfortable) than my short hair. If you get a good cut, you really don't have to put that much effort into styling, unless you want to. I get my hair cut every three months, roughly, and while yeah, that means I spend about 45 dollars per year on my hair, I don't feel like that's a budget-breaker. It also means my hair care products last a whole lot longer, and I spend way less time doing anything to it (such as drying it with a hairdryer, braiding, etc.), or damaging it with hair ties (was always a problem when I had long hair).

 

TL;DR: people have different opinions about hair and mine is that short hair is way easier.

 

But yeah, pretty much rehashing what a lot of other people have said. Making own food, no cable/Netflix, going to libraries, etc. In the case of buying something that's a necessity (like winter boots for Chicago), I do a lot of research first and try to buy at the right time of year, when things are on sale. I also might sacrifice my own preferences for a better price. In the case of the winter boots, I would have preferred black, but there was a discontinued blue coloration that was heavily discounted (about 40 bucks less than the already sale-priced black ones), so I went with that. I guess that's not really something I did myself, but it definitely helped save money (here's hoping that the reviews were right and the boots last for years). I also knit my own hats and stuff from a huge yarn stash that was given to me by relatives.

[beefgallo]

Cut my own hair, do my own nails, eyebrows etc.

 

Don't eat out a lot (only if a friend wants to meet somewhere etc.)

 

My work pays for lunches. Cook on the weekends/weeknights.

 

Watch all my tv/movies online for free, don't own a tv, don't pay for cable

 

Get all my music online

 

Don't go to movies/theatre. I mainly go to cheap local concerts (approx. 3$ entrance) and I have a friend who works at the theatre, so I can sometimes go for free with her.

 

Don't own a car, pay for a month's bus pass which costs approx. 15% of car costs.

 

Have a magazine subscription, but I got it as a birthday gift so it's free for me.

 

Selling a bunch of books I have read and not planning to read again, cutting low on purchasing new books.

 

Stopped smoking

 

My expenses are: rent, bills, food, yoga subscription (I don't feel confident enough to train on my own and lack motivation), alcohol and concerts.

[random_grad]

no car. I don t drive but order groceries to be delivered. (no car = huge savings where I live).

My main savings come from rent: I live far from campus so it s cheaper. The commute is not a problem as I can read or think - not being a driver.

I also eat out strategically: every now and then I d eat the lunch special to satisfy my cravings so that I don t order food on the weekend.

I only drink alcohol at home or at least try to. I don t necessarily buy the cheapest because more expensive stuff lasts longer - you savor it.

Same for clothes and furniture: I buy not too cheap stuff that will last several years. Only if I need to. I never buy at dollar stores bc quality is crap. I do visit 2nd hand Stores but purchase carefully so that it s not a one time wear. It s easy to end up buying stuff you don t need when it s cheap.

[happy little pill]

I have a shopping problem so what I've started doing is waiting 48 hours before making any purchases that are non-essentials (ie: food, transit pass) and if I feel like I still need it, then I will go out and buy it. This has cut my spending at least in half. Also thrift, thrift, thrift. The number of blazers that I have gotten for cheap is disgusting - if you have a kilo store this works really well.

 

I also wash a lot of my clothes by hand (we don't pay for water). I let stuff soak in the sink, I use the tub, I hang stuff on a clothes line. I only do laundry in my building's machine when I absolutely have no choice. It costs me $5.00 per wash & dry so it adds up quickly.

 

If I'm going out, I try to restrict my drinking to happy hour and I always make sure to top up my drink like five minutes before happy hour ends and nurse it slowly so that when the second wave of friends inevitably come by, I am still "partaking in the fun" without spending unnecessarily.

 

I also bookshare with a lot of my friends. Need Foucault? Great well I have the Missumi that you want so let's trade. This avoids the embarrassing amount of library fines that I used to accumulate as an undergrad for basic things like philosophy books which I just wouldn't return even when they'd be recalled because I needed them for a paper. My friends and I have a google doc with a list of all the books that we own and when we "check one out" we just write our name into the doc and that way we know who has it, etc. 

 

Stopped my magazine subscriptions - I don't have time to read them anyways so they were just sitting there collecting dust.

Edited May 27, 2015 by happy little pill

[random_grad]

I also wash a lot of my clothes by hand (we don't pay for water). I let stuff soak in the sink, I use the tub, I hang stuff on a clothes line. I only do laundry in my building's machine when I absolutely have no choice. It costs me $5.00 per wash & dry so it adds up quickly.

 

 

seems like a waste of time. drying can be done without a machine, on a drying rack. time=money, no?

[avflinsch]

Work fulltime for the university I attend - free tuition for me and my kids, and the only way I could afford to go back to school

Make my own beer/wine - saves a considerable amount of cash ($15-20 in ingredients = 2+ cases of beer, $30 in ingredients = 2 cases of wine)

Grow a considerable percentage of my own veggies, the rest get purchased at a local pick-your-own farm.

Take advantage of everything your public library has to offer for free/cheap entertainment

Attend every free event where food is available.

Make bulk purchases for canned/dried/frozen foods at the local warehouse type place - the membership fee will pay for itself over time.

Big freezer in the basement to store frozen foods.
 

[shinigamiasuka]

Not sure if you see this in the first-world countries, but back in my undergrad school (in Bangladesh), a lot of students as well as professors preferred using their old non-touchscreen (and sometimes b&w) Nokias. Later on, cheap smartphones (like Gionee, locally marketed as Walton) started getting popular.

 

About myself though, I use a Nokia X7 from back in the pre-Lumia days. Looking to upgrade, just haven't gotten to yet. If anything, it still works so...*shrugs*.

[quirkycase]

I do the following things mostly out of necessity, but they do save money which is a nice bonus!

 

-I cook almost all of my meals.  It's extraordinarily rare for me to eat out.

 

-I walk everywhere.  Where I live now, I don't need a car to get around.  I can also get most places without using public transportation. Not only does it save me money, but it's good exercise!

 

-I don't drink.

 

-I don't have cable.

 

Another way to save money, which I don't currently do enough, is pricing around and couponing. It's amazing how much money this can save over time.  My mom was like a coupon master when I was little.  She saved incredible amounts of money by painstakingly finding which stores had the cheapest option and using coupons for everything.  I don't think she bought anything without a coupon for it.

[eeee1923]

Bought a case for my new smartphone, put it on, tripped and it fell face first. Saved myself ~$100 not having to replace the screen with a tiny $20 investment.