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David Bach, became famous for the Latte effect, or the amount of money spent on coffee and other items, that can add up to real money. Ramit Sethi, in his book has poo-pood the little money saved daily approach, and wants people to just save "big" money. I, of course, am not sure why you wouldn't do both. Pay cash for a car, and take your lunch to work both sound like good plans to me. In my post today, I discuss ways I save money on little things. Please let me know what you guys do to keep your spending under control. |
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Oddly enough, yesterday, I just finished my first David Bach book, Go Green, Live Rich. I started making oatmeal for breakfast, which ends up costing much less than the expensive cereal I was eating. I use stainless steel water bottles instead of bottled water. I avoid going out to lunch as much as possible and typically bring brown rice or quinoa that I make at home. Unless I have court, I try to avoid wearing clothes that must be dry-cleaned (for both money and green purposes). I've also cut back on some of my favorite girly activities. Eyebrow threading was gone. That saved $15 every three weeks. Pedicures have been cut back significantly. Went back to my natural hair color (which I cannot complain about because it is still blonde). Cut out regular facials. Less frequent hair cuts. I've also switched to all natural green cleaners, which I believe will eventually save considerable money since the ingredients are extremely inexpensive and will last much longer. My favorite tip came from a friend about a year ago - if you get the newspaper, only get it from the dollar store. So much cheaper. I can get it for $1.51 cheaper than the regular price on Sundays. Explain eyebrow threading??? If you can in a mixed forum.... As a gynecologist, I thought I knew all there was to know about eyebrows, high brows and low brows..
(Nov 08 '09 at 23:20)
Dr Dean 1
http://www.eyebrowthreading.com/ It's just another way to shape brows. Easier to get a better arch. (And it's neat to watch. I have no clue how they do it.)No nasty hot wax. Although now I'm back to my best friend Tweezerman.
(Nov 08 '09 at 23:31)
Frugallawyer
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I collect water. I keep a bucket in the bathroom and fill it while waiting for the water to get hot. I pour it, along with water from my dehumidifier, into my washer and use it for my next wash load. Not only does it save water but it also saves on sewer cost since that's based on water usage. We pay a flat rate for our usage under 8,000 gallons, which is far more than we go through in a month, so conserving really doesn't help our bill that much.
(Nov 26 '09 at 07:01)
mbhunter ♦♦
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I heart Ramit, don't hate! He's right and Bach is right, they aren't mutually exclusive. I have saved 65 cents over and over again by keeping tea bags in my office. Instead of rummaging though my purse for change to give to the soda machine bandits, I grab a tea bag (sometimes, anyway) and heat up a mug o'tea. Sure, I pay for the tea bags, but a box of them is around $2.99 for the rooibos I like, and a box of 18 bags makes 36 servings (I use my teabags twice). That works out to less than 9 cents a mug. Ramit can poo poo that, but it's my latte effect, and it's as real as calling to renegotiate my credit card rates was (did that too). |
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I would start out with mere basics such as with everyday things that you would find yourself doing such as eating at home more often, shopping less at the grocery store, and using your credit cards less if possible to avoid interest rates and other fees. |
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Statistics show that 19% of all meals are eaten in the car. That's expensive. Eating out for lunch is even more wastefully expensive. I've stopped doing both. Start there. If you aren't willing and able to save at the low hanging fruit level, forget the Ramit hype. 19% of meals are eaten in cars? I would never have guessed. I would also get into an accident because I am a Jersey driver in a town of worse drivers. Wow.
(Nov 08 '09 at 23:27)
Frugallawyer
My high school driver's ed instructor IN NEW JERSEY told us we shouldn't eat while driving, because if the cheese slid off your pizza it could burn your legs. She spoke from experience. Is it any wonder that I am an excellent driver? 19% of meals eaten in cars sounds hard to believe. I eat a lot of meals on my couch and at my desk, but not so many in my car.
(Nov 28 '09 at 05:34)
Dogfood Provider
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