Your Saving $$/Budget tips

[TammyB]

We cut WAY back on Christmas this year. Plus poor Cain and been working his butt off. My job employees me for 40 hours, but I'm lucky if I have 10 hours of work to do, so no OT for me..

[*JillD*]

I started brewing my own coffee in the mornings, which also keeps me from buying a bagel every day too, coffee at home is just not the same as dunkins, but oh well.

 

We are limiting xmas presents this year as well

 

I used to go out to lunch every day, but now only once a week if I'm lucky, usually just bring a can of soup

 

we almost never do anything, stay home on the weekends, don't go out to eat much

 

I wish I had something at work I could pick up for more money, but I have to sell more to make more, which doesn't always work out how you want it to

 

I almost never go shopping, unless we really need something

 

I'm going to try those coupon sites because we spend a lot on groceries (there are 4 of us living here)

[TammyWright]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryjaxs19 5. I told my sister she needs to start paying for her own school lunches. I had been giving her $2 a day, but she is 17 now and has a job. Is this horible of me. I feel kinda bad but thats an extra 40.00 a month right there. Not that I have such a cool job as yourself but I am going to aim to pick up at least 1 extra shift per week that all money earned will go directly into my wedding savings! After school is over.

i think you sister is old enough to buy her own lunch ...at 17 i was paying for everything myself...i moved out of my house when iw as 15.

[Joy]

We started a savings plan the minute we got engaged. And i'm very strict with it!!

*We put away a week amount into an account that does not allow debit card releases!!! very important because we love debit cards!!

*I receive 4 bonus a year that strictly go into this account.

*Joe works at least 2 Sats a month for overtime.

*We only eat out 1 or 2 times a week which is a HUGE cut down for us. We used to eat out daily because we both work so much and didn't have time to cook. Crock Pots work great!!!

*i bring my lunch daily to work and if i'm lucky i have time to eat it.

*i don't do much shopping anymore unless it's for the wedding.

*we cut down our Xmas expenses for everyone and decided we would buy a shared gift for each other. i think we are looking at an LCD tv.

[destinationbride07]

Just Like Tammny I cut out starbucks, seattle best, and all the other coffee shops. I will have cup every one and then but not everyday...

 

no more shoe shopping...I am a shoeholic and it is hurting...i have not bought a new pair of shoes in almost a yr

 

since we have been engaged since 04, we started putting some money aside so that is helping...

[EDYTA]

Like many off you i cut out the coffee but one thing that I cant seem to cut out is the trashy magazines and the wedding magazines...I usually spend around $15 a week on them so that's the next thing that needs to go

[kookaloons]

I've been doing market research/focus groups for the past year and contribute that to the wedding fund. I've made over $1000 doing it.

 

Check craigslist in your city and look under ETC!

[A10CalGal]

Well, like Sarah, I'm already pretty frugal in my day-to-day activities. I brew my own coffee, make my own brkfst & lunch & we only go out to dinner once per week. I will admit, my biggest problem is shopping. I needed a lot of new office clothes there for a while, and a new pair of boots, oh & then there was that gorgeous D&B bag I just needed I have to cut that out.

 

The one thing that I do religiously though is put $500 every other week into my ING savings account. I have it auto-transferred from my checking every other Friday. So, I've been saving $1K a month which is great! I don't use that $$ to pay for anything other than wedding expenses. I depleted it after putting down the $4K hotel deposit & buying my dress a few months ago, but I'm already back up to $5K. This has worked really well for me.

 

I highly reccomend ING for savings. They have the best rate out there, and it goes up every few months. I think it's at 4.3% right now - so I get at least $20 in interest each month.

[JENGONDA9]

I wish I could add some good budget saving tips, but I have a horrible problem with instant gratification! Fortunately our parents are paying for a big chunk of our wedding, and I am just trying to pay-as-I-go for everything else. Leftover costs are going on a 12 month no interest credit card which we will pay off by next x-mas. We only have an 8 month engagement so there isn't much time to save!

[Sarah]

Quote:

Originally Posted by A10CALGAL The one thing that I do religiously though is put $500 every other week into my ING savings account. I have it auto-transferred from my checking every other Friday. So, I've been saving $1K a month which is great! I don't use that $$ to pay for anything other than wedding expenses. I depleted it after putting down the $4K hotel deposit & buying my dress a few months ago, but I'm already back up to $5K. This has worked really well for me. I highly reccomend ING for savings. They have the best rate out there, and it goes up every few months. I think it's at 4.3% right now - so I get at least $20 in interest each month.

Christa- that is awesome! I wish I was that disciplined. I guess I should start now!