How do you save money?

[Mr. Wizard]

Everything is so damn expensive that I don’t know how anyone is making ends meet. I just won some money and paid off all credit cards and two vehicles so that helped but I made enchiladas tonight and it cost 22.00! You can’t make a trip to sams without dropping several hundred. Eating out, OMG ! Anyways how do you guys/gals save money on life ?
What are your hacks?

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

You seriously sound like a miserable individual.

I'm very happy. Just different than most neurotypical people. What makes most NT's happy makes me unhappy. Part of that is why I was able to get ahead financially and I was blessed to have great parents who helped me be an extremely high functioning ASD.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

They don’t spend money on cigars, booze, $100 Olive Garden lunches, and whores.

Kids cost a hell of a lot more than those things dipshit.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by BWillie

If you simply just don't have kids you don't have to do any of that shit...and more. Unless your biggest dream in life is to have children (I guess that is the biggest dream for most people) I don't know how you can financially justify it. I don't know how families do it. It's just exponentially expensive. The extra food, extra cars, extra insurance, extra space, extra toys/phones/shit, college, extra medical insurance. Perhaps if you want kids, just having one is the solution that way you don't have children in the home that long.

If you have kids, you DEFINITELY have to use alot of your free time doing everything around the house. Put up fences, paint your own house, finish your own basement, fix your own cars, mow your own yard, shit like that. That's probably the best way to save money in todays world.

I found the key to happiness for me at an early age is to be free of doing anything I don't want to do. That means not doing anything on my own, ever. Always hire that shit out. The time and stress you save is worth it.

Most people love their kids more than their money I suppose.

But there’s nothing that says a parent has to struggle. Most are doing absolutely fine.

[loochy]

To me, having a child hasn't been much of a financial burden. It's the time burden that is difficult.

[CapsLockKey]

Originally Posted by loochy

To me, having a child hasn't been much of a financial burden. It's the time burden that is difficult.

Having two boys that are 22 and 19 it's both. The time part was a burden but for the most part all their activities and whatnot over the years is what makes having kids fun and rewarding most of the time.

The money part though, was the biggest struggle. Didn't make the money I do now for most of those years so you have to know when to say no to certain things. One got married and moved out in March, the other is in school an hour away and comes home on weekends. The drop in expenses is more than noticable. Things as simple as water bill being half what it was and having a fraction of what I used to spend on food makes you realize how expensive kids can be.

[bdj23]

I don't because every time i add money to my savings account something on my car or in my house breaks.

[Rain Man]

Since the big inflation bump, we eat at restaurants a lot less It's not worth the money to pay $30 for a burger and fries and soda. My wife retired and likes to cook, so I have restaurant-quality food at home now most days.

Working from home cut my dry cleaning bill a lot. It went from about $500 per year to about $50 per year, which is mostly getting shirts pressed since that's not a great skill of mine. Most days I'm just wearing track pants and a t-shirt.

I got rid of cable TV a couple of years ago, which saves a ridiculous amount of money. I was spending about $2,000 a year for TV, and now I spend about $100 for Netflix.

I sold my car many years ago and walk everywhere and occasionally take a bus. That saves probably $1,500 a year in insurance, taxes, and maintenance.

I put everything possible on credit cards and pay them off each month, which gets me free airline tickets and hotels on occasion.

My next project is to optimize tax avoidance strategies by things like Roth Conversions and assessing dividend strategies on my savings.

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Since the big inflation bump, we eat at restaurants a lot less It's not worth the money to pay $30 for a burger and fries and soda. My wife retired and likes to cook, so I have restaurant-quality food at home now most days.

I got rid of cable TV a couple of years ago, which saves a ridiculous amount of money.

These
We cut the cable 4-5 years ago and like you, stopped going out like we used to. We go out to eat a couple time a month vs 3-4 times a week. That allows me to buy better quality groceries and cook some really good food at home from scratch.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

I’m generally a minimalist so it comes natural to me to save.

I’ve found that it’s best to spend money on things you like/love in moderation and slash the budget mercilessly on anything you can live without. There have been times in my life where I didn’t have cable, a video game system, or even internet (it’s been a long time since those days of not having internet, though, I’ll admit lol).

Personally, I’ve saved the most money by cutting my own hair, not being a fashionista (at any point in time I might have four or five pairs of shoes, all with a different function), not eating out frequently/packing lunches, not drinking at bars/clubs with insane markup, and driving an older vehicle.

I work with people right now who complain about money and every day, without fail, they take their ass out to Firehouse Subs, Panera, etc. for lunch. Those same people often come in with a coffee from Dunkin or get Starbucks DoorDashed. Like, dude, you just spent $40 on food and drink when you could have brought a coffee from home and packed a pb&j for a total of like $3.

I guess just little shit like that..

This times a million....

I get annoyed at reading about people who complain about having to come back to the office because it will cost them money to buy new clothes and buy lunches.

When I am in the office I bring my lunch which is usually leftovers from the prior night's dinner.....or soup/sandwich I bring from home. I make my morning drink from hot tea bags I bring from home and always bring a large cup of home made unsweet tea to drink with lunch...otherwise water.

Although the company does give us a credit of $7.50 to use in the Canteen kitchen every week. Sometimes I will use that to get a bottle of Ginger Ale.

My wife is a coupon master from long back....she shops and bargain hunts like a Ninja Master......I drive a car that is paid off that I keep well maintained.

I am at the age where comfort is more my worry than being a fashion icon....I don't have to worry about haircuts, because honestly at my age the hair just ain't there.

Found out also that I can stream most of what I want to watch...get the national channels over the air, and stream Paramount +. Discovery + and Prime/Freevee to fill my TV Viewing needs. Rediscovered my love of reading hardback/paperback books, which seem to be in plentiful availability since everyone else seems to be reasing online.

So many ways to save....you just have to want to

[Zebedee DuBois]

Don't buy things to impress other people - like a fancy car, or a house bigger than you need, etc.

Value function over form. Once you've got the money, you can start adding form back in.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by scho63

Kids cost a hell of a lot more than those things dipshit.

Not really. I’ve received more from raising my son than I’ve spent. I show him your posts as an example of what to not grow up to be like.

[IA_Chiefs_fan]

I'm blessed to have enough income that my wife and I don't have to worry about expenses. I do feel bad a lot for my loved ones who I see struggling to make ends meet. We don't typically help them out financially but we do take lots of our loved ones on trips and vacations since they aren't in a position to do it themselves. It's tough times for a lot of people and it sucks.

[WilliamTheIrish]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf

Not really. I’ve received more from raising my son than I’ve spent. I show him your posts as an example of what to not grow up to be like.

I don’t begrudge those who decide to not have a wife/kids. If they’re happy with cigars and other things, that’s okay.

But I’ve got two kids and 4 grands. And growing up watching your son and or daughter make their way in life and raise their own family is a gift that no vacation or cigar or big house can ever compare.

And to play wiffle ball or fütbol with or have a tea party with grandkids and their dolls? I can’t price tag that.

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Since the big inflation bump, we eat at restaurants a lot less It's not worth the money to pay $30 for a burger and fries and soda. My wife retired and likes to cook, so I have restaurant-quality food at home now most days.

Working from home cut my dry cleaning bill a lot. It went from about $500 per year to about $50 per year, which is mostly getting shirts pressed since that's not a great skill of mine. Most days I'm just wearing track pants and a t-shirt.

I got rid of cable TV a couple of years ago, which saves a ridiculous amount of money. I was spending about $2,000 a year for TV, and now I spend about $100 for Netflix.

I sold my car many years ago and walk everywhere and occasionally take a bus. That saves probably $1,500 a year in insurance, taxes, and maintenance.

I put everything possible on credit cards and pay them off each month, which gets me free airline tickets and hotels on occasion.

My next project is to optimize tax avoidance strategies by things like Roth Conversions and assessing dividend strategies on my savings.

Sold the apricot BMW?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It's harsh, but when it comes down to it, you have two options:

1. Spend less
2. Make more

Usually spend less is the easier option in the short term (though if you're already living a very frugal lifestyle, there may not be much room left). In the long term, though, making more is the better bet. Obviously that's 1000% easier said than done, but if you're finding it difficult to cut back anymore, consider looking for another job, taking classes to boost your qualifications, taking on a side gig, etc.

Yeah, I've had a lot more luck earning my way out of problems, rather than saving my way out of them, but that's a young man's game, and if I needed to do it today, I don't think I could get there. At least in any material way.

RE: OP

My wife teaches too, and yeah, inflation blows ass.

It's impossible to know without seeing your spending.

Generally speaking, discipline is the component missing out of most personal finance problems. Not suggesting that is 100% your problem, but it's a good place to start looking.

Information is power. Go through your bank statements and account for every penny. Dig up receipts if you can. The easy stuff will make itself known.

Then the hard work starts. Especially out here, some food is stupid expensive. It takes real work to find alternatives. Typically premade foods or components are more expensive, but may not be if you can't find decent produce.

Consumer Debt is hell on a budget. My recommendation to anyone is rice and beans that noise until the debt is gone and you'll have flexibility in the budget.

Without knowing anything, I'd recommend establishing a budget, and then doing the work to stick to it.