Tips for saving money.....

Money is such a trigger for me. I never had much of it so living with less has always been a lifestyle. I cannot watch shows where people go on shopping sprees because it makes me upset.

However, getting a good deal feels pretty good. Like you won a game. Doesn't it feel good to say "You'll never guess how much I paid for this."

My money saving tips:

-Limit paper towel use by using washable cotton rags whenever possible.

-Price compare on bargain stores before you buy. Different items are cheaper at different places. So you might need to get your toilet paper and cereal at one place and your toothpaste and hair-dye at another. It's worth looking into and can save you a lot in the long run.

-Prevention. Eat healthy, floss your teeth get sleep. Living a healthy lifestyle can save you a fortune.

Thanks for your post Ygrec23.

Im glad I kept reading to page two... at first, I was thinking... Amateurs! These people are Amateurs! And then I found a kindred spirit in Laurie1041. Thank God.

One day was $950 in Clinique make-up which is really funny because the only make-up I wear is my permanent eyeliner. I have enough clothes that I literally would be able to wear a new outfit every day for about 18 months without ever doing my dry cleaning (yes, I bought dry clean only like the idiot I am) from Bloomingdales, Macy's, Coldwater Creek, Saks 5th.

Everything in my kitchen is professional grade, Henkles (cant put in dishwasher), Calphalon (no dishwaher), Kitchen Aid, $900 espresso maker, bone china with platinum (that cant go in microwave or dishwasher) Waterford Crystal (again, no dishwasher), a Desktop, a Laptop and a Notebook computer (all just for my use).

Oh, hair and facials... I would drop over $350 ever 6 weeks and that didn't include all the product I need to control my wicked thick hair. Why I thought that I really needed to spend $40 on shine drops alone is beyond reason.

One dozen sets of sheets, 600 thread count or higher, 4 comforter sham and bedskirt sets (one for each season), and then lets count in all the little stuff like flat screen tvs (yes, multiple) 1st edition books and text books, new Scandanavian furniture throughout, dvds, bluerays, computer programs... it goes on and on and on...

I don't own stuff, my stuff owns me.

It was fine when I was used to making $80 K per year and had 3,000 square feet to play with. Now I am on disability at $13 K per year and share less that 900 square feet with a roommate (who keeps putting my china in the microwave)

I wouldn't shop until I was hypomanic or manic then look out. At one point, I had a $55,000 limit on one of my eight credit cards although I could only spend 10 k per day per card. When I realized I was out of control, rather than cutting up the cards, I put them in a pitcher of water and froze them. Next time I was manic, I thawed them in the microwave and off I went.

I too ended up making my mom my payee but in my case, for five years. I defaulted on all the credit cards and am so far in denial that I don't dare pull my credit report to find out how much I owe to whom because at 13 K per year, I don't have the ability to pay. Furthermore, in the state of Florida, you cannot file for bankruptcy if you have a psychiatric diagnosis.

Finally, I have a ton of unpaid medical bills in the two year period between when I left my job and when Medicare kicked in including multiple trips to the ICU for life support on a ventilator after failed suicide attempts. Do you know how much they charge for one day in the ICU on a ventilator?

Today my motto is, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." I tear paper napkins in half. I use washable dishtowels rather than paper towels. I go to churches and missions for day old bread and food boxes (I am well under the poverty line, I qualify) and what I cant get there, I go to the dented can and wilted vegetable food stores.

I have been SELLING off my designer clothes on EBay... five dollars here, five dollars there... it adds up. I have a list of free or very low cost hypomanic/manic activities. I have learned how to stretch one pound of meat for five days with all sorts of casserole recipes. Generic fat free yogurt is 4/$1.00 and make a great breakfast along with two scrambled eggs and donated coffee and the yogurt also doubles as dessert.

One of my hypomanic activities is making a scarf of my own design that I sell on consignment at an exclusive boutique. I bring home $25 per scarf, I already have the yard from a previous shopping spree and it only takes 90 minutes to whip out the scarf.

To keep my mind active, I take free online classes at MIT and buy my textbooks used from Abes Books (online) for about $4.00 each used and THEY pay the shipping.

I downgraded on my car from my 2001 BMW convertible to a 1994 Camry that is paid for, therefore, I don't have a car payment or need to carry collision insurance (although I continue to carry liability). I am infamous for bumming a ride whenever I can and offering a few dollars for gas. Keeps the wear and tear off my car, keeps the gas bills down and I don't have to take quite as much anxiety meds, which aren't covered by insurance.

I am making an art of becoming frugal. I find coupon absolutely useless because I end up spending money on items I wouldn't have bought otherwise. I don't buy premade/convenience food. If I do have to stop at a fast food restaurant, I skip the drinks and fries, just order one sandwich from the dollar menu and stop at a grocery for whatever cold drink is on sale. I stay away from the dollar tree unless I need to buy greeting cards which are 2/$1.00 (how does hallmark get away with charging $4.95 for a card????)

Oh, and I will close with the following. I have no business in Walmart. I have everything I need. Even with undergarments, Hanes Her Way Outlet online has cheaper socks, bras, underwear, slips and hosiery. No more sixty dollar bras at Victoria's Secret. No one sees them anyway!

ptk

Princess, having had sufficient experience with princes, seeks frog. I want the remote control![/quote]

PS... I came to the realization a few years ago that my gross excesses has a lot to do with my fear of being without, silly me.

I reposted per your request. The paragraphs were there but I didn't start a new line because I write long posts. Can't help it... never figured out how to say in 3 words what I can say in 15.

ptk

still seeking frog.....

I'm always looking for ways to make food last longer since it's usually just me around here. I had a friend who said to put tortilla chips in the freezer even after they've been open and they won't get stale. It really does work.

One that's worked well for us is (1) finding the websites of all local supermarkets, (2) subscribing (at their website) to their weekly specials flyer (all of which permit you to automatically make a shopping list), (3) making a shopping list of their (a) two for ones, and (b) really substantial price reductions, but only what you know you like. Then either my wife or I go the rounds from one supermarket to another, picking up the specials we've listed. If you know how to control yourself, this leads to substantial savings.

We have Publix, Winn Dixie, Wal-Mart and Albertson's. If you know how to shop efficiently, you can get through each supermarket in ten-fifteen minutes, and do the whole round in an hour. Take care!

Never go shopping for food when hungry... you will save both money and calories... because when you go into supermarket hungry you never buy the good stuff, only junk anyways.

I am bad with money. Often I say things are calling out to me... don't know what part of it is being bipolar and what part is being simply 21st century female. Honestly when the commmercials tell us to spend spend spend and than go get a loan and spend more... I am quite sensible in comparision. So I have limit on my card, and try not to carry too much cash around.

Cool! I'm going to try this.

Amy, you are SO right!

Take care!

I thought of you yesterday Ygrec when I went to get my hair cut at my regular salon......$50 later I'm like should have went to the barber shop!

I love to read and have always found library books a challenge, they feel dirty (no I'm not OCD really...) so my hubby gave me an ebook reader for christmas and now there are hundreds of free books out there... why pay for well known authors when you can read up and coming ones for free. Also I LOVE podcasts, esp Metamor city... again free but its also better than TV coz you can take it anywhere...

I soooo hear you blackpup. I keep picturing that the person was reading it while on the toilet!

Can I just say thanks for this thread because I am going through a massive life change which is going to require me to budget. I'm lucky enough to be changing my living arrrangements - yeh! But for various reasons I'm actually going to have to spend more wisely. I have this girlfriend who's really good with this stuff as she has a young family and I get great ideas from her, but all of you have given me new ideas (different stores and websites as I'm in Australia, but you have put me on the right path).

The other thing to do is do a web search on "money saving tips" or "money saving tips in X town".

BPromisesToKeep,

Exactly the same for me....somehow when I write something, more starts flooding into my mind & the fingers just keep typing.

I just read this post not even realizing it was in bipolar to start with. Interesting the spending experiences that happen, but just wanted to let you all know, that even NON-bipolar people (who deal with depression only) end up having very similar spending issues.....maybe not quite so extreme, but I too have so many cloths that I could wear a different outfit for at least 2 years.

Don't get me started on the Beanie Babies & other stupid collectibles......I think that my husband did some of the spending through me though as he seemed to encourage it without putting a stop to it. He also had this problem of wanting to buy 2 of every collectible so that he could sell the other for a profit when it went up in value. This started long before my depression ever started.....what a sucker I was to listen to that garbage.

The strange thing is that I have all these THINGS & when I left my husband, I left everything & only took a few things. I brought the kitchen pans when I knew I would be buying a new place after my Mother died so I had something to cook in. But now, all I have is a bed & small chest of drawers, a rocking chair, dining room table & chairs, coffee table & a few end tables & lamps. Out of all the cloths I had, I brought only a few bags of cloths that I brought with me in the moving truck. I also brought my Christmas decorations as I left in the fall & Christmas was soon here. I had to buy a few essentials, but other than that. Initially I thought I would be able to go back & bring a few more of my things, but the economy went downhill so quickly & gas prices went so sky high.....costs me over $1000 to drive back & forth, so that's definitely NOT in the budget since I can't even afford $100/month on gas.

I remember having the TV going on HSN so many nights to keep the nightmares away from the trauma, then I would wake up the next morning realizing that I had a few "just have to have's" that I had ordered when I was trying to go back to sleep .

Wow, Florida stinks...... In that case, they shouldn't allow people with a psychiatric diagnosis to have credit cards then either......grrrr. You don't give people things that can damage themselves with no way to recover at least one time.

Thing is that my husband (who didn't have any psychiatric DX) believed in using credit cards. Believed that you can buy as long as you can make the monthly payments.....so you buy things when they are on sale. I tried with my business degree mind to show him how much more he spent for the things because of the interest, but he blew me off, so then I ended up getting into the buying things I wanted when I saw them & put them on the credit cards too. When we both had engineering incomes we could make the payments, but when that ended in 1994, he didn't stop the spending & I didn't care when my major depression set in. I also added to the debt with medical expenses & ICU ventilator & holds that gave me no choice than being in the hospital. (praising God that that phase of my life is in my past)

Guess this is to let you all know that you aren't alone in the spending sprees. People who don't have psychiatric dx's get into the spending addiction also. Even my mother went shopping for cloths to make herself feel better after my father died. The bags of cloths I gave away after she died was very revealing.

I also know just how much I don't need when I walked out & left if all behind. Funny thing is that I left 3 years ago & I can't even remember what things I have still there. Much of the debt is sitting in collection & they aren't doing anything about it because now both of us are on disability with no money to even make payments on the debt & survive.

I have gotten to the point where I feel horrible when I spend money on anything I don't need now....takes me back to the value system I had before I got married (just more proof that I never should have gotten married)

Getting so many posts on here I can't remember all the ideas! Did anyone mention shopping for cheaper phone service, auto insurance or homeowner's insurance?

I'm not a vegetarian, but I limit the amount of chicken, fish etc. that I eat. I eat a lot of eggs and beans to get protein because they are much cheaper.

I don't have a home phone. I use my cell phone and I have a plan that doesn't charge for incoming calls.

We just switched our alarm system to wireless which actually increases the monthly charge by $5 but doesn't require a land line, but then I switched the land line to Vonage which saves us $35 a month, so now I'm saving $30 every month.

here is my fav recipe, quick, cheap and lots of leftovers,
1 onion chopped, fry till translucent (1 Tb oil)
500g mince (i use beef) browned
2 cans lentils washed and drained
1 can kidney beans washed and drained (or use dried beans and lentils - even cheaper)
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cups frozen chopped 5 vegies (or fresh carrot, cauliflower/broccoli stems, celery etc... if you have it)

cook onion & mince in fry pan, add everything else, simmer 15 min
We eat dinner, 4 left overs with pasta, then I add a bit of water and freeze the rest as soup - 6 meals plus 6 soups for lunches from one pack of meat!