Written by
Oddly enough, I have been tipping more when I dine out because I figure they make little enough as it is. That is my own way of "sharing the wealth."
I, too, buy store brands and have recently switched from diet Coke to store brand sodas and dramatically reduced the amount I was drinking.
My big money-saver this month is deciding not to buy an entry door for my mom. She has one that is hollow-core wood and not very safe. I could kick it in easily myself. So I got my brother to agree to pay half and Mom and I would split the other half. I thought the most it would be was $700-800 to buy the door and get it installed. Surprise! The cost came to $1100 to $1700, depending on the door style. So I almost made myself sick fretting about how I was going to pay my part and still buy groceries. I went back to the store and asked about a simple solid wood door. Just the door itself, unpainted and unstained, without installation, ranged from $600-$1300. So I talked it over with Mom and asked if she feels safe enough with the door she currently has. She said she is fine with it and doesn't want us spending a bunch of money on something safer, because she thinks anyone can find a way to get in anyway, if they really want to. So I emailed my brother and his wife and my sister and told them I vote that we cancel the door, and they agreed! Whew!
Really, things like that do make me sick. I feel totally responsible and fear it won't be done right or that someone will be displeased rather than feeling good about my altruistic efforts.
Carolyn
On the subject of finances, I'm sure we can all do with a tip. Mine is to cut down on phone usage, or use skype instead. It is much cheaper. Cell phones are very expensive, and call rates are astronomical. I don't think we should get rid of our phones, just stick to using them when you really need to.
Another thing is interest rates on Credit cards. Needless waste of precious dollars every month, up to 30% of your total bill in some cases. I have three of them. Slowly paying them back and trying not to use anymore. I cancelled 2 of them and now just paying them back. Bank fees and Interest Rates aren't good!
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
One option being talked about is to move from paying doctors and hospitals for each medical procedure and to pay instead a fixed fee per patient or a payment based on "value," according to the Congressional Budget Office [CBO]. It also suggests higher cost-sharing as a measure to combat the rising national health care costs. Options to save $500 billion via the House bill include trimming the projected increase in Medicare payments for medical service, not including doctors. It is not a stretch to say we're being rooked when we're asked to pay $50 for a box of tissues.
One strange tip I recently instituted in my own life was to tip wait staff and delivery people well but not excessively. I learned this recently when I hired an assembly service to send a guy to my apartment to put together the new desk I bought. I will not reveal the sky-high tip I gave him only to realize he screwed up and would have to come back out to fix his mistake. Two months later I discovered that when he turned the desk over to correct his first mistake he most likely rubbed the black desk against the blue wall because yesterday I found a line of black smudges on the wall next to the desk. Not only that in fixing what he did wrong the first time he broke something else, which I fixed as best I could myself rather than let him set foot in my apartment again.
This is admittedly an extreme example of how to save money however I estimate I could save $100 a year this way. Also, I buy cheap store-brand garbage bags and toilet paper and nobody is any wiser. I also cut down spending by dining out or ordering in food only twice a week. I would like to be able to treat myself only once a week yet with my busy schedule that just isn't possible.
One long-term savings you could also realize and protect the environment at the same time is to buy furniture you absolutely love and keep it longer instead of trading it in. A couch can be revived with a SureFit slipcover and some new pillows. I had one of those slipcovers and it looked fine covering the couch I had for 18 years before I moved out of the last apartment and bought a new one. Hey, when my brother and cousin carried it down to the curb, it was in good enough condition that someone saw the couch out on the street and took it home.
So keeping things in good condition preserves their value and could generate resale income on eBay too.
These are just some tips I can give you right now.
I'd like to hear from other people before commenting again.
Christina