Cheap Living
Cheap living isn’t for stingy people anymore. With the economy down and the future uncertain, everyone needs to save all the money can. Thankfully you can do a lot to help yourself do just that. You just need to know where to find dirt cheap prices on one hand, and stretch your dollars to the max on the other.
Here are our favorite cheap living tips.
If you can build it, don’t buy it.
Why pay for a $500 dining table set when you can build one yourself? If you have woodworking skills, you can buy all the materials and equipment you need at a hardware store. Compare the prices of each store you know carefully. Compare the total costs of building with the furniture you see for sale elsewhere. If you can build several pieces of furniture for very cheap, you’ll save hundreds of dollars.
Combine your trips
How many times did you have to drive to the store just for a stick of butter? Be organized. Put together a to-do list and combine errands to save on gas mileage.
Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk is usually cheaper. Especially if you know where to go. A good place to find dirt cheap prices is a Costco warehouse. You’ll find common household goods sold in bulk there, as well appliances and other items you won’t find anywhere else. Look around though because not all Costco branches are the same. Some carry more goods than others.
Buy cheap gas
Some places offer cheaper refueling than others. Again, Costco is a good choice. You’ll shave quite a bit of dollars each month by using their gas stations each time. It’s well worth the $50 membership fee.
Get down on the hand me downs.
Expecting a baby? Don’t head down to Babies R Us just yet. Look to your friends and relatives for those hand me down. Ask anyone who’s ever had a baby. Ask them for anything – old baby clothes, baby seat, crib, breast pump, pregnancy books, etc.
Borrow the books.
Why buy when you can borrow? The really cheap stuff is free! Need a book? Go to the library. If the book you’re looking for is not in your local library, do an online search at their site. It may be available in another branch. Read their rules and regulations online for due dates and penalties for damaged/overdue books. Some libraries won’t even charge you for overdue items. Just return yours on time so you maintain a “good borrower” standing.
Get free access
The library is useful for more than just books. Quite often you can get free internet access there if you’re a member. You may also get free printing, or limited free printing (say, first 10 pages). In that case, print only up to the limit each time you go there. This saves you on buying paper and ink cartridges for your own at home (if you have one).
Use cable television.
And last of our cheap living tips: Skip the theater! Cable gives you more for your money than DVDs or the theatre. Why pay $20 for you and your date to see a movie once? Why buy a DVD set for the same amount? You can get movies either free or very cheaply from your cable provider. They will play the movies several times and if “on demand,” you can even pause or restart if needed.
