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Originally posted by Sophie:
Quitting smoking is another biggie - a pack of fags is HK$32 (ummm, just over US$4), and one of those a day certainly hurts your bank account (not to mention your lungs, of course).

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The Dollar Stretcher is a good web site to check out for more ideas.

A book I found interesting was Your Money or Your Life and they’ve got a web site that has a good summaryof the book. This is one of the founding books for the simplicity movement. That magazine real simple is a marketing hoax.

As an avid reader I go to the library for most of my books. I realized I don’t re-read most fiction and the library has more space for storage than I do. I do tend to lurk at library book sales and goodwill type places & pick up random novels for $1-$2.

Edited even though this is already long to add:
I also shop at the discount bread place. On weekdays they give out extra stuff. So for $5 I end up with 2 or 3 months of bread & English muffins. Actually I get quite a lot of English muffins. They freeze well and I just defrost in the microwave & toast them. Also flour torteas freeze well and last a long time in the fridge.

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Originally posted by crowjoy:
Whah! I don't see anything!

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Bus/Subway: I get a student pass for $15/quarter (3 months). The only downside is the buses stop running around here at about 6 or 7 PM, so I have to borrow my boyfriend's car in the evening.

Dollar Store/Big Lots/Target (in that order): between the three of these, I can find almost anything I need, minus food.

Library: I can get books, movies, CDs. Bonus since my university has an awesome library, and the city library isn't too bad as well.

Lately, I've taken it upon myself to do some house cleaning, so I'm selling everything in my house that I'm not totally in love with and EBAY-ing it! I've made about $700 so far in the last month or so, not bad change! I've paid off my credit card and splurged on a few things (you gotta splurge!) I'm going for the minimalist approach these days. Trying not to fall victim to the fancy clothes, expensive car lifestyle.

My favorite thing to do relates to my job: I work for a credit union. Sure, as a non-profit organization, the pay is crap, but I get a free checking account, free checks, great hours (8-4:30 M-F) - and my boyfriend, as long as I'm on his acct, gets a free account and free checks

Drive slow and buy cheap gas.
Do you really need caller ID? Just use your answering machine to screen your calls.
If you're a crafty, crochet/knit/quilt blankets/afghans - and then turn down the heat.
Thick curtains help insulate your windows and save on utility bills.
Have a roommate, for pete's sake.
Automatic transfer/deductions from your account/paycheck are wonderful. They may cost a little to set up, but having the money set aside for you is so important.

Hm... DON'T BOUNCE CHECKS. Sure, cut your account down to 5cents, but is buying whatever worth the $25 bank charge + $25 store charge??

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Originally posted by Tigress:
... selling eggs/sperm is a good way to make money. Women need to seriously research this before doing it!!! Guys - you are lucky dogs :P

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-Air-drying your laundry (no I don't have a yard, I really do have a laundry line in my living room that I hang clothes in, but I started doing this more as a way to use less energy)

-Rarely buying things new (aka yard sales and ebay)

-Stories from people whom have driven more than 10 years and have NEVER paid for the cars that they drove

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Originally posted by xoe:
Lately, I've taken it upon myself to do some house cleaning, so I'm selling everything in my house that I'm not totally in love with and EBAY-ing it! I've made about $700 so far in the last month or so, not bad change!

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Originally posted by LittleRed:
OK, I'm so curious....are these surveys you get paid for? How can I find these people?!

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Also, if you're the cold type ... try an electric blanket. This is the first year I've had one and I don't know how I got through the winter without it! It doesn't use that much energy and makes going to bed so much better. I usually have it up 10 minutes before getting in, then I turn it way down, and then in the middle of the night I turn it off. Also, try using a humidifier. For some reason the dampness makes it feel not so cold.

Buy the chips at Costco. Keep them in a locked drawer of my desk (hey, they can't be TOO easy to get to) with a jar. Everytime I feel I must have some, I'll still get out the $0.65, but this time I'll put it in the jar instead of the vending machine. When I'm all out of chips, I'll take the money and buy more, and put the rest into the bank or some sensible thing like that.

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Originally posted by Lis:
naynay, does your bank link accounts?

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some of these are better than others. I'm going to give this list a month and see what happens.

there are a few other things I could do but don't want to:
Stop drinking organic milk/eating organic food
Sell one of my bikes
Sell the truck and have the two of us get by with one car
Download music instead of buying the CD's
Stop eating out altogether (must..buy...sushi)
Stop going to the chiropractor
Stop taking migraine meds (very pricey!)

i bring my lunch to work every day, i make my coffee at home, only go to matinee movies, dry the majority of my clothes on a clothes rack, etc. my s.o. and i rarely go out to eat, and when we do it's usually at a diner.

- You can save a lot on grocery shopping by making a few changes in your cooking: Start replacing most meat by tofu or dried lentils. Make a lot of soups. Bake your own bread and pizza dough (flour is really cheap if you buy it in bulk). Eat oatmeal in the morning instead of cold cereal (the bulk kind, not in individual portions. You can get the exact same thing in very big bags for 10% of the price).

- Look at student newspapers for guinea pigs advertisements. Psychology students often need "subjects" and will pay you a few bucks for doing all sorts of harmless things. Some people also do medical experiments, which are much more lucrative, but I don't think it's worth the health hazards.

- Don't buy clothes. Ever. Only buy extra underwear or socks when you only have three pairs without holes. Someday you'll have to replace your old clothes, but you can last at least a few years with the clothes you already own. To be honest, even when I was really poor, I'd splurge once in a while and buy some clothes (I spent about 50$ per semester, excluding winter boots and "school" shoes).

- If you take a lot of medication, always ask for the generic brand. That applies to everything, really. Generic brands are generally a good deal.

These are things I did at the beginning of my college life when I preferred to live frugally rather than get student loans.