Top 100 Ways to Cut your Spending
My parents were really conservative with their spending when I was growing up. That meant driving 30 year old cars and eating out once a year, if we were lucky. I decided to poke a little fun at living on the cheap with this list. Some entries are silly, others are serious. Nothing here is meant to be followed literarly but instead to give an example of how you can live without spending a whole lot.
1. Signal to buy new shoes: soles are cracked and about to fall apart.
2. Three staple foods: potatoes, eggs, and chicken.
3. Don't throw out your toothpaste tube until you absolutely, positively, can not squeeze a single particle of toothpaste out.
4. Instead of watching TV read a book, at the public library.
5. Strategy for filling your car up with gas: buy low, drive high.
6. Don't throw out your junk mail, use it as scrap paper (we don't recommend doing this with credit card applications because of identity theft.)
7. When you take a shower, set the timer to 25 seconds.
8. Discount shopping won't cut it, try dumpster diving.
9. Instead of an expensive game of golf try disc golf at a public park.
10. Send your food on a trip to the garbage because of mold, not staleness.
11. Get a cheap car wash by parking next to your neighbor's sprinkler.
12. Rooftops make for great views of outdoor concerts & other events -- for free.
13. If you have an expensive hobby, start a blog about it and get free samples from venders to review.
14. See #13 above, get a press pass to get free access to your favorite events; its not that much of a stretch, actually.
15. Attend local promotional events involving "free food" for a cheap meal. These include car dealerships, sales conferences, etc.
16. Use toilet paper, one square at a time. (On second thought, probably not.)
17. Check every soda/vending machine for spare change in the return.
18. Shop at the Goodwill; when the clothes are too worn out donate them back.
19. Next time you go to McDonalds, forget the burgers, and remember this: Ketchup packets + Hot water (from the bathroom) = tomato soup.
20. Use a clothesline to dry your clothes (the ones from the Goodwill.)
21. Need decorations for your apartment/home? Try garbage sculpture.
22. Radio, not CDs.
23. If your local pool charges admission try a pond.
24. Flush the toilet only when absolutely necessary.
25. For variety, eat a sandwhich upside down.
I need your help finishing this list! Send me your "money saving tips" and I will post them here, crediting you along with a link to your blog/website. Humor is appreciated, illegal activity is not ;) Send your e-mail to:
..