How do you save money?

[Mr. Wizard]

Everything is so damn expensive that I don’t know how anyone is making ends meet. I just won some money and paid off all credit cards and two vehicles so that helped but I made enchiladas tonight and it cost 22.00! You can’t make a trip to sams without dropping several hundred. Eating out, OMG ! Anyways how do you guys/gals save money on life ?
What are your hacks?

[Spott]

Originally Posted by crayzkirk

Don't eat out very often.
Cut the cable bill.
Thermostat @ 78 in summer, 66 in winter.
Don't buy anything on credit except your home.
Drive older cars until they rust away.
Learn how to fix the things you have.

I keep my thermostat at 78 all year round, but that temperature actually feels cool in Florida. If I lived up north, I’m sure 78 would feel pretty warm.

[Mr. Wizard]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Two car payments?

Oh I forgot, most Americans just expect for each person in the house to have a car payment.

Two kids in college that’s 2 car payments. Wife doesn’t want to drive a junker that’s 3.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

I'm putting my daughter through college. Basically $3K a month. 1 more year and she's done. Paying cash as we go so it's tight but all good

[RunKC]

Working from home has saved me so much money. I used to commute 90 minutes total to and from the office each day. That was 450 minutes a week. No more gas, no more wear-n-tear on my vehicle.

I make lunch and coffee at home as well and that saves even more money. Yeah I'm never going back to the office again

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by FlaChief58

When I quit smoking 6 years ago, my smokes were $4.50 a pack. I saw them for $8.45 the other day if you buy two. I think about all the money I saved and then think of all the money I wasted on the damn things and kick myself in the ass.

I remember getting a carton of cigs back in the 80's for $8 a carton with easily available coupons.

Originally Posted by lewdog

Two car payments?

Oh I forgot, most Americans just expect for each person in the house to have a car payment.

I've been working remotely since 2015. My wifes car got totaled 3 months ago. We decided to go to one car only. No car payment but also no insurance costs.

[FlaChief58]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I remember getting a carton of cigs back in the 80's for $8 a carton with easily available coupons.

.

When I was stationed in Japan (late 80's), the commissary would occasionally have basics for $1 a carton, limit 4. The ex and I would each get our limit and be set for a couple months. Like a lot of smokers, I swore I'd quit ever time they'd go up in price. Although I tried multiple times, I wasn't successful. The combination of spending $50 a week and turning 50 finally gave me the motivation to put them down for good. Crazy thing is, even after six years, I still get the occasional craving for a smoke. I'll never give in, but it shows me just how addicted to them I was.

[BWillie]

Real GDP per capita did stagnate during covid but its now went up again. This means that on average we are better off now than we were in 2018.

https://www.multpl.com/us-real-gdp-p.../table/by-year

Real GDP per capita is a measurement of the total economic output of a country divided by the number of people and adjusted for inflation. It's used to compare the standard of living between countries and over time.

[Chief Pagan]

Originally Posted by SHOWTIME

If you are making a lot of money and are living paycheck to paycheck, it means your expenses are too high and you need to cut down.

If you are not making a lot of money and are living paycheck to paycheck, I feel for you. Find a way to generate passive income or start a side hustle. There are plenty of ideas on Youtube, etc.

I agree with this.

I went to college and my career income has gone up faster than my expenses.

My living standard for the most part doesn't look all so much different than when I was in college. I mean I'm not afraid to occasionally spend money. As I got older, I started buying VIP tickets for music festivals just to have a place to sit down and have a better time.

But, for instance, the house and furniture I have isn't all so different than what I might have had in college (a little nicer). Just that now I own everything outright (no mortgage).

I'm more likely to spend $100 in a cocktail bar than lunch, but don't do that too often.

But mostly eat out at the same type of places I would have in my twenties.

[KCJake]

Basically man, no matter what I did, I didn't start saving money until I started making really good money. And now ... I still can't save money. I don't have any answer for you, sorry

[BWillie]

I've always been pretty good with money, mainly because I'm cheap and don't care about societal norms such as being pressured into having kids, buying certain shit, and spending money on things that don't matter. I've always just put aside x amt of money each month in case of emergency...not because it was good financial strategy because it really isn't but just for my own peace of mind.

My entire 20's I had roommates that helped me pay off my initial house quickly. When my friends were single and paying $2000 rents, I was MAKING money by simply living in a 4 bedroom home. Then I invested in cheap rental properties. Quit my real job, started playing poker professionally and invested into crypto that ballooned (got lucky here). Paid off almost all the rental properties and sold them, now have financial advisor. Not having kids is a big key. Not just buying stuff because society tells you to. I didn't ever even have a car payment until 2018 when I bought my Telsa. Before that I drove shitty used cars and the only reason I bought a Tesla is they offer free supercharging (free gas for life, a cheap asses dream).

The key is properly investing and not spending on frivolous stuff until you actually are able to do so. I was even this big of a cheap ass when I was in college and I would bring in little bottles of vodka and just get the free sprite. Drank for $5 all night while my friends were paying $150. Being a cheap gypsy is just in my blood, my family tree.

[R Clark]

Work seven days a week at least twelve hours a day for 25-30 yrs

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by crayzkirk

Don't eat out very often.
Cut the cable bill.
Thermostat @ 78 in summer, 66 in winter.
Don't buy anything on credit except your home.
Drive older cars until they rust away.
Learn how to fix the things you have.

If you simply just don't have kids you don't have to do any of that shit...and more. Unless your biggest dream in life is to have children (I guess that is the biggest dream for most people) I don't know how you can financially justify it. I don't know how families do it. It's just exponentially expensive. The extra food, extra cars, extra insurance, extra space, extra toys/phones/shit, college, extra medical insurance. Perhaps if you want kids, just having one is the solution that way you don't have children in the home that long.

If you have kids, you DEFINITELY have to use alot of your free time doing everything around the house. Put up fences, paint your own house, finish your own basement, fix your own cars, mow your own yard, shit like that. That's probably the best way to save money in todays world.

I found the key to happiness for me at an early age is to be free of doing anything I don't want to do. That means not doing anything on my own, ever. Always hire that shit out. The time and stress you save is worth it.

[Skyy God]

1) No kids

2) Less car and house than you could afford. My 1625 square foot MCM house in a nice neighborhood is plenty.

3) Don’t spend more $$ because business is going well. Just buy what you need. Am enjoying the shit out of a new $180 Costco leaf blower.

4) Most girls I date pick up some tabs.

5) Rescue dogs are $200-300. Both have been chill, well behaved purebreds. Spend a few $$s on training.

6) Hire stuff out where your expertise is zero. Far better to go in the office, work extra, and make the money to pay professionals.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by scho63

I have no idea how a family of 5 with 3 teenagers can afford things making less than $150k a year. Prices of everything for families has gone through the roof.

They don’t spend money on cigars, booze, $100 Olive Garden lunches, and whores.

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by BWillie

If you simply just don't have kids you don't have to do any of that shit...and more. Unless your biggest dream in life is to have children (I guess that is the biggest dream for most people) I don't know how you can financially justify it. I don't know how families do it. It's just exponentially expensive. The extra food, extra cars, extra insurance, extra space, extra toys/phones/shit, college, extra medical insurance. Perhaps if you want kids, just having one is the solution that way you don't have children in the home that long.

If you have kids, you DEFINITELY have to use alot of your free time doing everything around the house. Put up fences, paint your own house, finish your own basement, fix your own cars, mow your own yard, shit like that. That's probably the best way to save money in todays world.

I found the key to happiness for me at an early age is to be free of doing anything I don't want to do. That means not doing anything on my own, ever. Always hire that shit out. The time and stress you save is worth it.

You seriously sound like a miserable individual.