Im also a moocher. Some people just dont appreciate the things they have until its gone.
Get a library card. I love to read but im ired of buying books. the biggest library in my city has EVERYTHING i want.
Im also a moocher. Some people just dont appreciate the things they have until its gone.
Get a library card. I love to read but im ired of buying books. the biggest library in my city has EVERYTHING i want.
Last edited by golden41; 07-04-2008 at 08:53 PM.



service contracts and subscriptions...
#1 I called to cancel my satellite dish... they offered 1 full year at a 40% discount to remain. i took the bait.
#2 So I tried it with my high speed internet... they gave me a $15/mth discount and 2 months free to get through my 'hard times'... I didn't have hard times, but that was my excuse to ask to cancel... again, i took the deal.
#3 I called my cell phone provider and tried the same. $5/mth discount.
3 phone calls and I saved over $60/mth in doing so. expenses i'd be paying had i not called.![]()
Oh Canada, we stand on cars and freeze...





so, uh, what companies do you use?i'd be scared though that they wouldnt offer that and then what do you do? actually cancel your service? i wouldn't want to do that...
that reminds me, i rarely use my credit card these days, but i need to call and get a lower interest rate. my dad told me to tell them i'm going to close it bc i can get x rate with a diff card and they'll lower it. they should anyway, i almost always pay my bill in full and its always on time. i just havent used it in months til this past month when i had to bc my bank card was on hold since it was being used to pay for my surgery and the bank will only allow a certain amount to clear per 24 hours.
"
#2 - water! - we buy way too much bottled water. i'm going to invest in a good filter instead. i may still buy (in bulk) water bottles for taking to work, but that's it. (recommendations on filters would be great, actually). "
I just got on to my man about this. He drinks so much bottled water, filling our dumps with these never degrading plastic bottles and WASTING SO MUCH MONEY!! grrr. . . So I started saving his bottles, bought a water purifier, and now he fills the old bottles, refrigerates, and reuses
Also.... ebanned.com





i don't like generic lotion... it's worth the extra $2 to me to get the real thing.



* Like everyone else, I go for the generic brands of most foods.
* I never buy pre-sliced anything, or anything pre-packaged for individual servings. RIP OFF! Buy fresh foods in bulk, invest in a chopper (mine was only $10.00 at Target). Use what you need asap, and FREEZE THE REST! Freezing fruits and veggies also preserves their nutrients.
* Learn to sew. I can't stress enough how important it is to have knowledge of basic 'homemaking' skills. Those $70.00 costumes at the dance store? If you sew, you can make your own with $10.00 (or less) worth of material.
* DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN LABELS/STATUS SYMBOLS!!! Most 'designer' items aren't worth it, quality wise, so you're basically paying for a fancy tag. It's worth the $ if it's an investment - something high quality which you'll get good use of and which will last! If it doesn't fall under that category, find something comparable yet much cheaper.
* Entertain yourself on the cheap. I buy most of my books, cd's, and dvd's used, from places that buy/sell/trade. Full retail price? No thanks!
* I make my own smoothies, pasta sauces, etc. Waaay cheaper, not as time consuming as you'd think, and just as tasty.
* Buy in bulk!
* Big hint: Grocery stores which cater to latin American or south Asian communities often have bargain prices on fresh veggies and grains. Here in Texas, their gallons of milk are cheaper too.
* Learn to cook/bake. That $3.00 brownie at the coffee shop? For $3.00 you could make 2 dozen brownies!
* Castor oil and olive oil are amaaazing for hair. So skip those overpriced designer treatments from Sephora! Natural oils will work better anyway.
* Free workout! Wash your car yourself. Forget paying $15.00 at a car wash.
* We all like to smell good, but perfume is expensive! Lately I've opted for natural oils. Jasmine, rose, vanilla, and ylang ylang are traditionally 'sexy' scents you can get in oil form for under $10.00. And the scent lasts as long as perfume.
Definitely hit up the dollar store anytime you need like toilet paper, cleaning supplies (my dollar store even has non-chemical non toxic ones which is all I use cause of the puppies), salad dressings, tuna (seriously), mayo, condiments, pickles, magazines, whatever. Its been saving me a lot of money. Just moved somewhere with a dollar store around the corner last September and discovered the wonders.
I like to go out and won't ever be a total homebody, so I hit up places where my friends work and hook me up or happy hours. Total money saver there. Now not healthy, but tonight my man and I went out and got 15 wings and a half pound of Buffallo shrimp and drinks for 30 dollars WITH a 25% tip. SRSLY, cant beat that.


I've just read the whole thread, but over a few hours, so forgive me if I repeat anythingL
- I totally second the water filter thing - I had awful pipes in the my last house, and couldn't stomach the tap water, so I bought a Durand ceramic gravity feed filter , which I LOVE, and has made us all drink so much more water, and paid for itself many times over. The replacement candles are $36 each, and you probably need to replace them about every 9-12 months with frequent use. Rad.
- Porridge - when I was a kid, I hated the stuff, but I now realise, it's incredibly good for you - slow release Low GI, and CHEAP! Oats, and water. Heat, and serve with fresh fruit over the top.
- Farmers' Markets After dallying with Raw Food for a while, it became obvious to me that living only off fresh produce can be really expensive. Especially when it's good quality, well coloured produce. None of this Coles crap, or Woolworths...
If you go directly to the farmers, you will find fantastic produce, and at really great prices. Plus, you are putting the money right into the growers' pockets instead of some giant company to marks it up for you anyway. Support the little guy!
- Olive oil is a great hair treatment.
- Oatmeal/Almond meal and milk (you can get bulk skim milk powder in the supermarket) as a face scrub. It's mild and cleansing, and really really cheap.
- Save your $$$ for mid season / end of financial year sales. I like to do this...when I'm not unfortunately moving house at the same time! Lots of clothes, for CHEAP! I actually recently went to the DFO (direct factory outlets for those of you who aren't familiar) during financial year sales, and got some things that were reduced 3 times over! So cheap...
For me, most of my money goes on food and coffee, or occasionally wine. I only realised this after keeping a money journal...which I would reccommend to anyone who can't work out where all their money is going!!
Oh, and also: ebay, etsy, op-shopping, garage sales, co-ops, the trading post, aaaaaaaand swap meets. Awesome!
My 2 cents. Maybe 7897432060 cents, but hey.![]()
Last edited by Zoe_en_Australie; 07-15-2008 at 05:54 AM. Reason: Formatting & links
rock on gold dust woman,
take your silver spoon,
and dig your grave...





^Hey, on the topic... where the fuck are the swap meets in this country?
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success





Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success
This is a huge one! I looove the library. With my library, you can order things from any branch online. So whenever I see something on the internet I want -- a book recommendation, a CD box set, a DVD -- I order it from the library. Most of the time it gets to my local branch in about a week or so... I only have it for about 3 weeks so I make sure to read it quickly... and then bam, it's not cluttering up my house and I keep track of my reads on an app on facebook. Much better than paying $15-25 for something I'll only read once!
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