It's Friday!

[doodlebug 3]

Whenever I've been in a bind here are things that I did:

1) traded in my beloved red toyota sierra for a slightly used (not even 1,000 miles on it!!!) toyota matrix. This allowed me to not only pay off the car loan and own the newer car BUT it also saved me approx $50/week on gas and that was back when gas was only slightly over $2/gallon! It was a blow to my ego but in the end the best decision I have ever made.

2) consolidated my internet/cable tv/phone into a bundled plan. -----i'm thinking of doing this again but this time doing satellite/vios/cellphone once my contract with cingular is up.

3) moved my mortg payment up to the last possible day i can pay without incurring a late charge. this gave me approx two more weeks of my money. you're in a rental situation though so not sure if you can do this at all.

4) utilities were my last priority for payment. I would pay them but only when I absolutely had to i.e. they were gonna shut me off if I didn't and then only enough to keep it going. I did this because they don't appear on your credit report so no harm is done to your credit at all.

5) only pay minimum on the credit cards until you have enough cash to breath (this is normally BAAAAD advice but we're talking sink or swim situation not long term financial planning right now)

6) make your own coffee and bring it in a travel mug instead of doing dunkin's or starbucks and definitely bring your own lunch. That's an easy $70/week savings right there for me.

7) whatever you can stand buying in no name brands, do it and go to the cheapest ever grocery store you have. For me it's Market Basket shopping as opposed to Whole Foods. It's a joke with my daughters and I that when we head into Market Basket the kids go ,"uh oh mom's low on cashola this week!!!"

8) keep eating out at a bare minimum. Don't totally deny yourself but instead of a few nights/week make it a few nights/month and then it will seem like more of a treat.

I'll think of others later but that is all I can think of for now.

[sarah and hicham 3]

Hicham and I spend a loooot of money on dining out and we are really working on eating at home more often. Starbucks is a killer along with going out to lunch while at work. Bringing a lunch is so much cheaper! If you do eat out then save your left overs for lunch the next day so you get two meals out of one.

I know it's not fun having a roomate but if you interview enough people to find the right person then it could really work in your favor both financially and socially. It might help you feel better and get out more and have someone to hang out with!

[hollyw 0]

7) whatever you can stand buying in no name brands, do it and go to the cheapest ever grocery store you have. For me it's Market Basket shopping as opposed to Whole Foods. It's a joke with my daughters and I that when we head into Market Basket the kids go ,"uh oh mom's low on cashola this week!!!"

8) keep eating out at a bare minimum. Don't totally deny yourself but instead of a few nights/week make it a few nights/month and then it will seem like more of a treat.

These two things have realllllllllly helped me save more money (and when I'm low on cash, I go to Market Basket too! it's the cheapest around here...). Some other things I try to do are:

- use up unused/unopened lotions/chap sticks/body gels etc... I tend to go out and buy these things before i look to see if i have any at home and i have been able to live for a YEAR on the stuff that i already had under my sink

- if i desperately need new clothes, only shop the sale rack. i also shop in my own closet. things that i haven't worn in year i suddenly love again.

- bring leftovers to work for lunch, drink the free coffee, not the good stuff you have to pay for

- eat EVERYTHING edible in my cabinets before i go grocery shopping

- public transportation baby... if i can walk or take the train i do.. also, living in boston, it saves not only on gas but also $ for parking and is a lot less stressful

- we don't eat out. we eat out about once a month. that includes take out

- working at an investment firm in retirement services i should totally NOT be giving this advice or admitting that i do this, but when i'm really strapped for cash i reduce the percent taken out of my paycheck for my 401(k) by 1%... it's not much, but it gives you some room to breath... but you have to make sure that you put it back up when you're ok again

if we were desperate for cash i would totally get a roommate. thats EASILY $600-$800 a month where we live AND you get to split the utilities with them. but then you're stuck with them if you emerge from your financial rut. but it might be nice to have someone around.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

While sipping my hot chocolate I declare I am the master of saving money cuz I'm a poor college student. Hee Hee Hee

When I needed money I picked up a paper route as a substitute driver. Which means you get more money for every paper you deliver because you're subbing routes for people. You get to wear what you want, have your own hours, work when you want, and be your own boss. In one night substituting I can make $150 cash in hand because the driver you're subbing for pays you. Don't be a regular route delievery person because you have to work 7 days a week and it's balls to the wall. They're always needing breaks.

You're taxes will be filed differently so save every reciept on bags and bands you spend, and keep track of the mileage of you routes because you get .44 reimbursement for every mile and you're going to need that on the longer business routes.

Hope that helps. It's great in a pinch when you don't want the regular work for the man job and you need cash now type situation.

:dance:

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

some more stuff for jackie:

pay bills online if possible - that saves on stamps. also, i'm so cheap that when i do have to mail a payment, i'll send several payments worth to have a credit and not have to use a stamp the next month or so.

car trips - plan those - if you drive by the place you shop for food on the way to and from work, stop off on the way back from work and do your food shopping to save the gas from just going from home to there and back.

drink more water - it's cheaper than buying soft drinks etc.

winter is approaching - lower the thermostat and wear more clothes.

laundry - wash only full loads.

the phone ideas mentioned above are good - but also take a look at the plan you have for your cell. if you pay for 750 anytime minutes a month and only use 350, maybe switching to a plan with less minutes is a good idea financially.

getting rid of cable is a good idea if you don't watch it much. an inside tv antenna can pick up local channels.

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but if your divorce is final before the end of the year you'll have to claim filing single instead of married, which is a higher tax bracket. take this into account, it may well be worth going for a jan divorce date. a second job may well be a good idea, and change those deductions now to ease the pain of 15 april if the final date is before 31 dec.

[sarah and hicham 3]

I would never pay bills months in advance. Why would I want my money sitting with the gas company instead of in my bank account?

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

I would never pay bills months in advance. Why would I want my money sitting with the gas company instead of in my bank account?

in the case above i cited, that applies to the water bill (usually $40 a month) and the electric bill (50-150 a month depending on season). i don't believe i'll make .80 cents interest on $90 more in my account for one month.

[maggieNomar 0]

Good morning everyone!

Allousa, I really hope it's just what you said it was--a nasty rumor! Let's hope there's no truth to it and good luck!!!

awwww....I think the woman across the street had her baby last night. This morning I left to drop the kids off and when I got back there's a nana-looking woman sitting on the front steps with their 2 year old girl and a dog out in front that was never there before. (must be the nana's doggie) Reminds me of when my mom came over at 6am to be with my oldest so that I could go have my youngest daughter.

awww....I want a baby! It's weird seeing some of my friends having their first baby (some their second ) and some days I feel like I'm behind but no way in hell am I actually ready to have one yet....(is anyone ever ready???)

Nope! You just start to get ready when the baby is in your arms for the first time. And you figure it out day by day and year by year...and hopefully they grow up just fine, with no ill effects.

[hollyw 0]

winter is approaching - lower the thermostat and wear more clothes.

i do this... saves a bunch on oil. i also have a digital thermostat and i set it on a timer so it goes off while i'm sleeping and off while i'm at work.. i can set it to turn on a little bit before i wake up/get home from work so the house isn't freezing when i get home

[Ban Hammer 13,340]

winter is approaching - lower the thermostat and wear more clothes.

i do this... saves a bunch on oil. i also have a digital thermostat and i set it on a timer so it goes off while i'm sleeping and off while i'm at work.. i can set it to turn on a little bit before i wake up/get home from work so the house isn't freezing when i get home

i do that too, at night it drops to 62 and stays there for about 16 hours, then warms up just before nessa or i get home. i figure why bother heating the house up just for the 30-60 min we're here getting ready for work?

[doodlebug 3]

OH I forgot...if I didn't have to feed the kids I could totally do Ramen chicken soup or Kraft mac n cheese most nights for dinner!!!

[deadbird 2]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts & prayers still!

My grandmother did not have the second surgery as planned today. The doctor said he might hold off on the second one because it can be done with an endoscope (sp) at a later date (she still has a blocked bile duct). She had a real nasty infection too but I won't go into too much detail because it's dinner time and people are eating birthday cake and all that!

Things are looking pretty good but she's not out of the woods yet!

And Jackie--definitely be careful when you're filing taxes next year; my mom got socked with a whole bunch of taxes when I was no longer a full-time student and she couldn't file for head-of-household anymore.

And if you don't watch TV, there's always YouTube . We don't have cable. I can't think of much else for advice there that everyone else hasn't said already but I do know some real cheap recipes! Like egg drop soup...