[Knotbored]

I read all these useful tips but don't find the most obvious one (for me.)
Within 50 miles of me I found (at leaste) seven discount food stores (dented cans/ fire sales/ railroad crashes/bankruptsies etc.)
These stores always have food bargains, tools and furnature at between 1/3 and 1/2 usual prices.
Example-last week I bought a case of 12 cartons of chicken stock (cardboard cartons) for $6, canned tomatoes (in glass jars) for 3 for a dollar, a half dozen boottles of various marinades and chilli sauces for a half dollar each (the list goes on and on.) None of these was past the sales date, and none of the cans were dented.

There also are several bread outlets that sell all the bread returned from the delivery trucks (unsold but fresh) for about 1/3 off, and day old for 2/3 off. I use the day old for immediate use, save or freeze the fresh stuff.
Note- I and wife are retired but are lucky enough to have an adequate income. We search for bargains mostly for entertainment value. My wife is an exelent cook, and we eat better (and cheaper) then anyone I know.

[Knotbored]

I failed to mention that we are near the Canadian border and the parking lots are filled with Canada license plates of folks stocking up with caseloads of inexpensive products.

Also-I have a house with pantries and adequate storage for case lots of goodies, and I recognise anyone with an apartment or smaller home has storage problems even if they can find bargains.

[jonasdatum]

Originally Posted by Knotbored

I read all these useful tips but don't find the most obvious one (for me.)
Within 50 miles of me I found (at leaste) seven discount food stores (dented cans/ fire sales/ railroad crashes/bankruptsies etc.)
These stores always have food bargains, tools and furnature at between 1/3 and 1/2 usual prices.
Example-last week I bought a case of 12 cartons of chicken stock (cardboard cartons) for $6, canned tomatoes (in glass jars) for 3 for a dollar, a half dozen boottles of various marinades and chilli sauces for a half dollar each (the list goes on and on.) None of these was past the sales date, and none of the cans were dented.

There also are several bread outlets that sell all the bread returned from the delivery trucks (unsold but fresh) for about 1/3 off, and day old for 2/3 off. I use the day old for immediate use, save or freeze the fresh stuff.
Note- I and wife are retired but are lucky enough to have an adequate income. We search for bargains mostly for entertainment value. My wife is an exelent cook, and we eat better (and cheaper) then anyone I know.

Unfortunately there are a few discount stores around me; most sell toiletry and sanitation items. "There are none that sell discount groceries!" I don't by canned vegetables or fruits. The lowest I'd buy under normal circumstances are frozen vegetables and in dire situations frozen fruits. Canned foods normally have preservatives, thus an increase of sodium and/or suger. I try to have about 12 days worth of canned goods in emergency reserve. You are fortunate, good luck and thanks for the data.

[jonasdatum]

Originally Posted by Knotbored

I failed to mention that we are near the Canadian border and the parking lots are filled with Canada license plates of folks stocking up with caseloads of inexpensive products.

Also-I have a house with pantries and adequate storage for case lots of goodies, and I recognise anyone with an apartment or smaller home has storage problems even if they can find bargains.

"That depends on a number of variables."

[jonasdatum]

Money Saving Tip: Consider buying a used car.

[jonasdatum]

Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Hearing on Credit Card Practices
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing on "Credit Card Practices: Fees, Interest Rates and Grace Periods."
3/7/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 2 hr. 47 min.: C-SPAN Radio
javascriptlayClip('rtsp://video.c-span.org/15days/e030707_creditcard.rm')

Linda Sherry, Consumer Action, National Priorities Director also discusses the policies of credit card companies regarding rates, fees and disclosure practices. Those topics were discussed at a Senate hearing this week featuring the heads of three credit card issuers. Consumer Action, along with other consumer groups, issued a statement this week calling on Congress to impose more oversight on card issuers.
3/10/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 30 min.
javascriptlayClip('rtsp://video.c-span.org/15days/wj031007_sherry.rm')

- I listened to this and have a question I wish to ask after you've listen to it. My question is "does Ms. Clayton think the bulk of the us population is that careless with credit cards." The way she speaks makes you believe she feels that the general public is to stupid to say "no I don't need that 50 inch $7,000 plasma TV, but I have a credit card so it's all good."

This guy says essentially the opposite:

Ken Clayton, American Bankers Association, Director of Card Policy discusses the policies of credit card companies regarding rates, fees and disclosure practices. Those topics were discussed at a Senate hearing this week featuring the heads of three credit card issuers. ABA is a trade association which includes credit card issuers.
3/10/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 28 min.
javascriptlayClip('rtsp://video.c-span.org/15days/wj031007_clayton.rm')

- "What say you; Do you agree more with Mr. Clayton or Ms. Sherry?"

[jonasdatum]

Money Saving Question: What are the most efficient ways you save money?

I save the most money in the area of sanitation, toiletry, laundry products. Discount stores help. Although some price browsing works to. Discounts on fare to high quality, but also on some generic brands. One example being tooth brushes. Some cheap tooth brushes have done a better job on my mouth than some name brands, you learn this via trial and error. Once you learn which tooth brushes work the best you try to stick with them. However, I don't spend money on cheap toothpast! Remember quanity is one thing, quality is absolute. If the generic brand performs as well as the name brand, then I'll buy it. More often than not it doesn't.

[jonasdatum]

House Hearing in Government Sponsored Housing Enterprises
The House Financial Services, Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcmte. had a hearing on proposed revisions and reform of government-sponsored housing enterprises. Witnesses talked about management of federal housing assets and mortgage administration, transparency in business decisions by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the current state of the housing market.
3/12/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 2 hr. 15 min.

Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Cmte. Hearing on Mortgage Market Turmoil
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) examines turmoil in the home mortgage market during a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Cmte. The chairman is expected to look at the increase in home foreclosures and solutions for the problem. CEOs of the top five housing lenders testify.
3/22/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 3 hr. 3 min.

Doug Duncan, Mortgage Bankers Association, Chief Economist
Doug Duncan, Mortgage Bankers Association, Chief Economist, offers his perspective on the subprime loan market.
3/17/2007: WASHINGTON, DC: 27 min.

- A bad investment is an investment you don't understand. As I advised with credit cards, do your homework.

Investopedia.com Search: "Mortgage."

http://www.investopedia.com/search/r...gage&submit=Go

- Towards the bottom of the above link, check the "Articles" section.

[jonasdatum]

http://www.cfsa.net/saving_tips.html

Some of my favorites from this link:

8. Avoid debt that does not help build long-term financial security. For example, avoid borrowing money for things that do not provide financial benefits or that do not last as long as the loan. Examples include: a vacation, clothing, and dinners out in restaurants. Examples of debt that helps build long-term financial security include:

* Paying for a college education (for you or your child)
* Buying or remodeling a house
* Buying a car to get to work

9. Save your change at the end of the day. Take that change and deposit it into the bank (every week or month).

- I already touched this on two threads. Money that isn't being spent and/or isn't invested is money that depreciates in value. There is a difference between borrowing for education, a home, a "needed" vehicle and spending money on crud! For example, you may want those new of expensive sneakers that people percieve as cool, but do you really need them?

14. If you are interested in learning about investing, you might want to consider an investment club. The National Association of Investment Clubs (NAIC) is the corporation that supports this investment style. Investment clubs are groups of people who work together to understand the process and value of investing even small amounts of money (as little as $5-$10).

- Buy a good book, join a good club, do something!

4. If you use check-cashing stores regularly, you might be paying $3 - $5 for each check you cash. This can easily add up to several hundred dollars in fees every year. Consider opening a checking account at a bank or credit union.

- I know many people who don't have a checking account. Many don't have bank accounts because they are in debt. Others don't have the formal documentation to obtain one (no ID see my identity theft thread).

1. Consider your needs vs. your wants. Think about items you purchase on a regular basis. These add up. Where can you save?

* Do you eat out at restaurants a lot?
* Can you cut back on daily expenses, such as coffee, candy, soda, or cigarettes?
* Do you have services you do not really need, such as cable television or a cell phone?

- You don't need cigarette, you are addicted to a drug! Coffee is full of a drug, I hear people say all the time "I need my coffee." You are addicted to a drug, get some professional help. Most people don't need cable/sat TV, granted there is a wealth of useful information - play a video game, read a book, rent the DVD, excerise, etc. As for the cell phone that isn't a bad thing. Many people I know only have a cell phone - no land line. I remember when there was a blackout in my town. LOL, I was one of the few that had an old-school telephone that worked when you pluged it in. Gave one to an old neighbor and my elder has a few in the closet.

[jonasdatum]

Originally Posted by jonasdatum

Same here dude. I rarely use the dryer. Only exception is when I wash comforters and blankets. Or if I really need the clothing dry by the next day. Otherwise sunlight works great!

You have to be careful with drying via sunlight. Sunlight has a natural bleaching effect clothing and [from what I remember] fabrics.

[jonasdatum]

Originally Posted by Stoner

Doing your own haircuts........................


seriously ..................

Tried that with cheap clippers. LOL, went to work and got laughed at all day by my coworkers. Didn't bother me, I tried, I failed, but money needs to be made and bills need to be paid! If you knew where I worked you would understand why it didn't bother me.

[jonasdatum]

10 Tips: Resolutions for saving money
Save some green in 2007 with these simple ideas
By Laura T. Coffey
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 1:25 p.m. ET Dec 29, 2006

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16369214/

4. Pay ahead on your mortgage. By paying an extra $100 a month toward the principal on a $150,000, 30-year mortgage with a fixed interest rate of 6.5 percent, you’ll save more than $51,000 in interest and be able to retire your mortgage nearly seven years early. An extra monthly payment of even $20 or $25 can make a surprising difference. Granted, you’d stand to benefit more if you could invest that extra payment in an interest-bearing account offering a guaranteed higher rate of return than your mortgage rate. And paying off your mortgage early means you won’t have the tax benefits of home ownership for the same number of years. But if you’re after the psychological benefit of owning your home outright and spending far less on interest over time, then the extra-payment approach is the way to go.

Didn't think about this one, makes perfect sense.

April 4th Tuesday 2007 - Friends and associates are always a good way to save money. Ran into a neighbor telling me about yet another state tax rebate that I should have recieved. So now I have to call my municipal government and see how come I didn't get money back. We're not close or anything, but she cared enough to give a crud! If it wasn't for this person I would be some $400+ poorer.

[jonasdatum]

Money Saving Tip: Don't mix cereal and milk. Eat the cereal then drink milk. The reason is this; look we've all been kids once. I personally never liked it when an elder ordered me to drink the milk I mixed my cereal in. Frankly I knew few kids that did, the taste is often horrible.

[jonasdatum]

Money Saving Tip: Don't use all the lights in that ceiling fan or chandelier.

[jonasdatum]

Money Saving Tip: Free software, if you have only moderate PC security concerns then going free is a great alturnative. Paying $25-$50 every year or every other year is a pain. Goto www.download.com.

On my old Emachine I have Avast Antivirus installed. I was going to install PC Tools Antivirus Home Edition, but according to reviews it eats up to much a systems resources.