How to save money. Maybe this will seem obvious to some people, but from what I’ve seen in houses of people who are struggling, they don’t get it.

Number one rule—try to only buy things when they are on sale. And, if you have the space, stock up/buy in bulk. But be warned, make sure to price compare on bulk items—just because it’s bulk it doesn’t automatically mean it’s cheaper.

Clothing/Adornments
Don’t buy new clothing. If you must buy new Shabbos/Yom Tov outfits, don’t buy $200 outfits at Unique Boutique, buy $100 outfits at Syms or $75 outfits from Chadwick’s.

Don’t buy new shoes. Again, if you must, buy cheaper from Century/Syms/catalogues. Even try Payless if you like their selection.

Don’t buy cotton underwear for $6 a pair at Victoria’s Secret. You can get them for $1 a pair in packages from Hanes or Fruit of the Loom (yes, for women). You want fancy undies for hubby? Buy a couple of pairs and save them for special occasions. Cotton underwear is the healthiest for you anyway. The same with bras. You can get cheaper stuff at Century.

Don’t buy socks/stockings from the Sox Box (or whatever that store is called). Buy them at 99 cent stores.

Don’t buy (expensive) jewelry.

Grooming/Toiletries
Don’t wear (much) make-up. Don’t wear perfume. Don’t get expensive haircuts. Don’t get manicures. Don’t get salon dye jobs. Buy the cheapest soap and cheapest shampoo. Buy the cheapest tissues and toilet paper.

Entertainment/Electronics
Don’t buy an iPod. Don’t buy an expensive cell phone. If you must have a cell phone get the cheapest plan and try to only use it when minutes are free. Don’t have a long-distance calling plan if you rarely call distance (use a calling card instead). Don’t buy CD’s, books, or movies. Don’t go to the movies or shows. Don’t have cable. Shop around for the cheapest Internet deal; consider VoIp. Read newspapers online or get the Metro/AM New York for free. Don’t get too many magazine subscriptions.

Food
Tuna fish and macaroni are the cheapest foods available—eat lots of it. Don’t shop at the Orchard; shop around. Don’t buy fruits that are out of season. Buy frozen vegetables (they are cheaper than fresh and the debate about losing vitamins is far from settled). Don’t eat out. Don’t buy pre-made when you can make it for cheaper from scratch. Don’t drink Chalav Yisrael milk. Yes, that’s right, CY is much more expensive than non-CY.

Transportation
Shop around for car insurance. Don’t lease, and keep the car for as long as it costs less to repair than to replace. Don’t use the car that much—walk whenever you can. When buying a Metrocard make sure to buy at least $10 at a time so you can get the free ride; don’t buy individual rides. But calculate what will be the cheapest for you. If it’s the expensive monthly pass, find a way to buy it. Use your work’s TransitChek plan if they have it.

Utilities
If you have to pay for water/electric/gas, go to ConEd.com to find money-saving tips, which include turning off lights when you’re not in the room and turning off everything when you’re not home. Keep your thermostat set to 69 during the day and 65 at night.

Miscellaneous
Don’t have any pets. Reuse bottles/containers instead of buying Tupperware. Always get your 5 cent deposit back on soda cans and bottles. Clip coupons.

That’s all I can think of for now. Please, everyone share how you save money!

Seems like this was written to New Yorkers. Don't know of a Century around here...


Especially in Israel. They think they are doing YOU a favor by putting it in bulk packages, and you pay for that favor


Tuna is NOT cheap unless you buy it from Walmart or Target. Also, too much tuna is not good for you. Make suppers that blend protein, carbs, and veggies all in one dish. You get a wholesome meal, while taking smaller amounts of food (1 hefty portion instead of 3 nice sized ones), and able to use less meat and compensate with veggies, for example. Buy meat and chicken in family packs, and then portion them before placing in the freezer. Not only is it cheaper, but you are likely to get by with a little less (instead of 1.13 lbs, you can portion 1 lb. exactly)...get a food scale if you want to make sure.
Don't shop at stores that take WIC for foods that are on WIC when you don't have it. They have a tendency to jack up prices or never go on sale since the government will pay anyway.
Walmart and Target have great deals on off brand foods. They are just as good as the name brand stuff. And plenty of it have hechsherim. Buy generic.

If you drive, read about ways to economize fuel efficiency.

Transportation - ride your bike to work

Read periodicals online instead of paying for subscriptions.

A lot of things people pay top dollar for at retail stores can be had at dollar stores.

Century is not THAT cheap, it just has great prices for the designers that they sell.

1) No DSL at all
2) No makeup, mani's, waxes
3) I think an ipod in the long run is cheaper then buying cd's if you need to listyen to music
4)Deoderant? (like 5.99 for a can of arridXX these days...

Stay fit. You'll save big on medical costs in the long run.

If the toilet isn't really full, you don't really need to flush it just yet.

Instead of taking a bath and then showering, first take a shower but keep the drain closed. Then your bath is ready for you afterwards with no additional water needed.

Depends for what. Men's stuff is often very cheap, especially shirts. You can get a name brand shirt for $12.


Nobody needs to listen to music, but they do need deoderant.

BUDGET

Budget your food.
Budget your clothing.
Budget your entertainment.
Budget everything.

You can but they are FUGLY.

Do what they tell people going on a diet to- start writing down everything you spend. When it's all on paper, you'll see waht you actually need, and where/why to cut out.

Budgeting is a nice concept but unless you are a robot, it's practically impossible to do on a regular basis. It makes the assumption that costs are fairly consistent from period to period, which is sometimes true but not always. To be able to maintain an up-to-date budgeting plan that is both accurate and reasonable, and to be able to actually stick to it, is nearly impossible to do consistently.

It's fairly easy. I have been doing it for years.
I use a credit card for EVERYTHING, this allows me to very easily keep track of what is spent on what.
Obviously some months are going to be more than others for unforeseen reasons, but some will be less. You budget the average.

It's the same thing as dieting. You write down what you eat then you make yourself meal plans and you stick to it. The people that can do this lose weight, and the people that can't do this don't lose weight.

It's all about discipline.

Take advantage of card benefits. Don't overuse credit cards and be in debt, but many banks have check cards that can be used as "Credit" but still withdraw from the bank. This way, you can't spend what you don't have, but you can also use reward systems and save up for various cash or gift certificates.

Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). They use a fraction of the energy of and last ten times as long as an incandescent bulb.

The only caveat is that they may not be the most cost-effective choice for installations that are cycled on and off many times a day, as they use a disproportionate amount of energy on startup, like all fluorescent bulbs.

More tips:

Eat out - but on someone else's tab.

Unplug your fridge when you are not using it.

Fill up on gas every other week instead of every week.

Take showers together with other people, it's more efficient.

Marshalls is great too.

And I agree, the key is too budget.

We save receipts and at the end of the month, we split them into categories, and add them up.

See where all your money went.

Use an internet-based phone. Saves lots of money a month.
I agree with not buying much new clothing. One new outfit / suit every few years, and a couple of new skirts/shirts a year should suffice (for the women). Try not to wear out / lose socks or tights so you don't need to buy more.
Go away for Shabbos as often as you can. Saves a good $40 right there.
Direct Deposit your checks.

I don't agree, but even if it were true, them's the sacrifices you have to make in order to save money.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/

Seems reasonable but this is untrue - Shabbos/YT/Rosh Chodesh are "not in the cheshbon".

Well, technically, doesn't Hashem decide how much money you are going to make each year? I agree with the proper bitachon, one should never have to scimp on any spiritual aspects, but if we are not quite on that madreiga yet....

It's like this: Hashem decides how much parnossa we will get. Whatever we need, we will get. It's just a matter of HOW we'll get it, and are we using it for what we need.
Abe can be allotted 25K a year and Bert can be allotted 100K a year. Just because Abe can live off of 25K a year doesn't mean he doesn't have to think how the money is going to be spent. Bert's 100K might go far -- or it might not, again depending on how he spends it. Yes, he has more room for his hobby of collecting autographed baseballs, but eventually the money can run out if not used correctly.
Also, what we are allotted we have to be open to receiving. If we have a cup and want to catch the pouring rain, we will catch less than the person that takes out a pitcher, and even less than the person that takes out a trough. That is why a doctor might make more than a teacher -- his kli to receiving parnossa is bigger. That's where our hishtadlus comes in.

The money that is designated for kavod Shabbos is not a free for all. You can't buy a box of Cheerios, say I'm using this for Shabbos, and expect that to be free. It has to be something that would seriously impede your honoring Shabbos if you did without. If you wait for the meat to go on sale, and then buy it for Shabbos, you are showing you didn't really need it for your kavod Shabbos; kavod Shabbos is an excuse. These things vary from person to person, but it's not a carte blanche like some people make it out to be.

Sure. Just like anything you eat on Shabbos won't make you gain weight and/or won't hurt you with shidduchim.

You can't live like that. If you make (for example) $500 a week, you can't spend $500 for Shabbos and then assume that Hashem will provide for you for the rest of the week.

Don't eat out.

Walk.

Collect shmattas, try not to use paper towels.

Check your bills!
I just caught something weird on our EZ Pass account- we were getting charged for a commuter plan that we were no longer using. They are refunding us going back a few months!

I find that sometimes when people try to save a buck by minimizing on purchases of stuff they want, they often feel unsatisfied and then may even end up spending more in the long run to get back a feeling of contentment. So if you're going to cut your expenditures make sure to treat yourself to little things every once in a while to keep yourself content. ....May be that could be a thread of its own : best treats under 5 bucks..

Top #1 way to save money: Don't live in expensive cities like New York, London, etc.* (ETA:It's incredible how much more expensive NY is than Tokyo)

2. Don't live in places where you need a car to get around. And don't have one. Public transportation is better, cheaper, etc. *

3. Don't go to a gym. If you get rid of the car, you'll find yourself walking a lot and that's as good a workout as any. (and if you don't make it a point to walk for 1/2 hour a day)*

4. Don't buy any disposable items besides toilet paper.

5. Use an IP phone, and use the absolutely cheapest cell phone (assuming you need one).*

6. If you use credit cards, pay your entire balance at the end of the month.*

7. Never buy clothes, appliances, etc. on impulse. Sleep on any idea of buying something.*

8. If you have a library close by borrow books from there instead of buying and otherwise buy used books, and re-sell them unless you want to read them again.

9. Buy your music online for an ipod or else buy used CDs and re-sell your old CDs you don't listen to anymore.

10. Eat more fish, vegatables and pasta and less fleishigs.*

ETA: *stuff I do IRL.

Ouch, that's harsh. New clothing, and good quality clothing lasts longer and is important for your quality of life.

Tokyo???



http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/15/pf/most_expensive_cities/

Not in my experience.
Rent, for one is a lot cheaper in Tokyo than in NY.
Clothes are cheaper too, not to mention electronic appliances.

OK, so you can get cheap apples and melon in NY.

Fine you are right and the CNN study is wrong. (Women always have to be right)

Meat bought in bulk can come out a lot cheaper than fish and even veggies.

Buying a lot of meat (or fish) and storing it in the freezer for a long time is not a good idea imho.

Even though I'm on a fairly tight budget, there are certain things I do splurge on.

1. Decent toilet paper (the really cheap stuff is scratchy)
2. Ice cream (but only when it's the frozen yogurt type and on sale)
3. Fruits (it's important for my health)
4. Netflix (it's cheaper than going to the movies plus the instant watch feature is awesome)
5. The gym (I could go at school but my gym is nicer)

That's all I can think of for now. However what's important is that the amount I work per week these days is not predetermined. If I want to splurge a little more, I earn enough more money that week to afford it. If you're earning a set amount per month, it's a little different.

How is it harsh to say to buy clothes from Chadwick's and Syms? I buy from both those places and I have nice, new, good quality clothing that has so far lasted 10 years.

Bad advice. I'd rather skimp in other areas in order to be able to buy fresh veggies and decent food. I'm not saying you should eat beef every day, but neither should it be tuna and 'macaroni' 4 days a week*. Even if you're a poor student.
Oh, and people who keep CY won't quit just because it's more expensive.

Easy savings- make your own challah if, unlike me, you're a half decent baker. Make your own dips.

*unless you're completely broke...

Or do without them. I never cease to be amazed at how expensive a small container of tuna fish can be. Or ten pieces of herring.

1. To whomever said that keeping a budget is impossible-- soooo wrong. You just have to be super-careful. You establish in advance what your fixed costs are, see how much money left you have to spend, and decide how much of that you actually will spend. Divide that by week or day, and there's how much money you have left to spend on other things. The point is, you don't spend and then tally; you tally and then spend.

2. Check circulars before doing grocery shopping. Plan menus around what's on sale, or while you are at the store. Add up grocery bill mentally while shopping (huge pain in the neck, but makes a tremendous difference), and don't go over the set budget. You will realize how many extras you actually buy.

3. Frozen veggies are by no means cheaper than fresh, as long as you buy the fresh ones that are in season, and the cheaper ones. Don't make complex salads, don't buy gourmet or organic veggies, don't buy bagged lettuces. It's totally possible to eat healthy on a budget. It won't be that interesting or as much fun as if you spent a lot of money, nor will you be able to be all that creative, but it's certainly doable.

4. Beans. Rice. Pasta.

5. Limit cheeses, meats, processed or frozen anything, packaged snacks. Buy meats and poultry on sale and freeze.

6. Limit paper good usage.

Prioritise. Realistically, you are never going to be like that woman who ran the Tightwad Gazette and worked out how little detergent she could get away with. Decide which treats you really want, and budget for them appropriately.

Food: It's fine to buy a month or two of meat if you have a deep freezer. Do buy fresh fruit & veggies but shop around and find out which stores have good prices. Agreed on stretching meat, also on not overusing tuna (especially for little kids b/c of mercury). Plan your menus so leftovers don't go to waste. For example, you make roast chicken--plan for the extra to go into salad or sandwiches or to be mixed with sauce for another meal if your family is small. Learn which cuts are cheaper and how to cook them. You can pot roast chuck (there are various types of chuck pot roast) as well as brisket and at kosher butchers, the chuck is usually cheaper. If you use a lot of rice or pulses, look at ethnic grocery stores so you can buy large quantities in bulk. If you have the time to cook them, dried beans are a lot cheaper than canned, and provide great bang for the buck.

Don't make false economies, and always weigh your choices. Cheap clothes can wear out faster, so work that in to your calculations. if you can, spend the extra on the most energy efficient appliances you can. With high fuel and water prices you'll come out ahead fairly quickly. I would also recommend not buying the cheapest shampoo, detergent et cetera; sometimes, you get what you pay for. Don't pay extra for a fancy brand name, but don't be penny wise and pound foolish either.

Ahem.

Duh. oops. large quantities cheaply.

Also, one thing: don't buy cheap shoes unless they're only for show (special event type shoes). If you're really wearing them (or they're your kids' regular shoes) spend the extra and get something decent, because you can really kill your feet with some cheap shoes. It's better to have one good pair than 3 cheap ones.

only withdraw cash from your bank's ATMs

Did you mean:

Only WITHDRAW cash from your bank's ATMs.
Withdraw only CASH from your bank's ATMs.
Withdraw cash from only YOUR bank's ATMs.
Withdraw cash from your bank's ATMs only (as opposed to the tellers).

Please clarify.

Any way you shake it, it's a useless suggestion.

this one. you pay an extra fee otherwise

Also, don't take cash out via your credit card

you forgot don't give money to strippers

I wish I could ride my bike to work.
I don't read periodicals, so that saves $
That's true about retail vs. dollar stores





Will it save money even if one doesn't have internet. Our phone bill is about $13/month, can it get cheaper?
How does Direct Deposit save money over manual deposit?


This has happened to me so many times. Phone bills are notorious for putting on fees that don't belong and when you ask why they say "I don't know I'll remove it"


2. Not where I live.
5. Why does one need a cell phone at all?
6. How many people really don't pay the balance at end of month?
9. Why is music or Cds an 'expense' if you ask me it's a luxury.


We make our own challah, but no dips - I find no one eats them with homemade challah and they go to waste.





I was also confused.


I don't even know how to take cash out on a credit card?

Sign up for a Health Savings Account (if your health insurance is high deductible.)
Sign up for free credit card bonuses (if you don't need your credit score any time soon)
Split a membership at a wholesale club with a friend or family (Costco, BJs, Sams, etc)
Use a high interest savings account instead of crappy big branch banks

What is a Health Savings Account?
Do you have any idea for high interest savings account? The one you gave me last time, reduced the interest rate and now it's the same as any other bank.

Are you allowed to google things?
https://www.fnbodirect.com/01d/html/en/