Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

Where are you cutting corners to save money? And not necessarily like DIYing projects, more like, instead of Starbucks every week you're making coffee at home or something.

Last night I was wokring on my Excel Budget sheet and choked up at how much money we need. We're not crazy in debt, but I don't want to drain my savings account either, I would like something left over after the shindig!

Any tips or suggestions would be great.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

We eat in more now. I bring lunch to work every day! I make coffee at home! I do not shop at all! (It's killing me.) I may have to give into that soon! We rent movies and go to the movies less! Its been working great for us so far! Good luck!

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I used to go shopping twice a week, but not anymore. Instead of going out with the girls once a week I go every other week, we dont eat out that often anymore, we stay in a lot, rent movies, I started cutting coupons,nothing big, but a lot of little things, and honestly that have started to add up.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

We've cut down on 'going out' a lot. We used to go to a nice dinner once a week by ourselves or with friends, followed out by a lounge/club/bar etc, but now we go out every other weekend and meet everyone out instead of spending the whole night spending money with them.

We eat in a lot more - either I cook, his mom cooks and I eat there, or my mom cooks and we eat at my house.

We're taking PT or carpooling as much as possible to save on gas.

We moved most of our money into a High Yield Account to earn a lot more interest than a regular savings account.

We're putting away less into our 401K accounts until after the wedding, when we'll start maxing it.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

brown bagging lunch most days of the week, cooking at home A LOT and no unnecessary spending (trips to Eckerds that cost a fortune in hair and body products!) we still eat out on the weekends, but we have a limit of how much we spend, I instead of ordering muliple drinks, we'll have one out, then continue at home.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I need to start bringing my lunch into work more often. FI and barely go out anymore and we may go out to dinner once every other weekend. I just feel like I'm tapping myself out, and *still* not saving enough.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

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Posted by MissingTheBGene

I need to start bringing my lunch into work more often. FI and barely go out anymore and we may go out to dinner once every other weekend. I just feel like I'm tapping myself out, and *still* not saving enough.

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One of the most important things I ever learned is that when trying to save money or paying off debt, you should not put away money from your paycheck towards a 401K and other expenses (gym memberships, etc.). Put them on hold until you have everything sorted out. Most importantly, you can't touch a 401K until you're 59.5 y/o anyway, so there's plenty of time to pick up and save later on.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I don't even contribute to my company's 401K plan. I intended on opening a Roth IRA account but that has been put on hold for now. And I can't get my lazy a$$ to the gym so no membership there, lol.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

definietly on foods and drinks. i try to bring lunch to work as often as possible - instead of my 2-3 dunkin donuts runs a day - i know only do 1. no more weekly manicures - they get done about once a month now....
go out to bars/clubs less often. go out to dinner less often.

that is where we find we save the most - in the little daily activites that add up...

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

We brown-bag it, don't go out as much and cut down on how much we spend on B-day gifts for the MILLIONS of nieces/nephews we seem to have!

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

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Posted by leighdvm

We brown-bag it, don't go out as much and cut down on how much we spend on B-day gifts for the MILLIONS of nieces/nephews we seem to have!

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Same with us - every weekend there is a birthday/christening, etc. We're putting a dollar amount in Christmas as well.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I started bring lunch with me to work. We don't eat out as often as we used to and if we do we choose inexpensive restaurants like Fridays. I cut back on shopping.

Between the two of us we have a good chunk in savings, but due to a needed surgery we are pushing the date back so we will have an additional 7 months to save more money. FH and I don't live together yet and when we do we will need to make payments on that and buy furniture certain appliances etc. so that will eat at our savings and clean us out if we keep our current date. In the long run I know its for the best, because we'll have a great cushion in the bank by postponing and we won't have to worry about struggling, still s**** though.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

No more movie dates (we netflix instead)
Cut down on ordering drinks and just have water with our meals
Costco-shop in bulk so we're not spending as much per item

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I am not buying as many clothes as would be..

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

The number one thing I did was consolidate my student loans. It totally killed me to do it, because I only had 4 years left, and now I'm back at 10, but all that money is going into the wedding now. I also try to bring lunch every day to work instead of eating out. That saves me about $30 a week. When the girls at work ask me to go out to lunch I tend to decline when I have brought something, whereas in the past I would just go anyway. Oh, and I make sure I return all empty soda bottles and get my nickel, instead of just throwing them in with the recycling. All that change adds up.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

great thread........


we are going out for dinner less. i am bringing lunch every day and am shopping less. :( We also decided to not do anything crazy for christmas this year. we are choosing to only buy for our nieces/nephews. everyone else is going to get a card...actually our parents already told us not to get them anything!

It's been tough..i am trying to think of creative things each day in order to save. am even thinking about getting a 2nd job.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

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Posted by JessicaM.

brown bagging lunch most days of the week, cooking at home A LOT and no unnecessary spending (trips to Eckerds that cost a fortune in hair and body products!) we still eat out on the weekends, but we have a limit of how much we spend, I instead of ordering muliple drinks, we'll have one out, then continue at home.

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ISNT IT AMAZING HOW A TRIP TO THAT TYPE OF STORE ENDS IN A $100 BILL?
I CAN SPEND HOURS IN CVS, GOING THROUGH EACH ITEM AND BUYING UN NECESSARY THINGS..

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

I also stopped shopping at drug stores. I spent so much $$ on things I didn't need. I take my lunch to work just about every day, as does FH. We don't go out as much and I stopped shopping for things I don't really need. Also, I buy things when they are on sale and stock up.

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

tryin to bring lunch from home...lunch in the city is $$$ especially when ur picky like me....
cuttin A WHOLE Lot down in shopping....bc im a shopaholic....
goin out to eat less

Re: Wigging Out - I know this has been asked before but...

1st, I started with a 2nd job(still have it), then took the fakie nails off ( i like my real nails better now) and bought home lunches, at least for me. FH dosent seem to be doing much to save.....thinks we are ok!

Overall, anything helps! Of course, less shopping and let me tell u working in a mall DOES not help!!