I turned in my leased 😬 car and will drive a paid off car we’ve had sitting in the garage, changed car insurance, cancelled cable TV, cancelled landline phone & made some changes to our cell phone service. It adds up to over an $8,000 savings per year!
@@annveronica7795 i’m not going to get rid of my cell phone. FaceTiming with my daughter who is away at college is priceless to me. Being available for my husband who is a police officer and works long hours is priceless to me.
@@annveronica7795 excuse me? I’m not a troll and I don’t know anything about added digits. Would you care to enlighten me? Not sure why you would try to act like a jerk towards me.
I grew up in the 50's with parents that never wasted food, and I'm glad they taught me not to waste. After so many years of prosperity in the U.S., some younger family members tease me about my frugality. They think it's a bit neurotic. I don't care. I just keep using a spatula to thoroughly clean out mayonnaise jars, and peanut butter jars, and I have enough for an extra sandwich or two, which I think is dandy.
I've been following your advice for some time now. I've gone from living paycheck to paycheck to 1. Setting a budget, 2. Moving to reduce rent cost, 3. Looking at each category and trying to reduce them, 4. Looking at alternatives for entertainment that don't cost more than I've already spent (knitting hats for the homeless while watching TV or a fake crackling TV fireplace on cold rainy weekends), listening to free audio books on Libby during my work commute, 5. Making an oatmeal mix using your recipe and bringing it with me to work (avoiding the overpriced junk food from the snack machine if I don't have time to make a sandwich) and I've been inspired to say, "Hi and thank you!" as you've helped me see there may be a financial future without debt and with security if I keep on this path towards frugality.
My boyfriend comes over once or twice a week for dinner and some British TV for a lovely evening. But sometimes we like to go out. Instead of going to dinner, which has become really expensive, we go on morning coffee dates. Reno has lots of great coffee shops and we love hanging out with the young hipsters. We take turns treating. ❤
I prefer to go to one of my local gas stations to fill up; the cheaper ones are in areas where people have been carjacked or held up while attempting to get gas...I'll pay a few dollars extra to stay safe!
Where I live, we pay less for electricity in off-peak hours. I have got into the habit throwing in a load of laundry before bed, and then hanging it in the morning. I also start the dishwasher before bed rather than immediately after supper. Clothes washing and dishes now cost me 40% less.
Keep tires inflated to correct pressure. We have Roku and get Tubi, Pluto,and several other free stations. Saved $60 a month. If you are eligible apply for HEAP. I don't know if is state or federal program. Instead of hot showers every day, use a wash cloth and wash. Eat less! You don't need to eat until you are stuffed. Good for waistline and budget.
I used to be a coffee junkie but lately I have been having vertigo attacks and a little while back I had a 48 hours vertigo attack that was mild but I had upped my coffee intake by having more iced coffee and tea. After some research I discovered that caffeine can be a trigger for Vertigo. I quit cold Turkey and my vertigo has decreased significantly. I’m now no longer making my own coffee or buying my occasional latte and will be saving about $20 to $40 (Canadian) a month. Yes I miss my lattes or morning coffee and afternoon tea or iced coffees but I hate having vertigo.
I did this and came up with $212.00 mo. Love how Not doing something saves money. Get more walking in hanging out clothes with my lines up now. Feelore in control. Love you two.
When I got a small stimulus check I bought a Harbor Freight 100watt Thunderbolt solar panel. Had a coupon & birthday gift card, so it was a great price. Saved up for a small Bluetti Max Oak power station to hook up to solar in my front yard. Such comfort & peace of mind to have a backup for charging cellphone, lights etc
Wow, that's so smart! Larry runs smaller appliances off his solar battery daily so Hope and Larry are using them daily! It's like free electricity. Monthly, that must save them a bundle. We live in an apartment with a huge pine blocking the balcony light, but during the summer we get direct sun all the way to the afternoon, so maybe I can rig up a small solar setup...hmmm you've got me thinking. We get power outages in the winter sometimes...maybe there's just enough sun to charge a battery some on winter days...and the rest of the year I could run small appliances off it....?
First. I love these videos. I love how excited you both are about saving money. However, I think it is important for people to feel successful and we often forget when eliminating one thing you often substitute another and need to budget for that. It may be a much lower cost item but if you wonder why you aren't saving what you thought that may be the reason. For example, if you are eating out and lower/eliminate this, your grocery budget will go up. You will still save money, but you need to adjust your grocery budget accordingly.
Still cheaper than eating out. Their video was solid because they offer alternatives to things cut (free online content, a much cheaper mobile company, bike rides instead of car, etc.).
Some of my favorite frugal habits is patience patience patience. I do not just order paint to update my house. I use my Ibotta, Fetch, Microsoft rewards for using Bing to search, and Receipt Hog Rewards for Lowes gift cards to get paint which I use in Winter. Other times I save seeds year to year from my garden to plant following year, and I save a fortune. Also, I just throw my fav tomato seeds under the back steps, and they are protected from frost, so. I do not ever have to buy tomato plants which are pricey. I carry frozen something in my ice chest in my car, so that I can keep refrigerator items in the ice chest and make it a day of errands, shopping, and running. Most appointments I always make on Wednesday to coincide with grocery ads coming out. I clean with simple cleaners, and make my own bleach spray and pour alcohol over wipes to use to clean things that become contaminated. I mix planting vegetables in my flower garden, barely noticed, and always have my favorite wonderful Romaine lettuce and green onions to run out and gather saving about $4 a week in the spring, summer, and fall. Compost and save on dirt. I chop my own vegetables, and never buy processed ready made, therefore not paying extra for somebody to do this adding to the product cost. I patiently look at anything costing very much and look for alternatives or cheaper ways. Credit cards paid monthly and use 3 that give rewards …….I alternate them using whichever gives me the most rewards for that particular item……this gives me at least 1 to 5% on absolutely everything I buy. Even utilities are put on credit card if they don’t charge a fee. Another, is my car is always vacuumed and washed right in my driveway. Laundry…I use 1/3 as much laundry detergent (per Prepper Princess) and only cold water, plus line drying. Full loads only. Since dryers are energy hogs I suspect you may be underestimating the savings. Love you guys, and appreciate your videos so much. You are tops because you never talk down to your followers like they are stupid, and you actually work out plans for saving. Some TH-camrs just say stuff with no previous plan to see how it works.
We do still have cable. We are really old and don't do internet except on my phone. My husband can't handle a smart phone. He still uses a flip phone. TV is his link to the outside world. He watched a lot of news and the Western Channel along with sports.
Depending on who your cable provider is you may be able to lower your bill a little. When we had Dish they were pretty good about giving discounts occasionally. We always got movie channels like HBO and Showtime 6 months for half price and they would email to remind us when the promotion was about to end. I’d call them up and they’d give me another deal. One time when I called to try to lower my bill they gave me a loyal customer discount $35 off my bill every month for a year.
I encourage people to check what their Senior family members are paying for their tv. I learned someone was paying $168 a month for their cable- no internet/no phone plan! I got them under $100 with new services if they choose to use them. They were never offered a change when calling to discuss invoices even. Our rural area has a community board- we offer to pick up for each other when going into town.
Sound advice and lots of ideas - your videos are jam packed. Love how you research things to give us the most up to date figures and information. Thank you for all the work you do to deliver high quality content each and every time. I also love how you talk about your own ongoing frugal journey - you don't act like you have done it all and know everything better than everyone else. I love how you are always learning and experimenting, and encourage us to do the same.
We drive old, paid-for vehicles and rent when traveling out of town. About $200 to rent for one week vs. a monthly car payment for something newer. We're trying to save to pay cash for an upgrade.
We live in an apartment and the washer and dryer each cost $3. I simply can't/won't afford to pay $6 for one load of laundry so I hang everything on a rack in my living room. At the beginning i thought i'd have to use the dryer for towels and jeans but it turned out they dry fine. I just have to time it so I can leave the drying rack up for three days.
I also hang my laundry to dry but I bought a "laundry alternative" brand clothes extractor; now my towels dry in a day! ( amazing how much water is left after a conventional spin cycle!)
Hi Hope and Larry! Thanks for your wonderful channel. My top tip is turn off your modem when you go to bed at night and when you go out to work. Most people completely forget about this. I switch mine off even when I go out to do the grocery shopping! 😃 I also recommend switching off the power to your oven/stove at the wall. Many people use their oven (and microwave) as a clock, which is just wasting power. If you love your TV shows I also recommend checking how many kW per hour your TV is using. Older (and larger) plasma screen models can use 25% more power than an energy efficient LED screen, and TVs and set top boxes account for 8% of energy use in the average household! If I’m alone at home I’ll watch TV on my laptop placed on the coffee table - it’s cheap and quick to charge up a laptop and then you can watch TV using no power at all! 👍
I've never had cable. I've never measured the difference, but putting an insulated cover over the hot water heater tank saves money. Try taking an item or 2 out of the grocery cart either before or at the checkout point. I already do all the plan D items you mentioned, as well as all the A, B and C options. One more thing that can save is to wear long johns in the colder months instead of being tempted to turn the thermostat up or use a space heater.
I find that as long as you hang out washing early enough in the day how cold the weather can be, and it will still dry. It needs to be out at 9.00 and it will be dry by 7.00 pm as long as it is about 9 degrees centigrade or more, and in England it is humid.
I switched to Mint mobile a while back, wanna say 8 months or so, amazing savings on my bill. To start, I had a referral code for $30 for 3 months on the data plan I have. Loved it so then I did the yearly payment so not only did I get an amazing price I don’t have to think about it being due every month, I just budget in 1/12 the price or more because I’m thinking I’ll just pay it ahead of time again for next year.
The easiest way to save $200 a month is to earn an extra $250 (tithe and taxes). My favorite way to save on eating out is to let my boss cover my food. If I work an extra hour, or three, my boss is willing to let me eat at work, so I’m not wasting time going out. Not everyone can do this, but, When I was absolutely desperate, hunting and fishing kept me fed. It also kept me exercised.
We live rurally and have learned some tricks for saving money on gas. I'll put in a Walmart pickup order for my husband to pick up after work. It only takes him an extra 10 minutes, and it saves me a trip to town. Second, we've found that many Phillips 66 gas stations will give you .10-.15 of per gallon if you pay with Paypal. It's saved us quite a bit over the last few months since we started using it!
I guess I’m more frugal than I thought. Don’t eat out, never buy coffee out, mobile is from work, haven’t had cable for a decade, (have Pluto, Tubi and free Canadian online channels) and live rural but never drive anywhere without an errand on the way. I hang my clothes on racks, wash in cold water and I’m at $50 a month grocery budget already so, can’t cut much there (always on sale/discount). 🤷♀️ I heat my body, not the room and don’t have AC. I pay annually for everything and use every reward programme on offer. 😂 I track all my expenses in the every dollar app, which is free, and I suggest that for everyone. I will go unplug my dehydrator because it has an led indicator and uses phantom power and will look for some things to sell. Thanks guys! One idea: automate savings and there is the snowball approach to get you accustomed to it: save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, $3 in week 3 etc. I like to start Jan1 and go to week 26 then flip to week 52 and count backward so I’m not trying to save over $200 during December but only around $100.
I quit paid for TV. You can still get local networks with a digital antenna available cheap at Walmart antenna. All TV plans cable or dish jack up the rates after the intro period .
I’m doing most of these things. Still trying to convince hubby to cancel cable and switch phone carriers. I do my errands after work because when I get home I am not getting back out again unless I go to church which is just 5 minutes from my house. Thankfully I don’t like coffee, so I am already saving money there. Buying Starbucks is like buying cigarettes in my opinion.
We hang our clothes on a clothes airer over our radiator in our bathroom to dry them. We use a moisture absorber and so we have no issues with mould in the room
I’ve had the same challenge. I figured out that husband grew up with super-frugal parents, and once he started making his own money as an engineer, he didn’t want to feel deprived or the pressure to be frugal. So I didn’t push. Over time, he saw how I was saving $ on groceries (numbers don’t lie) and yet we eat very well. He still hates that I wash out ziploc bags, I hate that he leaves the water running while he brushes his teeth - but neither of these is a deal-breaker!
Rarely eat out. Bring my own lunch everywhere. Last month I only went grocery shopping twice, so I’m challenging myself to only shop twice a month which actually saved me money!? Great video!
Had to chuckle at your errand-running advice. We call it "West Virginia Style" because that's how my husband grew up--going to town and getting everything done in one trip. It was an adjustment for this suburb gal.
We did it and cut the cable cord. We got a Roku and are absolutely loving the TV shows from our childhood. I don’t miss cable or the bill at all. Love your channel and the great tips👏
Back in March I got rid of my vehicle. It was a 900 dollar vehicle that I bought 3 years ago. Long story short it needs work and it wasn't worth putting the money into it. So down the road it went. Brother and I are riding bus for now. It's 42 dollars per month for a bus pass and a tank of gas costed us 50 bucks
Grow your own vegetables. I only have room for container gardening. I am growing lettuce and this should save me $12.00 per month. I will also try and grow berries in pots which could save me about $15.00 per month.
Ten things I will cut out reduce my grocery bill stop eatting out stop drinking take out coffee run errands together unplug electricals not being used using cash living off written budget sinking funds batch cooking meals in slow cooker freeze in portion liable freeze eat in microwave cook once eat three time eat from fridge freezer cupboards small stock pile washing up Adin in kitchen sink to put squirt dishwashing liquid warm water then when done tip dirty water down sink then fill up bowl to cd water rinse dishes then use water water plants I don't garden anymore meatless meals hang washing out to dry free activities shop of a written shopping list
Yes, MEAL PLAN!! Family is not always keen on it, I try to make interesting, simple and easy meals, I write out weekly plan on Monthly Calendar print out sheet. Then we can see how many times we eat such foods, leftover meals, and eat outs! They tend to forget what we have eaten throughout the month! Sometimes, they are shocked and then agree with me!! Meal plan and writing on Calendar works for us!! 🥰😋
I really love your channel not only are the tips so helpful but seriously it calms me down- there is hope. On a side note I always see when you touch or hold on to that husband of yours- I love Love ❤️
Last week I got $70 worth of groceries for free by cashing in reward points plus $10 of gas free, plus I earned another $15 worth of grocery reward points My budget for gifts for the year is $500. I just got $222 worth of gifts (for 6 birthdays I budget $20 each-) for just over $36 CAD (26.50 USD). also, I am up another $275 by selling one item on ebay. Wow! I didn't realize people spent so much money dining out. I budget for $125 Cad a year ($92 USD) for 2 adults. My bank rounds up and puts the change into savings account. Great video!
We have AC on all year (South Florida). We wash and just hang the wet clothes over the back of chairs and couches, etc. Everything, including jeans, are dry by morning. Fold and put away. The only thing we use dryer for are heavy blankets and comforters. We don't wear coats or heavy sweaters ever...so we are good to go! 😊
If you have gotten to a point that you don't need to drive your car very much through companies like Allstate you can insure your car by the mile hundreds of dollars or what you can do(doesn't even have to be a running car - put it in your garage..or parked near garage. I do pay to keep the license current. I have found that having two cars insured is $720 a year cheaper than just insuring my nice vehicle.
I recently combined my cell phone and internet into one plan. I pay $68 a month for the two. I also recently shopped around for new insurance rates. I am saving $1450. a year because I shopped. I even received better coverage than what I had. I need to be better at saving little items.
There's another benefit to planning your route. There are studies that show planning your route by car, using as many right hand turns, and reducing the amount of left hand ones, will reduce time spent and energy used.
One thing I HAVE to cancel is Audible. It's $16/mo. Over the last year - been giving my significant other my monthly books on HER account - since I don't use them. On top of that - I have 9 more books to use (which I will do by the next billing cycle. I can always re-join if I want). I have books that I have not even listened to. Just a waste of money now - I was an avid listener of some podcasts, etc. But - Spotify has similar ones that I listen to way more.
I used to spend nearly 100 for my cell every month. Now I'm paying a little more than 40 per month through my cable company. There are 2 people on my plan, and we each pay just over 40.
I got rid of cable 6 years ago and i also do not currently pay for any streaming services. Im content with just youtube and other free streaming apps. If i want to watch a specific movie, ill ocassionally rent one off youtube or google tv:)
Hi Hope and Larry! First I want to thank you for making me not feel alone in my frugal lifestyle. It was great to see these all in one place. I’m a mom of 3 kids and regularly do 10-15 loads of laundry weekly. I try to line dry most of this inside on drying racks. I estimate this at .50 per load so $5-$7.50 per week for a conservative $260 each year.
Instead of paying $3 a load to wash and $3 to dry a load of wash, my grandson puts all his dirty clothes in old suitcases, and when he runs out of clothes comes to his moms and does laundry all weekend. Our water and electric is cheap and they are just glad to see him. He pays for his gas with his laundry savings. Has first job and apartment and saving every penny to pay off student loans.
Teresa, I loved your comment. When all four boys were at home and I had one in cloth diapers I did the exact same math that you did and my figures were very similar to yours. My estimate was $240 saved by line drying.
I love that you used cloth diapers! I did that too! I loved using the soft cotton and flannel that had been sanitized by sunlight. I literally felt like I was doing all I could for my family’s finances and my kids’ health.
I had two very high utility bills in a row, one was $420 and the next one was $389 so i had the utility company check my meter and the did and replaced it. Now my bill is $137. So you may need to have yours checked.
I live in a rural area up in the mtns so I make my trips into town count. Since I usually only go once a month I do treat myself to starbucks. (if I have a doctors appt I plan other errands around it too.) With gas prices through the roof it saves us money big time. I also do curbside pick up, this helps me stick to my list, avoiding impulse buys. When I shop in store I don't go shopping hungry. That one my mom taught me. It's amazing how much more gets put in your cart when you're hungry. 😆 I've been doing the thermostat one since I was a kid, it was easier when we had a fireplace. Now it's central heating, so I take the chill off in the mornings and then switch it off and wear a sweater. Unless it's really cold 🥶
I'm trying so so hard. You know what else would be good for you to cover is how to be frugal on PET Food ie. cats mainly .. Pet food is super expensive but I don't want to compromise on nutrition and human grade food for my two little lovelies..
Great advice as always guys. I have to admit I have taken my eye off the ball so this month it's back to basics and writing every penny I spend down in a notebook. This will really make me consider what I am spending and let me see where I am spending money. I am also only eating the food I have in the house.
I'm in favor of ditching the cable. My hubby is not. But, I bought an electric lunch box so this week, I started taking hot meals to work. That will save money. I have been spending almost twenty dollars a day for work lunches. Hubby gets his free.
Oh my goodness, you mentioned Starbucks, and while I don't go there, I don't think I could possibly pay that much for a cup of coffee! I would freaking panic! lol Another free streaming service is Crackle :)
To be fair, that's the price for the lattes etc, more than the price for a regular cup of coffee. Not that those aren't also getting more expensive - inflation! - but I'd guess that most of their viewers who still occasionally go to Starbucks are probably choosing the simpler and less expensive drinks.
My sister lives in Montreal and doesn't get mint mobile so I'm not switching but I did switch to AT&T from Verizonon on a family plan with my son and dauhter and we are all saving money
Im paying Verizon $39.99 for internet (about $20 more than I think is reasonable) and $30 (plus tax) to ATT for my autopay phone service. My next move will be to Mint Mobile.
This video is worth a 2nd watch! Nice grouping of ideas together, in a fun format. I have my water heater on a timer; I like hot showers but have the timer cycle on less often per day. I do most of the tips. I have yet to re-shop home/car insurance and to move emergency fund to a higher interest rate account. I like the idea of a list of ways to save, implementing what we can now and keeping the rest "front of mind"
I found is beneficial to go through the videos from even two years ago I often go through the videos to find comments that were made well after the initial time the videos were posted
We cut cable in 2015. What we need to cut back now are streaming sevices because they are increasing their prices of their monthly subscriptions! We currently have 4. We will be cutting Hulu because they are increasing their prices to $18 a month! I have to better about my spending at Starbucks.
It sure does save some money to take lunch from home but you can't count on a complete cost savings because you then have to buy more groceries and sometimes that includes prepackaged snack foods that all add up like granola bars and yogurt or nuts (which can be very expensive but are great for packing in lunches)
You take left overs from dinner, make your own granola (it's not hard, look up the recipes), buy items like chips etc in regular size bags and then repackage them in zip lock bags. There are lots of tips for this subject on YoiTube. Living on a dime is a great channel with Tawra and Jill.
If you can't drive less, change your driving STYLE. You use a lot more gas speeding to the red light versus cruising to the light at a reasonable speed. (IF NO ONE'S BEHIND ME, I'll even practically coast to a red light.)
One of our biggest holdouts was cable TV...we finally decided to give it up...we have found we occasionally miss our "favorite" programs but we are doing more together. Also we have cut our going out to eat to 2x a month (we spent almost $600 in March eating out. We had no idea! We found with some simple changes we can save $800 a month. And we thought we were being frugal with menu planning etc.😮
I recently cut the cable, and it's so wonderful not to have to pay the high bill every month. If there's something I want to see, I can usually find it online the next day or soon thereafter. I did this after watching your video on the free streaming services available. Thank you for putting that video out. It set me free from the cable🎉🎉🎉
I turned in my leased 😬 car and will drive a paid off car we’ve had sitting in the garage, changed car insurance, cancelled cable TV, cancelled landline phone & made some changes to our cell phone service. It adds up to over an $8,000 savings per year!
I will add that I turned in the lease a year early.
Great job🎉 Congratulations! Enjoy the fruits of your frugal labor.
@@annveronica7795 i’m not going to get rid of my cell phone. FaceTiming with my daughter who is away at college is priceless to me. Being available for my husband who is a police officer and works long hours is priceless to me.
@@annveronica7795 excuse me? I’m not a troll and I don’t know anything about added digits. Would you care to enlighten me? Not sure why you would try to act like a jerk towards me.
You go girl! Welcome to the community 🥳
I grew up in the 50's with parents that never wasted food, and I'm glad they taught me not to waste. After so many years of prosperity in the U.S., some younger family members tease me about my frugality. They think it's a bit neurotic. I don't care. I just keep using a spatula to thoroughly clean out mayonnaise jars, and peanut butter jars, and I have enough for an extra sandwich or two, which I think is dandy.
Water!! Drink from your faucet and use a brita filter!!!
I've been following your advice for some time now. I've gone from living paycheck to paycheck to 1. Setting a budget, 2. Moving to reduce rent cost, 3. Looking at each category and trying to reduce them, 4. Looking at alternatives for entertainment that don't cost more than I've already spent (knitting hats for the homeless while watching TV or a fake crackling TV fireplace on cold rainy weekends), listening to free audio books on Libby during my work commute, 5. Making an oatmeal mix using your recipe and bringing it with me to work (avoiding the overpriced junk food from the snack machine if I don't have time to make a sandwich) and I've been inspired to say, "Hi and thank you!" as you've helped me see there may be a financial future without debt and with security if I keep on this path towards frugality.
You made my day with your kind comment. We're so excited for your journey and we're honored to be a part of it.
I stash not only my change. But i set aside any $1 bills in a shoebox. They will add up quickly.
My boyfriend comes over once or twice a week for dinner and some British TV for a lovely evening. But sometimes we like to go out. Instead of going to dinner, which has become really expensive, we go on morning coffee dates. Reno has lots of great coffee shops and we love hanging out with the young hipsters. We take turns treating. ❤
I often make my own greeting cards. I bought 10 blanks/envelopes at dollar general for $1.00 and use ideas from pinterest.
If you take your lunch you can save money by batch cooking inexpensive food very flavorful items that you would want to eat all week
I prefer to go to one of my local gas stations to fill up; the cheaper ones are in areas where people have been carjacked or held up while attempting to get gas...I'll pay a few dollars extra to stay safe!
Where I live, we pay less for electricity in off-peak hours. I have got into the habit throwing in a load of laundry before bed, and then hanging it in the morning. I also start the dishwasher before bed rather than immediately after supper. Clothes washing and dishes now cost me 40% less.
Keep tires inflated to correct pressure. We have Roku and get Tubi, Pluto,and several other free stations. Saved $60 a month. If you are eligible apply for HEAP. I don't know if is state or federal program. Instead of hot showers every day, use a wash cloth and wash. Eat less! You don't need to eat until you are stuffed. Good for waistline and budget.
I paid $138, a one-time expense, for a Roku TV and am saving $195 a month.
You can get free cell service and $30 off home internet if you have EBT card
Philco $20 mo..63 channels
Maybe it is Philo
Does it have unlimited calls and unlimited text
I used to be a coffee junkie but lately I have been having vertigo attacks and a little while back I had a 48 hours vertigo attack that was mild but I had upped my coffee intake by having more iced coffee and tea. After some research I discovered that caffeine can be a trigger for Vertigo. I quit cold Turkey and my vertigo has decreased significantly. I’m now no longer making my own coffee or buying my occasional latte and will be saving about $20 to $40 (Canadian) a month. Yes I miss my lattes or morning coffee and afternoon tea or iced coffees but I hate having vertigo.
I did this and came up with $212.00 mo.
Love how Not doing something saves money. Get more walking in hanging out clothes with my lines up now. Feelore in control. Love you two.
When I got a small stimulus check I bought a Harbor Freight 100watt Thunderbolt solar panel. Had a coupon & birthday gift card, so it was a great price. Saved up for a small Bluetti Max Oak power station to hook up to solar in my front yard. Such comfort & peace of mind to have a backup for charging cellphone, lights etc
Wow, that's so smart! Larry runs smaller appliances off his solar battery daily so Hope and Larry are using them daily! It's like free electricity. Monthly, that must save them a bundle. We live in an apartment with a huge pine blocking the balcony light, but during the summer we get direct sun all the way to the afternoon, so maybe I can rig up a small solar setup...hmmm you've got me thinking. We get power outages in the winter sometimes...maybe there's just enough sun to charge a battery some on winter days...and the rest of the year I could run small appliances off it....?
First. I love these videos. I love how excited you both are about saving money. However, I think it is important for people to feel successful and we often forget when eliminating one thing you often substitute another and need to budget for that. It may be a much lower cost item but if you wonder why you aren't saving what you thought that may be the reason. For example, if you are eating out and lower/eliminate this, your grocery budget will go up. You will still save money, but you need to adjust your grocery budget accordingly.
Still cheaper than eating out. Their video was solid because they offer alternatives to things cut (free online content, a much cheaper mobile company, bike rides instead of car, etc.).
Some of my favorite frugal habits is patience patience patience. I do not just order paint to update my house. I use my Ibotta, Fetch, Microsoft rewards for using Bing to search, and Receipt Hog Rewards for Lowes gift cards to get paint which I use in Winter. Other times I save seeds year to year from my garden to plant following year, and I save a fortune. Also, I just throw my fav tomato seeds under the back steps, and they are protected from frost, so. I do not ever have to buy tomato plants which are pricey. I carry frozen something in my ice chest in my car, so that I can keep refrigerator items in the ice chest and make it a day of errands, shopping, and running. Most appointments I always make on Wednesday to coincide with grocery ads coming out. I clean with simple cleaners, and make my own bleach spray and pour alcohol over wipes to use to clean things that become contaminated. I mix planting vegetables in my flower garden, barely noticed, and always have my favorite wonderful Romaine lettuce and green onions to run out and gather saving about $4 a week in the spring, summer, and fall. Compost and save on dirt. I chop my own vegetables, and never buy processed ready made, therefore not paying extra for somebody to do this adding to the product cost. I patiently look at anything costing very much and look for alternatives or cheaper ways. Credit cards paid monthly and use 3 that give rewards …….I alternate them using whichever gives me the most rewards for that particular item……this gives me at least 1 to 5% on absolutely everything I buy. Even utilities are put on credit card if they don’t charge a fee. Another, is my car is always vacuumed and washed right in my driveway. Laundry…I use 1/3 as much laundry detergent (per Prepper Princess) and only cold water, plus line drying. Full loads only. Since dryers are energy hogs I suspect you may be underestimating the savings. Love you guys, and appreciate your videos so much. You are tops because you never talk down to your followers like they are stupid, and you actually work out plans for saving. Some TH-camrs just say stuff with no previous plan to see how it works.
We do still have cable. We are really old and don't do internet except on my phone. My husband can't handle a smart phone. He still uses a flip phone. TV is his link to the outside world. He watched a lot of news and the Western Channel along with sports.
Depending on who your cable provider is you may be able to lower your bill a little.
When we had Dish they were pretty good about giving discounts occasionally. We always got movie channels like HBO and Showtime 6 months for half price and they would email to remind us when the promotion was about to end. I’d call them up and they’d give me another deal. One time when I called to try to lower my bill they gave me a loyal customer discount $35 off my bill every month for a year.
Horse 🐴 and Buggy works excellent saving on gasoline prices 😊
LOL! Yes, it does.
But you have to feed a horse. I know someone was given a free horse then they had to build a barn to house hit!
@@janefoley5184 sell the poop 💩
I encourage people to check what their Senior family members are paying for their tv. I learned someone was paying $168 a month for their cable- no internet/no phone plan! I got them under $100 with new services if they choose to use them. They were never offered a change when calling to discuss invoices even.
Our rural area has a community board- we offer to pick up for each other when going into town.
Sound advice and lots of ideas - your videos are jam packed. Love how you research things to give us the most up to date figures and information. Thank you for all the work you do to deliver high quality content each and every time. I also love how you talk about your own ongoing frugal journey - you don't act like you have done it all and know everything better than everyone else. I love how you are always learning and experimenting, and encourage us to do the same.
We drive old, paid-for vehicles and rent when traveling out of town. About $200 to rent for one week vs. a monthly car payment for something newer. We're trying to save to pay cash for an upgrade.
We live in an apartment and the washer and dryer each cost $3. I simply can't/won't afford to pay $6 for one load of laundry so I hang everything on a rack in my living room. At the beginning i thought i'd have to use the dryer for towels and jeans but it turned out they dry fine. I just have to time it so I can leave the drying rack up for three days.
I also hang my laundry to dry but I bought a "laundry alternative" brand clothes extractor; now my towels dry in a day! ( amazing how much water is left after a conventional spin cycle!)
I hang towels on pants hangers so they’re not folded over then hang them on the shower rod with a fan blowing on them to dry them faster.
you’ve helped me to pay off debt and actually pay myself money each month! Thank you so much!!!!!!
Hi Hope and Larry! Thanks for your wonderful channel. My top tip is turn off your modem when you go to bed at night and when you go out to work. Most people completely forget about this. I switch mine off even when I go out to do the grocery shopping! 😃 I also recommend switching off the power to your oven/stove at the wall. Many people use their oven (and microwave) as a clock, which is just wasting power. If you love your TV shows I also recommend checking how many kW per hour your TV is using. Older (and larger) plasma screen models can use 25% more power than an energy efficient LED screen, and TVs and set top boxes account for 8% of energy use in the average household! If I’m alone at home I’ll watch TV on my laptop placed on the coffee table - it’s cheap and quick to charge up a laptop and then you can watch TV using no power at all! 👍
I've never had cable.
I've never measured the difference, but putting an insulated cover over the hot water heater tank saves money.
Try taking an item or 2 out of the grocery cart either before or at the checkout point.
I already do all the plan D items you mentioned, as well as all the A, B and C options.
One more thing that can save is to wear long johns in the colder months instead of being tempted to turn the thermostat up or use a space heater.
I live in the uk and it’s very common to hang out the washing to dry. Houses are smaller here to so it’s also common to not have a dryer either
I it sit outside when not at work morning & night night to save on lights being as late as possible..saves 68 hours a month.
I find that as long as you hang out washing early enough in the day how cold the weather can be, and it will still dry. It needs to be out at 9.00 and it will be dry by 7.00 pm as long as it is about 9 degrees centigrade or more, and in England it is humid.
I switched to Mint mobile a while back, wanna say 8 months or so, amazing savings on my bill. To start, I had a referral code for $30 for 3 months on the data plan I have. Loved it so then I did the yearly payment so not only did I get an amazing price I don’t have to think about it being due every month, I just budget in 1/12 the price or more because I’m thinking I’ll just pay it ahead of time again for next year.
The easiest way to save $200 a month is to earn an extra $250 (tithe and taxes).
My favorite way to save on eating out is to let my boss cover my food. If I work an extra hour, or three, my boss is willing to let me eat at work, so I’m not wasting time going out.
Not everyone can do this, but,
When I was absolutely desperate, hunting and fishing kept me fed. It also kept me exercised.
We live rurally and have learned some tricks for saving money on gas. I'll put in a Walmart pickup order for my husband to pick up after work. It only takes him an extra 10 minutes, and it saves me a trip to town. Second, we've found that many Phillips 66 gas stations will give you .10-.15 of per gallon if you pay with Paypal. It's saved us quite a bit over the last few months since we started using it!
Hope and Larry we cut the cable. We were paying 127.00 monthly for basic cable.
I guess I’m more frugal than I thought. Don’t eat out, never buy coffee out, mobile is from work, haven’t had cable for a decade, (have Pluto, Tubi and free Canadian online channels) and live rural but never drive anywhere without an errand on the way. I hang my clothes on racks, wash in cold water and I’m at $50 a month grocery budget already so, can’t cut much there (always on sale/discount). 🤷♀️ I heat my body, not the room and don’t have AC. I pay annually for everything and use every reward programme on offer. 😂 I track all my expenses in the every dollar app, which is free, and I suggest that for everyone. I will go unplug my dehydrator because it has an led indicator and uses phantom power and will look for some things to sell. Thanks guys!
One idea: automate savings and there is the snowball approach to get you accustomed to it: save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, $3 in week 3 etc. I like to start Jan1 and go to week 26 then flip to week 52 and count backward so I’m not trying to save over $200 during December but only around $100.
Your life style sounds very impressive and frugal well done to you🌈🌠
One way we have saved is to buy forever postage stamps before proces go up.
I quit paid for TV. You can still get local networks with a digital antenna available cheap at Walmart antenna. All TV plans cable or dish jack up the rates after the intro period .
I’m about to be on my own for the first time and your videos will be my Bible.
I have enjoyed the “down to earth” frugality tips that y’all give. Thanks a bunch
I’m doing most of these things. Still trying to convince hubby to cancel cable and switch phone carriers.
I do my errands after work because when I get home I am not getting back out again unless I go to church which is just 5 minutes from my house.
Thankfully I don’t like coffee, so I am already saving money there. Buying Starbucks is like buying cigarettes in my opinion.
We hang our clothes on a clothes airer over our radiator in our bathroom to dry them. We use a moisture absorber and so we have no issues with mould in the room
I stopped at Walmart about I always go to the clearance and I found the Keurig coffee it was 24 pods for.75 cents
Holy cow! That's a good deal!
I switched to mint mobile a couple days ago. I even got my landlord to sign up for it.💖 I love sling tv free, and Pluto
I love the fact that the both of you are working together on this! I haven't quite got my spouse on board with making cuts on wants instead of needs.
When you figure it out let me know hon... I have a bit of resistance with mine as well.
I’ve had the same challenge. I figured out that husband grew up with super-frugal parents, and once he started making his own money as an engineer, he didn’t want to feel deprived or the pressure to be frugal. So I didn’t push. Over time, he saw how I was saving $ on groceries (numbers don’t lie) and yet we eat very well. He still hates that I wash out ziploc bags, I hate that he leaves the water running while he brushes his teeth - but neither of these is a deal-breaker!
I save money by ordering groceries. When in the store, I add about $50 (or more 😢) of things that look appetizing, but I don’t need.
Same here! Works awesome to stop impuse buying!
Rarely eat out. Bring my own lunch everywhere. Last month I only went grocery shopping twice, so I’m challenging myself to only shop twice a month which actually saved me money!? Great video!
Had to chuckle at your errand-running advice. We call it "West Virginia Style" because that's how my husband grew up--going to town and getting everything done in one trip. It was an adjustment for this suburb gal.
We did it and cut the cable cord. We got a Roku and are absolutely loving the TV shows from our childhood. I don’t miss cable or the bill at all. Love your channel and the great tips👏
Thank you ! I from Ukraine and now I live in Canada and your video will be good information for me.
Back in March I got rid of my vehicle. It was a 900 dollar vehicle that I bought 3 years ago. Long story short it needs work and it wasn't worth putting the money into it. So down the road it went. Brother and I are riding bus for now. It's 42 dollars per month for a bus pass and a tank of gas costed us 50 bucks
Grow your own vegetables. I only have room for container gardening. I am growing lettuce and this should save me $12.00 per month. I will also try and grow berries in pots which could save me about $15.00 per month.
Thanks for the inspiration! I only have room for container gardening, too.
Ten things I will cut out reduce my grocery bill stop eatting out stop drinking take out coffee run errands together unplug electricals not being used using cash living off written budget sinking funds batch cooking meals in slow cooker freeze in portion liable freeze eat in microwave cook once eat three time eat from fridge freezer cupboards small stock pile washing up Adin in kitchen sink to put squirt dishwashing liquid warm water then when done tip dirty water down sink then fill up bowl to cd water rinse dishes then use water water plants I don't garden anymore meatless meals hang washing out to dry free activities shop of a written shopping list
Yes, MEAL PLAN!! Family is not always keen on it, I try to make interesting, simple and easy meals, I write out weekly plan on Monthly Calendar print out sheet. Then we can see how many times we eat such foods, leftover meals, and eat outs! They tend to forget what we have eaten throughout the month! Sometimes, they are shocked and then agree with me!! Meal plan and writing on Calendar works for us!! 🥰😋
I buy quality over quantity buy gifts for year for family when sales are on
Sending you two blessings today. Thanks for all your hard work.
I really love your channel not only are the tips so helpful but seriously it calms me down- there is hope.
On a side note I always see when you touch or hold on to that husband of yours- I love Love ❤️
Thank you for your kind words, Alyce. We're honored to be a part of your journey.
Last week I got $70 worth of groceries for free by cashing in reward points plus $10 of gas free, plus I earned another $15 worth of grocery reward points My budget for gifts for the year is $500. I just got $222 worth of gifts (for 6 birthdays I budget $20 each-) for just over $36 CAD (26.50 USD). also, I am up another $275 by selling one item on ebay. Wow! I didn't realize people spent so much money dining out. I budget for $125 Cad a year ($92 USD) for 2 adults. My bank rounds up and puts the change into savings account. Great video!
We have AC on all year (South Florida). We wash and just hang the wet clothes over the back of chairs and couches, etc. Everything, including jeans, are dry by morning. Fold and put away. The only thing we use dryer for are heavy blankets and comforters. We don't wear coats or heavy sweaters ever...so we are good to go! 😊
I can't emphasize enough the importance of contentment and making do with what I've got as well as exercising patience for delay of gratification..
I too enjoy Tubi.
If you have gotten to a point that you don't need to drive your car very much through companies like Allstate you can insure your car by the mile hundreds of dollars or what you can do(doesn't even have to be a running car - put it in your garage..or parked near garage. I do pay to keep the license current. I have found that having two cars insured is $720 a year cheaper than just insuring my nice vehicle.
I recently combined my cell phone and internet into one plan. I pay $68 a month for the two. I also recently shopped around for new insurance rates. I am saving $1450. a year because I shopped. I even received better coverage than what I had. I need to be better at saving little items.
Layer up in winter
There's another benefit to planning your route. There are studies that show planning your route by car, using as many right hand turns, and reducing the amount of left hand ones, will reduce time spent and energy used.
Oh wow, never thought of that but that's great! 👍😀
Please explain why left-hand turns waste time? What do you mean by left-hand turns wasting energy?
@@lindawade9647 Well you have to wait in the traffic when turning left hand.
Hi hope and Larry I am frugual minded by life experience on a pension could learn more tips
One thing I HAVE to cancel is Audible. It's $16/mo. Over the last year - been giving my significant other my monthly books on HER account - since I don't use them. On top of that - I have 9 more books to use (which I will do by the next billing cycle. I can always re-join if I want). I have books that I have not even listened to. Just a waste of money now - I was an avid listener of some podcasts, etc. But - Spotify has similar ones that I listen to way more.
I used to spend nearly 100 for my cell every month. Now I'm paying a little more than 40 per month through my cable company. There are 2 people on my plan, and we each pay just over 40.
Have blankets around the house and we use these to keep warm.
I bought a retractable line from amazon! I love it! I only use the dryer for sheets and towels!
I got rid of cable 6 years ago and i also do not currently pay for any streaming services.
Im content with just youtube and other free streaming apps.
If i want to watch a specific movie, ill ocassionally rent one off youtube or google tv:)
I save my change I use my sinking funds to save find free activities hobbies to do
I have tried alot of your tips especially those involving electricity savings. I cut my bill almost in half..😊
We live in a small town. You can car pool errands with a neighbor. When someone goes to the big city they can pick up stuff for others. Etc
Hi guys! Great videos! I do realize that I am a super duper saver.😂😂 Greetings from Barcelona (Spain)
Hi Hope and Larry! First I want to thank you for making me not feel alone in my frugal lifestyle. It was great to see these all in one place. I’m a mom of 3 kids and regularly do 10-15 loads of laundry weekly. I try to line dry most of this inside on drying racks. I estimate this at .50 per load so $5-$7.50 per week for a conservative $260 each year.
Instead of paying $3 a load to wash and $3 to dry a load of wash, my grandson puts all his dirty clothes in old suitcases, and when he runs out of clothes comes to his moms and does laundry all weekend. Our water and electric is cheap and they are just glad to see him. He pays for his gas with his laundry savings. Has first job and apartment and saving every penny to pay off student loans.
Teresa, I loved your comment. When all four boys were at home and I had one in cloth diapers I did the exact same math that you did and my figures were very similar to yours. My estimate was $240 saved by line drying.
I love that you used cloth diapers! I did that too! I loved using the soft cotton and flannel that had been sanitized by sunlight. I literally felt like I was doing all I could for my family’s finances and my kids’ health.
I had two very high utility bills in a row, one was $420 and the next one was $389 so i had the utility company check my meter and the did and replaced it. Now my bill is $137. So you may need to have yours checked.
Great catch. I hope they gave you some kind of credit for those 2 bills.
I live in a rural area up in the mtns so I make my trips into town count. Since I usually only go once a month I do treat myself to starbucks. (if I have a doctors appt I plan other errands around it too.) With gas prices through the roof it saves us money big time.
I also do curbside pick up, this helps me stick to my list, avoiding impulse buys. When I shop in store I don't go shopping hungry. That one my mom taught me. It's amazing how much more gets put in your cart when you're hungry. 😆 I've been doing the thermostat one since I was a kid, it was easier when we had a fireplace. Now it's central heating, so I take the chill off in the mornings and then switch it off and wear a sweater. Unless it's really cold 🥶
I'm trying so so hard. You know what else would be good for you to cover is how to be frugal on PET Food ie. cats mainly .. Pet food is super expensive but I don't want to compromise on nutrition and human grade food for my two little lovelies..
So true
I use straight talk from Walmart on my cell phone. $35 a month. Mint mobile is not have coverage in my area so this is the best I could do.
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I boil.large sauce pan water each morning make my coffee then put rest hot water in my earn to use for hot drinks during the day
Great advice as always guys. I have to admit I have taken my eye off the ball so this month it's back to basics and writing every penny I spend down in a notebook. This will really make me consider what I am spending and let me see where I am spending money. I am also only eating the food I have in the house.
I'm in favor of ditching the cable. My hubby is not. But, I bought an electric lunch box so this week, I started taking hot meals to work. That will save money. I have been spending almost twenty dollars a day for work lunches. Hubby gets his free.
I added a column to the savings chart: ETA on my goal. This let's me see how my habits actually affect the time frame and adds motivation.
Oh my goodness, you mentioned Starbucks, and while I don't go there, I don't think I could possibly pay that much for a cup of coffee! I would freaking panic! lol Another free streaming service is Crackle :)
To be fair, that's the price for the lattes etc, more than the price for a regular cup of coffee. Not that those aren't also getting more expensive - inflation! - but I'd guess that most of their viewers who still occasionally go to Starbucks are probably choosing the simpler and less expensive drinks.
My sister lives in Montreal and doesn't get mint mobile so I'm not switching but I did switch to AT&T from Verizonon on a family plan with my son and dauhter and we are all saving money
Im paying Verizon $39.99 for internet (about $20 more than I think is reasonable) and $30 (plus tax) to ATT for my autopay phone service. My next move will be to Mint Mobile.
Wow! You just opened my eyes! I'll be saving more money!!!
This video is worth a 2nd watch! Nice grouping of ideas together, in a fun format. I have my water heater on a timer; I like hot showers but have the timer cycle on less often per day. I do most of the tips. I have yet to re-shop home/car insurance and to move emergency fund to a higher interest rate account. I like the idea of a list of ways to save, implementing what we can now and keeping the rest "front of mind"
I found is beneficial to go through the videos from even two years ago I often go through the videos to find comments that were made well after the initial time the videos were posted
We cut cable in 2015. What we need to cut back now are streaming sevices because they are increasing their prices of their monthly subscriptions! We currently have 4. We will be cutting Hulu because they are increasing their prices to $18 a month! I have to better about my spending at Starbucks.
It sure does save some money to take lunch from home but you can't count on a complete cost savings because you then have to buy more groceries and sometimes that includes prepackaged snack foods that all add up like granola bars and yogurt or nuts (which can be very expensive but are great for packing in lunches)
You take left overs from dinner, make your own granola (it's not hard, look up the recipes), buy items like chips etc in regular size bags and then repackage them in zip lock bags. There are lots of tips for this subject on YoiTube.
Living on a dime is a great channel with Tawra and Jill.
I love tube and Pluto is free as is freevee..great shows and movies!
Great tips. Google Maps will also show you gas prices. We put clothes on hangers and then hang over doorways.
Me too!
Lovely to see you both. Hope seems a little less sparky than usual. Praying for you both. Thank you for all of your hard work.
Oh my gosh I think Hope is doing a great job ..as usual
Thanks for the tips. I love Mint Mobile too! I can't believe how cheap it is.
Hi Larry and Hope ❤
Great video as always ❤
Thanks for hanging out with us. We appreciate it.
If you can't drive less, change your driving STYLE. You use a lot more gas speeding to the red light versus cruising to the light at a reasonable speed. (IF NO ONE'S BEHIND ME, I'll even practically coast to a red light.)
Just started watching your videos! Thanks sooo much!❤
Don't forget that there are 52 weeks in a year, so your savings is greater than you think. Example: $50 per week X 52 weeks in a year = $2,600
My bank takes all your change and transfers it to the saving account. It’s called “The Power of Change.
I love watching you guys it brings me joy!!
One of our biggest holdouts was cable TV...we finally decided to give it up...we have found we occasionally miss our "favorite" programs but we are doing more together. Also we have cut our going out to eat to 2x a month (we spent almost $600 in March eating out. We had no idea! We found with some simple changes we can save $800 a month. And we thought we were being frugal with menu planning etc.😮
I recently cut the cable, and it's so wonderful not to have to pay the high bill every month. If there's something I want to see, I can usually find it online the next day or soon thereafter. I did this after watching your video on the free streaming services available. Thank you for putting that video out. It set me free from the cable🎉🎉🎉
Taking things to the ridiculous for example instead of buying fresh onions at $0.65 each I substituted onion powder from the Dollar Tree