Coupons
Watch for sales, try to use coupons on sale items, and always buy in bulk, if it can keep. Frozen shrimp was on sale 1/2 price, and I bought 4 lbs of it....that's a lot of meals for us.
CFL bulbs cut the electric bill in 1/2.
Programmable thermostat for the house - another saver.
Cook and bake from scratch...I buy no boxed or frozen prepared stuff.

Have a purpose for the saving: e.g. buying a home, further education to upgrade self, or for kid's future (our kids paid about a third, their Mom a third, I about a third) ... and, very importantly in these days of unstable employment tenure, evaporating pension plans and living for extended periods following retirement ... guess what? Retirement!

Start as early as possible - a forty-year timeframe is better than 39 years. Delay of a year just loses the amount that would have been invested for that year, right?

Wrong - it chops off the amount that that amount could have earned in the last year before you chose to liquidate it. Unless ... you invested more than you'd have invested in that first year, during year two (in addition to year two's invested amount, of course).

If you choose to do some extra on a catch-as-catch-(coffee)-can basis, fine ... but ... build serious saving into your basic financial plan.

When you get paid, put preplanned part of each cheque into a savings account ... initially for emergencies, but also for the other important needs as outlined above (apart from others that may apply to you, e.g. extra medical, care for aged, partially indigent parents, etc.

Try to avoid tapping that/those account(s) in times of thin income.

Rather, when some more income than usual, buy food to stash for use in the thin times.

Hope these suggestions are helpful.

ole joyful

short trips are done on the bicycle

temperature in the house is set rather high in the summer, and rather low in the winter

Open the windows when it's cool out, and turn the AC off

close shutters and blinds on the sunny side of the house

don't waste stuff! All stuffs, even water, I fill a bucket when I need warm/hot water at the kitchen sink, and then pour that in the washing machine, or use it to water trees, bushes and flowers out doors

turn off lights, and turn off TV's that husband leaves on, even when leaving the room

cut my own hair

When I grew up, my parents were VERY thrifty. I really don't know another way to live.

Jerry works for our income, and I like to see it go far.

Moni

With the high cost of gas these days, one money saver that we found is coordinating all our trips out ~ shopping, dentist, haircuts, etc. A calendar near the phone really helps with the scheduling and grouping to have the appointments, etc. all running on time, and one after the other.

Pay yourself first.

Window ac's.
More careful measuring of detergent in the washer instead of dumping it in.
Pay off the credit card every month

Dont buy anything you can live without!!! We live on a fixed income and that means we have to be frugal. We drink water,not soda, do without snacks and chips etc.(we have those when we go to our church dinners)Clothes come from thrift stores or garage sales,,we cut each others hair,and we dont have a credit card. If we cant pay for it we do without. Most people live way beyond their means and are spoiled...IMHO!!!

My husband and I put off saving for a number of reasons. None of them seem justifiable in hindsight. However we are now saving with a vengence and hope it will take the edge off of financial stress at retirement.

We max out contributions to his 401k and have an emergency savings fund in CDs. Eating out less, and lots of little common sense things seem to be working.

My husband would like to semi-retire at 65. He is now 57. We hope to sell our home in the next 2-3 years and buy a live in income property in New England. Time will tell how it all plays out.

Kim

I live without a/c. My light bill was $48 last month. I know it sounds grim, but I work outside all day, and I like the house with windows open and fans on. Came in last night and turned one fan off and the other down because I was chilly....and I live in s/e Texas.

I buy beef on sale. I only like beef from Kroger's...so when it is on sale, I buy it there, altho they are higher on everything else. I just buy things on sale there, if I need them.

I cook from scratch. I seldom buy junk food. I buy most of my vegetables at a farm stand.

Have no debts. Don't finance anything. The only bills I have are insurance and light bill and phone and ISP. What I can pay, I pay in advance for a year or 6 mo. at a time.

I save change....small bills and loose change.

We never buy new vehicles. We buy one owner cars that have been well maintained and buy from the original owner.

I spend a lot of money on some things. I get free dog and cat food for the wildlife and that feeds my dogs and cats too, but I spend a lot on extras for the wildlife I rehab.
My possums eat 4 or 5 quarts of yogurt a day, for example.

I never buy new clothes. I don't work away from home, so I
don't need to dress up....my clothes come from thrifts, yard sales and even the thrift shop dumpster.

I do buy new shoes because I wear rubber clogs like Crocs and new socks because I like certain ones.

My husband has a new job where he is making 10 X this year than what he made last year...and now I can afford to buy anything I want, but nothing has changed. I still do all the above because that is the way I like to live.

I watch sales.
I use coupons.
I use a credit card that gives me a cash back amount near the end of the year and I never pay any interest.
I take advantage of senior days at different places.
When grocery stores have sales on items I need, I stock up.
I have a pretty strict budget and I follow it.
I go to the bank once a month and withdraw the amount of cash I expect to need ( same amount each month) If I run out of cash before end of month ,I do not go back to the bank. I do without. This covers food, personal spending, and church donations.
I combine errands so that I conserve gas.
I do not let my car get under 1/2 full and fill up whenever I see the price is down a few cents, whether I need it or not.
Most of my clothes are second hand or very old. Some I sew myself, but even yard goods is getting pretty high price
I use free cycle both to offer and to receive
That is just some of the ways, this senior manages on a tight fixed income.

Much good advice has already been posted, but I particularly want to echo what Linda-In-Iowa wrote:

" Pay yourself first "

Experts urge people to save 10% of their net income (take home pay). Consider this as much of a 'bill' as your rent or mortgage. Once you have saved 6 months worth of salary, as recommended by professionals for a true emergency, such as job loss, open another account where all future savings go.

If you don't already know where your money goes, do that first. I've linked to a website that has several printable free budget worksheets. Completing a budget worksheet gives you a good idea, but then there always the little incidentals; some of which is money just slipping through our fingers on things only you can determine if you can live without. To get a handle on these items, each of you should write down every single dime you spend each day in a small notebook you carry in your purse or car. If you are like most of us you will be amazed at how much money is spent on items you really don't need. I did that and then asked myself: do I really need an expensive coffee latte from Starbucks every morning? Or, can't I bring a lunch from home instead of going out? Can I bring to work a can of soda that costs 60 cents instead of paying $1 from the vending machine? Sure, it's only saving 40 cents daily per person but that's $100 a year -- times 2 is $200 a year. I bounced that against what I call truly discretionary spending ... after taxes, after every mandatory monthly bill was paid and was shocked at how little there was.

Buy yourself a coupon organizer. You can buy a basic one at the Dollar Tree or Walmart or any of those places. My shopping lists are 'documents' in my computer document program. I type a cap C after any item for which I have a coupon, and I pull those coupons out from my file (or even use a small envelope) and clip them to my list before I head out.

You said you were working only part time. Is there a chance you can work a 2nd job part time and earmark all pay from that for a savings plan. I say that only because a relative visited 2 years ago; they had retired and she always worked part time by choice. She said something to me that I still remember: "I wish we had worked harder and saved more when we were young."

Here is a link that might be useful: Free Printable Budget Worksheets, Etc.

Not everyone can do this, but I have 25% of my pay put directly into the corporate Credit Union. Out of sight, out of mind. When I get a raise, I calculate how much take-home it will be, then increase the amount deducted for Credit Union. We live by that rule, and I take home the same amount of money I did in 1994...the rest is saved for retirement.

We pay off credit cards each month...if we don't think we can do it, we don't buy it that month! No finance charges and no late fees. If we think the check will not arrive on time, I drive it to the bank....again, no late fees!

I plan my weekly meals around what is on sale at the supermarket. We eat breakfast early together at home. We take our lunch to work. Saves hundreds of dollars over the year.

I buy good clothes because of my job, but not until they are on the clearance rack at Lord & Taylor, and I have a coupon! It's a game with me....$400 suits for $75? Yes, Yes, Yes!!

We drive less and combine trips/errands.

DH has a container in his closet where he throws loose change. We give that to his daughters once year when they want to go on vacation with their friends. It's a tradition they've had since they were kids. They try to guess how much. Often it is over $400!!! It all adds up!

Good luck; it's not easy to save much these days, but every little bit helps.

Dee

With supporting 2 houses for the time being (until DH retires in a year or 2), I squeeze every penny until it screams three times--LOL.

We've been eating cheaply. I've been filling in with Ramen noodles for lunch. We found a place at the new house where you can buy a roast chicken and potato salad for under $10--which is enough for 2 dinners for us.

I've been experimenting with different routes to the new house. In the beginning, the trip was 39 miles--going the most commonly used route. I've poured over maps, and keep making refinements. Just this morning, I made it home in just slightly over 30 miles. So I'm saving over a gallon of gas for each round trip by taking my 'alternate route'. And we keep an eye on the gas prices and buy in whichever location is cheaper that week--sometimes there, sometimes here.

Have been making my own curtains for the new place. Anything we need to buy that's taxable, we buy there (it's an urban enterprise zone, tax is half that of the rest of the state--pennies, but they help). And yes, I save all my change in a jar.

I don't, however, skimp on the important things. Bought a really good (and relatively expensive) mattress--false economy to buy cheap for some things.

Have been hitting the farm markets in the country for my produce--fresher and cheaper.

We contribute a large amount to 401k's every month, add to Grants college fund (a 529 plan) and invest money that will earn more money over time.

We buy everything with cash, including vehicles, to avoid paying any finance charges or interest.

I contribute the maximum amount to my 403B account every pay period.
We have a garden and haven't bought vegetables since mid-June. I can and freeze the produce from our garden for the colder months, and we grow enough potatoes to winter over until spring.
I clip coupons and buy whatever I can in bulk.
We run our errands along the same route to save gas and time.
We purchased a wood-burning fireplace insert to save on oil. Since we live on 7 wooded acres, it just makes sense.
We rarely go on vacation. If and when we do we make sure we do various "freebies", like utilizing the ranger programs in our national parks. Those ranger programs are some of the best ways to learn about local history.
We bring our lunch and our coffee to work.
We eat a lot of pasta and vegetarian meals.
I make most everything from scratch and don't buy processed or convenience foods.
We have a compost bin for the garden and flower beds. I make my own potting soil. We swap perennial plants with friends.
We do most of our own home repairs and renovations.
I bring items to a local consignment shop. I recently made enough $$$ for a coffeemaker.
We don't buy each other birthday or holiday gifts, preferring to buy things we need for the house...our house has gotten some nice gifts at Christmas ;o) We only exchange gifts with our DS and his GF and our two dearest friends (a DH & DW) at the holidays.
We only have one cell phone with the cheapest plan, used mostly for emergencies. I get a discount because I'm a civil servant.
We use our senior citizen/AARP card and civil service/government status for discounts whenever possible.
We bring our furbabies to the free rabies clinics. We clip our Tootie's nails and bathe her ourselves. She does go in for regular sugar monitoring for her diabetes...some things you just can't scrimp on.
We don't eat out unless it's an important event. Besides, I'm a much better cook than those at some restaurants LOL. I must confess that we do like our wine and splurge on keeping our cooler stocked. But when we have a niec bottle of wine that's accompanying a delicious dinner I've made, well, that's really living.

I clip coupons and shop sales. I buy generic if we like the product. Most meds are the same, but half the cost. We buy in bulk-but only the things we really need.

We paid cash for our last car (2005) and have kept DH's 1997 Honda Civic (GREAT gas mileage). We do regular maintenance and expect it to easily last another few years. I try to combine errands as much as possible to cut down on driving. And just do without some of the luxuries, not all but some. Having 2 young DD's we don't go out to dinner or movies much anyway. One neighbor and I used to share her Netflix movies once in a while. We can also rent some at the library for free!

When we have family time, there are lots of free parks and playgrounds to go to. We picnic instead of buying lunch (healthier then fast food anyway). I water down DD's juice, but that's more of a sugar thing then saving money. We all drink lots of water.

We also max out DH's 401K and pay all our bills on time so no extra charges. We invest, save for DD's college funds and buy CD's. We pay extra on our mortgage payments each year.

We saved our change for a few years in a jar and cashed it-we had over $500 dollars!!!

The biggest thing is I try not to waste anything!

Last winter, I kept the heat on 56 degrees and used an electric blanket when i was sitting still. I am wondering what I will have to keep it on this year, they are talking about our rates increasing as much at 40%!

I try to do all my cooking at the same time and in the non-peak-heat hours to save on energy. I get gas for the car whenever I see it "cheap", even if I only need a couple of gallons.

Before purchasing anything I ask my self "Is it something I need or just something I want?"
I keep DH out of the 99 cent store and Costco's until we really, really need something.
We use the local library instead of buying books.
When eating out the only beverage I have is water.
I avoid fast food places.
I almost always make our meals from scratch. We eat at home most of the time.
I grow tomatoes and herbs and other assorted vegetables every summer.
I have a compost pile.
I wash clothes in cold water and use the clothes line some of the time. (I have allergies so when the pollen count is high, I use the dryer.)

Eat main meal out daily! Much cheaper than cooking for myself.
Put my social social check in Money Fund towards fun money or extra expenses beyond the normal.
I'm OK.

We always pay our charge card bill in full when we get it.

Always buy used cars (models which have been researched in Consumer Reports for fewest repairs), and have paid cash for all we have bought in the past 10 years.

Buy lots of second hand items or new items with a good internet discount (sale items with coupon codes).

Color my own hair and don't get massages/pedicures or manicures.

DH cuts wood and we use our woodburning stove to heat our house the majority of the winter. He also does whatever car repairs that he can and he changes the oil in all our vehicles.

We use an attic fan instead of AC on not-so-hot days.

I drink cheap beer. :-) Milwaukee's Best Light $5.39 a 12 pack.

We don't use credit cards.
It's cash or nothing.
We do our grocery shopping at a warehouse store.
We watch sales very carefully.
We own our cars and take good care of them.
We fix what we can on our own instead of calling someone.
We are truly DIY people!

That being said, we have debt. Lots of debt. It happened during a time when DH was between jobs. Sometimes it feels overwhelming if we will ever pay it off.

I pay bills online. Easily $25/year or more savings in postage & check fees. I also schedule them to be paid the last possible day so I get the interest as long as I can, what little it is. PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME! Late fees are a stupid waste. And I use credit cards to save money and pay them off monthly. Carrying cash is too easy for the impulse buys. If you have to pull the card, at least with me it's a bigger thing than spending money. And when I use the card I get the cash back bonus.

I never understood the coffee can change savers. I prefer to save the $1s, $5s, etc and spend the coins! Don't go to the store=don't spend money, don't use gas and have more time to yourself. Turn off the TV, lights, computer, etc when you're not using them. Turn off fans when you leave the room. And when you turn on the computer you don't need to turn on the printer, scanner and other peripherals with it. Turn them on when you need them. Unplug wallwarts. Clean the seals on your refrigerator & freezer doors and check for leaks. You'd be surprised how much cold air can be leaking out, forcing it to run that much more. Line dry a few things instead of using the dryer and combine loads in the dryer if you wash small loads. Under-dry clothes and let them line dry a bit. Seriously consider purchases. Do you really need it? Can you rent it, borrow it, or something like that? Avoid buying one use items. Caulk and weatherstrip. Winter's coming. Make window quilts and additional insulation for windows and doors. Check doors for drafts and leaks. Turn the heat down a few degrees and get out a sweatshirt or use a blanket when you're sitting. When you're moving around you'll be plenty warm. Close off rooms that you don't use and don't heat or air condition them. CFLs can be used outside too. Don't forget about them. Don't leave outside lights on 24/7. Shave at the sink, not in the shower. Buy used. Fix it if you can.

You guys are gonna make the economy crash! (like it isn't already!) I wonder who are all those people who have spent money that wasn't theirs and are now severely in debt?

I use my credit card for everything - I log my purchases in a book to keep an ongoing visual of my spending, and then I can categorize what I'm spending in various stores, and on what products. I pay off the card each month, but I have a general idea of what I can afford to spend. Plus, it's hard, but except for basic foods (not pizza pops or frozen meals) and sundries, most other items I consider a 'need' instead of a want, and don't buy a 'need' until I've thought about it for a couple of weeks, by that time most 'needs' never get into the house anyway, less money spent? And for frequently purchased items, I've a good idea what the cost on average has been (prices have been going up tho') so that I can recognize a sale and stock up as I see it. Having a freezer to store foods in helps also.

We read books from the library, even rent our movies (free) from the library, and a kind friend passes magazines on to me, and from me they go on to someone else, and then someone else after that.

Enjoy your day,

~kioni~

Always look for sales. I like nice things, but refuse to pay full price for them.

We get good deals on magazine subscriptions and books; after we read them, we pass them on to friends and family.

We keep our cars maintained.

Thankfully we keep the house temperature low in the winter. I had major sticker shock at the price of oil between last year and now.

We just paid off our mortgage; that money will now go into savings.

We save our extra change and the occasional paper money.

I drive a lot less then I use to running errands. I combine several into one trip and wait till I do have more then one errand before I go. I compare gas prices when out.

I grow my own veggies all year long especially salad stuff like lettuce, tomatoes and peppers. I wish I could grow cukes but never do well on the cool coast. I have 3 compost piles. I freeze or can any extras. I bought a dehydrator at the thrift store and hope to try that.

I shop at thrift stores and discount stores (Ross, Marshalls, TJ Max) for clothes and look for sales. Even the thrift store has a half price day. I only buy what I need like jeans when the old ones wear out.

And I sew, turning old into new. I cut off the sleeves of long sleeve T-shirts when the cuffs wear out and turn them into short sleeve T-shirts. My Mom use to turn the cuffs and collars on dress shirts. She also use to cut a sheet in half when the center wore out and sew the two outside edges together and you have a new sheet.

I buy certain items like paper products, canned goods, and meat in bulk at Costco. I split up the meat and use my sealer then freeze it. And we eat very little meat, about twice a week. I make a lot of non meat dishes.

I read this somewhere that you can use half the amount it calls for in detergent or soap in your laundry and dishwasher and they get just as clean.

I buy box color and do my own hair and also don't get massages/pedicures or manicures. I go to the cheap hair cutting chain places for a hair cut.

I shop at Big Lots, Dollar Store. That is where I buy snacks and some canned food. Always check the dates though. I buy cleaning supplies and shampoo and other personal hygiene products there. I am not sold on buying a certain brand, just get the cheapest.

I buy cheap shoes at Kmart and Payless Shoes. I an not a shoe fashion person so just look for ones that are comfortable and fit.

I buy all my purses at the thrift store. I can't believe women pay $200 or more for purses. Sorry, but I think that is insane.

We check out books and DVDs from the library. The only time I buy books is from the thrift stores or online discount places like Half.com or ebay. And we have a used bookstore locally that will give you store credit (1/2 book value) or buy them (1/3 book value) for your old books. Ones they don't take I send to my Mom or give to the library for their sales.

We only go out to eat for special occasions like birthdays and anniversary. I make almost all the meals at home from scratch, no pre-made package food that you just pop into the microwave. DH says I am a better cook then most of the restaurants anyway. And after working in a restaurant during college, I am a little leery of eating out.

DH and I, when I was working, brown bagged it for lunch and always had breakfast and dinner at home. He has been taking his lunch to work for 32 years. Imagine how much he has saved.

We haven't been on a vacation for 8 years. We use that time to work on house projects. We do all of the work we possibly can ourselves like digging out the septic tank. We had to pay someone to put it in because we didn't have the equipment but we saved thousands doing the digging.

We pay off the credit card (1) every month. It is the Costco AE card and we get cash back at the end of the year. A big way to save is don't have a lot of credit cards, it can get out of hand.

I either live without or buy things on Craigslist that I want. I just got a 21 speed aluminum bike in great shape and only 2 years old for $60. It was $310 new.

I also sell things that we don't need or want anymore on ebay and Craigslist. Why keep it if you don't use it. We also give a lot to the charities. DH likes to clean out the house from one end to the other every couple of years.

We use ceiling fans and open windows when it is hot. No A/C. In winter we use the fireplace to take the chill off the main area and don't turn on the heat if we are not going to be around. We cut our own wood from the trees we have been growing for 22 years. And always plant more.

There is probably more but can't think of them now. Two good books to read are The Tightwad Gazette I & II by Amy Dacyczyn. I got both copies at the thrift store for a $1 each.

Remember Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Clare

I just don't shop!! Hate malls!

Automatic withdrawal into my credit union savings and my 403b savings - right out of my check. I try to save at least 10% of my gross.

I throw all my change in a short tea can here at work. When I'm low on change or need a dollar or so I have it.

I bring my lunch from home...rarely eat lunch out when I'm working, and I rarely eat out in the evening. I really like my own cooking and I can eat the amount I want to eat too. I say that because the older I get the less I seem to want. I hate bringing home food from restaurants if I know I won't be taking it to work the next day for lunch. And sometimes food just doesn't taste as good the next day.

Of course that's not to say that I don't treat myself when I go out with friends..there are many really good small restaurants within a couple of blocks of where I live. And it's fun taking my time to try them out.

Anyway those are a few of the ways I save....

I have to laugh at the cans of change. We have containers all over the place with coins in them. I need to take it all to the bank!

I've always been pretty thrifty. I try not to drive any more than needed with the cost of fuel as high as it is. I never pay full price for clothes. I shop the sales.

There are lots of other things I could do to save, but I figure we make money so we can enjoy the things it can buy. I know too many people who did without in order to stash away their money. Then they died and their kids blew the money as fast as they could. I've aways thought that those people could have made their life more comfortable if they would have spent a little of that money. But I guess they were happy like they were.

Avoid prepared foods at the grocery store and cook from scratch. Don't buy soda pop unless I am getting a hamburger for lunch at a restaurant. We don't smoke and rarely drink alcohol. Pay off all charge accounts 100% each month. Got a cell phone when kids and sister all became long distance calls and use it for all our long distance.

A lot of mine revolve around food, as that is where I found that we had a lot of waste.

Buy food, toilet paper, etc. in bulk (only if the price per unit is lower to buy in bulk, sometimes it isn't)
Don't eat out very often.
Don't order alcohol at restaurants.
Make coffee at home instead of buying at coffee shops.
Shop the farmers market.
Use coupons (I tend to forget them, but I try).
Buy generics in everything we can - prescription & OTC meds, food, etc.
Limit extra driving.
Use a programmable thermostat.
Shop sales.
I buy quite a few clothes on ebay. I've also found some really good deals on name brand things for the house there.
I buy most of my shoes at Target, Walmart, & Payless. I do need to dress nicely for work, but they usually have some nice shoes & for much less than most stores.
Don't buy DVD's.
Get most books from the library.
We download our music from iTunes so we only have to pay for the songs we want, not a whole album if we only want a couple of songs.

I've been frugal all of my life. I try to keep balance so that I'm frugal and not just cheap. Here are a few things I do.

-Shop at the end of the season so I can find nicer quality clothes for at or below Wal-Mart's price. Last week, I bought my 4 yo dd some cute school outfits for around $5. These outfits were originally $28-$40.
-Shop the ads for loss leaders on food and plan meals around that. Think value. Just because something is on a great sale, doesn't mean I buy it. There are huge sales on back-to-school junk food this time of year. I'd rather pay more and send my kids to school with healthier choices.
-Figure out the best time to shop. For instance, there have recently been great sales on school items. I stocked up for my needs at home and the kids at school. Most every item you need will go on sale at better prices during a certain time of year. You just need to figure out when that is and plan for it.
-Buy things of 'need' rather than want. We need food and clothes. We only 'want' all of those cute decorations for the house. I take my time decorating my house and think about how I want it to look so I don't end up with a bunch of 'stuff' that I no longer care about.
-The Organizing forum helps tremendously. If I don't have a place or use for something in my home, then either I need to make a place for it so it's not just taking up space or I don't 'need' it and it needs to go. Not buying what you don't need saves money and also helps to keep the house cleaner too. Look at garage sales. I love to shop them, but those goods often represent wasted money on the part of the original owner.
-Eat out of the pantry and freezer for a while. It helps to use up food that is otherwise getting old or going bad. You're not saving money when you buy something on sale unless you actually use it. If you end up having to throw it out, it's waste.