Tips on decreasing your daily costs

[ThePro]

Let's share some tips on how we can spend less in a general sense!

1. Brand name is just that. There are many alternatives to many popular food items such as cereals and milk. What you might see as cheap "knockoffs" are really just deals in disguise, most of the time they're just as good and give you more bang for your buck! It's all a matter of experimentation or more often than not, compromising. :P

2. Always try to buy in bulk. This generally applies to things that come in plastics. e.g. 2 small bags of chips will cost more than 1 large bag of chips, as you are paying for twice the container.

3. In the long run, stores with memberships will almost always eventually pay for themselves. I once got a nice 20$ hat for about 3$ because I timed the major sales with my membership card discount and a few coupons. It felt great!

That's all I have for now. Share some of yours here!

[SaifAlGad]

Let's share some tips on how we can spend less in a general sense!
2. Always try to buy in bulk. This generally applies to things that come in plastics. e.g. 2 small bags of chips will cost more than 1 large bag of chips, as you are paying for twice the container.

I have just started doing this.
I actually just bought a lot of bulk prepared food items from Amazon.com.
My family thinks I'm crazy for doing this, but I get free shipping with my prime membership and some of the soup cups were cheap. So I have been doing that for about a month now. I want to subscribe, but I don't like the idea of having a monthly charge with Amazon. Just don't want to give them that much power. Thanks for the tip.

[sundcarrie]

One of the things I see the most when people tell me they are broke is that they pay for a lot of extras they don't need or don't use. Most of this if on cell phone bills and cable bills. If you are not already doing so take a look at your bills and see what you are being charged for take some time call the companies and have them explain charges you don't understand.

I don't have cable anymore I just use Hulu and/or Netflix and kind of switch it up as the programs I watch are on either or. The only feature I pay extra for on my phone is text. I see people with 200 dollar cable and cell phone bills and they don't even know what they are being charged for.

This tip can go for any bill if you don't understand the charges call the company and ask what it is for and why you need it.

[Dani72]

If you have a smart phone. sundcarrie, you can get free texts to other smart phones with Whatsapp. It has saved me a fortune, chatting to my kids.

[Snrm]

I love using Costco for buying in bulk and for the unique items that I just can't find at Costco I go to Wal-Mart and buy their Great-Value items. Great Value items are basically like generic but specific to Wal-Mart's brand. I find that some of the Great Value foods taste better than the name brands.

[Kaycee J]

I try to notice what is on sale at my favorite grocery store, and then plan meals for the week incorporating those item. I also try to use coupons for sale items to increase my savings. I am often able to beat Walmart's price that way. My biggest money saving tip, though, is to stay out of the store as much as possible! I am trying to plan meals that use things we already have in the house, and to stock up on the things we use the most. If you don't live close to the grocery store, consolidating trips saves on gasoline. And fewer trips through the grocery store means fewer impulse purchases.

[NSCountryGal]

I do not buy many brand name items. My soaps, noodles, pasta, toilet paper, laundry detergent, some cereals, popcorn, spices, juice and some other items always are name brand.

However if it happens that a deal matches the price of the no name item, I buy the name brand if I like it. Honestly though most of the food taste the same to me, so it doesn't matter.

I also go through the weekly fliers and try to buy most of my food this way even if it involves going to the store every week.

[Ziggybrah]

I always found it the best to make a list what I need and just cross out the stuff that I don't need that much can use something else. Saved me a lot of money.

[cdm21]

For everyone who is single or a bachelor and don't want to buy in bulk, consider splitting it. Find other bachelors, or single people who are willing to split the cost and products with you. That way nothing goes to waste, you get more than enough and everybody's happy.

[Coupon Mara]

Don't buy items in gas stations. This is one of the biggest problems that I had, I would always want a soda or a bag of chips and just run to the gas station for some. After realizing that I was spending so much money doing this, I priced what it would cost to buy these items in bulk at the store, so much cheaper. I buy a case of soda and a box of those little bags of chips for variety and this has saved me TONS of money over the last month or so.