[ColdNoMore]

Originally Posted by thetruth

Not even sure if that stuff is still made. Last time I saw it it was two cents. Talk about inflation. Last time I bought it it was a penny.

To the point, I remember one of those questions on the bottom of the comic. If, you saved a penny the first day and two cents the next, and three cents the next. What would you have at the end of the year. I don't recall how to figure it out any longer but the answer was over a million dollars.

Hum, since my allowance was twenty-five cents a week they never explained where the money would come from after five days.

Ummm, not even close.


More like $667.95


Think of it this way, even on the last day of your yearly savings plan... you're only putting $3.65 in the cookie jar.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by raynan

Always check retailmenot.com when purchasing from anywhere. Print coupons and online discount codes are there.
Steinmart online stacks coupon codes.
Coffee pods from Christmas tree shops online, wait for sale to stock up and use code shopnow for $4.95 shipping when free shipping over $59 is not offered.

Buying coffee pods on a regular basis is a HUGE waste of money, and the ones that aren't specifically marked as recyclable are a HUGE polluter. If you use a Keurig, you can buy a Keurig re-usable filter and fill it with your choice of coffees from bag or canister. You can then take some of the savings, and get a pound of local-roasted gourmet coffee of choice as a special treat (are there local roasters in or near the Villages? If not, there should be!).

My money saving ideas: I plan on growing my own tomatoes in a pot. We don't eat them every day, just a couple every week. I don't know how much they are where you all are, but up here the organic ones are $4.99/lb and the local hothouse tomatoes run $2.99/lb. By growing them myself, I can save over $200 per year - just on tomatoes.

I also grow my own oregano. I don't know how well that grows in Florida and I might have to swap it out for other regularly-used herbs. It's not a huge savings, but the difference in flavor between fresh, home-dried, and the stuff you get in little plastic bottles at the supermarket is profound. Plus, these herbs grow lovely flowers that attract honeybees and butterflies.

For saving actual physical money, I try to make a habit of this: whenever I spend cash, I don't do exact change or rounding up to the next nickle. If the total bill comes to $14.01 I'll give them $15 or a $20 bill, and take that 99 cents in change.

At the end of the day, all the change I've accumulated gets tossed in an oatmeal box. At the end of the year, I hand-roll the money with paper wrappers I get from my bank for free. The rolling is a project that takes a few days, a little here, a little there when I'm watching TV.

I usually have around $200 in wrapped coins every year. I spend them, just like you spend any other kind of money. But if something comes to $14.01, I give them a roll of quarters, two rolls of nickels, and a loose penny. It's "found money" and I just got $14.01 worth of somethingorother for "free."

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore

Ummm, not even close.


More like $667.95


Think of it this way, even on the last day of your yearly savings plan... you're only putting $3.65 in the cookie jar.

That seems about right. Sum of integers 1 to n, with n=365 in this case. I can't remember the formula but after the first week, the sum of 1 to n would be 28 cents.

[retiredguy123]

For a year with 365 days:

365 ÷ 2 = 182.5
182.5 x 366 = 66795
66795 ÷ 100 = $667.95

The formula is (N/2)(first number + last number) = sum, where N is the number of consecutive integers.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Another one that I did: I found a hand-washing liquid that smelled nice and came in a pretty container at CVS. It was cheap, and bar soap on the bathroom sink just doesn't look very attractive. So I bought two bottles of it, and one "refill" bag of it. I also bought the biggest size dish-washing liquid containers of the brand I like. When one of the bottles was empty, I rinsed it out and put it in the kitchen, and filled it from the huge dishwashing liquid container. I keep the big one under the sink and replace it maybe once every 12-18 months when I run low. I wash the dishes by hand since you have to run the faucet to rinse them off and do your crusty omelet pans and crystal drinkware and gold-rimmed fine china anyway by hand, so I never saw any need for a dishwashing machine.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee

I, personally, am sick to death of all this talk of FENNEY .... so let's have a discussion about MONEY .............

Sometime ago I read an article in the local paper about a woman of meager means who wanted to go on a cruise and she saved dollars and did it! So, without giving it too much thought, I started throwing dollar bills in a drawer, when my purse got too heavy I cleaned it out just keeping sufficient small change to go shopping and put the rest in a vase, then I started taking the quarters and saved them. Of course, I had to save pennies and now I have bags and bags of pennies.

Recently when I was bored I thought I would count my various money stashes. I could not believe it. I had saved dollar bills in the hundreds and change in the vase approaching $50. I use the quarters to purchase dish washing liquid 4 bottles at a time (I hate running out of anything essential), and it was painless. The bags of pennies went to the Sheriffs Ranch for their charity. Now I am left wondering what I did with this money before I became a banker

So, you out there in TOTV land, do you stash away money in odd little ways because I'm looking for some new ways to save.

This Thread was just the boost I needed to leave Sams Club. It was not easy but the Savings will be Hugh.

I addressed my concerns about the errors they have made or incorrect things we had been told in the last six months and Crickets from the manager so I'm sorta glad they didn't try to save us at all. We did our last shopping trip through there and cancelled the Store Membership on the way out and cancelled the Credit Card through Synchrony when we got home. It's sad and a relief at the same time. What it was is a habit. And not a good habit either.

They had just raised our Credit Card Limit to a crazy level that was way too high. I never asked for that they just did it. Promising the Free Car Wash and backing off the offer was not good.

Selling stale desert items the day of the Superbowl wasn't cool either. Adios old friend. So many Nice People working there but its really all about The Benjamins.

Thank You for this Thread Madelaine Amee.

Almost forgot, opening Credit Cards to get $200 back when you spend $500 is great. Opening a Chase Savings & Checking account for a whole lot of money is great. I got $500 but I heard its less now. Never paid attention to any of this stuff before but we hear a lot of ways to save here at Boca Del Vista and its fun!

[Viperguy]

2.5% with USAA

[graciegirl]

Pay off all credit cards every month.

It is an amazing way to save money. If you cannot afford it today, you can't afford it.

If you need a loan for something big. Search hard for a valid lender with low rates and be wary of flexible rates and all the small print.

Pay off all credit cards every month. EVERY DAMN MONTH.

Save your money. Reuse. Recycle.

And about money in general, if you are successful in working and saving, be ready to have folks think it fell on you.

[BK001]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Pay off all credit cards every month.

It is an amazing way to save money. If you cannot afford it today, you can't afford it.

If you need a loan for something big. Search hard for a valid lender with low rates and be wary of flexible rates and all the small print.

Pay off all credit cards every month. EVERY DAMN MONTH.

Save your money. Reuse. Recycle.

Excellent Advice.

Originally Posted by graciegirl

And about money in general, if you are successful in working and saving, be ready to have folks think it fell on you.

An interesting phenomena but sooo true.

[Tblue]

Cgilcrest, I have the USAA Visa card and get 1.5% back, was your 2.5% a typo, or do you truly get %2.5 and if so about how long have you been receiving the 2.5%?

[Toymeister]

Originally Posted by Tblue

Cgilcrest, I have the USAA Visa card and get 1.5% back, was your 2.5% a typo, or do you truly get %2.5 and if so about how long have you been receiving the 2.5%?

USAA does not offer a 2.5% cash back card. They have in the past but no longer do. For those that have one they can keep it. I called them and confirmed this. You can do that as well if you have any doubts

The best cash back card with no restrictions is Alliant CU at 3% (year one). At year two it's 2.5%. There are very few cards that offer 2.5%. Those that do usually discontinue the program for new applicants. There isn't much money to be made by a lender with that much no restrictions cash back.

[Two Bills]

Hair cut every three weeks when we first came here started at about $12-15 with tip.
When it got to $20 every three weeks, I went to Walmart and bought electric clippers for $16.
I put the No.2 on and shave it all over.
Must have saved over $1000 already.
I looked like s**t before, so no one noticed the difference!

[BK001]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

I looked like s**t before, so no one noticed the difference!

Awww, I doubt that. And remember that great saying, "never say anything bad about yourself. There are too many others willing to do the job."

[jebartle]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Hair cut every three weeks when we first came here started at about $12-15 with tip.
When it got to $20 every three weeks, I went to Walmart and bought electric clippers for $16.
I put the No.2 on and shave it all over.
Must have saved over $1000 already.
I looked like s**t before, so no one noticed the difference!

For more "hair cuts", go to Tenaj for deals every month. This month on feb. 14th, color shampoo and blow-dry, $14. Back home cost over $100.