Penny Scraping...

[Black_Halloween]

Trying to save any money at all when you don't have much to begin with is so hard. I've been trying to save a dollar here and there, any change I come across to put in my "piggy bank", which is really an old water jug (the huge ones) haha. Its so hard because things keep coming up...i'll have to take some money out of it, then have to start all over again With autumn and winter approaching I know i'll need some warmer clothes soon, which means more money that won't be saved. Any advice on how to penny pinch? Is anybody else going through this?

[kittyo9]

Try shopping only at places like good will or salvation army (also, hi, I'm from CT too!) instead of heading to department stores. It can seriously save you a ton if you tend to buy a lot of clothes. Also try watching your heat and electricity bills by keeping heat down around 55 and turning off or, even better, unplugging everything you aren't using, if you pay for those things. Put all your "I want it but I don't need it" items on a wishlist and give that to relatives/friends for birthdays and holidays when they ask you what you want instead of buying them on your own.

Uhmm... that's all I've got for now.

[lucybelle]

I'm a very stingy person. Here's some things I did:

-I never used heat or AC. I had a space heater I put in my bedroom when it got unbearably cold. I also used to boil pots of water and put them throughout the house. Since the apartment complex I lived in paid for the gas in the oven I used to turn on the oven and leave the door open for about 30 minutes. In the summer I just dealt with the heat.
-I didn't have cable or internet.
-My diet was mostly spaghetti with sauce, rice cakes and peanut butter, black beans, and Busch beer
-I never bought new clothes. If I needed more clothes I'd go to a second hand store

I'll put more if I think of any.
Best wishes!

[temporaryuser]

If you live on your own, dont mess with the thermostat. Put it at a set temp, and leave it there - leave it as high or low as you can possibly stand it.
Clip coupons, and look for forums that match coupons with the stores that are having the sales - that way you get the most out of the coupon.
Shop craigslist for anything you need - check the free section daily. Just because someone else is getting rid of it, doesnt mean its trash. As others mentioned, shop good will or thrift stores, or again, the clothing section on craigslist.
Try to combine errands into one trip, instead of making multiple trips - you spend more gas money and arwe more likely to impulse shop by making multiple trips.
Cook instead of eating out. There are websites that convert recipes to specific serving sizes if you arent very good at that.
Shop at Aldis or other cheaper markets. Name brand doesnt always mean better quality

[ashdav2010]

This sounds crazy, but I coupon LOL I get lots of things for free or nearly free, and sometimes even make money on the things I buy. I have half of my vaca for next year paid for already because of coupons Are there friends you are able to swap some clothes with for the winter? I agree with the posters above -- great ideas!

[Zephii]

I very rarely by new clothes. I'm lucky enough that I can get hand-me-downs from people. That doesn't have to stop just because you're a grown up haha. Also, on the clothes front, try layering rather than buying more clothes. That's how I get through most winters - I don't own winter and summer clothes, I just wear more or less layers depending on the season.

I don't have a car, so I save a lot of money there. If I can walk the distance, I do.

The biggest thing people spend money on though tends to be food. Watch how you shop, and avoid value added items - meat that's already diced or seasoned, cheese that's already grated, pre-prepared meals, anything that comes in individual serves (think individual cans of cat food, instant porridge, sandwich tuna, snack-pack yogurt etc) are charged at a higher rate.
Buy lower quality meat cuts and cook them for longer. Look for seasonal produce, anything out of season will cost you more. Rice, pasta and spuds - have one of these with or in every meal - they are cheap, filling and not terrible for you.
Generic/store brand items are quite often supplied by the brand-name companies and are just as good, so don't pay for pretty labels.
Never shop when you're hungry.
I work in a supermarket, and I see every day that people could be saving hundreds every week, if they just paid more attention to the shit they put in their faces lol.

Also, with all my savings, I put them in a place where I can't take them out - either a bank account that I don't have a keycard for + has heavy penalties for withdrawing funds; a mate that I trust or for my small change, I freeze it. Put a bit of water in the coin jar and put it in the freezer - it takes a bit of effort to "unlock" the money in these ways and gives me time to ponder "do I really need to spend this?"

I know it's "gross" or whatever, but you can also save a small fortune with re-useable methods to deal with your periods, like Diva-cups, cloth pads or sea sponges.