How Do You Cut Costs?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Incinerator

A few places in Europe does this, I think it's quite smart, just like pay at the pump for gas.

Plus when you're done you can leave.

I cant count the number of times my drink is done, my dinner is done and I just want to leave but I'm stuck waiting for the damned bill.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Down to 1-ply.

By 2 ply and split it in half. Don't forget to use both sides!

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Muta

https://authoritynutrition.com/how-m...drink-per-day/

I'll disagree, I don't think people drink enough water on the whole, but you are correct in that water comes in various forms and it depends on the person. The general consensus is that 2L a day (whether through liquid or solids) is universally the proper amount. Perhaps even more if you are physically active. Dehydration can be the source of many ailments of the human body.

There is not some plague of dehydrated people running around North America. So you can disagree if you like but the actual point that stands is that most people do in fact intake enough water each and every day by whatever fashion suits them. Your article says the same thing as the other one....your body is efficiently hardwired to tell you when to drink and everyone is different. It's not something one has to consciously think about. If you need water your body tells you to drink water. Now if one is on a medication that needs extra water to secrete then one may need to actively make sure they are drinking enough.

That 2L is not 2L from 8 cups of water and general consensus means nothing. It doesn't make sense for one. A 5' 1" 90 lb person is not going to have the same water needs as a 6' 5" 300lb person. An average human body may need around that much total water. There is no real consensus but let's pretend there is and say it's 8 cups but that would be for an average person. But most people aren't the average.

It's general consensus that multivitamins are good for you when the science actually says that unless you are deficient in a vitamin taking extra vitamins at best does nothing for you and at worst can be very harmful. General consensus means squat when it isn't based in what the science says. The only thing that 8 x 8 rule does say is that "hey if you drink these 8 cups of water you are very likely getting enough water during the day especially when combined with all the other sources of water". That is NOT the same as "you need to drink 8 cups of water a day to be optimally healthy and if you don't you need to drink more".


Anyways completely off topic. So to bring it back...save money by not worrying if you drank 8 cups of water. You will either save in bottled water or utility bills. At least on some days. Other days you might spend more.

[JohnnyB]

Moving from Shanghai to Hong Kong has been ridiculous for me in terms of increased expenditures on food and transportation. HK is stupidly expensive. Making it worse is not having a good space for any cooking at home. I've been here a month and I'm still trying to find a balance where my costs are cut and lifestyle is happy.

[Locke]

I saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico.

[TomLeeMC]

scotiabank? Heard they can do wonders for saving up for that next big thing.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Locke

Down to 1-ply.

Well, you'll be cutting something with 1-ply.

[nik-]

Just install the Thailand style butt sprayer on the side of your toilet and you'll barely have to use any paper at all.

[Eastern Girl]

-I cut out drinking pop. That stuff has gotten really expensive in the last while.
-I walk as much as humanly possible instead of driving
-Very strict about the amount of time I have my air conditioning on.
-Significantly reduced my shower time. I had always taken long showers. I found it relaxing, but now I try and just get in, wash, rinse, get out.
-Let my hair air dry instead of using the blowdryer.
-I unplug anything I am not using. So, the microwave, lights, etc., are all unplugged.
-Stopped shopping online. This was a big one. It's so easy to rack up a few hundred bucks on movies/books, etc. I just stopped going to the sites. No temptation if you aren't looking.
-I plan out my meals as much as possible in advance of grocery shopping to hopefully avoid just throwing anything into my cart.
-I bought nail clippers for my dog, so I can do that myself instead of having to pay. Starting bathing him at home, instead of going to the groomers.
-I go to the library instead of buying books.
-I charge my phone/kindle at work instead of home
-Always have reusable bags in my car so I don't have to buy any if I hit up the store on the way home.

Not proud of this, but when I was younger and just starting out in the world on my own, I pretty much stole everything not nailed down at work. Toilet paper, pens, kleenex, paper towels, cleaning products. Anything I could use in my apartment to save some cash....

I'm definitely going to cut my cable as well. I have so many channels I don't use at all. What's the point?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by nik-

Just install the Thailand style butt sprayer on the side of your toilet and you'll barely have to use any paper at all.

I don't know if anything "Thailand style" should be near your butt.

[nik-]

After you get used to the butt sprayer, it's actually kind of awesome.

[ResAlien]

But then wouldn't you have to walk around with a soggy butthole? Do you air dry in the washroom first? Is it worth saving money if you are intentionally giving yourself swamp ass?

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I love mine, but you'll save a ton of money if you never have kids.

Same applies to women, of course your internet usage tends to go up fairly heavily.

[rd_aaron]

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

-I unplug anything I am not using. So, the microwave, lights, etc., are all unplugged.

Turning off lights when you're not using them is a good idea as those bulbs can add up quickly, especially if you have incandescent or halogens.

Unplugging/plugging in a microwave (especially since the cable is usually tucked behind) is not worth my time. The standby power consumed by a microwave is around 3W (according to http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html). In a year (8760 hours) you consume a total of 26.3kWh. At the current Enmax rate of ~5 cents/kWh, it comes out to a yearly savings of $1.32. You're probably more likely to damage the outlet or cord then see any significant savings.

There are a number of things in that link above, though, that make more sense to unplug. Ideally if you had one power bar for your TV, Game Console, Audio Receiver, and Cable Box it would be easy to shut them all off at once.

Turning off lights is still probably the biggest one. You could purchase LEDs if you're planning to be in your residence long-term as they'll pay themselves off.

Getting a programmable thermostat would offer significant savings as well. Set the furnace to only run when you're home and not sleeping.

[Dynamic]

I was shopping around for car and house insurance and "saved" about a 1000 bucks a year because now I am a NAIT graduate. Apparently they have some kind of endorsement for that so I was pleasantly surprised.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Dynamic

I was shopping around for car and house insurance and "saved" about a 1000 bucks a year because now I am a NAIT graduate. Apparently they have some kind of endorsement for that so I was pleasantly surprised.

Meloche Monnex?

Pretty much anyone can claim to be part of at least one of the groups that they accept. The list is huge.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

We've had a few money related threads which to me (especially because of the economy) makes a lot of sense.

I've been thinking a lot lately about cutting costs.

You need certain things to live and work but whether it's the bigger stuff like shopping around and making sure you're getting cost-effective insurance, or the super small stuff like deciding on whether you need that real Maple Syrup, or if Aunt Jemima will do, there are seems to be a lot of ways to live happily and comfortably on a budget.

So: What are some of the things you do to cut costs or save a buck here and there?

I thought it might be interesting and relevant to see how people fit their lifestyle into their budget.

Sell the car. Your savings will be in the thousands.

[Eastern Girl]

Originally Posted by rd_aaron

Turning off lights when you're not using them is a good idea as those bulbs can add up quickly, especially if you have incandescent or halogens.

Unplugging/plugging in a microwave (especially since the cable is usually tucked behind) is not worth my time. The standby power consumed by a microwave is around 3W (according to http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html). In a year (8760 hours) you consume a total of 26.3kWh. At the current Enmax rate of ~5 cents/kWh, it comes out to a yearly savings of $1.32. You're probably more likely to damage the outlet or cord then see any significant savings.

There are a number of things in that link above, though, that make more sense to unplug. Ideally if you had one power bar for your TV, Game Console, Audio Receiver, and Cable Box it would be easy to shut them all off at once.

Turning off lights is still probably the biggest one. You could purchase LEDs if you're planning to be in your residence long-term as they'll pay themselves off.

Getting a programmable thermostat would offer significant savings as well. Set the furnace to only run when you're home and not sleeping.

I do that. I have my cable box, computer, tv, etc. on one power bar that I turn off when I don't use it. I bought a book light so I can read at night without the overhead light on.

[burn_this_city]

Isn't it super annoying to reload the entire guide every time you start the tv?

[rbochan]

Originally Posted by Locke

Down to 1-ply.

You can take my two-ply when you pry it from my cold, brown hands.