Trying to save up money

[Ash]

This is just a vent. I'm trying to save up money for a trip to go up to Canada in August. I figured, "Ok, piece of cake. If I can put back at least $30 a week, I'll have at least $700 by the time the trip rolls around." but putting back that $30/week is being harder than expected between bills(Yay for $200 electric bills) and everything else. I still need $250 for my round trip bus ticket! Thankfully, I'll be picking up a second job here soon (Back to the stadium, GO BARNSTORMERS!) so I can hopefully put more money aside, but sheesh! This is a pain. Good think my credit card's already maxed out or I might consider using it lol.


Anyone wanna donate to the fund? :rofl:

 

[mapache315]

If you don't have electric heat, you should be able to bring down your electric bill...a lot.

Put your TV, lights, etc on a power strip, and turn the power strip off when you leave the house. Try to use lights 1/2 hour less than you do already. Turn off your computer, don't put it on "sleep", make sure your toaster and microwave are unplugged.

You may even want to consider cutting out cable TV if you don't really watch it, and instead get a netflix subscription.

Try selling stuff that you don't use on CL...gives you some quick cash a lot of times and helps keep down the clutter.

Put all your loose change into a jar and don't touch it until the jar is full. When its full, bring it to a bank or to one of those coin sorter machines.

Return cans and bottles.

Instead of paying $1+ to dry clothes, hang dry them.

Eat lots of peanut butter sandwiches.


hope that helped

 

[Ash]

Electric heat is on the first floor, which is where my grandmother stays or the time being. Electric is thankfully the only 'house' bill I pay, but I also have a loan, credit card, and cell phone bill, and as much as I've tried convincing my sisters they need to turn off the lights/TV/etc when they're not using them, they don't listen to me. And of course the 'rents don't do anything. I'd say I'd refuse to pay the bill, but a) by paying the electric I don't have to pay towards rent/food/other bills, and b) it's MY credit that gets effected.

I tend to use my card for most transactions, but don't worry, I've cut down on my spending. I've been buying in bulk for water to take to work, rather than a soda every day, and purchasing foods for lunch that are either cheap (Yay for easy mac and ramen noodle bowls) or that I can draw out for a day or two (hot pockets and a large bag of chips).

I wish we could hang clothes to dry, but in our basement, that's not possible, nor in our yard. If I had anything to sell on CL I would. My chins are lucky I love them, or I'd consider selling them! (JK JK JK! I'd never do that). But they are going to suffer a little while for treats and new toys/etc for the cages.

 

[TillyChinchilla]

Ugh, saving money sucks, I know. Until you sit down and look at exactly what you spend it on - you have a hard time cutting it out. When I was laid off I really had to look at what we were spending.

I keep a savings account at a separate bank so that when I log onto my regular bank's site, I don't see the money. It is the chin's emergency fund.

We don't use credit cards either, which sometimes is a hassle, but all for the better. I seem to be the saver, and Ricky is the spender. If there is an excess of money saved up he goes through spells of having to have something :cute: