Seven easy ways to save $100 a week
Filed under: Budgets, Recession
If you've been living on Easy S
treet for awhile, with few financial concerns until the recent downturns, then Famoosh Torabi's article, "7 Easy Ways to Save $100 a week" is well worth reading. I'll forward it along to my older son, who is just out of college and could be holding onto a lot more of his paycheck. He's pretty much heard it all before from me, but then he's somewhat "mother-deaf."
For the rest of us, not new to watching our dollars, I'd be interested to hear whether any of the seven ideas are new to you. Torabi's suggestions include limiting visits to the ATM, drinking at home instead of in restaurants or bars, self-manicures and pedicures, using the library.
Maybe I'm cranky today. I've been "cutting back" for a long time. So I don't agree when Torabi suggests that when using your debit card at whole Foods, you can get cash back without paying a fee. What's wrong with that suggestion? If you're trying to cut costs, you probably won't be doing a lot of your shopping at Whole Foods -- except perhaps for its store brand.
Better still, don't make a habit of using the ATM. It isn't just the fee issue. The ATM makes taking out more money too easy.
Torabi describes the library as, "a cheapskate's mecca," and estimates that you can save about $5 a week by using the library. Actually, if the library is a mecca, it's an intelligent person's mecca, full of enlightenment and entertainment. Especially if you have children, and as the cold weather arrives, you'll gain a lot more than $5 a week by hanging out regularly at the library.
Read the piece and decide for yourself about these seven ways to save $100 a week.
treet for awhile, with few financial concerns until the recent downturns, then Famoosh Torabi's article, "7 Easy Ways to Save $100 a week" is well worth reading. I'll forward it along to my older son, who is just out of college and could be holding onto a lot more of his paycheck. He's pretty much heard it all before from me, but then he's somewhat "mother-deaf."For the rest of us, not new to watching our dollars, I'd be interested to hear whether any of the seven ideas are new to you. Torabi's suggestions include limiting visits to the ATM, drinking at home instead of in restaurants or bars, self-manicures and pedicures, using the library.
Maybe I'm cranky today. I've been "cutting back" for a long time. So I don't agree when Torabi suggests that when using your debit card at whole Foods, you can get cash back without paying a fee. What's wrong with that suggestion? If you're trying to cut costs, you probably won't be doing a lot of your shopping at Whole Foods -- except perhaps for its store brand.
Better still, don't make a habit of using the ATM. It isn't just the fee issue. The ATM makes taking out more money too easy.
Torabi describes the library as, "a cheapskate's mecca," and estimates that you can save about $5 a week by using the library. Actually, if the library is a mecca, it's an intelligent person's mecca, full of enlightenment and entertainment. Especially if you have children, and as the cold weather arrives, you'll gain a lot more than $5 a week by hanging out regularly at the library.
Read the piece and decide for yourself about these seven ways to save $100 a week.
Recent Posts
- The best and worst of the online shopping cashback sites (11/19/2008)
- If nobody shops, nobody eats (11/19/2008)
- Craigslist hooks up dope users, dealers (11/19/2008)
- Boomers worry retirement won't be what they had hoped (11/19/2008)
- Black Friday roundup is back, Best Buy, Target, Staples and more (11/19/2008)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-29-2008 @ 6:10PM
Penny @ InsureMe said...
Hi Beth,
I agree with some of Torabi's points, not so much with others. Though I love visiting the public library, it seems the computer terminals are always busy and overflowing with people waiting to hop online. It's just not worth the 2 or 3 hour wait.
As far as manicures and pedicures, well, I can't remember the last time I had one. That frivolous item got cut from the budget years ago!
And as far as getting cash back, once the bills are paid, there's never anything left to cash out! So that one's nill for me too.
Honestly, Torabi's advice might have been in line 5 or 10 years ago, but I think it's pretty out of touch today. Most middle-classers are doing everything they can just to keep up with the necessities, let alone the niceties. And with salaries low and so many people out of work, I for one count myself lucky just to have a job and be able to stretch my income to gas and groceries (for now anyway).
Reply