Ways To Save Money

[Starise]

On 2/5/2021 at 2:04 PM, missmuffet said:

My phone is not old, I bought it a couple of years ago. It is a phone for those who do not want a smart phone. It is the Cadence by Kyocera. I don't like cell phones. I take it with me when I leave the house just in case. My cell phone bill is $40.00/month.

The money I spend on clothes is really very limited. I have two pairs of jeans. I am retired and live on a limited income. I have no choice. 

I noticed the flip phones are making a comeback. I have been buying Motorola phones since they are less than half what a phone generally costs if you buy it through a carrier where they make the phones appear less expensive by spreading the amount out over monthly payments. In the end those apple and Samsung phones are typically at 1K or over for the better ones.

For most people on a monthly phone plan it is less expensive to buy a phone from a 3rd party and put the carrier's card in it. I just bought a phone this way. MUCH less expensive.

I have heard there is a program in the US that allows some people to get a free phone along with so many minutes free. I don't really know much about who to call to get it though.

I know many people are in the same boat with fixed incomes. I'll bet you have many very creative ways you save you could share. Living out in the mountains I imagine it is much less expensive to shop online?

 

[Starise]

I guess everything is relative *almost*. Many in the modern world look at some things as necessities that really aren't.

How far do we really want to take this idea of saving? Want to totally eliminate your monthly payments? Live under a tarp in the woods or under a bridge. Want to save on washing clothing and water usage? Wear clothing for a week and only take periodic showers. How about saving on razors? Stop shaving. Food getting too expensive? Cut out everything but the basics.

Jesus did not own a home. 

I don't like shivering in my house under heavy clothing, so if I can afford it I'm going to try and keep my home comfortable if at all possible. I have a friend who told me he keeps his house at 58F all winter. While I could live at that temperature I doubt I would be comfortable. 

Lighting? The Amish around me use rechargeable led lights at night. They have solar cells to charge them in the day time. I have changed almost every bulb in my house to LED because I get the same amount of light using 6 watts as I once had using 60 watts. I am on the grid here but have a backup generator and flash lights, candles etc. around in addition to stand alone propane heaters that don't need electricity. For me, this is emergency backup, yet many people could live like the Amish every day.

Smaller means less in terms of housing. Less to heat, taxes are less. 

[missmuffet]

22 hours ago, anynmsfmly said:

Do you know if they have a Cadence by Kyocera from Safelink ? I have an Alcatel MyFlip {or is GoFlip?} I think it is MyFlip, It is 4g, It cost me $9.99. It comes with Kai OS as an operating system, So I get to escape the giant tech moguls that way.............. I love it, And as I do not take many pictures anymore, I can keep a limited number and don't have to-need to take up too much space................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I am young, though, So the pretty things are still alluring to me.................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, As someone else stated in here, There is a difference between, "Want", And, "Need"...............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I have gotten better at it, But I am still young enough to enjoy a lot of that stuff........,,,,,,,,................ Didn't say I had the finances for it, Just said I enjoy it ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

I am not fond of the "bring your own phone" deal, But the idea of losing Kai OS, and having to "upgrade", qoute, unquote, To an android or Ios just seems incredibly unappealing,.......................,,,,,,,, I fnot, Completely invasive ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 

I am actually considering a Nokia right now. They sell those with safelink. It really has no computer operating system, It is straight talk-text. But, In a world that relies heavily on technology, I am wondering if this is a safe option......................,,,,,,,, I'm not sure why it wouldn't, And I'm not sure why it would..............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I am unable to communicate-come up with reasons-or-words, why, yet,...........,,,,,,,, 

I like flip phones. A lot. They are almost still too invasive for my liking, But they do feel secure in case you are ever lost somewhere, And somebody needs to find y ou.......,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, But, that's what also makes them scary at the same time ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !....... 

I don't know. 

[Starise]

21 hours ago, anynmsfmly said:

The problem with the more modern lighting and light bulbs for me, Is some of them cause anxiety. I don't know if it is the led, or the translucent or whatever it was................ Conventional white lighting causes me extreme stress............................... We currently have soft white, Which looks yellow and has a tinge to that of an old fashioned candles............................. Without the flame, Or the fire

I'm not sure if the bulbs I bought are the same. They look  like the older incandescent lights. They have a slightly yellow hue to them. When LEDs bulbs first came out they were all a very ugly white light. Through trial and error I learned a bunch of this the hard way in buying the wrong bulbs. I eventually wised up and now I know what I want when I go to buy an led light. Same with Christmas lights. I bought a 100ft. string of the ugly white bulbs last year and didn't use them. Even now I keep my receipt so in case I'm not thrilled with the lighting I can take it back. Sometimes the box will say natural lighting which can be misleading. I buy bulbs to either mimic older incandescent lights or light that look like candle light most of the time. I have a very natural looking porch light hanging in front of my door outside. For my perimeter lights though I have the very loud, very bright white leds. They stay off most of the time. If someone is around my house at night I wanted something truly illuminating. These are not attractive but they will make anything bright. In that case this was what I wanted. 

As an FYI I have experimented with those GE color changing bulbs or similar. One type can change to any color. Another type makes different shades of white light. You need wifi and you download an app to control it. Either Google or Alexa. This is important because not all bulbs are compatible with both so I would look for one that matches your voice assistant. If you shop around you can find them pretty inexpensive. I have two in my studio and I can control them both at the same time or make them different colors. The bulbs should fairly be close to your router because they communicate with it. Phone sends request to server >server sends change through voice assistant to bulb via wifi. Look for "no hub required" bulbs. I have had best luck with Alexa over Google.

On phones. I prefer Android to Apple. I am tied into the Google ecosystem. You could look at it like it's spying on you. You could also see the many things you can do. I choose not to worry about the spying part. Doesn't bother me since I don't have anything interesting to share  My most recent phone is the Motorola G stylus. Has a little pen you can take out to write with on the screen.The phone costed me 299.99. I received a discount on a sale to that price. I own the phone, so if I decide to change carriers all I need to do is swap cards. It has something like 3 cameras, even a special macro lens and pro features.Face recognition, fingerprint recognition and code as security. It  screens spam calls. I love it.Battery lasts a long time on a charge. The only downside is the case was difficult to get right. I had to send two back to get the right one even after telling them my phone.I ended up with a UAG case. I DON't use my phone as only a phone. 

Things I do with my phone-

• print to an epson color printer using Alexa and the Epson app
• control lighting and my heating system in my house
• observe my security cameras remotely
• ask it directions and it verbally tells me ( using Google)
• order pizza by simply telling it to call the local shop
• deposit checks
• banking
• pay bills
• control large industrial systems using a specialty app. These systems are very complex millions of $$
• play music
• watch videos
• check email
• send and receive texts
• take pictures
• dictate to alexa a shopping list through the Alexa app. All verbal. Then I can print it.

Pretty much anything people once did on a larger computer you can now do with a smart phone. Google apps can imitate, modify and copy many windows documents like .pdf files, excel, microsoft word and they can all be stored on Google drive. Same with pictures. I take a picture and it automatically posts to my Google drive. Google gives you 5gb free when you join. 

FWIW- I have two Motorola G5 plus smart phones. One is almost new. The used one has a body armor case. I also have a Motorola G5 case brand new(does not fit the G5 plus). They sent me the wrong one and told me to keep it. These are unlocked phones. Any suggestions what I should do with them? I would be willing to help someone but I don't want to send it to someone to sell.

[Starise]

How about household cleaning substitutes in place of expensive commercial cleaners?

[Starise]

On 2/18/2021 at 1:17 PM, anynmsfmly said:

I would just assume disconnect the router. I can hear the buzz of it without even getting up close to it, And the flashing lights drive me crazy. I can just, FEEL, that I am connected to billions of people when I have it on........................,,,,,,,,

I don't have anything smart. I pay bills via check or money order. My credit carc ompany just said they can't mail {cant or wont} paper envelopes anymore. So now I have to pay for my own envelope. Which is still cheaper than having a smartphone.

I prefer the desktops because You can still get something like a Dell, Which is a professional computer that you can sometimes get without a camera, But I don' tknow about the microphone jack........................,,,,,,,,

I don't own my own computer, And I stopped listening to music except the radio because it is free. Ever since they went to monthly subscriptions, I sort of started dropping out of the music entertainment..................................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I can go weeks without listening to music, So it's not worth it for me to pay a monthly subscription. I also like to own my music. And not pay a monthly subscription.

I like to buy it once, And then be done with it. Same with dvds. I like to own a dvd, and then be done with it.

I don't really like taking pictures via something electronic, Though I have considered buying an old fashioned Kodiak, Conidered Instax, But those look so childish................................ The only problem with trying to find one that doesn't look childish, doesn't look like it's meant for children with the colors and the design, Is to order it online, And I am trying to refrain from ordering things online. The old fashioned Kodak Polaroids look so much more professional, And the reason I was hoping to do that is to get away from having it uploaded, taken on a computer. I haven't wanted to take a picture of myself, Or have a picture be taken of me since my twenties. Don't think I ever will again, honestly.................,,,,,,,, 

I listen to the radio, And wanna get a nokia. We use flood lights in the front of hte house, too. Have to get on a ladder to get them up there...........................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Not sure I would want to get up there myself 

I wanna put an antenna on the roof, But I can't talk parents in to it. Not sure how we would record that way, either................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I basically don't do anythign you said with a phone. And I am trying to get even further away from the internet, and phones as well. They cause anxiety, And come with social media on the operating system. Social media can amp up mental illness. This is not the same as social media, And it has completely different functions. It's a forum, So...............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I don't like being this connected. At all. 

I browse via Opera, And a VPn, which doesn't work for online shopping very well. Or for signing in to some email servers. They don't like it. lol. I think that is more suspicoius on their part, Than the other way around. lol. I use my fathers computer and he uses it, too and it is a desktop with a tv screen still, So it's calmer, And less anxious ridden as well. I find computer screens to be anxiety producing, as well.

Anyway. thanks for the info. I still have, found the old incandescent lights, But they are getting harder to find. 

I hate the world.................................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, The world is not my friend.................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, But, It's not supposed to be.........................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,, 

I could never afford something that is 299, nor would I want to. I used to try and keep up with keeping a laptop, But I realized I was just using it to keep up with the man that I like,. So, I don't do that anymore. I will stick to a $9.99 flip phone, Thanks. lol. I don't like things that cost hundreds of dollars, No matter what it is. $27 a day is about enough for me. lol. Well, I mean, It has to be, Anyway. lol.

Not impressed by expensive things, Especially phones. That's one of my least favorite things on this planet, And I would not, Do not approve or appreciate my likes having them, either. I want a flip phone, Or a nokia that is as disconnected as possible, And barely approve of email. I dont find it "smiley" worthy, Either. lol................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

This world needs to repent, Is all I can say................,,,,,,, Anything electronic, I mean other than a 19" tv with an antenna, I use my parents now. Which is the way it should be, Seeing as I am a single female, Still unwed, Female. This is not normal to be single this long, Nor is it normal for our education systems to push spending money on degrees that they will n ever use. This is not normal at all. lol.................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

That's what we get, I guess.................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I just got an Orthodox Christian Bible in the mail, And the amount that they have taken away from the early Christian, Bible, Is astonishing. It lists the books that are in the Orthodox Bible, The books that are in the Catholic Bible, And the books that are in the Protestant Bible.........,,,,,,,,..................................... The Protestant Bible has the least amount of books in it, Has the most taken out of it................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, The only thing expensive I ever want spent on me anymore, Is flowers, Since no man has ever given them to me ever, In my life before...............,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, The only time I have ever gotten flowers was when I got into an accident, And they weren't from anyone I wanted them from, Either................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Had a female friend send them to me, But it was kind of l ike an, "Oh. It's just you" Kind of moment.........,,,,,,,,........ I do not want money being spent on me on electronnics, at all, I want something pretty, And frilly, And feminine. Femininity, Not feminism........,,,,,,,,........ 

Seriously, No woman is feminine anymore. None of them. At least not that I see, Anywhere, Ever. And the flowers are always still there............... Virtually never being bought................,,,,,,,,........ I want somebody from my youth, That I have known since my youth, Or at least late-teens,-early twenties. That is the way it supposed to be. Oh well. I guess I'm not worth it, After all................ 

Life can be very trying and frustrating at times. I know God has a plan for your life. Praying.

I guess gadgets are the least of worries for most. Many of my early jobs were working on electronics so I guess I don't see electronic things any differently than anything else. It can all be used for wither good or evil. Plus its difficult now to get away from everything that has a computer chip in it.

I look at phones in two ways. In day to day use how will it actually work for me. Money invested in a phone over life expectancy.

If I had a phone that I couldn't hear people very well when talking to them or maybe the reception was very bad as compared to other phones I am then willing to spend enough to get a phone that will not let me down when I need one. Then I figure depreciation of a phone over 4-5 years. I spent 299.00 on a phone divided by 5 the phone is costing me about 60.00 a year for the phone itself or $5 a month. Compare that cost to the monthly payments carriers charge to "rent to own" a phone, and it's a pretty good phone comparing to some in the $1000 range. I never went the track phone route. I imagine that would be even less overall, but I often didn't like the quality of some of the phones. Another option for long distance communication would be something like Skype or zoom. You can get apps for those to use on your phone.

I remember back when these phones didn't exist. 

You bring up some good points in also weighing physical and spiritual health when buying something. We don't want to buy anything that has potential to cause us harm. That responsibility lies in our own hands.

 

 

[Starise]

Let's talk about the money spent associated with cars. This is a BIG one because we have the potential to really spend lots of money on cars.

So what are some ways we can save on car expenses?  I think one of the first things men in general need to get past is the idea that it's transportation, not an image.

If you go buying a car to look cool you've made you first major mistake. Not only that but you might have just placed a target on your back for car thieves and repair shops who assume you must be loaded because you're driving that Mercedes or Cadillac Escalade. Don't stick out. That's my motto.

I begin with gas mileage and a few misconceptions associated with it. Say you have two cars that are close to the same size. One car is advertised to get 33mpg highway mileage. The other one is advertised to get 27 miles per gallon. Would you buy only based on fuel consumption? This is what the government wants you to do. Lower mileage cars are better right? Not always.

Here are a couple of reasons why a lower mileage car isn't always the best choice.

- Gas mileage ratings are ratings gleaned from carefully made tests that don't often reflect real highway driving conditions. In other words, your mileage might vary considerably from the rated mileage.

-With some cars, to get those highway ratings the makers used smaller engines overcoming the lack of power with turbo chargers and unique gearing setups. This is win win for manufacturers because the engines cost them less to build. What they don't tell you is a 4 cylinder going down the highway at 65mph might be doing 3500 rpm .vs my 6 cylinder doing the same speed at 2100 rpm. What this results in is more stress on the engine over the long term. 4 cylinder engines have a shorter life expectancy generally speaking if they are placed in larger bodies and asked to do constant heavy work. Ideally 4 cylinder engines work best in smaller well engineered cars. Not as much for the engine to do.

- If a car  doesn't have a little extra power when needed you could be in an unsafe condition that a more powerful car could get out of. If you trade performance for mileage it could compromise your safety. If you have steep hills to climb or drive fully loaded all the time the gas mileage ratings are probably nil anyways.

A few closing thoughts.

-Smaller fuel efficient cars using 4 cylinder engines are ok for most light commuting with no ill effects.

-8 cylinder cars and trucks are not needed for most people unless they are towing or carrying heavy loads. In my opinion the 6 cylinder engine is the best all around choice for mid sized cars and SUVs. The actual fuel savings between a heavy worked 4 cylinder and a less stressed 6 cylinder car is not going to be much and you'll know you have some extra power if you need it.

-Most 8 cylinder cars and SUVs use considerably more fuel than smaller engines. This is usually an accepted part of larger vehicle ownership. Personal side note- Many people buy these large towing trucks because they have campers. Want to save a LOT of money and hassle? Rent an air B&B house while vacationing instead.

Side benefits- you get a full sized living quarters with nothing to depreciate immediately after you buy it. No setup and tear down.No huge insurance payments for that big truck and camper. Air B&B houses are usually very nice to stay in. Want to rough it in the woods instead. Look at renting a cabin.

[Starise]

Still on cars-

Buying a used car. 

In my area dealers get cars coming in off of 2 or 3 year leases. 2017-2019 models are selling with mileage under 20K which is still almost a new car. There might be a 3-4k difference between a 2017 and a 2019 model. Is it worth the extra money to buy up two years on a used car if both cars have similar mileage? I think this depends on how long you plan to drive the car and whether or not you are ok with the extras and model year. Some model years have had trouble with expensive repairs or maybe the ergonomics isn't as good. I remember having a more recent car that I liked less than a similar older car I drove. The older car had a better turning radius and ergonomics.

If you don't plan to trade the car and instead plan to drive it until the wheels fall off, then resale value doesn't mean as much. OTOH , if you plan to keep the car only a few years and trade or sell it again resale is more important making year more important because more recent years have a higher resale value. Financially this often is not a good decision because even though you get more for a newer year car, the car you are trading up to has a higher price. If using a dealer they will give you the least amount they can for a trade in. The differences usually end up in the negatives. A new car is going to cost you.

I drive most of my cars toward 200 thousand miles which brings the value way down when I sell them. While still not a bad value for a buyer because I took good care of the car, if I were buying a car with that kind of mileage I would expect to make some periodic repairs on it and depending on how much you drive it I wouldn't look  the car as reliable in the long term past a few years or 250-300,000 miles. Unfortunately when people buy cars with that kind of mileage on them they have no other choice or maybe they just wanted something cheap to go to work in to save putting mileage on a better car.

One tempting thing to consider when looking at a used car are the older used cars. When I say older I mean a car maybe in the 2015 or older range. Sometimes you can find a car with low miles that's older that still runs well. The only difference compared to newer models is lower resale value and maybe those cars don't have a few of the things some are accustomed to having.i.e. things like crash avoidance technology and maybe a dated gui on the dash. No onboard apps or wifi. Does that really matter though if only looking for transportation? Sometimes an older car has more to offer in terms of performance. All depends on the car, model year and the original extras. If you're willing to do without wifi and heated seats etc. you might find a pretty good deal in a 5+ year old car. Another benefit would be insurance costs.

[Starise]

One thought that crossed my mind today. I believe people in general think more about how to spend money than how to make it, myself included sometimes.

Why is that?

[Guest AFlameOfFire]

On 2/24/2021 at 10:48 AM, Starise said:

Let's talk about the money spent associated with cars. This is a BIG one because we have the potential to really spend lots of money on cars.

So what are some ways we can save on car expenses?  I think one of the first things men in general need to get past is the idea that it's transportation, not an image.

If you go buying a car to look cool you've made you first major mistake. Not only that but you might have just placed a target on your back for car thieves and repair shops who assume you must be loaded because you're driving that Mercedes or Cadillac Escalade. Don't stick out. That's my motto.

I begin with gas mileage and a few misconceptions associated with it. Say you have two cars that are close to the same size. One car is advertised to get 33mpg highway mileage. The other one is advertised to get 27 miles per gallon. Would you buy only based on fuel consumption? This is what the government wants you to do. Lower mileage cars are better right? Not always.

Here are a couple of reasons why a lower mileage car isn't always the best choice.

- Gas mileage ratings are ratings gleaned from carefully made tests that don't often reflect real highway driving conditions. In other words, your mileage might vary considerably from the rated mileage.

-With some cars, to get those highway ratings the makers used smaller engines overcoming the lack of power with turbo chargers and unique gearing setups. This is win win for manufacturers because the engines cost them less to build. What they don't tell you is a 4 cylinder going down the highway at 65mph might be doing 3500 rpm .vs my 6 cylinder doing the same speed at 2100 rpm. What this results in is more stress on the engine over the long term. 4 cylinder engines have a shorter life expectancy generally speaking if they are placed in larger bodies and asked to do constant heavy work. Ideally 4 cylinder engines work best in smaller well engineered cars. Not as much for the engine to do.

- If a car  doesn't have a little extra power when needed you could be in an unsafe condition that a more powerful car could get out of. If you trade performance for mileage it could compromise your safety. If you have steep hills to climb or drive fully loaded all the time the gas mileage ratings are probably nil anyways.

A few closing thoughts.

-Smaller fuel efficient cars using 4 cylinder engines are ok for most light commuting with no ill effects.

-8 cylinder cars and trucks are not needed for most people unless they are towing or carrying heavy loads. In my opinion the 6 cylinder engine is the best all around choice for mid sized cars and SUVs. The actual fuel savings between a heavy worked 4 cylinder and a less stressed 6 cylinder car is not going to be much and you'll know you have some extra power if you need it.

-Most 8 cylinder cars and SUVs use considerably more fuel than smaller engines. This is usually an accepted part of larger vehicle ownership. Personal side note- Many people buy these large towing trucks because they have campers. Want to save a LOT of money and hassle? Rent an air B&B house while vacationing instead.

Side benefits- you get a full sized living quarters with nothing to depreciate immediately after you buy it. No setup and tear down.No huge insurance payments for that big truck and camper. Air B&B houses are usually very nice to stay in. Want to rough it in the woods instead. Look at renting a cabin.

 

Peace be unto you Starise, I am one who loves threads like this one. I am always searching for ideas to be more frugal. We ourselves have two 21 year old vehicles (so no payments on either of them). The one vehicle has never had anything more then a muffler replaced on it really and the other is in the shop now getting its third engine. By appearances they are horrid, but my husband has this thing about how long he can keep them on the road and save even more money.

Although, between me and you I hide the vehicles when mom comes and we rent a vehicle because I would never let my mother sit in one of our vehicles (lol!)

Its pathetic, but its nice not being strapped to vehicle payments, and living rurally and rarely heading out makes it easier to hang onto old cars. 

When their course is finally finished they will likely be lawn ornaments and be used as gas storage for our mower and our generator, we can store it in them and siphon it out of them over the course of a year.

Our washer and dryers are 20 years old, our fridge (the same). We did buy one appliance (a dishwasher) our old (25 year old kitchenaid) died so we bought a new one that began to leak 7 months after we purchased it, so dont use a dishwasher any more I wash the dishes by hand and just store my mason jars in the dishwasher. They dont make things like they use to, we decided on one of those lehmans wash tubs when the washer breaks down I am not paying for this tech crap that breaks down and gives you nothing but problems, its crazy.

Im a 3 G flip phone user myself, I am highly suspicious of alot of techy stuff. I still have my double cassette player stereo receiver/ CD player my dad got me 25 years ago lol

I do things like get haircuts once every other year or so, the typical frugal person here. I pay attention to food scraps for the dog, shop for clothes at seasonal clearances times.

Gees, I'll have to think of some more.

Oh, I was worried we might not be able to get a well pump during a depression type scenario so we had a hand pump installed. Our water is free, pumping it by hand would be also....I will sit on this one. Sometimes you do these things as second nature without thinking and forget them off the top of your head.

Good thread though, I was combing through looking for more ideas myself, thank you. God bless you

Edited March 9, 2021 by AFlameOfFire