What are some of your nifty money savers?

[watchwolf49]

We made Christmas a religious holiday … then exchanged presents on Martin Luther King Jr. day … taking advantage of the “After X-mas 50% off” sales …

[Hermitian]

@anomalous1

I personally have three. What are yours and how much do you save?

1.)I use one of those flavor injector needles and RIT clothing dye to refill my black ink cartridges for printer. Takes a few more seconds to dry, but works! Hundreds of dollars a year. (I print a lot)

Do your print mostly B/W? I spent less than $100 on a brother laser printer (not color). Toner cartridges come in at 2 cents a page.

[FloatyGimpy]

@jtur88

Get a bidet, or learn to sit on the edge of tub.

Good lord. My grocery store regularly has 12 packs of 2 ply TP on sale for $3.00. And what the heck do you do when you’re sitting on the edge of the tub? Run hot water and then hand-splash it onto your anus?

I mean, you do you but, damn.

[Nawth_Chucka]

@FloatyGimpy

Good lord. My grocery store regularly has 12 packs of 2 ply TP on sale for $3.00. And what the heck do you do when you’re sitting on the edge of the tub? Run hot water and then hand-splash it onto your anus?

I mean, you do you but, damn.

Presumably, they have a handheld shower head on a hose.

[TRC4941]

@FloatyGimpy

Good lord. My grocery store regularly has 12 packs of 2 ply TP on sale for $3.00. And what the heck do you do when you’re sitting on the edge of the tub? Run hot water and then hand-splash it onto your anus?

I mean, you do you but, damn.

AGREE!!! That is the worst money saving idea ever!

I watched a show about extremely frugal people. One woman cut up old t-shirts and she and her family used them for toilet paper. They’d wipe their butts then put it in a pail or bin and then she’d wash them. It showed her folding the “clean” butt rags. They were all stained brown.

UGH

I guess I’ll “splurge” on toilet paper.

[kayaker]

I buy toilet paper from Sam’s Club. There are something like 82 billion rolls in a package. I buy one for work, one for me, one for my gf. There are things I occasionally run out of, but TP ain’t on that list.

[ZPG_Zealot]

If it’s over $20.00, I wait at least 48 hours between wanting it and buying it. Cuts out 99% of dumb, useless nicknacks. “collectibles” and clothes that aren’t very versatile.

[TriPolar]

@Crafter_Man

I am absolutely amazed at how much money people spend on vehicles. The following has saved me a boatload of money over the past 34 years:

1. I only buy used, preferably 5 to 10 years old; I have never purchased a new car.
2. I pay cash; I have never taken out a car loan.
3. I only buy liability insurance; I have never purchased collision insurance.
4. I do almost all the maintenance myself.
5. I drive them 'till the wheels fall off. (My current daily driver is a 2002 Saturn with 252K miles.)

I did buy 3 new cars in the 80s, but not since then. One of those cars I finally sold for $1000 two years ago. I have bought some used cars in excellent condition, and some that needed a lot of work, but even with the money I’ve had to put into them I’ve saved a fortune over buying new. I don’t have collision insurance, and even though I don’t do much of the work myself anymore I keep up on the maintenance so they’ll keep going for a long time.

I do pretty much all the home repairs myself, rarely have ever hired a plumber or electrician, painter or carpenter.

I don’t waste money on extended warranties. They wouldn’t sell them so cheap if they were worth anything.

I wait for sales for any major purchase, and even some minor ones.

And then… I throw away most of the money I save on luxuries. So I’m not exactly saving the money, I’m just re-purposing it.

[Sattua]

Zenni Optical. I don’t understand why anyone would buy glasses at the optometrist’s office, anymore. Maybe if your prescription is extremely specialized?

[Dung_Beetle]

@SpoilerVirgin

Use wish lists to shop, and let everything sit before you buy it. Not only does the urge to buy something generally dissipate within a few days, but putting something on a wish list can often give you the same gratification that you would get from actually buying it.

It’s amazing how many things I “really, really wanted” turn into “why did I even put that on my wish list?” after only a short period of time.

This is exactly what I do, and exactly how it works for me. If anything is still on the list come Christmastime, then I have an answer for anyone who asks me what I want.
I also do a lot of “shopping” at the library.

[Penfeather]

@jtur88

Not necessary to remove all clothing to use a bidet.

Instead of wasting money buying unnecessary and cumbersome clothing, live in the tropics and go natural.

[jaycat]

Take advantage of the public library. If you live in a place like I do, you’ll never have to purchase another book, CD or DVD. And I have access to every book, CD and DVD at any library in the state of Massachusetts.

[jtur88]

@D_Anconia

If you use your tub as a bidet, where do you take a bath/shower?

Why would two different fixtures be necessary? If you don’t use a bidet, you’ll still eventually be cleaning off the poo in your shower or tub. Unless you skip that part.

[jtur88]

@FloatyGimpy

. And what the heck do you do when you’re sitting on the edge of the tub? Run hot water and then hand-splash it onto your anus?

I mean, you do you but, damn.

Umm, yes. Don’t forget to wash your hands after. If you guys can’t figure out how to get clean with hot water and soap, how do you expect a little scrap of tissue paper to do the job?

[Elemenopy]

@jtur88

Umm, yes. Don’t forget to wash your hands after. If you guys can’t figure out how to get clean with hot water and soap, how do you expect a little scrap of tissue paper to do the job?

I haven’t hooked up a bidet (yet), but I’ve cleaned up with damp (and sometimes soapy) TP for decades. The sink’s right there…

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

I buy $400 dollar shoes for half price at the factory outlet, and use them for a decade or more.

Allen Edmonds last forever, if you take care of them.

[D_Anconia]

@jtur88

Why would two different fixtures be necessary? If you don’t use a bidet, you’ll still eventually be cleaning off the poo in your shower or tub. Unless you skip that part.

Most people don’t bathe in their toilet. Why would anyone deliberately put poop in their shower?

[Penfeather]

Stack your dishes in the toilet bowl and wash them each time you flush, and you’ll not only save money by not using an expensive, cumbersome dishwasher, it’ll add extra flavour to your meat dishes!

[Guinastasia]

@jtur88

Umm, yes. Don’t forget to wash your hands after. If you guys can’t figure out how to get clean with hot water and soap, how do you expect a little scrap of tissue paper to do the job?

So what the hell do you expect your guests to do – wash their butts in your shower?

Dude…

[Balthisar]

I use a bidet attachment, but that’s only because it keeps me clean, especially with potential hemorrhoids. But the paper it saves is miniscule. Damn, we pay for computers and internet access to the SDMB; are we really concerned about saving on damned toilet paper for cleaning our asses? If that’s the case, poop at work.

I save by not buying useless shit. It saves enough money to go on vacation, where the limit of my souvenirs is a fucking magnet that says “Auckland, New Zealand.” Yeah, not buying kiwi dolls and T-shirts and mugs and other tourist garbage allows me to save money for my next trip.

Don’t waste money. Don’t buy useless shit. It’s not that hard.