400 WAYS TO SAVE A FORTUNE
BY
ANNIE JEAN BREWER
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY
ANNIE JEAN BREWER at SMASHWORDS
400 WAYS TO SAVE A FORTUNE
Copyright 2011 BY Annie Jean Brewer
Discover Other Titles by Annie Jean Brewer at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/annienygma
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
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400 Ways to Save a Fortune
Table of Contents
"He that can live sparingly need not be rich." - Benjamin Franklin
There are tons of frugal living books and websites available. Type the phrase "how to save money" into a search engine and you will retrieve tons and tons of tips. Search on one of the ebook websites and you will find a mountain of titles.
Being a hard-core frugalista I've been pouring over these tips and tricks for years. If a frugality ebook sounds like it may provide some more relevant tips I devour it.
One day I bought an ebook only to discover that it contained an introduction, a brief list of generic tips and no ending. The tips just stopped. I was more than a little irritated even though it didn't cost that much. While I probably would have been a bit more satisfied if the book had contained at least a conclusion it demonstrated with clarity why frugality books catch so much crap: some writers are too frugal with their information!
On that day this book was born. The number 400 just came to me though I had no clue if I could even come up with 400 different ways a user could save money. Regardless, I knew it had to be written so I brainstormed, researched and picked the brains of everyone I knew. Even my 12-year old Katie contributed some tips to this book, to give you an idea of how determined I was.
I have tried to come up with a little bit for everyone and offer alternatives where available. There are tips within that can save thousands of dollars alongside others that may save a few pennies or an extra trip to the store. I have worked hard to ensure that no tip is duplicated though some of these tips may compliment others or offer a different frugal solution.
These tips are separated into general categories to make it easier to search for related subject matter but otherwise they are not placed in any particular order. Choose what tips you like and leave the rest for later.
When you are finished with this book please leave an honest review on the website where you purchased it to help others determine if this book will help them to save money as well. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Annie
Brewer
1. Pay cash for your car. This will save you hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in interest payments.
2. Pay extra on your car payment every month. This will pay down your principle much faster and save money on interest payments.
3. Keep the car you have. It is cheaper to repair and maintain a vehicle you already own than it is to purchase a new one.
4. If your vehicle is older drop the full-coverage insurance and instead opt for the state-minimum liability. After your car reaches a certain age you will come out ahead by saving the difference because insurance companies are notorious for NOT paying you what your older car is worth.
5. Do you really need a car? You can save a fortune by walking, biking, using public transportation or riding with a friend instead of owning a car yourself.
6. Never buy a new car. Cars depreciate an incredible amount as soon as you drive them off the lot. Don't pay for the privilege. Older cars hold their value much better.
7. When shopping for a used car have the vehicle inspected before purchase. This can save you a fortune by preventing the purchase of a defective vehicle.
8. Walk or ride a bike for short trips instead of using a car. This will save gas as well as wear and tear on your vehicle.
9. Maintain proper tire pressure for optimum fuel economy. Check at least once a month.
10. Check your air filter and change regularly. A clogged air filter will decrease your fuel economy.
11. Shop around for auto insurance both near and far whenever your premium becomes due. Insurance companies will charge as much as they think they can get out of you and some that are considered cheap are much more expensive than others. I went from paying $150 a month for liability car insurance to less than $50 a month by just shopping around whenever my premiums came due.
12. Drive your car as little as possible to minimize fuel cost and wear on the machine.
13. If you have several stops in one area, park the car in a central spot and walk to all of the places.
14. Do not idle your car any more than you have to; idling reduces your gas mileage to 0.
15. Don't exceed the speed limit. You will save a fortune by avoiding speeding ticket fines.
16. Watch where you park and avoid parking in a no-parking zone. Also ensure that you feed the meters to avoid expensive parking tickets. Avoid parking in a metered spot to save even more.
17. Increase your car insurance deductible to lower your premiums.
18. Get an estimate before you let a repair shop even TOUCH your car and make them stick to it. Unless you know the business in question, skipping this part is like writing the word "SUCKER" on your forehead.
19. Know about how much your auto repairs should cost. If you don't you could end up spending $$$$ for a $$ job.
20. Rotate your tires regularly to make them last longer.
21. Take a general auto maintenance class if available. You will learn tips and tricks to make your car last longer.
22. Invest in a locking gas cap to deter thieves. In this economy, regardless of where you live, this is a must to protect your expensive fuel investment.
23. Keep your car doors locked and any items stashed within out of plain view. You will be surprised at how sticky the neighbor's fingers are! For instance, I used to keep batteries in my car for an MP3 player. I thought my daughter was using them for hers because every time I went to get a battery they were all gone. One day I happened to look outside and discovered the neighbor's kid helping himself to my batteries to power his video game. Lesson learned.
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24. Remove candle wax from the bottom of holders, saucers, plates, etc.by placing them in the freezer. The wax will shrink and come right out without an expensive remover.
25. Avoid the dry cleaners. Use a cup of ammonia and no soap and wash wool blankets in the washer. You can also do this if you wash them by hand, for ammonia does not require rinsing.
26. If you run out of laundry detergent use a cup of ammonia in your wash instead.
27. Singles and small families can save on laundry bills by washing laundry by hand instead of using a Laundromat. This is the norm in many countries even today.
28. Hang your freshly-washed laundry on a clothesline or a drying rack to avoid the expense of drying your clothes.
29. Hanging whites outside in the sunshine will help to keep them white.
30. Spritz white laundry with lemon juice and then hang them outside will help whiten stained fabric naturally.
31. Use ammonia instead of bleach to whiten whites occasionally. This will remove the dirt that bleach and traditional detergents leave behind.
32. Make your own liquid laundry detergent. Use 1/2 bar of grated Fels Naptha soap, 1 cup each of Washing Soda and borax. Heat these ingredients in a heavy pan filled with water until the Fels Naptha melts. Add a couple of inches of warm water to a five-gallon bucket then add the melted soap mixture into the bucket and fill to the halfway mark with water. Stir well and leave overnight to cure. The next day stir and mix in enough water to fill the bucket to the top. Dilute this mixture half and half when refilling your liquid laundry detergent containers. Makes 10 gallons. Use 1/2 cup on lightly soiled loads, 3/4 cup on heavy soil.
33. Make your own dishwashing liquid. Grate 1/2 bar of Zote or Octagon soap. Add to a heavy pan with 1 quart of water. Heat over medium heat until the soap is completely melted. Pour into a 1.5 gallon container and add 3 more quarts of warm water. Shake well. Makes 1 gallon of dishwashing liquid.
34. Use Zote or Octagon soap to wash your dishes instead of buying dishwashing liquid. Place the bar in the sink and fill with water. Lather your cloth or sponge with the bar or soap and wash your dishes. Rinse well and dry.
35. Wash dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher to save electricity, water and money. Fill two dishpans with warm water. Add dishwashing liquid to one and a tablespoon of vinegar to the other. Wash in the soapy water and rinse in the vinegar water. Dry well. Note: You don't have to add vinegar to the rinse water but it helps to eliminate spots.
36. Wash and dry windows using microfiber cloths. Scrub the dirty window with a wet microfiber cloth (no cleaner needed) and use another microfiber cloth to dry. This leaves a streak-free shine using no chemicals.
37. Most items can be cleaned with warm water and a microfiber cloth so save your cleaning solutions and money.
38. Use a magic eraser and water to clean stubborn dirt. These are excellent for removing marks from paint, cleaning tub rings and other ground-in dirt. No chemicals needed.
39. Ammonia and water makes an easy no-rinse cleaner. Add 1 cup of ammonia to a gallon of water.
40. Opening the windows on occasion will help to air out unpleasant odors and freshen rooms and homes.
41. In times past mattresses were placed outside in the sunshine (on clean sheets) to air out and freshen. They were flipped at midday and brought in before the dew settled. Try this to avoid replacing smelly mattresses.
42. Pillows can be hung outside on clotheslines to freshen. Shake them well when bringing them in to fluff them.
43. Occasionally treat your leather items to a coat of polish. This will greatly increase their life span.
44. Vinegar and water is an excellent no-rinse window cleaner; use 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water.
45. Mop carpets instead of spending money on a carpet shampooer. Vacuum thoroughly and mop with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia (some prefer vinegar) per gallon of warm water. Change water as needed. Allow to dry and then vacuum again to remove the extra stubborn dirt that the mopping dislodged but didn't remove. In my opinion this gets carpets cleaner and fresher than an expensive shampooer. Test your carpet in an inconspicuous area before mopping the whole carpet just in case.
46. Store steel wool pads in the freezer between uses. This prevents them from rusting.
47. If you own a washing machine, wash your clothes in cold water. It saves the money needed to heat that water and your clothes will be just as clean.
48. Wear your clothing more than once before you wash it. Hang it up and allow to air out between wearings to get several uses out of it before you have to wash.
49. Reuse bath towels several times before you launder them. It sounds gross but you are drying your clean body with a clean towel. It isn't as dirty as you think.
50. Don't have a mountain of damp towels stuffed on your towel rack. They will sour and force you to wash them sooner. One is sufficient.
51. Have separate towels for hands and body. The hand towel will get dirtier faster than the body one.
52. Turn your hand towel around at least once a day. This allows the front side to dry before being used again because most people only grab the front layer when they dry their hands.
53. Keep sponges clean and fresh. Rinse well after use and microwave for 30 seconds to kill any remaining germs within.
54. Clean the coils behind your refrigerator and freezer occasionally. Dust will reduce their efficiency and increase their energy usage.
55. Inspect the fans on refrigerators and freezers occasionally. Once I thought I would need a service call because my freezer was not keeping things cold. I pulled it out to check and discovered that a mouse had unsuccessfully tried to race the fan blades. I removed the remains and the freezer worked perfectly after that. Gross but true.
56. Clean out the lint that builds up in your dryer vent and in your dryer occasionally. This lint reduces the efficiency of your dryer and can also cause a fire.
57. Leave shoes outside of the house or just inside the front door when entering. This will keep a large amount of dirt outside and therefore save money in cleaning supplies.
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58. Only keep enough clothing to last about a week. More than that and it will go out of style or be lost in your closet.
59. Socks and underwear can be washed whenever you bathe and easily hung to dry for the next use.
60. Cloth purses can be tossed in a washer instead of dry-cleaned or washed separately.
61. Keep a single outfit to wear for when you are doing something that may stain (like painting). Even if that outfit gets a stain or two who cares? Keep using it until it falls apart and then designate another work outfit to save your nicer clothes.
62. The cheapest source for quality clothing is a shopaholic friend who shares your size.
63. Clothing items do not have to be worn in just one way. Experiment with different looks and variations to add spice to a simple wardrobe. Explore videos on sites like YouTube for ideas.
64. You do not need near as many clothes as you think. Sites like The Uniform Project (http://www.theuniformproject.com/ ) and One Dress Protest (http://onedressprotest.com/ ) are examples of how just a single piece of clothing can be worn.
65. If you know how to sew a bit you can convert oversized shirts, pants and dresses to your body shape. There are many videos on YouTube that describe how to do this. This can save a fortune if you have access to free (or nearly free) oversized clothing. Some of the methods do not involve sewing at all. For inspiration you can also visit http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/about/ .
66. You can convert worn out jeans into items like handbags, wallets, clutches, laptop bags, shoes and other items. Look online for step by step tutorials that interest you to get the full use out of your old clothing before you discard it.
67. If an item gets stained, dye it a darker color. You can also do this to items that are becoming faded or have started to bore you.
68. If something gets a small tear or loses a button, repair it instead of tossing it in the trash. The longer you can wear an item the more money you save and the kinder you are being to the environment. When you can no longer wear it try to make it into something else.
69. Little girls love using worn out clothing to make clothes for their dolls. Some kids will also use those clothes to make new stuff for themselves too.
70. A piece of material (a sheet, curtain or just a random piece of fabric) can be quickly made into a skirt. Sew a single side seam, a bottom hem and a waistband on the top wide enough to hold elastic or a string.
71. Go through your closet and evaluate every item you own at least twice a year; if you find an item you haven't used lately you can incorporate that into your daily wardrobe for a new look.
72. Place aluminum foil underneath your ironing surface. The foil will conduct the heat better and allow you to iron more efficiently by heating both sides at once.
73. A small bowl of vinegar will help to dispel odors in the home.
74. Make a sachet of coffee grounds (unused is best) and store in your refrigerator to dispel odors instead of baking soda.