Posted on 10/21/2012 5:28:24 AM PDT by RKBA Democrat
And live in a house boat to avoid the real estate tax.
7. Save the cost of preparing for a debate; instead go to Vegas and Partying with Beyonce and JayZ
Don’t buy prepared food-dinners, lunches, etc.
Buy basic ingredients, meats, chicken, fish, vegetables, etc., and a cookbook, and make your own meals.
My husband and I eat on less than $ 200.00/month.
Oh, and use cloth napkins, not paper.
Make a list of your daily and weekly necessities: gas, food, clothing, medicine/medical help, education.
Limit your shopping for these to specific places. It sounds counter-intuitive because you might not be getting the best “deal.” When I limited myself to one specific big box store, one specific grocery store, one place for clothes, one specific gas station, I planned better, I didn’t shop for shopping’s sake or for things I really didn’t need and ended up saving a boatload of money.
I took this from a book called “7” by Jen Hatmaker and turned it into one of my lenten sacrifices.
Regarding number 5, I buy extended warranties on vehicles, every time. I have a 2 1/2 yr old Ford f150, and have had 1 thing go wrong. I’m at juat over 50,000 miles, and the sunroof broke. Warranty repair cost 1,400. The warranty cost me 1,045 when I bought it, and I paid 100 deductible. I’m already saving money.
One more...Volunteer at events that give away t-shirts. I volunteer at two a year that give me a t-shirt for working the event. I haven’t bought “work out” wear for years since I have these. Most nights I change into one of these as soon as I get home (usually another shirt underneath in the winter). I wear these around the house as I don’t care if I get grease, bleach, foodstains, paint or anything else on them. Then my nicer shirts are saved for the public.
Don't fool yourself on that one. I moved from Colorado which has a state income tax to Texas which does not. The state gets its money either way. No income tax = higher property and sales tax.
“Surely you jest. PMI is required for most, and if not, why leave your survivors homeless?”
You can get rid of PMI once you get to 80% LTV on a conventional loan.
As for mortgage (life)insurance, I would think that you would care about your family more than the mortgage company. Get a good term life policy that can pay off the mortgage and then some and your family decides what to do with the money should you meet your untimely demise. Rule of thumb = 10 X annual earnings.
Thanks for the recipes
“Move to a State with no income tax.”
Think about it first, and do a lot of research. We moved to TN where there is no income tax. High sales taxes, property taxes depending on the city/county, and income on investments is highly taxed .
1. Video games. Game Stop has great used video games and will replace them if they don't work.
2. Don't go to the movies. Do family movie night at home for just a few dollars.
3. If you have sons and they wear typical short-cuts, buy a trimmer kit and cut their hair at home. A $20 investment can save you years of hair cuts.
4. Rent a Rug Doctor and add a scoop of Oxyclean to the water when cleaning your carpets. It will take out stains you thought were permanent and extend the beauty of your flooring.
5. Don't buy new furniture. Invest in a miter-capable monster table saw and build your own furniture. Sick of paying top dollar for pressed-wood with coating over it? So was I. My husband bought me the table saw for Christmas two years ago and I now build my own furniture out of real wood for pennies over what the store charges.
6. If you can find them, get a hand-powered push mower and edger. Save the gasoline, and you don't have to worry about the kids cutting off their toes.
7. Join the local FreeCycle and find out what other people are giving away.
8. Cook and bake at home. Healthier and a lot less expensive.
9. Shop consignment. Whether it's an upscale shop for business clothes or your local Good Will, you can find great clothes for a fraction of the price.
10. Buy board games, card games, etc., for family game night.
11. Visit parks and museums. Most of them are free.
PMI doesn’t protect your family if you die; it protects the lender from loss in the event they foreclose and sell the property for less than what you owe.
“Mortgage life insurance” is a scam that can be avoided by buying an ordinary term life insurance policy.
Gasoline if you are going to vote for Obama.
The state gets its money either way. No income tax = higher property and sales tax.”
Look at the tax situation another way. Colorado taxes you on the money you make, Texas taxes you on the money you spend. I’ll take our “no state income tax”.
oh yea -Tx property tax is off the chart.
Live in WA, shop in OR.
Sure is. Tax and spend state and local governments here in Texas are in full empire building mode - and party affiliation is not a factor. They ALL engage in the feeding frenzy.
$ saving ideas
Were I so wealthy that there was a marked difference between what I make and what I spend, that would certainly be a fair point. For the vast majority of us though, savings are meager and we spend what we make to survive. For people in my income bracket (which more than double the median btw) it's a push. The higher housing costs in Texas paid by in property taxes or passed on to the renter make it a push. The higher sales tax and fewer exempt items in Texas, probably make the tax burden in Texas slightly higher.
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