I know it seems like a penny here, a dollar there and a quarter over here don't mean much in the whole scheme of things, but here's the math on a few things you might want to think about. These are estimates, since I haven't checked the prices lately. I haven't used paper towels or paper napkins in years, dry clothes in the dryer maybe a half dozen times a year and very seldom eat out.

Paper towels @2.00 a roll: 2 rolls a month... $48.00

Paper napkins @$1.00: 1 pkg a month... $12.00

Drying clothes in the dryer @50 cents a load (below average): 3 loads a week... $72.00

Eating out @$10.00: once a month: $120.00

Added together, just these four things could put $252.00 in your savings account or toward paying a bill.

I just barely scratched the surface... what can you add to that?

 Dont know the price of a cup of coffee . I am betting at least $2 a day times 5 days=$10 so $40 a month and then times 12 months `$480 a year.

Babs 

babs:

 Dont know the price of a cup of coffee . I am betting at least $2 a day times 5 days=$10 so $40 a month and then times 12 months `$480 a year.

Babs 

Yikes, that's a pricey one!

thats like dh and mine energy drink addiction.....even at 1.00 for the cheap ones, a day times the two of us, only taking Sat and Sun off......

1.00X5=$5 a week X52 weeks= $260 for EACH of us.. did I do the math right?

Unfortunately we found when we don't have one at least every other day we get headaches.

HOWEVER I will say dh has been off them since he's in Peru, and I ran out last Thursday.

Gave up the newspaper (Grocery ads are still sent on Wednesdays).  $14.95 x12 mo=$179.40!  Also stopped subsrcription to XM (was a cmas gift from Dh) at approx $150 per year (i do miss XM, but not at that price.  As far as I know it has gone up another $30 plus dollars a year)

Dear Living Simple, Just out of curisosity, what kind of periodical is "XM"? It is SO expensive!  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All, I have givenup entirely ordering froom mail-order catalogues (well, I still buy online).  The 2 that I used to spend the most money on were sister companies HoomeSew & Newark Dressmaakign Supply.  I am saving abuot $200/eyar!  Yours in Him, Deb

I am going to play "Devils Advocate" here. I am all for saving where I can, but on the other hand, I am not willing to give up everything and feel as if I have no life at all (unless it was a financial neccessity). I am one of those that stops each morning and gets a cup of coffee on my way to work. I love 7-11 coffee and even when I have purchased the bags and made it at home, it still just doesn't taste the same. I work hard and my morning coffee is not something I am willing to give up.

Drying clothes in the dryer? Oh heck yes! My time is much more valuable than saving a $1.00 on each load. I have found that when I hang clothes out to dry, it takes a heck of a lot longer than tossing them in the dryer. Also, when I have hung clothes out in the past, many of them needed ironing versus not needing ironed when they were dried in the dryer.

Eatting out...we eat out once a week but I do look for coupons and specials.

I DO NOT buy very many name brand products at all. I always make sure that the dishwasher is full before turning it on, I make sure that all lights and other electric items are turned off when I leave a room. I have no problem with shopping at thrift stores and making sure that we get the best deal on most of what we purchase. We always take our vacation in the "off-season" (We spend the week between Christmas and New Years in Myrtle Beach where we can rent a condo for the week for a fraction of what it costs in the summer), We do alot of different things to save but we aren't willing to go bare bones unless we positively have too.  I like to save money but I enjoy "living" as well.

Swtnsassy, I agree I am willing to give up some things and I know little things add up but there are a few things I am not willing to give up.  When we go out to eat I also try to have coupons for bogo.  What kind of life would we have if we didn't enjoy a few things life has to offer?

Deborahmichelle:

Dear Living Simple, Just out of curisosity, what kind of periodical is "XM"? It is SO expensive!  Love in Him, Deb

Deb, I'm not Livng Simple (although I do try to live simply! LOL ), but I thought I'd hazard a guess as to what XM is. I believe it's a satellite radio service that you pay for by the month, like you pay for cable TV. Like Sirius Satellite radio. I was racking my brain trying to think of a magazine called XM, and then it suddenly dawned on me that it might be the radio service!

 Speaking of magazines, that's one thing that I've really cut back on. I used to get ten to fifteen magazines a month. I subscribed to them, and got good deals, but still...that's a lot of magazines, most of which I could easily read for free at the library!! Now I'm down to three. I figure I've saved about $150 this past year on that.

And I used to have a terrible Slurpee habit. You know, like so many people have a Starbucks habit? I'd get a large one every day. Now, I always re-used the plastic cup, so it only cost about $1.25, but I decided to cut back on them because I'm trying to lose weight, and also because I'm pre-diabetic. I only have one a week now, and I figure I'll save over three hundred dollars a year!