Cutting Costs (1 Viewer)

[lengy]

for those of you that have ever gone through a period of having limited financial resources, what have been your techniques to cut down on costs?

i'm currently trying to spend $10 on university lunches through:

two 2 litre Squeeze Orange Juice bottles @ $2.99 each
one 400 grams of Round Devon @ $4.95 a kilogram
one Woolworths' multigrain bread @ $2.09 a loaf

i end up eating with friends at the pub though steak and beautiful company is too tempting to pass the majority of the time

prices are those set the majority of the time without items being on sale.

 

[jebbie]

Um yeh.

In accounting at the moment we're doing budgeting and have to write down all costs and all income and stuff. and then our assignment will be to create a budget for ourselves so we can save towards a personal goal (ie trip to melbourne, deposit on first apartment, etc)

I already know where I can cut costs though. No more hot chocolate or raisin toast, make lunch instead of bring it in (this involves having food at home instead of buying it, but there never is food at home, plus parent's wouldn't give me the money unless i was buying my lunch), etc.

Its about fixed costs and those we can eliminate.

I dont want to eliminate those costs though

I suck at teh budget. Just need to marry rich

 

[lengy]

haha i hate cutting costs but i'm that's what i'm down to. i haven't been able to buy any new clothes, games or any other luxuries for a two months now, yet every time i'm slightly ahead i spend on one outing or luxury like a CD and i'm back to square one. i didn't mind but now i appreciate money more.

haha i tried to calculate my expenditure bahaha i keep losing from $3 - $20 and i don't know where i spend it on or where it disappears to. i give up or forget to budget.

 

[jebbie]

haha i hate cutting costs but i'm that's what i'm down to. i haven't been able to buy any new clothes, games or any other luxuries for a two months now, yet every time i'm slightly ahead i spend on one outing or luxury like a CD and i'm back to square one. i didn't mind but now i appreciate money more.

haha i tried to calculate my expenditure bahaha i keep losing from $3 - $20 and i don't know where i spend it on or where it disappears to. i give up or forget to budget.

im a sucker for clothes. most of my money (when i have a job) goes to clothes. the rest goes to makeup and food

but yeh i just got a job (starting tomorrow eeeeeeeeee) and im determined to budget. im even being mature and opening a savings account after first pay..

i think the plan to budget is to put a certain amount into a savings account and then learn to live off the rest :\

i think i will die without hot chocolate and raisin toast though

 

[lengy]

yeah, when i made money i got people presents because i wasn't ever able to before. i spent alot on other people, especially my sisters. i got alot of games and electronic stuff too. it was good while it lasted. now i'm determined to pass my university course and get a job so i can buy heaps of stuff. who said money didn't buy happiness?

 

[glitterfairy]

part time jobs ftw.

I didn't really ever work until this year, and now I have no idea what I'd do without the extra $$$ per week...

What I do in tight spots is to take money out of my purse and hide it somewhere so I physically can't spend it on anything (I also don't have a credit card, which helps. I also am not in the habit of withdrawing money from my bank account).

For those that work, my advice is to bank x amount IMMEDIATELY. I have always banked at least 50% of my income each week ever since I started working... sure I don't have as much money to play around with as I could, but being used to only having $x on me at any given time does a lot to reduce the temptation of withdrawing money "because I could have more". (much like jebbie, I blow a lot of my money on clothes so this system works very well for me!)

 

[lengy]

when i get paid it goes directly to my account and i used to ALWAYS leave at least $100 there for security, but lately it's gone down to $50 because i've literally run out. i'm so happy my youngest sister got a job, even if it is at Maccas because she'll get experience i sorely missed out on when parents told me to study and receive tutoring. i had no weekends =\

 

[jebbie]

yeah, when i made money i got people presents because i wasn't ever able to before. i spent alot on other people, especially my sisters. i got alot of games and electronic stuff too. it was good while it lasted. now i'm determined to pass my university course and get a job so i can buy heaps of stuff. who said money didn't buy happiness?

someone who didnt know where to shop

nah as much as im against superficiality. i do like things.

i just got a debit card and i know i will be tempted to go nuts on buying suff online.. (if not actually go crazy).. especially places like threadless or really nice beauty prodcut/pampering places. i love alot of stuff you can buy online but never have been able to.. till now.

so self-restraint will be needed

but im determined to save and actually buy something big for a change.. nice diamond ring.. trip to europe or somewhere i've always wanted to go (like canada). just to prove everyone who thinks its not possible wrong.

little stubborn annoying thing, arent i?

 

[lengy]

my credit limit is $500 and that's sufficient in MOST instances. the first time i used it was for uni fees.... $500+ =\ and i got charged SO much interest =_=

 

[glitterfairy]

ouch lengy, that's bad :/ Are you looking at getting a part time job? Where's your weekly money coming from these days?

Jebbie, something else you can try is getting rid of that debit card (come on - it's possible to live without online shopping ) and putting a photo of something you really want to buy in your purse. That way, whenever you open it up to buy something you may not need, you can be hit with a picture of that thing you're saving up for

 

[melimoo]

don't try on the clothes!!!!!!!
just dont
otherwise you will lust over them
this has been my defence of late

 

[lengy]

sorry, was on the phone. parent for money. i don't like asking them but i'm without a choice as work hasn't called me up for about 2 months now but i'm full time now so i can get austudy again. fortunately on tuesdays i'll be working as part of my degree at RPA as an AIN ( Assistance In Nursing ) so i'll definately apply for a position elsewhere at the end of semester because i'll get alot of experience in the field finally instead of just observing like before.

 

[Orange Juice]

taking the whole cutting costs a step further to lengy, dont eat lunch at all.

 

[glitterfairy]

nah.... you need lunch. I think lengy's doing well by shopping in bulk, save costs.

Austudy should help

 

[Orange Juice]

i have the same problem as lengy, cept i dont try and bring lunch, just cut it out. Most of the time i end up buying crap anyways, but if you have money you might as well spend it.

 

[sukiyaki]

don't try on the clothes!!!!!!!
just dont
otherwise you will lust over them
this has been my defence of late

lol true sometimes, but sometimes when you try them on it gets rid of the "i should of brought" sentence stuck in your mind, it might look awful =/

 

[jebbie]

ouch lengy, that's bad :/ Are you looking at getting a part time job? Where's your weekly money coming from these days?

Jebbie, something else you can try is getting rid of that debit card (come on - it's possible to live without online shopping ) and putting a photo of something you really want to buy in your purse. That way, whenever you open it up to buy something you may not need, you can be hit with a picture of that thing you're saving up for

it is possible to live without internet shopping.. ive never had that luxury before. but I WANNA BUY STUFF ONLINE!! just a few things i cant get in shops then i will get rid of it. i swear

but definitely good advice with teh picture in the wallet. will do!

 

[Shell]

ive been working since i was in year 9. Im still at that job. i earn about $250 - $300 a week, and thats going to uni as well. i struggle bad. not with money. but with time. its a vicious cycle. i work so much, that i earn a lot, but i dont have any time to spend it. so it just sits in my bank account and grows each week.

people say to me ALL THE TIME to cut down my work hours, etc. but i just won't. i love my bosses to death. this is my 4th year with them and i would do anything for them. if they ring me and ask me to come in, i will drop everythign and go to work for them. i dont really think about the effects it has on my uni work... i just refuse to let my bosses down. i maneged to get a distinction last semester, working 30 hour weeks. but i also failed a unit. hahaha

so really, in conclusion, i have no idea how to cut costs. ive never done it. my pay goes to my daily lunches, and petrol. honestly. that.is.it. i dont do anything else that requires money. i have no time for it.

 

[ism]

ewww, devon is so nasty

 

[lengy]

I'm a picky eater and often get bored of food and so far I've been tolerating round devon, so it stays until I get bored of it.