“Have You Ditched the Landline?” and Other Pressing Money-Saving Questions
Still searching for ways to save money, I did a little assessment of my expenditures. I learned I could only take frugal so far. How about you?
Have you ditched the landline?
My potential yearly savings – $360
I can’t let it go yet. It costs me $30 a month. That’s $360 a year out the window. It’s killing me. But I have to admit, it was tough switching to push button, too.
Gone (news)paper-less?
My potential savings – $265
I haven’t let this one go either. It’s that local paper. It just doesn’t read well on-line. And the Sunday paper, too. Most major newspapers are available on line for free now.
Turned the heat down?
My potential savings – I estimate about $500
This is worth every penny to me. I hate being cold.
Gone fluorescent?
My potential savings – I estimate about $20
Light bulbs, I can change. I have mostly done this. I am getting used to the way I look in the mirror under fluorescent light. That was the hardest part of the transition. Has anyone found 3-way fluorescent light bulbs?
Switched to regular gas?
My potential savings – $0
I’m there already. I have no problem with this one. I always buy regular gas. Most cars are fine on it. The premium grades offer nothing, really.
Stopped changing your oil every 3000 miles?
My cost per year – $0
No problem for me here, either. I’m always late having it changed, anyway. But every 7,500 miles is fine for most all cars.
Stopped buying a new car every three years?
My cost per year – $$$$$$$
This was forced! My car was totaled by a falling tree – nope, I wasn’t in it, thank goodness!
Increased expenses: for car insurance, loan interest, and excise tax on a new car are brutal.
There’s a lot of great money-saving ideas out there. Which ones are easy – or impossible! – for you to do?
February 27th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Lisa: I’d be hard pressed to give up our Sunday subscription to the New York Times! It’s worth the $200+ each year to me.
Question: why are you buying a new car every three years (aside from the tree incident)? If anything you should be buying a pre-owned car every five! My used Volvo is about to turn ten and is still going strong…
February 27th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Instead of losing the land line I’m going in the opposite direction and ditching the cell phone, which will save $240 a year.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:37 am
“Has anyone found 3-way fluorescent light bulbs?”
I’ve seen them at Lowe’s, at Ace hardware, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them at Target. The boxes are labelled strangely, but they’re out there.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Er, Google-whacking go!
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=296891-75774-017801997552&lpage=none
February 27th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I did everything, including getting rid of the TV
I only have a cell, internet and rent as my fixed bills.
Everything else is variable, and I never buy premium gas.
February 27th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
@ Nina – a tree really did fall on my car! Crunch. Totaled it. Check out the link. I had at least another good 3 years on that car-
@ Serena – you know, we all used to live without cell phones. Some of these youngsters can’t imagine it!
@cj thanks for the tip. I will check it out.
@FB – that’s great! I wish I could be as good as you.
February 28th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Yes–I’ve done most of these. I got rid of the landline in my old house but when we moved I needed to get a landline again because my cell signal was so poor where we now live. I stopped taking the newspaper a year ago and now read it online. We have cranked down the heat and now hibernate in the bedroom with a small space heater. The biggest thing I have done it give my car back at the end of the lease and bought a bus pass–I figure this saves about $10,000 a year! (which also means I don’t need to buy gas for it or change the oil)
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
Oh I know I can save much more $ turning down the heat, but I totally agree with you Lisa- I HATE being cold. If that means I pay a little more, so be it.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
@ April: that’s great that you gave up the car! What a huge expense to be rid of. I’m in the suburbs, so not an option, but if i could, boy oh boy I would!
@andrea: thanks. I don’t feel as guilty