Ways You're Wasting Money

[Common Sense Party]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ways-you-re-wasting-money-182336285.html

Article lists several ways you may be "wasting" money, spending too much, such as:

* Paying full price for electronics accessories

* Buying costly organic foods

* Weekly visits to the dry cleaners

* Not programming your thermostat

* Having insurance policies from different providers


Not all of these apply to everyone. What are some other ways you have found you were "wasting" money each month? And what ways have you found to save $$$?

[SheilaT]

1. What electronic accessories?

Who takes clothes to the dry cleaners that often?

It's not necessary to program a thermostat if you simply turn down the heat when leaving the house and at night, and putting it up only as needed during the day.

I save money these days by not buying books and instead checking them out of the library, and not eating out very often. Cooking my own food from scratch, including using organic food, is vastly cheaper than restaurants or fast food outlets.

[Common Sense Party]

2. Cooking your own food--Much cheaper and almost certainly healthier.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. "Who takes clothes to the dry cleaners that often? "

Many millions of Americans, that's who.

From 2004 through '09 I either wore dress slacks or a suit and tie every working day. When the last thing you want to do when you get home after a long day is iron a shirt (which is often, I assure you), using the local cleaners to do your dress shirts, knowing they'll be properly cleaned, starched and pressed is a big deal.

Think of all the people in this country that have to wear a suit and tie, or even just dress slacks and a shirt and tie to work each day.

They are the ones who see a dry cleaner once a week, on average.

[SheilaT]

4. Clothes that need to be dry cleaned do not need it after each wearing.

I do get not wanting to iron shirts, which is why none of my clothes need ironing. This is a highly personal choice, and I understand why someone else might prefer their dress shirts properly cleaned, starched, and pressed.

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. No doubt.

Unless you make the mistake of wearing them while breaking down a display like this:



Which I did all the time because of time restraints. I had to wear dress slacks and a Polo type shirt doing that gig. I had probably 6 or 7 pairs of slacks, but I was having them cleaned after 2 or 3 wearings at the most. And yes, too much dry cleaning makes good wool slacks shiny and ruins them, but there you go.

But anyway, I understand your point and you are correct. When I was a broker, I would have a suit cleaned after every 8 or so wearings. Shirts were done just about each wearing because I lived in SW Florida and I just don't like wearing undershirts (It's frickin HUMID in Fort Myers!). Not to mention a nicely starched shirt looks good and starched for one day and that's about it!

To the point Commonsenseparty is making though, one of my biggest money wasters over the last year has been eating out. I'm now driving OTR hauling cars, and one gets damned tired of fast food real quick for every single meal, so eating in places like a Longhorn or a Texas Roadhouse gets pricey, but doing so is necessary in order to get a decent meal. Keep in mind as a driver of a vehicle over 80' long when loaded, I am limited to what I can eat by where I can park or how far I am willing to walk.

[SheilaT]

6. Many years ago when I was an airline employee and had

a wool dress that was my uniform, it was cleaned every 4-6 weeks. It was fully lined, and so could stand up to a lot of wear.

So I do know about dress clothes that need cleaning.

Oh, and I had to stand all day, in high heels, on a concrete floor. Very rarely did the day end after only 8 hours.

I can only offer enormous sympathy at your being on the road and needing to eat out every single meal. I can't really imagine what that would be like. I'm going to offer a suggestion, which maybe you've already tried and it simply doesn't work, but is it possible for you to stop at regular grocery stores and get food from their delis? I'm thinking things like salads.

Even if that's feasible, you're still trapped by not being able to prepare your own meals.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. You have my respect.

Being a flight attendant is I am sure, no walk in the park.

Yes, I am able to and often do stop at a grocery store to do what you suggested. Things are better now however, as I recently signed a lease on a house so I am able to get to my own kitchen at least 3 nights a week.