Hundreds of ways to save money!!
In these times we need to find ways to make ends meet.
Here is a list of hundreds of ways to save money.
Grocery
Re-use plastic shopping bags (or paper bags) as trash bags
Use a water filter, bottled water is for suckers
Use coupons
Buy generic
Do not buy things from vending machines
Buy in bulk
Don’t buy pre-packaged foods
Make your lunch, brown bag it, fast food is for rich people
Cook for multiple days
Serve smaller meal portions
Grocery shop with a list
Make your own coffee at home
Take note of unit prices on items
Don’t grocery shop at convenience stores
Plan a few meatless meals per week
Walk off the beaten path at stores, you will find deals
Grow your own vegetables
Home
No cable, if anything get satillite
Wash dishes by hand
Don’t use disposible plates or silverware
Use candles, or just turn off the lights when not needed
install solar tubes, they bring in free sunlight
Turn off or unplug unused appliances
Use Compact Fluorescent bulbs
Use natural light
Open the windows, do you really need the air running 24-7?
Insulate your water heater
Turn down the heat
Use the cold setting on your washer
Check for drafts in your openings
Use a programmable thermostat
Low-Flow toilets
Fix leaky faucets
Run full loads of clothes
Run full loads of dishes
Don’t water your lawn, Mother Nature takes care of that
Collect rain runoff with a cistern
Bundle services
Cancel your home phone if you have a cell
Buy appliances from scratch and dent retailers
Throw away (or recycle) retail catalogs
Buy refurbished computers
Limit magazine subscriptions to ones you actually read
Shut vents in unused rooms
Pass on extended warranties
Buy energy efficient appliances
Use drapes over windows
Caulk and weatherstrip
Insulate your walls and ceilings
Wash your clothes less often
Keep your refrigerator full
Shorten your showers
Turn the water off when brushing your teeth
Use craigslist
Use cloth napkins
Research how to fix things yourself
Plant a tree in your yard
Change your furnace filters
Buy generic ink cartridges or buy a refill kit
Sell old unused items
Have a garage sale
Check out yard sales
Stop by the Salvation Army
Finance
Use paypal for purchases
Keep extra money in high yield savings instead of checking
Automatic savings plan
Pay bills online
Reduce interest rates
Pick up pennies
Open a money market account for your savings for higher interest rate
Don’t use debit cards or atm cards that charge you fees
Don’t pay late fees, ever!
Send in manufacturers rebates
Take advantage of a work sponsored 401K plan
Use rebate or cash back credit cards
Pay off your credit card balance, every month!
Pay attention to your credit report
Make a personal budget
Make a larger down payment when taking out a loan
Don’t take out home equity loans
Don’t take out interest only loans
try going a couple days without spending money
Avoid going into stores
Make sure your work W-4 is up to date
Transportation
Take the bus or walk
Buy a used car
Buy a sipper not guzzler
Call your car insurance company to find ways to cut your premium
Drive safely and don’t get tickets
Be a defensive driver
Don’t overpay for gas, shop around
Combine errands into a single trip
Car pool
Don’t lease vehicles you can’t afford to buy
Properly inflate your car tires
Try and live close to work
Buy new tires from warehouse clubs
Don’t drive with a lead foot
Don’t rabbit start after a red light
Don’t carry things in your car you don’t need
Travel
Shop around for the best travel deals
Use a bargaining site to get hotels
Travel out of the busy season
Vacation closer to home
Try camping
Join a frequent flyer program
Purchase tickets in advance
Do you need the car rental insurance?
Personal
Get organized
Make lists…and stick to them
Use the library
Order free samples online
don’t smoke, or if you have to roll your own
Don’t drink alcohol, or at least cut back
Use community centers, you already pay for them in taxes
Play outside, its free
Do your homework, there is plenty of information out there for everything
Use generic prescription drugs when possible
Shop around online before heading out to the store
Use craigslist
less stuff = less maintenance
Posted in Sustainable and tagged easy, efficiency, free, frugal, green, guide, lifestyle, money, penny pincher, review, save, Sustainable by Studio Render with 28 comments.
Thoughts on the City of Detroit
Detroit today is a city bound by what built it: the car. With advances in technology, commuting to work has become the rule rather than the exception. Commuting is unbearable – to our time, our money, the environment and our childcare. The fact is, people love their cars and the suburbs offer a desirable lifestyle. The result is that Detroit has become a place of decay with a stereotype to match it. The current residents of Detroit have a median household income of $18,742 and 37% are without a high school diploma (census information). On the other hand, one of the suburbs close to Detroit (Redford Township) has a household income of $51,840 with only 21% of residents without a high school diploma. The scale follows this trend the further you travel from Detroit. So, how can Detroit attract these middle to upper class suburbanites to live downtown?
Money needs to be spent within city limits. This increase in affordable technology (computers, cell phones, etc.) has made being your own boss no longer just a dream. Live/work housing combines living and working into one piece of property, making the employees full-time residents of the city and keeping money in the area and local retailers. The book, “Loft’s: Living in space” states loft living began in the United States when artists began occupying entire floors of industrial factories in New York’s SoHo during the 1940’s. It was the fashionable residence of the day; a symbol of millennial cool. The concept adapted over time from the store owner living above his store, the lawyer whose office in front conceals his residence in the rear and the artist who can work at any time of the day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 million people work from their home.
Cities need people in them to make them a thriving, inviting and exciting area. Detroit has sections of the city where land is abundant and in need of revival. For a live/work development to work, it must be based on the city center. If there are no supporting amenities for the residents, there will be no appeal. The Fox Town/Sports District offers residents access to theatres, sports venues, night clubs, casinos and restaurants. This area would be able to attract young professionals, dot-comers, entrepreneurs, young and empty-nesters to name a few. By offering some of the suburban amenities in the city as a viable alternative to conventional housing, live/work units will help provide the draw needed to bring people back into the city.
Isolation, sense of place and separation. Architect Thomas Dolan, AIA of the live/work institute claims, “The greatest drawback of working at home is isolation”. He suggests that a sense of community will arise with opportunities of spontaneous socializing due to a greater caring for the space and for others who share it because of the 24-7 lifestyle. Conversely, separation of living and working spaces may become the fine line of success or failure. “One Space Living” by Cynthia Inions stresses degrees of separation in the units. Public and private areas must be distinguished to ensure the appeal and mental health of its occupants.
Copyright © 2007 Adam A. Dailide www.studio-render.com
Posted in Editorial and tagged area, automobile, automotive, car, city, community, commuting, decay, detroit, economic, economics, Editorial, exciting, industry, isolation, lifestyle, living, michigan, money, residence, residents, socializing, space, suburbs, technology by Studio Render with 12 comments.
