need help cutting some costs?

Question

trying to save more money to move into a place. here are a list of the bills. ok me and my girl live together. here is a list of the bills. car payment- $360. insurance- $277. im with nationwide insurance. i got points on my license. student loan- $325. rent- $525. cell phone- $120. thats me and my girl on a myfaves plan for 2000 minutes. cable-$100. electric- 40. gas- $40. house phone. i think its like 30 something bucks. now that doesnt even include car gas. im spending about $100 a week on that. groceries- maybe 100 a week. im just estimating. what can we cut back on? i already know about eating out and not driving so much. i was thinking about going with the comcast triple play. for one. instead of going with the cable and house phone

Answer 1

Get into a cheaper place to rent, if you have cell phones you do not need a home phone too. Get rid of the cable. Take lunch from home, Do not buy expensive clothes. Do not buy magazines. Buy all your soda and coffee at the grocery store not at gas stations. Do not go out to eat. Make sure you do all your shopping for the week at once. Driving extra can spend more on gas. Shop around for cheaper car insurance, pay for the insurance for the whole 6 months that will save you some. Just make sure when you make a purchase it is a need and not a want. Everyone always have things they can do without temporarily.

Answer 2

Why don't you cut cable and the cell phone entirely--those aren't NEEDS, they're wants. That right there will put close to $220 each month in savings for a downpayment on a home. That's a bunch of money. Over a year, without interest, you'd save over $2600. As soon as you're eligible to get the points off your licence, then make sure the insurance is adjusted accordingly. Also, every time you renew the policy, double check to make sure you're getting the best rate--shop other companies. They may give you a better deal if you switch.

You can also get a 2nd job, in either the evenings or on the weekends, and put all that money towards a home.

Answer 3

don't use cable anymore. regular channels are free and if you get really bored you can just buy a DVD or something. a suggestion for cheap food is Michelina's Budget Gourmet (they are meals in a box) they have really good stuff like spaghetti, etc. for $.50-$1.00 per box. Not as fancy as Healthy Choice, but tasty and cheap.Why need cells and house phone? I would say throw out the home phone and just use your cells.Also verizon has a deal of unlimited calling to the people in your family plan, but sorry don't know the price. Hope this helps! Good Luck with everything ~Cheeso

Answer 4

Maybe think about a different car. If your gasoline bill is $100 a week, the car isn't very fuel efficient. My husband drives an hour each way to work and we have our errands to run. We spend about $45.00 a week on gasoline. One week my car seems to need gas, the next week its his,lol. If it helps, he drives a 2004 Pontiac Vibe and I drive a 2001 Toyota Corolla.

We have 3 kids and ourselves. When I grocery shop, I include things like shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, razor blades etc. We spend an average of $170.00 per week on groceries/household items. I shop for food at WalMart, Meijer and a local discount food store called Sak N Save and another called Save A Lot. The food is off brand or store brand overstock, but you really can't taste a difference in most of it. Some is actually better tasting to me than the name brand. The meats are much cheaper than Farmer Jack or Kroger or Meijer, but they are just as fresh and taste the same. Check local stores in your area for a discount store. Shop for everything you will need for the week and don't buy anything else when you are out.

Shop around for cheaper insurance. It will take an afternoon, but I think you are paying too much. I also have points and an accident on my record and I pay $120.00 a month for full coverage on our Vibe and $86.00 for the Toyota. We go through a credit union and have a discount on the policy. We originally just had a savings to get the discount, but the service was so much better than our bank, we eventually switched to the credit union outright. Many insurance companies offer a discount for credit union members, just call around and ask. An extra bonus there is that the credit union charges no fees with no minumum balance, unlike the bank. We saved about $20.00 /month just in fees.

I have internet, phone and cable with pay channels in a bundle package. We pay $150.00 per month, but we were paying less for the first 2 years on a new customer plan. When the rate went up, we could have switched to Comcast for a lower payment, but we have a lot of problems with them in our area and the service we get from our cable company is better. We are paying about $30.00 a month more for better service, but it may be different where you are from.

We pay the same on our cell phones, but I hear Metro PCS has a deal for 2 lines, unlimited day, night and weekend minutes with voicemail, text and caller id with call waiting for $ 76.00 a month. We can't switch because we have a contract, but will when it runs out. With a plan like that, you could ditch the house phone and its expense.

Our utilities are higher, but we have a large house and kids, so thats expected. I think you are about average there.

We also buy used. I shop at resale shops and used furniture stores when we need to replace things. Once the couch is in the living room or the clothes are on your back, its used. I have no problems finding nice things for about 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the stores. It takes time and effort, but its less expensive and no one knows unless I tell them. I also like that the things I buy have already held up to use beautifully, so I don't worry about having it fall apart after a washing.

Whatever you manage to save, make sure you put it away and DON'T touch it for anything short of a real emergency. A seperate account for savings is a good way to put away money and forget you have it.

If you are really serious about wanting to buy a home soon, you might want to consider a 2nd, part time job. Any extra income could go directly to savings and be "forgotten" until you are ready to buy.

Answer 5

well i have just the right answer dont use light till after sundown put a candle in the bathroom and only buy what you need for grocies and gas trying turning your car off when you are at a railroad crossing and a train comes saves gas and trying use the microwave now the way i see it i on done saved ya about 40 try use to pay rent in advance

Answer 6

The comcast triple play may save you some money. The grocery bill may be less with price comparison shopping and using coupons.
Consider generic products instead of national brand names.
Use coupons for the brand name products. Save and redeem for cash soda cans, plastic juice bottles. Find alternatives for some regular dishes when prices go up. Jello instead of ice cream-Cole slaw instead of tossed green salad.

Answer 7

Get a cheaper car, get rid of the cable and the cell phones. Stop eating out, take your lunch to work. Learn how to make economical meals, that's a pretty hefty food bill.

Answer 8

hmmm...that's a tough scene you are in,why dont you find a financial planner that wont cost that much & would be professional enough to help you cut costs.

Good Luck