apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Does anyone know who makes that orange wallet? (looks like that may be a Todd's logo)

Some of those suggestions are really feasible (such as switching to library books and Hulu) and some are a bit silly, considering I don't know anyone who buys cut flowers on a regular basis. Good way to get the brain thinking, though!

Anyone know a good real-life coupon source? There's coupons.com, of course, but there's no way on earth that I'm going to let that place install stuff on my computer just to print out coupons.

In a recent effort to simplify my life, I decided not to renew my subscription to Real Simple. I felt that I could spend less and do less without the aid of a magazine.

heather77, I second that emotion. I feel like so much of their content and the tips they provide fall under the common sense umbrella. "Use less shampoo" oh, thanks Real Simple.

Hulu is not available in Canada. Boo hoo.

i agree that real simple sometimes gives common sense advice, but the magazine (it's layout, recipes, images, even paper it's printed on) brings me calm.

magazine subscriptions are so cheap these days, although environmentally and economically excessive. i decided to keep it though simply for the relaxing evening i have the day it shows up in the mailbox.

Somehow seeing a fancy wallet in Hermes orange, and a set of Parisian-style keys, doesn't make me think about SAVING money...

Kaete, I like couponsurfer.com for grocery coupons. You usually get $1.00 off coupons for your favorite brands.

I suppose every now and then I'd be one to purchase fresh cut flowers but also had a budget - no more than $7.00. If or whenever I had a bad day it was sort of a treat for myself.
Sunday newspaper is the best way to get coupons. I usually save them - checking their expiration date of course and put them in an envelop and toss them in my bag. I've saved up to $15.00 in one shot just with coupons.
Also, I had to stop purchasing products such as Meyer's dish/hand wash, or Method. With Method unless I had a 20% coupon to BB&B. Being green sometimes can be costly.

I think it is actually a Longchamp wallet in the photo....it looks like there logo

to save with coupons when shopping online I always google 'coupon code' and the website name and sometimes you can find codes to enter when you check out for a discount or free shipping.

You can also swap DVD's on lendaround.com - it was posted here the other day... (and I think in an email as well)

Oh, and the link to "Free Shipping" points to cybermonday.com... is that correct?

Thanks Annicka!

I used to have neighbors who left the coupon parts of their newspaper out with the mailboxes so anyone could grab it... but thanks to moving I may just have to start buying my own weekend paper.

Kaete -- for real life coupons, I use a coupon clipping service. I actually save money that way by not buying the paper, and since I live in Chicago, where stores accept expired coupons, I just purchase a bunch and use them throughout the year. I like:

Coupons and Things by DeDe
The Coupon Clippers
and believe it or not, Ebay.

If you haven't already, drop your landline for cell. Dump cable. Move the heck out of the burbs and into the heart of a city. Live small at home, big outside.

I know years ago I knocked my expenses down by half (about $900 a month) by following some simple ideas. I also learned to cook for myself, got involved in my community (out of necessity. Free tickets to ballet, symphonies, plays, etc. by serving on committees), and parked my car for a year and a half while walking to everything. I know understand how my NYC friends never learned to drive.

If you live in the city, try biking to work instead of taking public transportation. If you're a coffee drinker, encourage your employer to purchase coffee beans, etc. I save $6 per day from these two.

Move out of the city, buy local, grow your own, join a food co-op, install a pellet stove and solar panels.

Oh and if you live in an urban setting consider going on a car free diet. You will instantaneously save $4000/year or more, plus you’ll get fit quick so you may be able to drop the $50-$90 monthly gym pass.

I think Real Simple is a good magazine. Some is common sense, but I agree with Jaclyn about its calming effect. The only thing I don't like is their fashion articles. I can't believe people would spend $200 on one simple article of clothing!

My car costs are under $2000 a year.

But I agree with outsidenow on the no-gym policy: We hike in the woods and/or bike daily and stay in shape that way. Not to mention that spending time in nature has also gotten rid of the need for therapy. Big cost-cutter.

me too jaclyn and RedMaiko..calming and 'now my life will be in order and serene'..(but i think i've been just sneaking onto their online instead of BUYING it lately :) )

good advice from jason, except that the moving into the heart of the city isn't wise for every locale. i'd pay 3-4 times what i do to live in the burbs even with the increased car-alternative modes of transportation. besides the quality of life issues that would send my way in this area.

i am buying a treadmill and dropped the gym membership.

$4000/year = insurance, gas, residential sticker, registration, inspection, occasional parking fines, oil changes, depreciation, etc. Also if you have a car, you may tend to go out and purchase more things...at least I did.

I accounted for all of those things iin my under 2K figure. It depends on where you live, how much you drive, etc...

Dropping your landline is foolish - just take it down to the minimum service you need. See other articles on AT (power outages, etc) for why you need one.

I think all these suggestions really boil down to examining your life -- if you see what you need and what is excess or can be substituted, you can find your own places to cut back. My home (not parting with it, sorry), my job, my pets, etc. all constrain my choices some, but there are always things to do better.

I'm not sure about the comment of dropping a land line is foolish. Actually, I would say most of the people I know do not have landlines as they feel it's unnecessary. The only reason why I had one before was because it was required for DSL service. I was paying $30 for a landline (that I never used) $ for DSL. Now, if available in your area, companies have a dry loop service for DSL that does not require a landline. The cost would only be $15-20/month for DSL service.

I love paperbackexchange.com and swapacd.com

I would absolutely encourage everyone to try #5- Bookmooch ( www.bookmooch.com ) has become a real life saver for me! I get free (second hand) books all the time now, and it's available everywhere in the world!

I also disagree that dropping a landline is foolish. I haven't had one in over three years and it's never been a problem. I keep my phone charged and if the electric goes out I still have the car charger.

I love not having to buy bottled water since I bought a Brita pitcher. I know my tap water is safe, but it tastes horrible, with the Brita it's just fine.

Real Simple may be "common sense" but yet I still know people who use way too much shampoo, soap,etc. I like the magazine. And I like these tips, although I do most of them. And a landline is totally unnecessary for me- my cell phone still works in a power outage, and I don't get tons of annoying sales calls on it.

~Amanda

agree with dn
we were going to cancel our landline but the company told us if we went with another type of plan it would only cost about $5-$10 a month(you could make like 20 calls out with your plan but after that it is like .10 cents a call and any calls made to our house are free)--the catch... no call waiting, caller id.

its peace of mind during power outages and hurricane warnings.

does it ever bother anyone else with the 'use online shopping sites' advice? saving money is good & all, but investing in your community is pretty damn important.

Regarding magazine subscriptions, my friends and I subscribe to one favorite each and share the magazines together. Other magazines and books can be read at the library.

You can also share other items with friends, like tools or cooking equipment (unique stuff you only use once in a while), DVDs, etc... This is an economical system called "being neighborly."

Also, if you have kids in a school with fundraising programs like eScrip or Box Tops for Education, check the on-line sites for coupons, discounts (20-30%) and free shipping in their Marketplace malls (stores like Nordstroms, Gap, Piperlime, Barnes & Noble, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, etc...) You will find discounts and contribute to your child's school.

Does anyone know where the key in the photo came from? I'm a fledgling key collector and I've been searching for a european key like the one in the picture.

I've bought a Wii Fit and do that instead of getting a gym membership. If you don't already own a Wii, then its not quite the cost saver, but if you do, for 90 bucks you get an in home trainer. I pair it up with my elliptical machine during the "free run" cardio exercise and its a great workout.

I've never read Real Simple, but I'm a bit tempted to now. However, I'm also tempted to look into other good home design/ domestic magazines. Any suggestions? I heard Domino closed, which is sad because I hadn't heard of it until right before it did.

Um, live on the less, buy less stuff?

So no need for sales alerts?

Here are my tips:
1. If you only need and use a car once in a while look into either a car sharing program (like flexcar) or do what I do and car share with a friend. Otherwise car rentals can be super cheap (12 dollars a day plus tax) and places like Enterprise are experimenting with renting by the hour. I've saved thousands every year since 2006.
2. Walk or bike as much as possible (there is also the bonus of exercising at the same time)
3. Buy in bulk - sugar, flour, rice, beans, etc.
4. Don't buy packaged foods such as "tabbouleh mix" or canned soups, etc. Make your own and freeze what's freezable.
5. If you have a hobby that is an expense, consider making it into a business - you might even make money or break even and even if you lose money there are the tax write-offs. I do this because I write about food. I get lots of meals paid for and now that I'm doing booze writing, I even get free booze in the mail. I can also write off many meals as business expenses (within reason of course). Win-Win
6. If you buy your meats at places like Whole Foods, consider going in on a side of pork or beef or buying a whole lamb and splitting it with friends directly from a rancher. For example, a rack of lamb at WF might be $10.99 per pound, however, I just got a half a lamb that equated to $5.00 per pound. And we are talking organic free range here.
7. Consider a community garden plot and trade food with other community garden people. My friend Amanda spent almost nothing on produce last spring, summer and fall.
8. Consider shopping at Asian markets. They are often way cheaper than regular supermarkets.
9. Bring back the good old fashioned pot luck!
10. Buy a minimal amount of clothing. I mean, really, how many outfits does one really need? Do what the Europeans do (and what my fancy German godmother taught me): Accessorize with scarves, jewelry, etc and buy really good shoes but only a couple of them.
11. I echo the library comment. Props to the Portland, Oregon Multnomah County Library!
12. Stop drinking alcohol. Although, ha! This one isn't happening in my life. I've just cut down, way down.
13. Plan your vacations around super bargains and off seasons. Wait until tickets are really cheap, then try to do things like go with friends and rent an apartment or house at your destination. Eat out only one meal a day, etc. You'd be amazed how much you can save.

I agree with #8 (Asian Markets). If you haven't been you will be blown away by the prices. Here's an example: Fuji Apples with the same Washington State sticker on all of them: Safeway: $2.50/lb, TJ's: $0.49/each, Asian Market: $0.69/lb.

Here's an interesting article in the Wash Post about Asian Markets, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/06/ST2009010601907.html

"I can't believe people would spend $200 on one simple article of clothing!"

I can and I do! - the simple basics are exactly where you should spend to get quality.

I bought a plain black 100% cashmere DKNY twinset in 1999 for £300 and I am still wearing it to this day - admittedly it has now been worn to death and I have patched the holes in the elbows that I always seem to get in knitwear (from spending too long typing and playing on the internet!) - but if i guesstimate that I have worn it maybe once a week (a conservative estimate as I love it so much!) for those 10 years thats 520 wearings making the cost per wearing less than 60p!

Inferior garments may cost less but will not last as long and will soon start to look crap after repeated washings - the way to get value from clothing is to choose quality natural fibres from good manufacturers in classic styles that wont date.

I use the following coupon websites - I save a ton of money on online purchases and use a lot of printible coupons for household goods. I dont use many of the food coupons because we shop HMart and our local farmers market.

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://coupon-codes-online.blogspot.com/

http://www.mycoupons.com/

http://www.woot.com