Ways to afford first apartment [cutting costs]

[namelesswonder]

What I'm doing:

I started an Excel spreadsheet to track my expenses from month to month. My paycheck is always the same because I always work 40hrs/week so I can use that as a reference (paid twice monthly) when budgeting. My rent is always the same, and my loan payments are always the same. So the spreadsheet is really for figuring out what extra crap I buy.

If you know how to do sums in Excel (it's the only equation I know how to do heh), you can add up your income and outcome (what you spend) and subtract to find out what's leftover.

Oooorr just use your bank statements. I just don't like getting distracted by balances and just work with income and outcome for the month on their own. After the month is over, I go through and calculate how much I spent for groceries and see what's leftover that I should have saved, but spent on other things. The last two months haven't been very successful from birthdays to holidays, but I'm tightening the belt for January to really cut excess spending down.

[CamilleDevine]

^In a similar vein, I have an app on my phone called Expenses (for Android). There are lots of similar ones: you set a spending goal for the month, and it shows you every day where you should be by that point in the month. You input all your expenses as they arise (which is why I like using it, I can add to it each time I spend money so I don't forget anything), and you can put in income too if you want.

I also have a budget spreadsheet, and keep a record of my spending over several months so I can see if I'm improving.

[grrl72]

Trying to revive this thread. Has anyone come up with any good saving strategies recently?

I tightened my purse strings this month and ended up spending $200 less than I usually do. Mostly from almost completely cutting out takeout food. Sometimes I just have to have my Chinese food though!

[bacteriadance]

I like the idea of reviving this thread, since I'll be moving out on my own soon...

But I did a similar thing last semester where I forbid my significant other and I to go out to eat more than 2x a month. We saved tons of money that way! This summer I'm planning on trying to only eat what I have on hand at my house currently until I have only 5 or so items left in my pantry (which I'm probably going to break every once in a while because of summer farmer's markets!).

Drinking water and only water can save you tons of money each month!

[LilyBathory]

we drink tap water and have a soda stream, and I generally save a lot of water cause for some reason wasting water really, really bothers me. Other than that - I smoke roll ups. way cheaper.

[just_icarus]

if there's a college/university near you, and particularly one with a wealthy student body, make sure you're on-campus for a day or two during move-out. in the dumpsters, you will find FURNITURE, unopened booze, clothes, dvd players, tvs,curtains-- whatever the rich kids didn't feel like moving out of their dorms and apartments and figured, "i'll just buy a new one next year."

[namelesswonder]

If you're stuck with oil heating and the apartment isn't very big or you only use a couple rooms most of the time, consider investing in some good space heaters instead of using the thermostat. We used two space heaters (one in the bedroom, one in the computer room, where we spend the most of our time) over the last month instead of our oil-based heat because the tank was nearly empty and it was going to be about $1000 to fill it up again (money we don't have). Our electric bill was $58, which is the most it's ever been, and that was for December, when there was very little natural light, and I had the Christmas tree lit often. Much cheaper than paying for oil, I think, so we might invest in a couple more/better space heaters for next winter.

[just_icarus]

I like the idea of reviving this thread, since I'll be moving out on my own soon...

But I did a similar thing last semester where I forbid my significant other and I to go out to eat more than 2x a month. We saved tons of money that way! This summer I'm planning on trying to only eat what I have on hand at my house currently until I have only 5 or so items left in my pantry (which I'm probably going to break every once in a while because of summer farmer's markets!).

Drinking water and only water can save you tons of money each month!

i've also been refraining from buying food out for the last two weeks and it's been amazing for my savings! i also refused to buy groceries last week and just used up the food that was already in my house-- made a giant pot of chili and vegan cornbread and chowed down!

[bacteriadance]

^^^Yeah, I've got all sorts of grains and beans hanging out in my cabinet that I don't seem to ever use up, plus there's tons of wild fruits/veggies that grow all over AK that I can harvest this summer (and I'll have a fishing license!)... I'm hoping to be able to put at least $5000 this summer in savings for student loans/apartment hunting/taking courses at the university next door without financial aid.

[grrl72]

I like the idea of reviving this thread, since I'll be moving out on my own soon...

But I did a similar thing last semester where I forbid my significant other and I to go out to eat more than 2x a month. We saved tons of money that way! This summer I'm planning on trying to only eat what I have on hand at my house currently until I have only 5 or so items left in my pantry (which I'm probably going to break every once in a while because of summer farmer's markets!).

Drinking water and only water can save you tons of money each month!

I quit buying pop almost 3 weeks ago and I think it's definitely helped cut my costs. I have a Brita water filter that I got for free with a rebate and I've been using it like crazy. I have been buying water flavoring, but one box lasts me about a week and a half, which is way less than the amount of pop I would have drank in that time.

I've also been on a grocery store strike. I'm trying to use up everything in my kitchen. I think I've got it pretty much empty so I'll have to go here soon. I can't wait for farmer's market season either! I'm excited to get some really fresh produce.

[bacteriadance]

You could also throw slices of citrus or cucumber into water to give it some flavor.

Also, freeze herbs into icecubes when they're starting to look rough for another easy way to flavor drinks. This trick works for cooking as well!

I made forty bucks yesterday selling off random stuff I don't want/need anymore! Garage sales can be a great way to stock up on or dump items.

[bacteriadance]

If you're a drinker, invest in a brew-it-yourself kit OR just get all the tools yourself (probably cheaper). A litre or two of my homebrew was enough to do the trick. I think my last ended up like 10%abv, and made 5 gallons of it! Happy cider drinking times! My friend brews all sorts of fruit wines and beers. Saved me A LOT.

Brew kits aren't that expensive, actually! They're a lot of money up front but, especially if you're like my boyfriend and I (we're brew snobs...), it can save you a bunch of money in the long run. And with the leftover grains, you can make delicious bread/pizza dough or dog biscuits for SUPER CHEAP!

Making a list of priorities might also be helpful. Good, fresh food is a very high priority for me, so I set aside more money for that each month than other things. I'm also getting ready to start a small herb garden on my back porch (chives, rosemary, cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint, dill), so that will cut down on some costs.

I try not to keep any electronics plugged in (as stated many times earlier), and I keep my windows open all the time for a breeze to cool down the place without using AC or a fan.

For cheap workouts--walk or bike EVERYWHERE you can. Play at a park that has a playground to get a great strength or endurance workout. Run around with your kids or dog! For weight training, check out local universities. You can usually get a good deal, even if you're not a student.