180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees

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Here’s a list of 180 money saving tips that can turn your financial life around 180 degrees. These are things that I have learned while reading blogs or other books. I’ve tried to provide links to blog posts and other articles that elaborate more on the tip. This was a fun exercise. While I personally don’t practice every single tip listed, it was a good way to find out how I can do better on saving money.

Automobile/Transportation

1. Wash and vacuum your car at home.
2. Buy a used car. New cars drop significantly in value as soon as you drive off the lot.
3. Get rid of your car. If you’re married, just have one.
4. Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure.
5. Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight puts a heavier load on the engine.
6. Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high gear as quickly as possible.
7. Use your air conditioner only when absolutely necessary.
8. Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace.
9. Do not rest your foot on the clutch or brake pedal. This causes needless wear and poor fuel economy.
10. Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. Improper alignment not only causes faster tire wear, but also puts an extra load on the engine.
11. Rotate your tires regularly. Rotating tires slows down tire wear.
12. Wash your car regularly. A dirty car can damage paint.
13. Avoid heavy traffic. You’ll save on gas by not idling as much.
14. Change your own motor oil.
15. Observe speed limits. You’ll save money on gas and avoid costly speeding tickets and the resulting increase in insurance rates.
16. Pay your auto insurance premiums annually instead of every six months. You’ll get a lower rate.
17. Use the bus to get to school or work.
18. If possible, ride your bike or walk to your destinations.
19. Carpool with co-workers.

Clothing

20. Find an image consultant in your town and ask if you can have the clothes their clients get rid of.
21. Don’t buy into trends. Keep a wardrobe of classic pieces, so you don’t have to update your clothes every year.
22. Buy clothes at a thrift store.
23. Wear clothes more than once before washing them. You’ll reduce wear on your clothes and save energy by not washing so often.
24. Shop at outlet stores.
25. Avoid buying clothes that require drying cleaning.
26. Cut dryer sheets in half to double the value of each box.
27. Buy your winter clothes at the end of winter/beginning of spring. Buy summer clothing at the end of summer/beginning of fall.
28. Shop at discount stores like TjMax and Ross.

Food

29. Forage for food. Check out a book on local edible plants and start stocking up on them.
30. Buy a water filter and make your own bottled water.
31. Buy bread at the bread outlet store and freeze excess loaves.
32. Make meals that are left over friendly, like soups and casseroles.
33. Join a food co-op.
34. Make dinners in a crock pot
35. Buy in bulk.
36. If you buy soda, buy 2 liter bottles instead of cans. It’s much cheaper per unit price.
37. Have potluck dinners.
38. When you eat out, share meals. Most restaurant meals are big enough for two people.
39. If you don’t have someone to share it with, split the meal and half and put when half in a to-go box for next day’s lunch.
40. Skip the soda when you go out to eat, and drink water.
41. Quit smoking.
42. Make your own coffee. Better yet, stop drinking coffee.
43. Quit drinking alcohol.
44. Quit drinking soda.
45. Find cheaper café’s and restaurants to go to.
46. Cook your own meals.
47. Take a list when you go shopping and stick to it.
48. Buy generic brand products at the supermarket.
49. Bring your lunch to school or work instead of buying it.
50. Grow your own vegetables.
51. Use coupons and loyalty cards at grocery stores.
52. Reduce meat consumption.
53. Eat cereal instead of fast food. It’s cheaper and usually healthier.
54. Have a late lunch/early dinner when going out to eat. You can save on lunch menu items.
55. Buy cheap food coupons on eBay.
56. Join clubs at school and take advantage of free food at meetings.
57. Don’t buy prepackaged cheese or meat. Go to the deli and have them slice it for you. You can get more for you money.
58. Collect vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer. As soon as it’s full, make a soup out of them.
59. Buy whole roasted chickens. When you have used all the meat, throw the bones into a soup.

Housing

60. House sit. Older affluent couples often leave their house for months at a time for vacations and need someone to watch it while they’re gone. Not only can you get free rent, you might get some extra cash.
61. Become live in help. Some older people need help around the house, someone to cook meals for them, or just someone to talk to. You can live rent free this way.
62. Relocate to an area with a cheaper cost of living.
63. Share an apartment. Better yet, move in with your in-laws.
64. Make an extra mortgage payment each year. You can save money on interest.

Household

65. Buy furniture at a consignment store.
66. If you need a tool, see if you can borrow it from someone before you go out and buy it.
67. Don’t throw away “dead” batteries. Remove them from your radio and use them in quartz clocks. These clocks take such a small amount of power that batteries too weak to run anything else may have enough power to run a clock for a while.
68. Wash and reuse plastic bags.
69. Clean your own carpets. You can rent carpet cleaning machines for about $10.

Health Care

70. If you take a prescription medication on a regular basis, ask your doctor to write a three month prescription. Instead of paying three co-pays, you only pay one.
71. Go to the dentist at your local dental school. Students need people to practice on. You can get all your dental needs fulfilled at a reduced cost.
72. If your doctor gives you a prescription, ask if he has samples that he could give you.
73. Use your local park’s playground as a workout station. Monkey bars can be used for pull-ups and leg lifts. The park will also have a trail where you can run.
74. If you go to school, use the school’s gym. It’s free.
75. Brush and floss your teeth. You’ll save on dental expenses.
76. Eat right and exercise daily. You’ll reduce health costs.
77. If you join a gym, find one that offers a month to month contract. That way if for some reason you stop going, you won’t be stuck with a 1 year contract that you have to pay for.

Beauty and Hygiene

78. Use baking soda for toothpaste.
79. Use baby shampoo for a makeup remover.
80. Buy makeup online.
81. Use makeup samples.
82. Don’t throw out small pieces of bar soap. Wet the small piece and the new bar and stick them together.
83. Add water to your shampoo to get more uses.
84. Stop using shaving cream. Shaving cream’s purpose is just to keep your beard wet. You can maintain a wet beard in the shower.
85. Cut your own hair.
86. Simplify your beauty products. Do you really need 5 different types of body lotions?

Travel

87. Pack your travel meals in advance.
88. Buy snacks at the grocery store, not at roadside convenience stores.
89. Plan trips where you have friends and family. You might be able to score free room and board.
90. Go camping.
91. Stay at a college dorm room when traveling. Many universities rent out dorm rooms at a decent price during the summer.
92. Book your flights and cruises way in advance. You can get lower prices.
93. Always negotiate hotel room prices. Hotel rooms are like highly perishable food: if they’re not used that day, they’re wasted. You can almost always get a better deal just by asking, but do it with a nice smile face-to-face when you check in, or with friendly calls direct to the hotels you’re considering. It won’t work if you just call national 800 numbers, because they can’t negotiate. If your flight is overbooked and the airline offers a voucher if you take a later flight, take it.
94. When flying, bring your own snacks. Airport food is expensive.
95. Avoid renting a car at the airport. You’ll find more competitive rates, plus avoid extra surcharges at car rental agencies away from the convenience of the airport.
96. Time your stay for best hotel deals. Plan the timing of your stay according to the type of place you visit. Hotels in cities are usually cheaper on the weekends, when business travelers aren’t staying there, but hotels in resort areas or other places that are popular with leisure travelers are often cheaper during the week
97. Tourist spots sell everything from film — to capture those special moments — to sunscreen, bottled water and aspirin for prolonging your fun, at a higher cost. Purchase these items before and save.
98. Travel after peak season. This might not be an option if you have school-age children. But families with infants and toddlers can take advantage of discounted rates by traveling in the fall.
99. Bring an empty water bottle with you to the airport. Bottled water at airports is expensive. While you can’t bring any liquids past security, you can bring an empty bottle. Put it in your carry on and fill it up as soon as you get past security.
100. Stay in hostels when traveling overseas. While you do have to share a bathroom and a room, you can stay for as little as $5.
101. If you need a quick get away with your significant other, spend a night in your local bed and breakfast.

Entertainment

102. Buy an Entertainment book. The initial investment is about $20, but there’s hundreds of dollars in entertainment savings in it.
103. Join Gamefly for cheap video game renting.
104. Trade video games, DVD’s and books with your friends.
105. Start a book or film club. After reading the book or watching the film, discuss it.
106. Have a game night with friends.
107. Attend movies at dollar theaters.
108. Take advantage of your local university. Colleges often have free entertainment events.
109. Join the library.
110. Read magazines for free at bookstores.
111. Check out DVD’s from the library, rather than renting them from the video store.
112. Find cheaper hobbies like blogging or jogging.
113. Go on a hike, take a walk in the park, or go to the beach. Some of the nicest things to do in life are totally free.
114. See if your local zoos, museums, entertainment parks and water parks have annual passes. Often the annual passes may not cost more than the price of a couple of visits.
115. Save money on movies by going to the matinée.
116. Watch amateur sports. High school athletic competitions are cheap and can be just as exciting as the pros.

Banking and Investing

117. Start an automatic savings plan with your bank.
118. Use your credit card to make all purchases, but pay it off each month. That you’ll earn cash back or travel points.
119. Invest in index funds. There are hardly any costs in purchasing and owning index funds.
120. Open an online savings account. Most online accounts offer a 4% interest rate. That’s much better than the 1% you get at your current bank. E-mail me for an ING referral.
121. Avoid ATM fees. Only withdraw money from machines approved by your bank. 7-11 doesn’t have a surcharge.
122. Pay bills by direct debit. You save on postage and avoid the risk of paying late fees.
123. If you use checks, don’t buy them from the bank. You can get a better deal with other printing companies.
124. Don’t overdraft on your account. You’ll save yourself money on penalties.
125. Invest with a cheap online brokerage company like Sharebuilder.

Children

126. Buy gender neutral baby clothing so you can use them again with the next baby.
127. Make your kids Halloween costumes. It’s cheaper and more fun.
128. Buy your baby toys from the thrift store. Toys suck these days. Give your child the gift of old school toys that actually requires an imagination.
129. Buy your baby’s and tot’s clothes from the thrift store. Your kid isn’t going to notice the difference between a thrift store onezy and a Gap onezy.

Utilities

130. Use a clothes liner to dry clothes. You’ll save on your energy bill.
131. Replace old appliances with ones that have Energy Star approval.
132. Regularly clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator. A clean coil uses less energy.
133. Make sure your freezer is full. An empty freezer requires more energy to keep cold.
134. Use washable coffee mug instead of Styrofoam. You’ll save money and help the environment.
135. Replace all your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent lighting.
136. Turn off the lights when not using a room.
137. Turn off your appliances when not using them.
138. Don’t use a cell phone.
139. If you have a cell phone, don’t buy the extra features like text messaging and web access.
140. If you have a cell phone, get rid of your land line.
141. Get rid of cable. Who needs 100 channels of crap?
142. Use the internet at school or the library. Not only will you save money, you’ll save time.
143. During the winter, leave the oven open after you cook to heat the house.
144. Sign up for Skype for long distant phone calls.
145. Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer.

Miscellaneous

146. Get a digital camera. You save money on film.
147. Don’t own a pet. You’ll save money on food and shots.

Shopping

148. Avoid impulse buying. Practice tantric shopping.
149. Buy as much as you can online.
150. Negotiate the price on big ticket items like cars, electronics, and large appliances.
151. Use cash as a negotiating tool. Nothing makes a seller’s mouth water than cold hard cash in their hand.
152. Before you buy something, ask if the item will be put on sale in the near future.
153. Don’t buy extended warranties. Eighty percent are never used, and they’re a major profit item for the vendor. That’s why they push you so hard to buy them!
154. Keep receipts and send in rebate slips. Very few consumers actually return rebate coupons. Which is, of course, exactly what the manufacturers are hoping for.

Low cost ways of making extra money

155. Sell your old stuff, like CD’s and books on eBay and Amazon.
156. Turn your hobby into a business. Pretty much anything you do can be turned into a business of some sort.
157. Sign up with an online survey company like Survey Spot.
158. Become a mystery shopper. Not only can you make some extra money, you might get some free stuff as well.
159. Have a yard sell.
160. Start a blog and put Adsense on it. You might only earn 4 cents a week, but it’s something.
161. Become a consultant. Do you know a lot about a particular skill? Put that knowledge to work by helping others.
162. Do freelance work on the side. If you’re a good writer, photographer, artist, or programmer you can make some extra money by selling your talent to companies.
163. Start an errand Service. Offer to pick up groceries or dry cleaning for others.
164. Waiting service. People these days don’t have time to wait on the plumber of cable guy. Charge by the hour to do the waiting for other people.

School

165. Check out study supplements from the library. Don’t buy them.
166. Buy used text books.
167. Take advantage of free pens and pencils at business conferences.
168. Keep track of your pens and pencils. You’ll spend less on them if you don’t lose them all the time.
169. Buy back packs that your kids can use for years. While they might think the Sponge Bob Square pants one is cool in 2^nd grade, they probably won’t think it’s cool in 4^th.

Computers

170. Use open source software like OpenOffice for your computing needs. Here’s a huge list of all the open source software you’ll ever need.
     
171. Refill ink cartridges instead of buying new ones.
172. Print off your documents in draft mode. It’s faster and saves ink.
173. Use free online storage for all your digital storage needs.
174. When you buy new computers or printers, keep the old cables. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

Gifts

175. Make your own greeting cards.
176. Make your own wrapping paper.
177. Agree with family and friends to NOT buy each other Christmas presents this year.

178. Offer to give a service, like a night of free babysitting as a gift, instead of buying stuff.
179. Give baked goods. Everyone loves cookies!
180. Learn the art of the re-gift. If you get something that you don’t like, keep it and give it to someone else later. However be careful to keep track of who gave you what. You don’t want to give a gift back to somebody.

Can you think of any more? Add to the conversation!
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[tags]saving, frugality, personal finance, clothing, food, cars, beauty, health care [/tags]

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40 Comments

1. StumbleUpon » Your page is now on StumbleUpon! on 17.05.2007 at 16:30

   […] Your page is on StumbleUpon […]

2. Rich Minx on 17.05.2007 at 16:39 (Reply)

   Wow, what a great list. ‘Tantric shopping’ - I love it! Did you make that up?

3. The Frugal Law Student on 17.05.2007 at 18:30 (Reply)

   Thanks, for the compliment! I remember reading about tantric shopping from somewhere. I don’t remember where, though.

4. The Ad-Free Personal Finance Blogs Aggregator on 18.05.2007 at 08:50

   […] me of the book “Boundaries,” and how we should avoid letting external forces control … (more) 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees (4 clicks) From The Frugal Law Student - view blog entries - visit this blogMay 17, 2007 at 5:21 pm […]

5. AgentSully on 19.05.2007 at 07:18 (Reply)

   What a great list! I Dugg this for you! Excellent!

6. The Frugal Law Student on 19.05.2007 at 13:43 (Reply)

   Thanks for the Digg and the compliment AgentSully!

7. The Frugal Law Student Reviewed | Rich Minx on 21.05.2007 at 07:41

   […] The homepage is rather deep right now due to a recent epic (but useful and Diggable) list of 180 money-saving tips. His most popular posts are conveniently linked to in the sidebar. The translation widget at the […]

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9. Carnival of Personal Finance: 101st Edition - Plus6 …a personal finance blog on 21.05.2007 at 17:45

   […] 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees by The Frugal Law Student.  Huge list that should have a least a few new ideas for everyone. […]

10. Carnival of Personal Finance #101 Recap at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money on 22.05.2007 at 19:34

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11. The Frugal Law Student » Blog Archive » Carnival Roundup on 23.05.2007 at 09:53

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12. Chris on 03.06.2007 at 18:38 (Reply)

    This is a great reminder of how much we waste. I have heard most of these before, but that is the key, I heard them. You are helping to remind me…so thanks.

    One you may want to consider is cut your own grass using a reel mower…you save money and also get a workout so you can drop the gym membership.

13. Brett McKay on 04.06.2007 at 16:01 (Reply)

    Chris-
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting! You’re right. Most of the tips are pretty well known. I hope it helps remind others how simple it can be to save money.

    Speaking of the reel mower… as soon as I have a house and yard of my own, that’s the kind of mower I’m getting. You save money, get a workout, and help the environment as well.

14. Tai Anderson on 16.06.2007 at 18:42

    Geometric_units…

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16. Amber Yount on 18.06.2007 at 14:57 (Reply)

    WOW so many frugal tips!!

17. Brett McKay on 19.06.2007 at 08:51 (Reply)

    Thanks, Amber! Glad you came by!

18. 7 Surefire Ways to Save Serious Cash in College | College and Finance on 22.06.2007 at 13:38

    […] sure you have extra cash at the end of each month. If that’s not enough for you, consider 180 tips to turn your life around. The best way to save money is to not buy things (I know, a startling realization). If you […]

19. SWayton on 27.06.2007 at 07:23 (Reply)

    I found many of your tips useful, but I have to strongly disagree with one. No pets! Come on! Pets are the most inexpensive form of therapy out there. If you have a pet, you don’t have to emulate Paris Hilton. In addition, your no pets rule might make some people think twice about adopting their next cat or dog. Shelters need people to adopt their homeless animals. Other than your no pet idea, your list of ideas was quite useful

20. Brett McKay on 27.06.2007 at 13:25 (Reply)

    Swayton-
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Personally, I don’t think the no pets rule should be a permanent solution to saving money. I agree that people need to adopt pets and that pets are great for therapy. (Cats crack me up!) Right now, we really don’t have the money to take on a pet. However, we hope that next year when we’re making a little more, we can take on one.

21. air conditioner coil on 29.06.2007 at 17:12

    air conditioner coil…

    Hi. Thanks for the good read….

22. 77 Great Lists You Absolutely Need to Check Out on 09.08.2007 at 03:56

    […] 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees (a pile of tips on saving money, ranging from kids to shopping to investing) […]

23. J. Fisher on 27.08.2007 at 19:59 (Reply)

    Here’s my list…

    Fifty Eight Easy Ways To Pocket $2000-$5000 Tax Free*
    By J. Fisher

    What if you could get the benefits of quitting smoking – immediately saving a lot of money and improving your health and that of those around you – without having to take up smoking in the first place? What if your boss offered you an extra bonus this year of thousands of dollars, tax free, and you didn’t have to put in more work to get it? What if you could get all the same things you normally do, but pay less for some, and use this money any way you wanted? You get the point. Of course it would be a no-brainer, especially if you didn’t have to buy a training course or put money down or attend any presentations to get these benefits.
    Fortunately, for most of us there is such a homerun opportunity, and not only do you do well by it — but you do it by doing good. Simply read on to find out how.
    First, you start by making better use of the things you already buy – and you easily pocket $500-1000 or more per year without “doing without” anything. Some examples include:
    1. By using a cup (refillable plastic bottle) and drinking tap water instead of bottled (most bottled waters (Aqua Fina, Deja Blue, etc., are actually filled from tap water anyway) – you can save $365-$550/year by foregoing one bottled water (at $1.00-1.50/bottle) each day; double that savings if you forego two/day, and potentially save a lot more if your whole family does it. [Caution: doing this will have the unintended consequence of helping the environment by reducing the number of plastic drink bottles that get thrown out as refuse.]
    2. Mix your own sports drinks – buy concentrated powder and save money – less than $5 for powder buys enough mix to replace 24 bottles, or $30 worth, assuming $1.25/bottle. [See point one about potential environmental impacts.]
    3. When you need to buy bottles, buy bigger ones that last longer, then recycle them when they’re empty – for example, buy gallon size jugs and cut the cost/ounce by 50% or more versus individual pre-mixed bottles of Gatorade
    4. Choose (recycled) paper over plastic at the grocery store — then recycle the bags after you’re done with them
    5. If you have curbside Recycling pickup service – use it, instead of pitching glass, plastics and paper goods in the trash and our expanding our landfills
    6. Even if you don’t have curbside service, use the large recycle bins available at many schools, shopping centers, and other places; make it a weekend ritual with the kids to do a drop-off as you run your other errands
    7. Use rechargeable batteries for your electronics – kids games and accessories use batteries up rapidly; a family can easily save $50-100/year by recharging versus buying new batteries each time. [Beware, recharging also saves a lot of dangerous heavy metals from going into our landfills and leaching into our water supplies]
    8. Sign up for online bill pay and electronic/email statements whenever possible, and stop all those annoying and wasteful paper statements from being sent to you by mail
    9. Finally, and since we’re not talking about taking away anything from peoples’ lives, we’ll politely pass on the topic of suggesting people skip their Starbucks and brew equal or better at home own at a fraction of the cost [which I do]. Somehow, this falls into the realm of a tobacco-like addiction where (for reasons I can’t fathom) Starbucks’ acid-laced cappuccinos and fattening but virtually coffee-free frappaccinos draw crowds of addicted and ever eager patrons to age in a long line and depart five dollars poorer for a morning’s satisfaction.

    Use your car efficiently –and cut $500-1,000/year from your fuel bill
    10. Combine errands so you accomplish more than one when you need to make a trip
    11. Make it a goal to eliminate half of your car trips eventually – start out moderately, combining trips, walking or cycling for short distances, carpooling or using public transit once a week to work
    12. If you have more than one automobile, choose the more fuel efficient one for your errands whenever possible
    13. Don’t idle your car for more than 30 seconds (except at stoplights) – turn it off and restart it when you’re ready to move
    14. Avoid drive through windows! Park the car and turn the engine off, get a little extra exercise walking inside — you’ll probably get through quicker than lining up behind all the other cars, too
    15. Turn you’re a/c off and roll down the windows to cool off – except on highways, where this isn’t fuel efficient
    16. Run the car’s interior fan with the a/c turned off to help cool you down without burning extra fuel
    17. Run errands during more temperate parts of the day, especially in the summer, so you can avoid running the car’s air conditioner
    18. Keep the air pressure in your tires at recommended levels – low air pressure increases fuel burn, and isn’t safe
    19. Practice smooth driving — avoid hard accelerations and frequent or hard braking; anticipate traffic flow so you make only small/soft adjustments to steering, acceleration, and braking
    20. Choose easy routes (low traffic volume, fewer stops/starts) when you have alternatives; most fuel is burned getting going from stops; when you do start, go light on the accelerator
    21. Keep your speed below 65 mph on the highway—preserves fuel efficiency, is safer, and avoids nasty tickets (if you do get pulled over, though, please turn off your engine while the nice officer does their business)
    22. Empty your trunk and the inside of your car of anything you won’t need on that trip – stuff adds weight; weight increases fuel burn
    23. If your car exhaust shows visible smoke – get it repaired now. You’ve running inefficiently, polluting a lot, and causing damage to your engine to run it that way [and did I mention it makes some people look at you like some kind of lower species?]
    24. Buy fuel efficient automobiles when you’re shopping for cars; if you’re driving a gas hog now (i.e., less than 20 mpg average), trade it in for more efficient one
    25. Don’t wash your car at home, it wastes water and puts unfiltered detergents and oils into the sewers; modern car washes recycle their water and filter any discharge
    26. Don’t do your own oil changes unless you plan to recycle the oil; Jiffy Lube’s and similar operators recycle all used oil

    Take the stress out of your house – and save $50-100/month or more you’re paying to your utilities companies unnecessarily; that’s $600-1,200 per year
    27. Adjust your air conditioner setting – set a/c at 76 degrees or higher in the summer, and up to 80 degrees when you’re out of the house during the day
    28. Adjust your heater setting – set the thermostat to 65 degrees or lower, and down to 55-60 degrees when you’re going to be out of the house during the day
    29. Adjust your water heater setting – set it at the lower end of the heat range (120 degrees or lower) – it’s cheaper and safer also
    30. Take shorter showers
    31. Don’t allow the faucet to keep running while you brush teeth, wash hands, wash face, etc.
    32. In summer, run clothes washers and dryers and dishwashers during the night (avoids adding heat in the house during the hot part of the day); in the winter, run them during the day (helps warm the house )
    33. TURN OFF LIGHTS YOU DON’T NEED TO USE
    34. TURN OFF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT NOT IN USE – PCs, monitors, modems, fax machines, stereo’s, TVs (all create heat even when they’re on “standby”)
    35. Open the windows and shut off heaters/air conditioners when temperatures are moderate outside
    36. Apply window coverings or window tint to keep sunlight/heat out of the house during the summer
    37. Spend more time outside (with electrical equipment and heating/cooling off while you do)
    38. Use low energy, long lasting fluorescent bulbs in your lamps and fixtures
    39. Try using lower wattage bulbs next time you switch out; but don’t go so low that you end up turning on extra lamps to make things brighter
    40. Don’t run the shower before you get in
    41. Make sure your kids take “quick” showers
    42. When you buy appliances, buy energy efficient ones (“Energy Star”)
    43. Arrange your furniture, electronics, etc., in layouts that take advantage of hot/cool parts of the house; basement temperatures typically are cooler and fluctuate less than upper areas of the house – so they are better choices for placing your favorite electronics, TVs, as well as refrigerators/freezers, washers/dryers, water heaters and furnaces, and so forth
    44. Use the microwave instead of the oven/range whenever possible, except in cold weather
    45. Use the barbeque in warm weather, to keep the cooking heat out of the house
    46. In cold weather, after you use the oven, leave the door cracked open to allow the warm air into the house rather than out the vent (do this only when safe to do so – no little ones around)
    47. Eat “cool foods” on hot days – don’t spend 3 hours with the oven on cooking a big meal on a ninety degree day or you and your house will end up hot, and you’ll spend a lot of extra money while the air conditioner fights with the oven
    48. Need to cool down, quick? Stand in a shower of cool water for five minutes to bring down your body’s “core temperature” much more effectively than dialing down the entire house’s thermostat by several degrees
    49. Don’t run refrigerators or freezers “empty” (or almost empty) – air doesn’t hold cold very well. If you haven’t got much if the freezer (or fridge), add some water bottles which will hold the cold in, keep temperatures inside the box more even, and come in handy when the electricity goes out (help keep food cold longer)
    50. Dress appropriately – light as possible in the summer, cozy as possible in the winter, so you don’t have to rely so much on the furnace and a/c unit to make you feel comfy
    51. When shopping for a house or apartment, consider the distances to work and to schools, so you and your family have a better chance of walking, cycling, or using public transport instead of being reliant on the car to get everywhere
    52. Do you really need a family pool? Use the community pool or the one at your health club or school instead, and you’ll save tons on water and heating costs
    Go easy on the yard – and pocket $200-500 per year, or more
    53. Water your yard as infrequently as possible – like not running the sprinklers on days when it rains
    54. Maximize use of native plants in your yard that can live without extra irrigation or chemicals
    55. Use natural/organic fertilizers and yard treatments instead of chemicals
    56. When you must water your yard, do it early in the morning (starting @ 4-5 am) so evaporation is less of a problem
    57. Operate lawnmowers and other equipment that are environmentally efficient and emit low emissions; or use a lawn service (they use bigger equipment and cover areas much faster) – and if you do, try to select one your neighbors also use so your yard can be done at the same time
    58. Cut and trim your yard less often than weekly; it’s healthier for the plants and saves time and gas while reducing smog
    So, if you follow many of the instructions above to some degree (none of us are perfect) you stand to find a couple or maybe even a few hundred extra cash in your wallet each month, and best of all you’ll owe none of it to the government, so spend it as you please.
    *Caveats our lawyers billed us for: no purchase necessary; possible side effects include better health and potentially guilt-free conscience (provided you use some of the cash you’ll be saving to invest in carbon offset credits); some activities may improve the air you breath and water you drink; overdosing on these activities could lead to reemergence of polar ice caps, glaciers, and certain endangered species, including happy-feeted penguins; flooding of certain islands, small countries, and large coastal population areas may subside and therefore FEMA may offer even less assistance than they already do; tropical storms may suffer from diminished power and vitality, shortening their lifespan and potentially causing them to go unnamed.

24. 73 Reasons Lists Earn Traffic and Money « Legal Andrew on 04.09.2007 at 18:01

    […] lists, like Brandon’s mega list on link-building. You’ve got to love Brett’s 180 personal finance tips. Of course there have also been hugely successful group writing projects based on numbers like […]

25. How Being Frugal Helps The Environment | The Frugal Law Student on 10.09.2007 at 08:07

    […] efficient with our money so we get the most from our dollar. A while back ago, I made a list of 180 things you can do to save money. Looking back at the list, most of the things I listed not only save you money, but also helps the […]

26. XJ on 18.10.2007 at 17:22 (Reply)

    It was suggested in this article to “buy gender-neutral clothing for your baby so you can use them on your NEXT baby”……but then suggested “Don’t have a pet”.

    Since this article is a collection of DRASTIC money-saving measures….
    How about this one: Don’t have that second kid….and get a pet instead. The Pet is cheaper than any kid is. You’ll save thousands by not having more kids.

27. The Frugal Law Student Month In Review- October 2007 | The Frugal Law Student on 01.11.2007 at 08:17

    […] 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Life Around 180 Degrees.  I wrote this post back in May and its still one of my more popular ones. 180 Money Saving Tips was picked up by Principal Financial in their monthly e-newsletter to clients. […]

28. The Frugal Law Student Month In Review- November 2007 | The Frugal Law Student on 01.12.2007 at 10:09

    […] 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Life Around 180 Degrees. I wrote this post back in May and its still one of my more popular ones. […]

29. Greg Dolley on 14.12.2007 at 07:10 (Reply)

    About #9 (”Do not rest your foot on the clutch or brake pedal”) — actually, resting your foot on the clutch pedal does not cause needless wear to the clutch, but instead causes needless wear to the pressure plate _teeth_ and the reverse throw-out bearing. The clutch release fork that’s being moved by your clutch linkage pushes on the bearing which in turn pushes those teeth inward causing the pressure plate to pull back (disengaging it from the clutch disk and therefore disconnecting your transmission from the engine). Having the bearing pushing on those teeth constantly causes that circular ring pattern you see near the teeth tips (towards the center). You can see this clearly just by removing the transmission bell housing from the engine - the pressure plate assembly will be right in front of you when facing the crank-shaft.

30. Brett on 19.12.2007 at 20:36 (Reply)

    This is a test.

31. paulette on 14.01.2008 at 13:10 (Reply)

    Those where good money saver tips. But i dont know if i could live with all these. I can follow some but not all

32. Jim Phelps on 22.01.2008 at 16:29 (Reply)

    One often overlooked place to save some money is your car insurance bill. As an agent, I can tell you that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We don’t have time to requote every policyholder’s coverage at renewal, but if asked to, we will shop their coverage around. Companys are changing rates and adding discounts all the time, so if you haven’t shopped your coverage around lately, you might be surprised how much you could save!

    Below is a link to my California car insurance website. Even if you don’t live in California, you can just enter your zip code and a list carriers in your state will appear. They are some of the cheapest companies you’ll find, so quote a couple and see if you can trim some fat from your budget!

    Visit here: http://www.carinsurancequotes-california.com/get-quotes.php

33. 50 Frugal Tips, Ideas, and Resources | Moolanomy on 31.01.2008 at 08:03

    […] 180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees at The Frugal Law Student […]

34. Chris on 14.03.2008 at 09:30 (Reply)

    Print out grocery coupons online at smartsource.com and coupons.com.

    Also when making purchases check a store’s online price before you go in to the store. Sometimes the online price is cheaper than the store price. So just have the store match their online price.

    Check out my blog:

    http://savethatmoney.blogspot.com/

35. Mission Viejo on 20.03.2008 at 11:06 (Reply)

    The simple things in life are what can save you the most money.

36. paulette on 05.04.2008 at 22:08 (Reply)

    Thanks for the info. I find it very useful. Especially nowadays that money is hard to earn.

37. JD on 02.05.2008 at 15:22 (Reply)

    Hey I found a phone service cheaper than skype!! Check out magicjack.com, it cost me $30 for the device and 1 year service, and another $20. for a second year service, equilvilant to what i was paying for 1 month service through the phone company, i get 2 years!!!. They are nationwide, free long distance.

38. Chris on 15.05.2008 at 09:07 (Reply)

    I’ve thought of a new way to save more money at the grocery store. Before when I would find a coupon online, I would print it and use it. Recently the bright idea of printing the coupons and then copying them came to mind. Most websites with grocery coupons will only let you print them once and then you’ll have to wait until they say you can print again. Well now, I print the coupons and make a couple of copies for the next time I need them and keep them till they expired. I make copies of the coupons for things I buy everytime I go to the grocery store and that way I can compound my savings. Last week I saved $18 dollars off my grocery bill. Not much but I’d much rather have that money in my pocket than in Wal-mart’s.

    Check my blog at

    www.savethatmoney.blogspot.com

39. What’s My Score » Blog Archive » Free and Fun? on 04.06.2008 at 10:03

    […] Looking to save more?  Find plenty of money saving tips (180 of ‘em) here. […]

40. komodo dragon on 16.06.2008 at 20:20 (Reply)

    if we all just took a few of these tips up , we could save a hell of a lot of money!

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