Savings Fails - things you've tried or considered

[Jen and Ashwin]

One bottle per year??? How many people live in your house? We do no less than 8 loads per week. One standard bottle of Tide lasts us about 2 months.

And I also use less than recommended. I read the HE kind only needs about two tablespoons per large load.

We have just 2 people and we do 3 loads (darks, colors and whites) per week. I just got a new washer/dryer combo with the pedestal washer, so whites go in the pedestal washer while the color load is also running in the main washer. Then I combine all three loads into the dryer and run that just once. We do towels every other week or so. And sheets get washed once per month.

I buy the 128 oz. Seventh Generation detergent bottles and that lasts us about a year now. On sale and with coupons, that costs me about $10. Doesn't seem worth it to make my own detergent since I really like how the Seventh Generation cleans our clothes and has no scent or dyes. I only ever fill it up to the first fill line for the main washer. The pedestal washer has a special fill cup that probably takes just a teaspoon or so (otherwise it could suds out the sides if you use too much). We use dryer balls too, which I really like as an alternative to fabric softener for most things.

Generally, I think people over use products. Whether it is for laundry, cleaning the house or out in the yard, we are conditioned to think that more is better. But my decently sized house is very clean without spending very much on cleaning products each year.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Throwing things out does NOT save money!

That is indeed a very frustrating lesson to learn. Been there, done that, trying to find a nice balance...

 

[Colleen27]

Homemade laundry soap was a bust for us too. It didn't seem to work as well (DH works construction, DS is a welder, so some of our dirty clothes are REALLY dirty!) so we ended up going back to our rotation of Tide or Percil, bought on sale.

Stocking up when things are on sale is an iffy savings proposition for us because buying more of certain things just encourages the teens to eat more of them. Especially with snack and freezer foods.

And packing lunches. I'm back to doing it now because the school lunch portions are too skimpy for my kids, but I almost inevitably spend more on their bento box lunches than the $2.25 price of hot lunch. Off-season produce adds up in a hurry.

 

[pigletto]

Costco.

Don't get me wrong, I love almost everything I get from Costco and I do save money here and there. But I buy so many things I wouldn't be buying if I didn't go there. Cute ceramic light up snowman in a puffy jacket for the front porch at Christmas time.. Check. Did that save me a penny? Was it on my must have list ..Nope.

I'll keep the membership, because I like the products I buy and enjoy shopping there.. but I am am also getting real with myself and admitting I didn't really need a pack of 36 Sharpies, or a pallet of muffins .. each one being the size of my head.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Bulk buying is a bust for us. Not only is it such a pain to store that I sometimes forget I have things, but whatever I buy in bulk we seem to either immediately eat at 3x the normal rate or instantly decide we really don't like it that much. Now I'll just grab an extra or two of something we like when it's on sale and then just do without if we run out before the next sale.

Cheaping out travel also backfired big-time for us. I eventually learned I'd rather travel less often than stay at the off-brand HoJo and make sandwiches in my room.

Buying in bulk is slightly different for just one, but this was me when I tried it. I'm still finding studs buried in cupboards. I'm actually really uncomfortable with large amounts of food in my fridge and pantry at any given time so when it's "well stocked" I end up eating obscene amounts to whittle it down quicker!

5 people (6 when we had an exchange student)

I probably use a little over 1tbsp per load. (I use a soap pump bottle.)

I only do about two loads plus sheets and dog items as necessary per week.

I had a bottle that I just replaced that I had brought from our previous home two years ago.

I really don't try to be stingy or save money. That just seems to be the amount needed.

How do you manage this?!? I'm one person and I have 1 load of sheets/week, 2 loads of clothes and a load of towels (typically an additional one for the dog's stuff as well).

How much stuff can you fit in your machine? Lol

 

[goodeats]

Costco.

Don't get me wrong, I love almost everything I get from Costco and I do save money here and there. But I buy so many things I wouldn't be buying if I didn't go there. Cute ceramic light up snowman in a puffy jacket for the front porch at Christmas time.. Check. Did that save me a penny? Was it on my must have list ..Nope.

I'll keep the membership, because I like the products I buy and enjoy shopping there.. but I am am also getting real with myself and admitting I didn't really need a pack of 36 Sharpies, or a pallet of muffins .. each one being the size of my head.

Costco gets me with the Executive membership and the 2% back. I mean I do more than pay for the membership but I find myself saying "well I will get cash back" to help justify every purchase. In reality though you're spending $100 to get $2 back. Hmmm. The quality, convenience, and great return policy will keep me shopping at Costco over running around town to get the best deal on specific items.

 

[pershing]

I LOVE my homemade detergent; it takes about 20 minutes to mix up a year's worth, and it's better quality than Tide, while it only costs about as much as the cheapest of the cheap. You won't retire on the savings from homemade detergent, but with dozens of small savings, you see dollars pile up.

If you're going to stockpile, you have to have a system for use!

Please share your recipe.

I may be a glutton for punishment, but I'm willing to keep trying. Although, I like Persil better than Tide, and a lot of hotels use that.

I am a couponer. Maybe extreme. I swear by Living Rich with...shout out to fellow sisters! I've learned not to get something, even if it's free with coupons, if you don't use it normally. Waste of space, causes clutter.

I also buy in bulk at BJ's. I have 3 sons. I have rules for my self. Must portion out meat before it goes in the fridge or freezer. Must buy only basics: Rice, Flour, Sugar, Spices, Olive oil, potatoes, lemons, apples, toilet paper, deli ham (we like their Wellesley Farm Black Forest Ham best over all the other stores) bottled water, etc. Anything else must be long time favorites ie: Philadephia Cream Cheese. and yes, again portioned. The boys know those big boxes are not to leave the kitchen.

Foundation-I've developed post-menopausal skin sensitivities. In order words, I'm breaking out like a teenager. I've been spending money trying to find a foundation that won't break me out. Followed the You Tuber's down the money hole with expensive foundation that's not supposed to break you out: Neutrogena, L'oreal, Clinique. I can use nothing from drug stores so far, which is a shame because I'm a good enough CVS couponer to get any of their make-up for free. Then I tried more expensive Estee Lauder Double Wear, Born this Way, Tarte Rainforest, Koh Gen Doh. Finally figured out dimethicone, which is in all US foundations practically, or other silicones maybe the culprit.

Trying Gabriel and Organic Physicians Formula now. Wish me luck.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Costco.

Don't get me wrong, I love almost everything I get from Costco and I do save money here and there. But I buy so many things I wouldn't be buying if I didn't go there. Cute ceramic light up snowman in a puffy jacket for the front porch at Christmas time.. Check. Did that save me a penny? Was it on my must have list ..Nope.

I'll keep the membership, because I like the products I buy and enjoy shopping there.. but I am am also getting real with myself and admitting I didn't really need a pack of 36 Sharpies, or a pallet of muffins .. each one being the size of my head.

I'm letting my Sam's Club membership expire. I don't use it as much as I used to, and we just got an Aldi's, much closer to home. Sam's is a bit of a schlep for me, so I don't go that often, and like you, I'm susceptible to the "go broke saving money" aspect of warehouse shopping.

 

[Sadie22]

Saving change doesn't work for us. It's great, in theory, but we also know it's there and any time we are going someplace we know we'll need quarters (to pay tolls, parking meters, whatever), we just dip into the change jar.

Buying meat, most produce, and frozen veggies in bulk (Sam's, BJ's, etc) doesn't work. There are only two of us. Produce rots, meat/veggies get freezer burn. Throwing things out does NOT save money!

You may need to rethink your meat and veggie packaging for the freezer. Break down the large quantities into smaller quantities and repackage into freezer bags or boxes. Plan to use the produce or freeze it. There are only two of us and we manage.

Others who report too much from CSA, when we do CSA we eat half and freeze half.

We have an Aldis now but I don't bother going there. I can do better at ShopRite and they have all the sizes I want when I'm at the store.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Please share your recipe.

I may be a glutton for punishment, but I'm willing to keep trying. Although, I like Persil better than Tide, and a lot of hotels use that.

I am a couponer. Maybe extreme. I swear by Living Rich with...shout out to fellow sisters! I've learned not to get something, even if it's free with coupons, if you don't use it normally. Waste of space, causes clutter.

I also buy in bulk at BJ's. I have 3 sons. I have rules for my self. Must portion out meat before it goes in the fridge or freezer. Must buy only basics: Rice, Flour, Sugar, Spices, Olive oil, potatoes, lemons, apples, toilet paper, deli ham (we like their Wellesley Farm Black Forest Ham best over all the other stores) bottled water, etc. Anything else must be long time favorites ie: Philadephia Cream Cheese. and yes, again portioned. The boys know those big boxes are not to leave the kitchen.

Foundation-I've developed post-menopausal skin sensitivities. In order words, I'm breaking out like a teenager. I've been spending money trying to find a foundation that won't break me out. Followed the You Tuber's down the money hole with expensive foundation that's not supposed to break you out: Neutrogena, L'oreal, Clinique. I can use nothing from drug stores so far, which is a shame because I'm a good enough CVS couponer to get any of their make-up for free. Then I tried more expensive Estee Lauder Double Wear, Born this Way, Tarte Rainforest, Koh Gen Doh. Finally figured out dimethicone, which is in all US foundations practically, or other silicones maybe the culprit.

Trying Gabriel and Organic Physicians Formula now. Wish me luck.

This is totally unrelated to savings tips, determining sensitivity in cosmetics can be so darn hard. Make sure it's not your skincare that's causing the problem as this happens a lot.

If you're confident it's dimethicone then sadly, your foundation options are limited. It's a lovely smoothing blurring slip giving ingredients that makes foundations look nice.

Bare minerals is dimethicone free. It's a powder but can be mixed with a safe lotion for a liquid product. Laura Mercier makes a dimethicone free foundation though I don't know which one it is. Ingredient lists are easy to find online.

I also think cover girl clean is dimethicone free. It does have silicate towards the end of the ingredients so may or may not work depending on if the sensitivity is to dimethicone or all silicones.

Now the sort of budget part:
Remember in case you didn't know-Sephora if you have one near you will give you three samples without purchasing anything so you can always try things. Sephora, Ulta, and most department stores (and drugstores for that matter) allow returns on gently used products. Walgreens and some department store counters can be annoying depending on who you get.

 

[pershing]

This is totally unrelated to savings tips, determining sensitivity in cosmetics can be so darn hard. Make sure it's not your skincare that's causing the problem as this happens a lot.

If you're confident it's dimethicone then sadly, your foundation options are limited. It's a lovely smoothing blurring slip giving ingredients that makes foundations look nice.

Bare minerals is dimethicone free. It's a powder but can be mixed with a safe lotion for a liquid product. Laura Mercier makes a dimethicone free foundation though I don't know which one it is. Ingredient lists are easy to find online.

I also think cover girl clean is dimethicone free. It does have silicate towards the end of the ingredients so may or may not work depending on if the sensitivity is to dimethicone or all silicones.

Now the sort of budget part:
Remember in case you didn't know-Sephora if you have one near you will give you three samples without purchasing anything so you can always try things. Sephora, Ulta, and most department stores (and drugstores for that matter) allow returns on gently used products. Walgreens and some department store counters can be annoying depending on who you get.

Oh, my gosh! Mixing Bare Minerals with a lotion! That's a great idea! Thanks! I'm going to try Cerave. I had to give away all my Olay skincare as it was just making my sking worse. I replaced it with Cerave and my skin started to improve immediately. I used Bare Minerals right when it came out, but as I got older I wanted a liquid.

The last foundations I tried were Double Wear and Koh Gen Doh, and I did get samples. $50 and $62 for 1 ounce-OUCH! I LOVED both foundations: Double Wear covered every red spot flawlessly and Koh Gen Doh made my skin look like silk, but my face was a nightmare the next day. I think it is all silicones. Although, I can tolerate Silica. Somehow that's a natural ingredient??? I'm a big fan of Liah Yoo on You Tube.

Thanks again for the idea.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You may need to rethink your meat and veggie packaging for the freezer. Break down the large quantities into smaller quantities and repackage into freezer bags or boxes. Plan to use the produce or freeze it. There are only two of us and we manage.

Others who report too much from CSA, when we do CSA we eat half and freeze half.

We have an Aldis now but I don't bother going there. I can do better at ShopRite and they have all the sizes I want when I'm at the store.

For meat we've been buying the 5lb roll at Walmart (we keep forgetting to check the price and whatnot when we're at Costco) and then when we get home we divide it up in 1lb give or take an oz or so slices so to speak (since many many recipes call for that) using our food scale then we label a freezer bag with the date frozen and weight and in the freezer it goes. As long as we're not going months and months without using the now individually packaged meat it stays good.

 

[afan]

Saving change doesn't work for us. It's great, in theory, but we also know it's there and any time we are going someplace we know we'll need quarters (to pay tolls, parking meters, whatever), we just dip into the change jar.

To me you are good at saving change if you look at it differently. You aren't saving change for a big payout at the end but you are saving your change for the times you'll need it so you don't have to change a paper bill into change. I used to hoard quarters in college for laundry and it was such a pain to have to get cash out for quarters or remember to get cash back and hope they had a roll of quarters to give me instead.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Oh, my gosh! Mixing Bare Minerals with a lotion! That's a great idea! Thanks! I'm going to try Cerave. I had to give away all my Olay skincare as it was just making my sking worse. I replaced it with Cerave and my skin started to improve immediately. I used Bare Minerals right when it came out, but as I got older I wanted a liquid.

The last foundations I tried were Double Wear and Koh Gen Doh, and I did get samples. $50 and $62 for 1 ounce-OUCH! I LOVED both foundations: Double Wear covered every red spot flawlessly and Koh Gen Doh made my skin look like silk, but my face was a nightmare the next day. I think it is all silicones. Although, I can tolerate Silica. Somehow that's a natural ingredient??? I'm a big fan of Liah Yoo on You Tube.

Thanks again for the idea.

I use the Bare Minerals powder over their Primetime Daily Defense Primer and co Correcting Concealer. Love those!


For us: biggest budget fail is that we buy something with the intent of using it multiple times...and then it sits. We had an oil-less turkey fryer. I loved that thing on Thanksgiving (brined turkey came out soo moist)...and didn't use it the rest of the year. Then it was left on the back porch after one turkey day, and shoved under the grill cover...another expense that we don't use, btw...and in the humidity, it rusted.

Or the bike that DH HAD to have...that he's ridden maybe 20 times over the last 5 years.

Or the carpet cleaner I bought. That I've used 3 times in the last 5 years, and hate doing so. I'd rather pay someone to come take care of that mess. So, it really just sits in the garage.


At least the big stockpot we bought for heating hot water on camping trips is being used. Crab/shrimp boils, here we go!

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Oh, my gosh! Mixing Bare Minerals with a lotion! That's a great idea! Thanks! I'm going to try Cerave. I had to give away all my Olay skincare as it was just making my sking worse. I replaced it with Cerave and my skin started to improve immediately. I used Bare Minerals right when it came out, but as I got older I wanted a liquid.

The last foundations I tried were Double Wear and Koh Gen Doh, and I did get samples. $50 and $62 for 1 ounce-OUCH! I LOVED both foundations: Double Wear covered every red spot flawlessly and Koh Gen Doh made my skin look like silk, but my face was a nightmare the next day. I think it is all silicones. Although, I can tolerate Silica. Somehow that's a natural ingredient??? I'm a big fan of Liah Yoo on You Tube.

Thanks again for the idea.

I hope you figure it out! Anther tip is to check products on cosdna it lets you know if a product has ingredients that are known to cause irritation in some people and scores each product ingredient with how likely it is to cause issues.

Cerave is fantastic as a face wash and lotion while trying to get sensitivities sorted out.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific product questions or anything, I'm pretty far down the cosmetics/skincare rabbit hole haha.

 

[tzolkin]

How do you manage this?!? I'm one person and I have 1 load of sheets/week, 2 loads of clothes and a load of towels (typically an additional one for the dog's stuff as well).

How much stuff can you fit in your machine? Lol

I definitely don't over stuff the washer. There's plenty of space otherwise I don't think the clothes would get clean. But it does hold quite a bit.

Honestly, we don't feel the need to wash every single item every time it's worn. My DH only wears his clothing to and from work (wears scrubs there), so he may only wash two pairs of pants/shorts all week. My kids will wear a hoodie a few times (unless it's dirty). Etc.

The clothes and towels together usually always amount to 3 loads or less every week.

I really can't imagine doing that much laundry just for myself. I would have to change clothing multiple times and use multiple towels per day.

My oldest is now in college and she washes everything she wears plus her towels in one load.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm amazed at how little laundry many of you do. I'm guessing we do around 15 loads a week for 3 adults and 2 dogs.

Last year I saved money twice cutting coupons. I'd save using the coupon, then I would put that same amount into a separate saving account. Many stores have the You Saved XXX line on their receipts. I would transfer that amount over to it's own account. I stopped when one of my dogs needed surgery, and I had to use every penny that I could get my hands on.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I definitely don't over stuff the washer. There's plenty of space otherwise I don't think the clothes would get clean. But it does hold quite a bit.

Honestly, we don't feel the need to wash every single item every time it's worn. My DH only wears his clothing to and from work (wears scrubs there), so he may only wash two pairs of pants/shorts all week. My kids will wear a hoodie a few times (unless it's dirty). Etc.

The clothes and towels together usually always amount to 3 loads or less every week.

I really can't imagine doing that much laundry just for myself. I would have to change clothing multiple times and use multiple towels per day.

My oldest is now in college and she washes everything she wears plus her towels in one load.

Agreed. People waste money and time over washing stuff. Hoodies are like jackets. They only need washed if they get dirty or after several wearings. Unless you were sweating or spilled something on yourself if you are just wearing slacks to work they don't need to be washed after one wearing. It's a waste to wash a towel after one use. Each to their own for sure. I only use half the detergent amount suggested.

 

[maxiesmom]

Agreed. People waste money and time over washing stuff. Hoodies are like jackets. They only need washed if they get dirty or after several wearings. Unless you were sweating or spilled something on yourself if you are just wearing slacks to work they don't need to be washed after one wearing. It's a waste to wash a towel after one use. Each to their own for sure. I only use half the detergent amount suggested.

There is no way I could re-wear my work clothes. We don't have air conditioning for the first few hours, and I get dirty and gross. I do re-wear the clothes I change into once I'm home, unless they get dirty or covered with dog fur. Which, with 2 dogs, happens a lot.

 

[QueenIsabella]

There is no way I could re-wear my work clothes. We don't have air conditioning for the first few hours, and I get dirty and gross. I do re-wear the clothes I change into once I'm home, unless they get dirty or covered with dog fur. Which, with 2 dogs, happens a lot.

I think the point is, everyone's situation is different. DH frequently wears his jeans more than once regularly, but if he's been hauling brush or something, they get washed right away. OTOH, I have kids put things in the wash after they've put them on and modeled them for all of 5 minutes--drives me nuts! Funny how my oldest DD's opinion of washing frequency changed when she became responsible for doing (and paying for) her own laundry!