Budget Dog – Saving Money Trimming the Budget in 2024

The Gardner Magazine Latest Version of Budget Dog – Saving Money 2024 – Greater Gardner MA

Budgets are tight in every household, or, if not now, at some time your budget might be tight. The advice of Budget Dog will help you save money so you have a greater cushion in an emergency.

Here are the subjects and categories we will cover: Regular Savings, Entertainment/TV, Cable, Internet, Electricity, Heating, Water and Sewer, Phone Service, Car Buying, Groceries, Clothing, Furniture, Yard Sales or Flea Market, Transportation, Taxes, and Insurance.

Regular Savings to Help in Event of Emergency or Planned Purchase

A simple savings plan will bail you out in the event of an emergency. For example, save $2 per week and you’ll have $104 in a year. Save $10 per week and you’ll have $520 in a year. Many workplaces offer the option of an automatic weekly deduction. If you can do it, do it, because even a small amount that you won’t miss will make a difference when you need it.

Entertainment and Television

Cable TV – Choose a 2 yr. Contract agreement, saving you up to $30 per month. Get a temporary rate reduction by talking to Customer Solutions. Go with basic cable or internet only and subscribe to TV channels via streaming services like Sling , Hulu, YouTube, Philo, or others. With a simple $20 Roku player and an internet connection, you can get hundreds of channels free with Pluto TV, Tubi, Crackle, or the Roku Channel.

Over-the-Air TV – With a decent antenna and an amplifier, you can easily get dozens of channels in most areas. Service itself is FREE

Internet Services

Internet – With 5G available, you could get a hot spot through your cellular company. Utilize a 2 year contract discount with your cable company – – Satellite internet is now more viable and widely available with an unlimited version on Starlink owned by Elon Musk. In Fact, StarLink is now used by the Gardner Municipal Airport to get internet. Choose an option which is good for your budget.

Phone Service

Phone service: For a landline phone, get voice over ip for around 10 bucks a month. For cell service, switch to a discount provider like Consumer Cellular or others and save about half. There are so many options out there. For example, if you have an Alexa device, you can sign up with Skype for $2.99 per month(under 3 dollars) and get unlimited calls in the United States. No need to pay through the nose to make simple phone calls.

Electricity

Electricity – With electric costs rising from time to time, it makes sense to check out various options. Check your City or town to see if they have a discount agreement or check out your own supplier. Save money otherwise by using power strips to cut down on standby or vampire power use and/or switch to inexpensive LED bulbs which use about 1/10 the power of conventional bulbs. Use the website to check on possible options – CLICK HERE.

Heating

Heating – This past winter has been grueling due to increased heating costs. Some consumers have saved money with budget plans which lower costs through an agreed upon price. Often, you make budget payments starting in May which help you the following winter. Check this out for next season to see if it could save you money. In the meantime, every little bit you lower your thermostat can save you big with costs per gallon so high. For every degree you lower your thermostat, you can save 1 to 3 percent on heating costs.

Water and Sewer

Water and Sewer – Simple steps save a lot of money. Flush the toilet after every 3-4 #1 sessions to save potentially hundreds of gallons every month. Limit showers to 6 minutes. Run the dishwasher with a full load only. Wash full loads of laundry only. For washing the car: Soap it up when there’s a huge rainstorm coming and let Mother Nature give it a FREE car wash. That’s called a “Redneck Car Wash” by the way. Just make sure you know it’s going to rain or you’ll have a soapy mess to clean up.

Groceries

Grocery Savings: Grocery prices vary widely by store. Shop around and save tens of dollars or more each week. Within a given store, look for the least expensive boneless chicken breast, hamburger, or steak. For example, no need to buy expensive steaks, buy the cheap cuts and beat them tender. If you have a big family, it might pay to buy a $300 separate freezer (electricity costs are minimal at less than $5 per month). You can stock up on specials and save hundreds of dollars. Buy other sale items when the savings make sense. It’s like money in the bank.

Transportation

For the first 6 months in the Greater Gardner area, there’s a very good option for local transportation. All rides are FREE on MART from January 1 to June 30, 2024. That’s a deal too good to pass up.

Car Buying

Car buying: Many vehicles were sold in 2021-22 at above MSRP. That has changed and prices have come down. Used vehicle prices are down as well. Always negotiate the price of a car, ALWAYS! Finance your vehicle through your bank or credit union and you may save on the interest rate quoted by the dealer who often makes a profit on that as well. To repeat: Always Negotiate price of car. Always Negotiate finance rates. If you can, save up for a larger down payment to reduce your overall financing costs.

Clothing

Clothing: If you have small children who grow quickly, why spend a ton on brand new clothes when shopping at the Salvation Army or similar stores can save you hundreds every year. Buy winter clothes in the summer and summer clothes in the winter from clearance racks. Forget about having to wear the expensive big names.

Furniture

Furniture: If your budget is really tight, you can often buy furniture for peanuts at the Salvation Army, or the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Remember, a used bookshelf made of real wood can be cheaper than a new one made of fiberboard and will last much longer.

Yard Sales or Flea Market

Yard Sales or Flea Market: Used items in great condition will sell for much less than new at a yard sale or flea market booth. You just have to be patient to find what you’re looking for. And, many times, you’ll even find FREE items. When shopping at Yard Sales, go for a town wide or Citywide sale at which sellers really want to get rid of stuff. Use your negotiating skills and be the best cheapo out there.

Media and Freebies

FREEBIES: Budget Dog advises that sometimes the best things in life are FREE. Examples include borrowing materials FREE from the library including books, music, and movies. Cities like Gardner MA have free parks and playgrounds which are open to the public. The City of Gardner has FREE Concert series at Monument Park in the summer. Many communities have very nice public events which are FREE.