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@Espion: hahaha and what tasty kool-aid it is!
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@.twist.: Hmmm.... I didnt even think about Fresh 20 saving money. That might persuade me. lol.
My money saving tips:
1. Cancel cable. We have Netflix streaming and we stream free online (ahem. projectfreetv)
2. We use a "discount" cell phone provider instead of an expensive plan. We pay $70/m for Virgin, 1200 minutes, unlimited text and data
3. We shop discount stores for groceries. We pretty much stick to Aldi, TJs and Costco unless somewhere else is having a great sale. Aldi is our primary now.
4. Buy used! We buy lots of stuff on craigslist and at places like Goodwill.
5. Pay off debt. I know thats the end goal here, but I think it's a huge part of why we live simply. We have no debt. We paid of $45k in student loans and still managed to stock away a good nest egg in savings. Debt payment should be a top priority.Seems pretty simple, but thats what we do.
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@loveisstrange: Did I mention I am also an enabler for Fresh20? LOL. Your point about cheaper grocery stores is good too! We switched over to Superstore and I have to bag my own groceries but it's worth it to save a few bucks.
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@.twist.: I
that movie! 
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@.twist.: lol I try to tone it down some, but can't help but get excited talking about it bc it's been such an amazing tool for us and I just want to share it with others!
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@.twist.: Well, I know I need to eat healthier and DH is going to be getting dinner together 4 nights a week starting next week, so I need something simple for him. How quick/easy are the recipes, generally? And I think a lot of people don't realize how good a lot of "discount" grocers are now! Aldi carries GF, organic, etc.
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@loveisstrange: tell me more about Aldi, we have one in our area (relatively new) but I've never been. It's a hike across town though, while my regular grocery store is 2 minutes away. Is it a huge savings? Would my savings by cancelled out by the longer drive? Also, I get points towards gasoline at my current store, so that makes me hesitate to switch.
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@cmomma17: Aldi is honestly way cheaper than anywhere else around us (we have Schnucks, Shop N Save, Dierbergs and I think Kroger somewhere). They carry most staples, often have really good deals on fresh produce (strawberries for .99, what?!), have a decent meat selection... they even carry wine. They're like Trader Joe's where a lot of their stuff is name brand, but the repackage it into their own boxes and sell it cheaper. Im a fan.
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@Mrs. High Heels: I tone it down in real life. But I fully admit to being hella crazy on HB about it. hahaha
@loveisstrange: Hm. I'm not sure I'm a great person to ask about it. I hardly ever cooked anything before Fresh 20 so my efficiency (or lack thereof) probably isn't the norm. I get home at 5:20 and I can usually have dinner on the table by 5:40-45.
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@loveisstrange: I might check it out, thanks! That's an awesome deal on strawberries!
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This was a pep talk I just had with myself this morning. Eating out at work and online shopping have got out of control for me since I started back in the office. My goal is an internet shopping freeze for all of October. I also have a goal to pack lunch at least 4 days a week. I think looking forward to a treat or whatever on Friday will help me be better Mon-Thurs. Sadly, doing these two things will save me a lot of money. I really have a problem lately.
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Faithful YNAB user here. We are wanting to start setting aside a bit for the holidays starting now. We stopped using credit this year and want to have the cash for LOs bday party and the holiday parties and gifts coming up.
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@Espion: good idea!
I think that's the only way I could convince DH. He was like, "so you want to PAY money to NOT spend money?"
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@HLK208: I know I am in the hellobee minority, but I really don't think you have to pay for a service to help you budget. It is basic math. We use an excel spreadsheet which works perfectly fine! I really like dave ramseys budget forms and used them to get started. They are free on his website. I know ynab is probably helpful for some people, but I totally don't think it is necessary.
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@Mrs. Lion: thanks! I'll look them up!
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@.twist.: haha, I can't say the same!
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@HLK208: I jumped on the YNAB bangwagon when it was on sale a month ago and it has been so awesome. One of my favorite features is that there is an app so you have access to your budget at all times (and so would your DH). If I wasn't able to check in on certain categories while out and about it definitely wouldn't be as effective. It does kinda suck that you have to pay for it, but it's a one-time fee and I think totally worth it.
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@HLK208: I would say that you can use YNAB very closely with the Dave Ramsey philosophy/method. I think @Mrs. Lion: 's suggestion is a great one if you want to do the same general thing lo-fi without spending a dime. There is just no way I could faithfully do the envelope system, but I treat the YNAB budget as a "virtual" envelope system.
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@Espion: ive been thinking about this today...i think i am completely the opposite! I would never faithfully log all of my transactions in the app, so there is no way i would be able to keep up without seeing the envelope get more and more empty
so interesting to see how different people work so differently! -
@Mrs. High Heels: I gotta agree that cell phone and cable are our biggest bulls. Sigh. Need to relook at that cell phone bill! Cable is kinds crazy now while my mom is here but I'll pare it back down after she's gone.
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I hear ya! Something about having a baby has made me want to SPEND SPEND SPEND! I think it's that I'm spending too much time at home browsing online while nursing, etc. ugh. We are staying within budget but I could definitely par down on the extra spending.
Like others, YNAB is a great tool for me. It keeps me in check. We cut our cable down $50 per month by switching to AT&T U-verse. Meal planning helps a lot. We found a better rate for our car insurance. We eat out a lot less and that saves us money. I've been putting away a little extra money every month in anticipation of Christmas spending.
@.twist.: oh wow! That's great savings using Fresh20. Never thought of it as a way to save money on groceries. I'm intrigued now. How do you like it? Are the meals easy to prepare? We spend about $700 a month on groceries and that seems like so much! I blame my hubby and the insane amount of fruit he eats per week.
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We just started financial peace university yesterday and we're on a pretty indefinite spending freeze until we pay off all of our consumer debt. I am so motivated to do this and change our lives.
We've paid off a good chunk of debt this year but this class will really whip us into shape. I love the motto of the class "Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else."
It's going to be hard to say no to basically everything for a couple of years but after that it will be so freeing.
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@loveisstrange: Yay someone else who uses projectfreetv! We only stream Netflix (and I share an acct with family so it's even less expensive) and use projectfreetv. No cable, hulu+, no Amazon Prime, and we never feel like we're lacking in things to watch.
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@HLK208: DH was really not convinced about spending money to save money either, but, after the first month, when I showed him we could transfer x amount of money to savings and not worry about having enough in checking/bills for the next month, he was sold. He's really into it now.
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@loveisstrange: @IRunForFun: LOL we use it too.
@cmomma17: I wish we could shop at Aldis. But the ones in our city suck. The quality isn't so great and the items listed for sale in the ads are always out of stock. DH went a few times and it wasn't worth the headache of going to another store.
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@yellowbird: the beginning is hard but it will be so worth it in the end! We went through the class before we got married and had to plug away at my debt and student loans, but now we have so much more freedom! Dh's parents discovered dave ramsey in the 90s and have taught us a lot. We feel like we got such a huge financial head start!
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My challenge currently is DH being on vacation for the next 6 days in a row! He likes to go nuts at the grocery store, eat out to celebrate, or just being home from work leads to boredom and then he thinks of all kinds of things we "need!" I think I need to distract him with a honey do list ....
so interesting to see how different people work so differently! 
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