Post by The_L on Apr 29, 2009 8:27:47 GMT -5
More money-saving tips:
- Instead of buying new books or movies, go to the library. It's free, it's usually convenient, and some libraries have a surprisingly good selection. I used to spend obscene amounts of money on books, but at my new home, the library is a lot closer, and my wallet is definitely feeling the difference.
- Don't get a dog until you're well on your feet financially. Most pets are crazy expensive to care for, especially if they get sick or you decide to spay/neuter. (Don't get me wrong, neutering is a great idea, but $500+ to castrate Fido is not exactly pocket change.) Either get a betta fish (fish itself costs $5, if you do the plant-vase-betta arrangement you're looking at maybe $20--an aquarium costs lots more money and takes up a ton of space) or stick with a Tamagotchi.
Or start even sooner: If you're still in high school, look into taking some AP courses. For every exam you do well on, that's one less college course you'll have to take. Since the AP exams cost about $100 each (it's been seven years for me, so I don't remember the exact cost), it's a bit cheaper than undergrad courses. Plus, since you'll be taking fewer courses in college, that's less time spent in dorms/your parents' house, and less time until you can get a great job, move out, and make some serious money.
Also, there is no shame in living with your parents during your college years. Hard to beat free food and housing, plus you don't have to deal with the occasional Roommate From Hell.
There is one field in which this advice doesn't work--education. If you're studying to become a teacher, the closest you can get pre-certification is substitute teaching, which is pretty awful. Imagine everything you hate about retail--the impersonality, the lack of control, the piss-poor wages--and add in the fact that basically you're baby-sitting 30 kids at a time. No matter how competent you are, the odds of being assigned an actual lesson plan to give (instead of busy-work, which the students see through immediately) are almost nil.
Hanging clothes out to dry is indeed a cheaper alternative.
However, if anyone in the family has pollen allergies then hanging something on the line is just going to make them sick.
Ah, but whoever said you had to hang them outside? If you have enough space indoors, you can drape them over your washing machine, hang them from a line stretched between two doors, etc. It takes longer, but it won't give your family hay fever.
- Instead of buying new books or movies, go to the library. It's free, it's usually convenient, and some libraries have a surprisingly good selection. I used to spend obscene amounts of money on books, but at my new home, the library is a lot closer, and my wallet is definitely feeling the difference.
- Don't get a dog until you're well on your feet financially. Most pets are crazy expensive to care for, especially if they get sick or you decide to spay/neuter. (Don't get me wrong, neutering is a great idea, but $500+ to castrate Fido is not exactly pocket change.) Either get a betta fish (fish itself costs $5, if you do the plant-vase-betta arrangement you're looking at maybe $20--an aquarium costs lots more money and takes up a ton of space) or stick with a Tamagotchi.
-- If you can, I highly recommend taking CLEP and Dantes exams to test out of as many college credits as you can. At my college, each CLEP is worth 6 credit hours, each Dantes is worth 3 credit hours, and both tests cost $100. I've taken two CLEPs, two DANTEs for a total of 18 credit hours and $400; I have two more CLEPs lined up in the next two weeks. Altogether, this means I've earned 30 credit hours for $600, at a total savings of $9300 and saved me nearly a year of classes. I attend a regionally accredited university, but its so easy to test out of classes that its practically feels like buying a degree; I've done the math, and I believe its possible, if you play your cards right, to legitimately earn 4-year degree in 6 months.
Or start even sooner: If you're still in high school, look into taking some AP courses. For every exam you do well on, that's one less college course you'll have to take. Since the AP exams cost about $100 each (it's been seven years for me, so I don't remember the exact cost), it's a bit cheaper than undergrad courses. Plus, since you'll be taking fewer courses in college, that's less time spent in dorms/your parents' house, and less time until you can get a great job, move out, and make some serious money.
Also, there is no shame in living with your parents during your college years. Hard to beat free food and housing, plus you don't have to deal with the occasional Roommate From Hell.
- Retail sucks: its low-prestige, low-paying, and stifles creative thought. As soon as possible, become a professional in the real world -- don't wait. If you're into accounting, apply to be a payroll clerk or work in a cash office. If you're into medicine, take your boards ASAP. If you like construction, apply for building maintenance positions. If you want to be a lawyer, apply to be a paralegal. Experience matters more than degrees, and you'll do yourself a favor jumping into your career as soon as possible.
There is one field in which this advice doesn't work--education. If you're studying to become a teacher, the closest you can get pre-certification is substitute teaching, which is pretty awful. Imagine everything you hate about retail--the impersonality, the lack of control, the piss-poor wages--and add in the fact that basically you're baby-sitting 30 kids at a time. No matter how competent you are, the odds of being assigned an actual lesson plan to give (instead of busy-work, which the students see through immediately) are almost nil.
and hanging your clothes to dry outside instead of using the dryer would get a similar effect to standard washing-and-drying. I haven't verified. Anyone know?
Hanging clothes out to dry is indeed a cheaper alternative.
However, if anyone in the family has pollen allergies then hanging something on the line is just going to make them sick.
Ah, but whoever said you had to hang them outside? If you have enough space indoors, you can drape them over your washing machine, hang them from a line stretched between two doors, etc. It takes longer, but it won't give your family hay fever.