Im moving out, can anyone give me tips on what i need and how to save money?
i just moved into a new apartment, and i need to know, what items should i buy first, besides the basics such as food and water and what not. I also need to learn how to save money and buy what i need before what i dont... can anyone help me with my problems?
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- Assuming you have all your basics - eg furniture etc.... Go to your nearest K-mart or similar store. You can buy sets of crockery, cutlery and pots/pans etc at really cheap prices. [You may also wish to try your local Samaritans etc Stores] Now you have all you need to look after yourself, STOP eating out and grab a couple of cookbooks from the nearest book exchange - the most used looking ones will have the best recipies and if you're lucky, comments from previous cooks to improve them. If you need budgeting advice also, follow this info after 3 months unless you can get approximate amounts from a friend, neighbour, or someone with similar living arrangements.... You need to set yourself up with a strict budget, just a few simple steps and you should be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Follow this.....[strictly] ....... 1. Get ALL your bills together for the past 12 months. Add them up and divide by 52 [weeks]. This is what it is costing you to live. Put this money away each week to pay yor bills when they come in - now stop worrying about the regular bills. 2. Add your payslips for the 12 months [assuming continuity] and divide by 52 weeks. This is what you have to live on. 3. Subtract 1 from 2. This is what you have left each week for YOU. 4. Put half of the remainder into a savings bank or a locked money box - somewhere you can't easily get at it. 5. Buy yourself something nice with what's left. Now, after 3 months you can start planning for something good to reward your hard work. Or at least you know you will have something put aside for a "rainy day". Just remember, running out of cigarettes, drink etc is NOT a rainy day emergency.
- Go to your local library and ask a reference librarian for book recommendations. A couple helpful cookbooks are "Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?" by Kent P. Frandsen (he also has a book, "Where's Dad Now That I Need Him?") and "The Starving Students' Cookbook" by Dede Hall. Look in your local yellow pages to find thrift stores in the area, where you can purchase second-hand clothes and household items cheaply. Also join your local Freecycle, which is a free, national Yahoo group in which people give away items they no longer want to those willing to pick them up. If you have access to a pickup truck or a work van, you can find free furniture this way too. And it's summertime, so don't forget garage sales, another way to find household items at little cost. Ask around to see if anyone knows of any discount grocery stores in your area, like Aldi's or Marc's. Also day-old bread and bakery stores like Wonder or Hostess Thrift. Clip coupons (usually available in the Sunday newspaper); plan meals around weekly sales at grocery stores (look at the circulars before you go shopping); find the best deal by looking at the unit price of an item (price divided by unit, such as ounces=price per unit, which tells you which size gives you the better deal). If you have especially lean times, don't forget local churches and food banks may be able to help. Ask your local department of job and family services for financial aid recommendations and advice. Also, this website has helpful information: http://www.debtproofliving.com/ The author, Mary Hunt, has written many helpful books on frugal living (check the local library). Track your expenditures and income by writing them down; this will help you plan the best use of your money.
