Readers have penny-pinching tips

Village News readers share their ideas on how to save money

If you are driving a car that gets poor mileage, the outrageous gas prices hit especially hard. Here’s an idea: replace your car for the weekend.

It can be cost effective to rent an economy car from Friday through Monday. Some car rental agencies have vehicles for as low as $13 a day, with unlimited miles. Remember, $13 is less than the cost of three gallons of gas.

To sweeten the deal they pick you up from your home or business and take you back when you return the car.

Traveling an average of about 400 miles over a weekend you can save about $60 by leaving your SUV parked in the driveway and renting a VW or other gas-friendly vehicle. Modern small cars are much more comfortable than in the past, and you can save wear and tear on your own vehicle.

Dave

I make my own wet dog food. I buy ground chicken or turkey, boil it or brown it. Then I throw in shredded carrots and rice and freeze it in portions.

I use chicken tenders and whole chicken when it’s down to 59 cents a pound. The wet food is put over kibbles.

Michele

We don’t have a home phone. We rely on our cell phones and we get free nights, weekends and long distance.

We also limit our dining experiences to places that don’t have table servers. This cuts out the need to tip, which can be a significant expense.

Paul

We have been really watching our finances lately so we’ve started several things, including planning vehicle trips to save money on gas.

We’ve also started working with friends to pool and swap store-bought movies/games instead of buying or renting them.

Try asking friends and neighbors to clean out closets and garages of unwanted items and organize a “swap” instead of a garage sale.

We’ve started going to the bargain theater and/or the matinee movies.

The other thing I did recently was call around for a better deal on our satellite service. I periodically call around for the best bargain on TV, cell and Internet service. In most cases, if you tell your current provider what someone else is offering they will match prices (unless you signed a contract).

Kathy

One way we save money is by checking out books and movies from the library. Just don’t forget to return them by the due date or this tip won’t work for you.

Jason

I recently discovered a bin at the grocery store I go to where they put items such as name brand lunch meats, sausage and cheese that are close to their expiration dates, but still good. The prices are great at $1 or $2 for items usually four times that amount. We pop them in the freezer as soon as we get home and take them out as we need them.

Sharon

This summer we are not driving to the beach unless we are camping for the weekend. We are working out pool play days with our friends, potluck events with pre-planned menus and themes.

The big thing to remember is that no one should take advantage of the host. Bring your own towels and make sure that your children know the rules of the house.

We think that by not spending $40 on gas we can justify $10 worth of ice cream sundae fixings.

Karen and Jeff

If you have some penny-pinching tips you would like share with Village News readers, e-mail [email protected]. In subject line please indicate “Penny pincher ideas.”