How Did You Save Money - Both Living & Building?

[MIEDRN]

I'm intrigued with this forum and have so many questions! I've spent hours going through the forums but I haven't seen this subject touched on much.

What are your favorite tips for saving money - both on living expenses while you build - and during the actual construction phase? I thought since there are many experienced people here, I would collect your wisdom!

[glenn-k]

So ---we sucked you in, eh?  

Here is something I was thinking about bringing up on the forum the other day.  This is a good place.

It has been the custom for years on end that a tradesman will not usually give up his secrets.  It is not in his best interest.  That is how he makes his livng.  The fact of the matter is that if everyone knew how to do what they have worked years to learn, they would be out of a job.  I have always made it a point to learn all I could (as a self employed person) from all employees, other trades, helpful individuals, sub-contractors, tradesman with one foot in the grave and willing to talk, or people who knew more about a subject than me.  Don't want them to be able to get me by the short hair.   Books are a great resource as well as the Internet.  Read, study -try to do it --one step at a time.  You will succeed in doing something you never even knew about before.  Many examples of this type of saving here on CountryPlans.  You will find that once you know the tricks, many things are so simple that it's no wonder the tradesman guards his secrets.

I have even traded labor for knowledge or just stayed and shot the bull with people while they worked and lent a helping hand as I secretly watched, stored in my mind (believe me --you don't want to go there) and stole their trade secrets for my own use and benefit.  Once it's locked up in your rusty little mind only an act of god or alzheimers can take it away. :-/  Here I come 'lizabeth.

Fortunately we have a great group of members and off duty professionals here willing to trade some of what they know for a bit of what you know.  How can you save more money than if you know how to, and you do it yourself?

[peg_688]

Got any "bad Habit's " you could kick with this new incentive

#1:  Buy on sale only.

#2:  Build a shed first , maybe two , once you have land ,as large as is allowed without a permit .

    a) You'll learn by doing.
 
    b) You'll have a place to stay for the weekend that's dry once shed one is done , no hotel expence's. Sort of like camping but dry

   c) Cheap tool storage / materials etc . And you'll away's need the shed space .

#3: Buy tools at pawn shops , lot of good $ saved there .

#4: Rent high dollar tool's equip . that you'll only need once or twice , buy the more "common "tool's as you'll aways have use for them.

#5:  Get involved with Habitat for Humanity for cost free training . They need the help you need to learn.

 G/L, PEG

 

[bil2054]

Make thriftiness a habit.
Every time you start to reach for your wallet, think "Do I really need this?". If the answer is "Yes", then ask yourself if here and now is the best place to get it, or could you do better by waiting and getting it elsewhere.
Examine your spending habits.
Do you REALLY need the $35.00 bottle of shampoo, or can you get by with Prell, at least until the house is finished?  You need some new clothes; why must they be brand new?  I have Levi jeans, Brooks Brothers shirts, and LL Bean jackets that I bought from the thrift store at pennies on the dollar.  I know some people who say they couldn't stand the idea of wearing second hand clothes, yet they are perfectly happy living in a second hand house... go figure! [smiley=wink.gif]
My friends, and a few relatives, wonder why I don't 'treat myself better', because they know I have a few bucks.  I can't figure how better to treat myself than retiring before 55, and building my own nifty little house.  Let them laugh at my Fred Sanford truck as they pass it on the way to pay their mortgage!
You CAN do it, if you really want to!

[Chuckca]

USE DEBIT CARDS:

We have two cards.  We use our Credit Union Debit CARD for everyday expenses.  We have a PayPal Debit CARD for larger purchases and pays me 4.73% while my money waiting to be spent (larger purchases - example:  weekend at the coast.

Talking about savings accounts:  we carry this one step further:  www.emigrant-direct.com  This is good place to park larger sums of cash example = new car, furniture, large home improvements. They're paying 4.65%.  Take a look.  

[size=20]CASH IS KING[/size]

[jonseyhay]

If you haven't already, get yourself a good banking software package, something like Microsoft Money. You need one that can produce graphs. If you have online banking you can download your statements into it. Keep it up to date, daily, if you can, this makes you very aware of where your money is going and viewing the graphs has the effect of making you question what you are spending, you want to see it going up all the time. I tend to turn my purchases into time (if I buy that, I will have to spend 4 hours welding) I don't like welding so it makes me think about wether I really need it or not. Apart from that I'm with Billy Bob

On the subject of building cheap here is a link to a good site http://www.phoenixcommotion.com/mission.html

[n74tg]

Billy Bob: Amen on that early retirement thing; I retired at age 48; and am loving every minute of it.
Great idea on getting the name brand "lightly used" clothes at the second hand store; I'll have to try that.  I've had a frugal mentality all of my life; so of course most everything I buy comes from Wally World (well food and clothes anyway); can't beat the prices.  Let's just all agree NOT to get into the issue of big corporations versus small local merchants.  

MIEDRN: Many good suggestions here.  I'll add another -- check all the local dollar stores at least every two weeks.  I have found lots of things in there that you'd like to have tucked away in your supply cabinet for future use, but just couldn't justify paying three, four, five dollars EACH for them at Lowes or HD.  Our local dollar store had a remodeling sale; every week all the items went down by ten cents more.  When hinges and metal brackets and clamps (man they got a lot of clamps) get down to fifty or sixty cents for two, you just gotta pick up a few and throw in the tool box.   Buy a couple of sixteen foot measuring tapes for a buck apiece.  If you lose one or break one, all you've lost is a buck.  Keep one in the car, one in the toolbox, one by the table saw, one on the workbench.  And zip-ties are about the handiest gadget ever made.  I've bought 4 inch, 8 inch and 12 inch at the dollar store.  When you need to hold something tight, chances are a zip tie will do it.  I even bought calipers for a buck; granted they are plastic, but take care of them and your tight measurement problems are solved.  

Drywall screws - keep lots of them around, in different sizes.  I have everything from 3/4" up to 3-1/2" lengths.  When you need to hold something (temporarily) in place a screw is mush easier to use than a nail.  DO NOT use drywall screws for structural purposes; they aren't rated for the load.  And of course if you're gonna use screws, then a couple of battery powered screwdrivers are in order.  WalMart sells a good one powered by four AA batteries for eight bucks.  Get yourself a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries and all your little projects will go smoother.  You don't need the big buck DeWalt battery powered stuff.  Save your money.

What the others said about buying stuff ONLY on sale is really true.  Last week I bought all my ceramic floor tile for .79 a square foot.  Six months ago I got all my laminate flooring for .75 a square foot.  The concrete block and floor joists and 3/4" T&G subfloor were all bought on sale likewise.  If you're gonna buy when stuff is on sale, make sure you have a safe, dry place to store it.  For me, I'll be storing some of this stuff for one or two years before use.    

And finally, check out John Carroll's book "Working Alone".  I've gotten lots of good ideas from him.  But maybe more important than the ideas in his book is that he is good at explaining how to use your imagination to solve problems.  With a little resourcefulness you can save LOTS of money on building "your dream".   When you're driving to and from work, if the traffic isn't heavy, turn OFF the radio and let your mind chew on how you're going to solve a particular problem.  I don't know why but some of my best and most creative thinking comes while driving.  

I could go on, but it's time for me to shut up.

[MikeT]

I have all the wood for my construction shed that I salvaged from various sources.  The one that is reasonably replicable is Craigslist.  There is a free section there where folks give away things they don't want.  Deck wood, pavers, siding, etc all show up there on a regular basis.  The advantage I have is that Craigslist is mainly an urban thing--or at least proximity to an urban area is key.  

mt

[bil2054]

MIEDRN, Jonsey raises an excellent point about the value of time.  I am semi-retar... er, retired, so time is something (I hope!) I have plenty of.  If you still have to work to pay for groceries, etc., then you know exactly what your time is worth per hour.  If you can figure how long a given task is likely to take you to do, and you know you can get somebody else to do it for a signifigantly lower amount than the value of your time, then by all means let them do it.  This practice will save you money, time, and maybe make a friend of the person who needed that little job to help pay their mortgage.
This is a technique I learned from arguably one of the most successful salespeople in the world; for a period of ten years, he AVERAGED 360 real estate closings per year! ( Please note that I LEARNED the technique, and do not neccesarily practice it; being of mostly Scottish extraction, it is very hard for me to part with cash. [smiley=undecided.gif] [smiley=wink.gif])  An example of how it works is the way I approach auto repairs.  I was an ASE certified mechanic for years, and still have a good collection of tools.  However, when it is time for an oil change, I peruse the local coupon mailers, etc., and can usually find a place to get it done for $15.00 or less.  I'll also combine that trip with other errands to maximize fuel and time economy.  I get the oil changed for about $1.50 more than it would cost me to purchase the materials at Wally World, I don't have to crawl on the ground under my vehicle, and I don't have to pay the chiropractor to "fix" me afterward. [smiley=grin.gif] (I DO check the oil and leak levels! )
Have fun!  

[JRR]

There are a number of good books on the subject of being "mortgage free".

One tip I wish I had read before beginning current project:  "Build where you live".  Don't waste time and money travelling great distances to your building project.  If you just must buy and build somewhere other than where you currently live ... that's OK, now just move to your new location.  With a highly portable profession such as medical work, I'm sure you could move to any new place in the country.

A story about bartering:  My TN project is a 300 mile roundtrip for me.  And too much of my building time has to be spent keeping the grass and weeds under control.
I noticed one of my TN neighbors suddenly stopped using his beloved utility vehicle.  Curious, I found he had gone to a local mechanic to have an valve cover oil leak fixed.  Sometime after that there was some loud engine noise and suddenly it was a "smoker" ... I mean really a bad "smoker"  The professional mechanic had diagnosed "blown piston" ... and my neighbor, sadly, was considering junking the vehicle.  (In fact, it was already in his back yard ... you know the scene).  It would still run, somewhat, ... and my mechanical curiousity got the best of me.  I couldn't buy the "blown piston theory".
Somehow the vehicle was moved over in the yard of my project ... and I would spend some a little time each day on it, when I was in TN.  It was a "mechanical mystery" to be solved for me, a bit of diversion from the building chore.
I did several seemingly non-productive maintenance actions before ... I finally stumbled onto, and fixed, the blatant error of the mechanic.  It was not a huge deal, but if not fixed the engine would have been forever doomed.  The vehicle was suddenly running "better than it ever has" (my neighbors words).  ... and without the smoke!
Now whenever I get to the project, the grass is freshly cut by my neighbor ... and he will not accept any pay.

You probably have many opportunities to barter your nursing skills for building materials or services.  ... and Uncle Sam doesn't get his pound of flesh.

[jwv]

A favorite subject ot mine, thriftiness! Some tips:

1.  Make a budget.
2.  Know Prices!  If you don't know what the going rate is, you won't know if it's a bargain and if it really is a bargain it'll be gone when you get back.
3.  Shop thrift stores.
4.  Find a building salvage yard in your area.
5.  Cruise eBay. I've bought very nice appliances, a great Morso wood stove, faucets, light fixtures all on eBay and paid half what I would have normally, even with shipping.  Once again you have to know prices and you have to shop once a week or so.
6.  http://www.simpleliving.net/forums/simpleliving/
7.  http://www.daveramsey.com/ I don't agree with Dave on many subjects but his money advice is right on for the basics.  It's just common sense, but sometimes that's what we need to hear.
8.  Last but not least LBYM (live below your means)!

Good Luck,

Judy

[achildofthesky]

Great thread! Another reason I get drawn back here.

Barter, trade or just plain passing it on are all great. I don't know how many times I have helped by donating my time or expertise "just because" or simply gave something away as I didn't see a need for it and hate to see stuff go to waste. Then out of the blue a good turn done for me or a smokin' deal offered... Pretty cool how things work.

Patty

[simplegrl]

I treally like the suggestion to learn by volunteering with habitat for humanity, that is a great one

[glenn-k]

Welcome to the forum, Simplegrl.

A case in point about networking --- meet people --make friends --talk --shoot the bull.

A friend of mine came in from working aboout 200 miles away today -- he hadn't even been home yet, and he saw my truck in town.  He stopped to tell me he had been saving more used corrugated galvanized iron sheeting for me.  When I got to his place he loaded my truck with even more goodies.  He is cleaning up an old homestead with over 60 years of accumulated treasures.  He has a 300 lb. weight limit.  If you don't take at least 300 lbs of stuff away you are not allowed to go out the gate.

In turn, some day he'll need something and I will trade him back.  Helps keep the building project cost under budget around here.

[Mommymem]

Also check out http://www.freecycle.org/ in your area. We've lucked out with some good stuff from there. SOme of my better finds are about $300 of nailgun nails and an entire set of antique wicker furniture. All for free!! People have stuff they just want to get rid of and all you have to do is be willing to drive and pick it up.

[John Raabe]

Great thread! Good to see everyone chime in and, I notice, most of us like to save money  

In many rural areas there is often a non-money network of barter and reciprocal "giving" or favors that allow people to trade the thing they are good at or have the most of for something they need.

For example, I have a backhoe and I offer to dig a trench for your waterline if you give my car a tuneup. Often, everybody wins in such a transaction as no taxes are paid and usually the community comes out a bit richer. When a real emergency comes up such a community can respond quickly since everyone soon knows what skills and equipment is available.

You usually enter this network by volunteering your services to a neighbor and then that neighbor will help with your next project or suggest someone who will. The trading and network connections can often get quite complex.

[Jimmy C.]

One thing I have learned about saving money.....
This is more about saving time, but, TIME IS MONEY.

IF you shop at Home Depot and Lowes be sure to buy your lumber from Home Depot.
I have found that lumber from Home depot frames a lot quicker than the lumber from lowes because of the lack of defects.
Even the 20 foot boards were good!

Also, invest in a tweeker bar if you get a batch of wood that is twisted(From Lowes) this will make it go a lot quicker.

The most important thing about saving time is...
Think about what you are going to do that day.
Work it out in your head.
Try to think of things like,
IF I do this.... How will it affect this step down the line...
and what tool will make the job faster and more accurate.

[bigcozy]

I am new here, great forum, and this is my area.


I like high quality stuff, and I have found ways to buy stuff and not pay the price.  I learned in college about pawn shops.  For ten years I had  a relationship with a pawn shop owner that knew I had the cash to back up my offers.  I bought guns, tools, motorcycles, guitars and often resold them at a profit.   For about the same decade, I traded security services for rent in office buildings - I  didn't pay rent for about nine years.  TJ Maxx is a great place to buy clothes.  If you watch about once a week, you can buy high dollar clothing cheap.  I like Ashworth golf shirts, at the pro shop they will run about $70, at TJ I have never paid more than $15.   I have also bought The North Face, Columbia, Callaway, Greg Norman, and Carhartt there.   You will only buy about one thing a week, which works out good for me.  It helps to know somebody at the local Wal Mart.  I have a friend at one near me that told me about a plasma TV they dinged when taking it to the sales floor.  I bought for one third their sale price.  I used to park golf carts every morning for free green fees at the local golf course.

I barter a lot.  I live in the South, so guns are a great barter tool.  You can often get work done for half the price because guys just like guns.  I also buy high end watches (I have a good source) and barter them for higher end goods.  Around here, a Rolex or a Ferrari doesn't have a lot of buyers, so you can pick stuff up cheap if you have cash.  With the internet, selling things is much easier.  I network a lot, and people know that I will buy things if they need cash.  I get about one phone call a week from somebody wanting to sell something.  Since guns have legal implications, I have moved into watches, guitars, and cars.  

I have one friend that is a architect, on that is an electrician, one that is a shop teacher, and one that is a jack of all trades.  Good to know guys like that, and when they need help, I always volunteer.  I want them friendly when I start to build.  

I watch forums for things I am interested in.  I like pocket knives, a lot, so I trade on forums until my pocket knives which run about $100-250 are free after buying and selling and trading a few times.  When I lived on a boat, I watched for parts every day on boat forums.  I got some stuff for free, and a TON of advice that saved me a lot of money.  Same with cars, I have done a lot of my own work by asking questions on forums.  Some repairs were even photographed, better than a Chilton manual!

Anyway, I got a ton of stuff I do, PM me if you want to know more, just the tip of the iceberg here.  My next project is modern high end bachelor pad that is small, super efficient, and most of all cheap!  That is why I am here and appreciate the info.

I am the king of the cheap bastids!

Cozy    

[Miedrn]

Hey Mommymem!

I checked out the Freecycle and what a great idea! I can't believe they've been around since 2003 and I haven't heard of them! I've joined my local chapter. Thanks for the tips!

Someone mentioned about bad habits........as much time as I spend on the internet, you would think I would know how to quote, but I don't! Anyway, I don't know what bad habits are....nurses don't have them, do they?

~thinking - "I'm glad he can't see through this computer!~

Thanks for all the tips from everyone!

[glenn kangiser]

Sound like you always have things going somewhere, eh?,Cozy.

Another tip I read somewhere --Never stop making deals.  I guess you could add - Always try to come out ahead --or at least with something you can use.

Another thing is in your network of friends, always mention things you are interested in -- they will keep watch for you and one day one will find a deal for you.  Watch for their needs also.

[OkieJohn]

Another great source for bargains can be the "surplus Auctions" of state agencies. For example, OSU in Stillwater, OK has at least 4 auctions of surplus inventory, all sorts of stuff, often going at very good prices.  I once bought tro pickup loads of mostly dorm lounge furniture plus 3 nice office chairs and some miscellaneous restaurant equipment, all for $ 12.50.
http://www.nicholsonauction.com/june2406.htm
Here is an example of the kind of things they have at an upcoming auction.
And the motor pool has separate auctions, all kinds of vehicles, some farm  and industrial equipment.
Worth checking out in your area.
And yes, you can sometimes find building materials.

[CREATIVE1]

I guess the first thing to do to save money is, enjoy the process.  It's much like the difference between fast food and slow food.  All the other suggestions here are great, just one thing to add.  Don't limit your vision!  A thing of beauty can be used for something unintended.  I picked up a HUGE brass bar glass hanger from a restaurant that was going out of business for $5.00.  So--towel rack?  Headboard? Divider?  Cut down glass hanger?  Sculpture?  You get the idea--

[benevolance]

Daily lists are priceless...They will save you a lot of time...Taking ten minutes before you go to bed to get some kind of idea what the next day will hold for you.

Even if you get half the list done I think you did great!

because time is money..... Other than that...You need to just get creative. if you call the local builder in the yellow pages they will tell you what HAS to be done and they will of course charge an arm and leg for it...

But just keep asking questions...Like a little child...why? ..Why do I have to build a shed your way.... Why can't I use another material? Why can't I buy second hand materials? Why can't I build it myself?

One thing I have done for years and years is drive around and look at the windows, door frames and  dimensions of people's houses and Garages....If you see something you like...Take the Sketch pad with you...Draw it! make some notes.... I have knocked on a lot of doors asking people for descriptions of a shop if they are in the process of building it....

Some people will shoo you away... most are proud of their buildings and will tell you what they have done....

Remember this....What one man can do... another can do....none of us are that special... If you have free time you can learn to do just about anything...

Someone mentioned pricing materials at several places to get a rough idea the cost of things...This is the only way to determine if you are getting a good deal.

I find that most things can be acquired for free...or darn close to it. Take used windows for Example...Go to the Dump or a used building material warehouse...They will practically give old windows away... If it is a storage building or a Cottage...Who cares if it is not triple paned with Thermal properties... blah blah blah.... If you are super concerned about heat loss then just add  a vapour barrier in the winter or do what the pioneers did...Have a single paned storm window you add in the winter... I have installed them on camps and they work great....Bang for the buck they will outperform the most advanced window on the market today!

If you do not mind getting dirty...Another great tip is to go see someone  nearby that runs a demolition company.....They tear down buildings and houses....sometimes they hit it with a excavator or bulldozer and sometimes they dismantle...Either way there is always a plethora of free or dirt cheap lumber, windows.... Most of the stuff will be going to the dump...Offer to haul it off and clean up your mess and it is usually yours...

Of course you may need a truck and a trailer for this....

I have enough cast iron radiators for a house ...I scrounged them all this way...

One of the things I live by...Is remember we have been on the planet for 100,000 years.....Our ancestors lived long and healthy lives....There is no great secret to building...just like there is no great secret to a healthy lifestyle...

Somehow our grandfathers and their grandfathers managed to get by without TV, Cellphones, BMW's...And so can we!

The secret of money accumulation and wealth has not changed since biblical times....Whatever you make, per day, week, month or year....You simply have to learn to live on less than that amount....

Investing, interest , development...none of these things are possible until you follow this simple step.

So if you want to save money....Just get out the pay stubs from the last month or year...and then the checkbook...and figure out what you are spending and what you are saving (if you are saving)...and then just figure out ways to save more...

Look at things you can eliminate like fast food, cable TV....Sell a spare car to reduce car insurance..Rip up credit cards pay off debt to eliminate high interest rates...Etc...

Get your monthly expenses down... It is unlikely that many people can suddenly flick a switch and dramatically increase the amount of money they make...But we are all capable of reducing what we spend on a monthly basis.

Buy bulk food  if you have to....Plant a vegetable garden and fruit trees around your house.... Whatever you can do to get your monthly expenses down.

Sorry for the all around rambling nature of my posts...I am this way in life... from one thing to another...It follows me to the internet too I guess

[Billy Bob]

What a great bunch of suggestions.

One item that I found saved more money than one might think is grocery coupons.  Many folks think I'm nuts; that it is a waste of time, etc.  When I was staying with my sister and her family, we took turns at the shopping and made sort of a contest of it.
How does as much as thirty  percent savings strike you for a waste of time?  Since I love food and cooking, it is no hardship for me to go through the store circulars to match  coupons up with sale items.

Please do be considerate of other shoppers, and have the coupons you need ready for the cashier. [smiley=undecided.gif]

And THEN...... put the money you saved in that special project account.

Sheesh, I sound like a Martha Stewart clone! [smiley=shocked.gif]  But it works.

[benevolance]

Billybob,

I dunno if they are great suggestions...It is just what worked for me. I could trach you in 15 minutes what it has taken me 30 years to learn I am sure