[kamaal]

1. Learn cooking: Saves a lot of money, healthy and a lot of long term advantages.

2. Learn to do the 'beginning with the end in mind': A lot of us here in India go and buy a plot on a reasonable loan, and then try to clear it off within 2-3 years. This way you get to acquire a resource, make a investment, and are forced to save up every month to clear the loan. This is more like forced savings. Repeat this for a long time, and you will get really really rich.

3. Keep a diary: Keep a habit tracker, try to get a continuous streak of $0 expense days.

4. Pick up a hobby like music: Gets you entertainment without bills for TV/Cable and things like that.

5. Buy for need and durability: Don't buy everything that you see people buying. Buy only if you need something and buy durable stuff.

There are a range of other things I do. But it might get a little too long for a HN post.

[suranyami]

This is a great set of suggestions.

On the cooking side of things, I found I was spending a lot of money buying lunches. Sydney is a VERY expensive city: a 'cheap' lunch in the CBD costs at least $7. So, we're talking about saving at least $35-50 per week. Over a year, that's approx $1500-2000 per year. And often, it's not as good as things I like to make for myself.

So I cook double-or-triple the quantities of recipes on the weekends... I take pride in making complex curries, slow-cooked casseroles and the like. Usually, doubling or tripling the quantities does not change the cooking time significantly and there are economies of scale with the costs as well.

Then, I package up the extra into lunch and dinner-sized portions for myself, wife and family for the week in the freezer.

This way, we all get cheap lunches (cost approx $1-2) and gain extra time at dinner during the weekdays (no cooking! just re-heat and add rice/salad/veges).

I'd say that as well as saving $1500-2000 per year, it's also saved us an hour or 3 every single week. Frankly, it's worth it if just for the time saved.

[cscharenberg]

Slow-cooker meals are indeed great. Very cheap to fix, makes big quantities, and they can be wonderful. Throw things in at 8am, at 5pm you have hot, delicious food in quantities to throw a dinner party or eat for days.

My wife and I did a "month of slow cooking" to try recipes. Most were good and many are part of our regular cooking rotation now.

[kaybe]

5. I wish there was a definite way to determine quality beforehand easily, but in most cases it's a huge hassle. Also, customer feedback a few years down the line instead of right after the purchase would be nice because that's when the product's weak points really become known.