f13.net

It's that horribly fun time where I venture off into the world known as not living at home. I know this will only end in alcohol induced asshattery and shenanigans so outrageous it would give any person over 60 an aneurism. I've come to you people, a wealth of knowledge of use and non-use, to see if there were any tips for cutting corners and saving money. My budget is tight and I'd like to keep as much in my bank as I can. Rainy day business and all of that.

Oh yeah, I already know to abuse coupons and sales like there's no tomorrow. I think that's a given.

Shockeye can I live in your basement?

-Check the grocery store circular before you go shopping. Select meals based on ingredients that are on sale.
-If you drink coffee, stay the hell away from Starbucks. If not, good on you.
-If you drink liquor, remember to buy a really nice bottle of whatever type you like for your first two drinks, then a really shitty bottle for the rest. You should go through about 1 good bottle to 4 shitty bottles that way.
-If you drink beer, the same method applies with good beer to shitty beer.
-Have a roommate. Living alone is pricey. However, make sure you have your own bathroom. This is key.
-When drinking in bars, always pay cash. NEVER put a card down. This only leads to shots.
-Stealing is wrong. "Liberating" is the correct term.

1. Don't have a girlfriend
2. Cook a lot of inexpensive foods and try not to get fat. Peanut butter sandwiches are pretty good.
3. Enjoy the taste of tap water. I think brita filters might help.
4. Cancel all MMORPG subscriptions
5. Sign up for medical experiments. They have companies here in Austin that will pay you for testing surgeries/drugs

Convince your parents you need a gas card "for emergencies".  Then proceed to buy booze and food from the closest Shell(or whatever card you have) gas station/convenience store.

Is this for college, or just to move out?

Top Ramen and Old English 800, you can live on like $40 bucks a week.

A little bit of both, Straz. I doubt I could get fat if I wanted. I'm 5'6" and I've been 115lbs for the past 3 years. I really don't see that changing either despite my best efforts to get some god damn meat on my body.

I'm definitely looking for more of a roomie type thing to cut down on rent costs. I'd rather pay $300 a month for a room with internet, phone and all that other jazz. Opposed to $500 + hydro and nothing else for a bachelor apartment to myself. So far some damned good advice. Especially the Good -> Bad booze trick.

You don't need both cell phone and land line. Choose one or the other and that'll save you at least $30-$40 per month.

Check your neighborhood for a wireless internet signal. One of your neighbors may have a network set up already that you can leach off of (moreso if you live in an apartment). Less secure and less reliable but free.

Get a credit card with some sort of reward program (if you're responsible). The trick is you have to ALWAYS pay it off in full each and every month. Use it for all your normal expenses and everything else you can provided you ALWAYS pay it off in full on time. I sacrifice interest rate for the reward on my card but since I always pay it off it doesn't matter. My interest rate is 19% but I get back about the equivalent of my minimum payment in a reward program. Avoid this suggestion at all costs if you are not totally anal about money management.

Get a high interest savings account and use it as a sweep account. ING Direct has a good interest rate. The goal here is to keep any money you are not going to need for the next week in a higher interest generating account. Sweep the money in when you get paid and sweep it back out when you need the cash. Again you have to be on the ball as the EFT's usually take about 5 days. I probably only make about $100/year right now doing this but every little bit helps and it's good practice to get you paying close attention to your finances.

Sounds like you're probably too young for the next suggestion but check your housing market for the cost of 2 or 3-unit houses and run the numbers to compare that with average rental rates. Buying a duplex was probably my best investment. For the last 3 years my share of the mortgage on a $160,000 duplex has been about $600/month including property taxes. Probably similar to what you'd pay for rent but I'm building equity at the same time. Even better if you rent out one unit and share another with a friend. I won't even get into the tax benefits...

And finally... Work your ass off. Now's the time to start building up some finances so no more sitting on the couch. You're young, you have free time, and you probably have enough energy. I typically worked 30-40 hours/week while taking a full course load and held 2 jobs when I was on a co-op or off semester. The ideal is to find a nice campus job where you can study at the same time you're getting paid (I was a lab monitor). Alternately job as a barback or bartender as those types of jobs pay dividends when you show back up as a "paying" customer to get drunk.

Regarding food:  learn to cook.  You can go very, very cheap if you're willing to take meat, fresh veggies, and make something, as opposed to boxed or frozen meals.  You're also better off if you don't mind eating leftovers, since it's not always easy to make enough for just one night, for one person.  Whatever I made, it was enough to cover me for 2 nights, and happily lived off $30 a week in college. 

Goddamn right.

Move to Qeynos.  A house only costs 5 silver a week to rent and the neighborhood isn't run-down like Freeport.

Marry well!  That's what I did!

Wait 'til you're 30.

You want some meat on those bones?

A layer of potato chips with a layer of cheese, another layer of potato chips, more cheese, repeat for 7 layers. Top with more cheese.

Warning: I understand this can lead to a 1200 count on your cholesterol.

You know in the south they have this weird dish I tried making when I first got here. I never got it right nor will I EVER try it again but it goes something like this:


Layer of hash browns mixed in butter and cream cheese
Layer of sour cream and cream cheese mixed together
Layer of hash browns mixed in butter and cream cheese
Layer of corn flakes mixed in butter.

Bake until golden and bubbly.

Eat.

Call 911.

Brita filters also work wonders on cheap vodka or other clear alcohol.  Four passes through it and you can buypass the expensive stuff altogether.

This is worth emphasizing.  You can save a lot of money on food by taking the time to make it yourself.  A lot.

It may vary by store, but around here if you shop in the evening you often find meat that has been put on discount.  You will have to use it within a few days or freeze it, but you can save a few dollars more.

Depending on how well you watch your finances, set an entertainment budget and draw from that for movies, books, games, Friday dinner with friends, etc.  Most people cannot completely deprive themselves of some form of entertainment that costs money, so if you plan for it you will prevent a lot of "where did my money go" problems.

Learn to micromanage your money.  Cash in hand is bad for folks who can't control spending, but credit/ debit cards are worse because of the 'oh shit where'd all my cash go?' factor.   If you don't already know what turns money into a liquid that runs through your fingers, learn fast or else you'll send yourself spiraling into a large amount of debit like my wife did.

Keep track of your finances however works for you.  Money management software is a good investment, so long as you are good about keeping up with it.  Some folks just use an excel spreadsheet, others can just control themselves.  Try the first two before you try the last, though.  Thinking you can control yourself and finding out you can't later is a bad thing.

Never trust the bank.  They're a big corporate business these days, not someplace that holds money.  Deposits/ withdrawls are done in an order beneficial to the bank, not yourself. (1)  Fees are also going through the roof (2), as are funny 'delayed transactions' (3) where things just get lost for a few days.   Keep a cushion to cover this BS. 

1) Say you have $800 in your account, and a check for $20 and one for $850 come through. The $850 will go through first, overdrawing your account and charging you a fee.  Then they'll put the $20 one through and charge you a second fee.  Usually double the first fee. 

2) Overdrafts cost you $33 on the first, then double every one thereafter with the banks I've been with.  (US Bank, 5/3 Bank.)  ATM fees outside of the network are now $2.50 from the ATM itself and usually another $2 -$2.50 from your bank.  If you HAVE to use an out-of network bank, take cash for the week not just the transaction  you're trying to cover.  Some folks do multiple transactions of $10-$20 instead of just taking all $50 or so out at once and cost themselves a lot of money.

3) This is really bad with Debit card transactions.  You'd think they'd be instant being electronic, but they aren't.  I've had charges show up 5-7 days after I had used my card.  Not a problem if you keep track of what you spend and know your Actual Balance.  However, a LOT of people don't keep track and think the number they see on the ATM slip/ Internet Banking is their balance, without looking for what has and has not gone through. 

Some banks are good about this and show a "pending transactions" list on internet banking, but some don't.  Again, it's your money so it's your responsibility, don't trust banks to do it for you.

/agree with merusk.

Best thing you can do is leave yourself a $500 cushion in your checking.

1. Get a credit card(s).
2. Go nuts. 
3. In four years, look at your card balance.
4. Weep.
5. Pay off all CC debt now that you have a real job.
6. Profit.

Worked for me.

I helped develop that system =)

Keep in mind that the people that fuck up their finances and pay overdraft fees are the one's that are allowing the rest of us to have free checking accounts.

Related to this, I highly recommend starting a savings account and splitting your deposits between this and your checking account.  It doesn't even have to be a whole lot -- even $25-50 a check will help out later in the form of overdraft protection from your bank, where any overdrafts draw from your linked savings account with no penalties, and further down in the form of interest.  If you never have to use that protection, all the better.  Any money you didn't spend after each month or two (as long as you keep your checking account cushion) goes into this account as well.

Others here have said it, but it bears repetition - budget.  Take the time to sit down and find out exactly how much you spend and earn in a month.  Allow yourself some 'fuck-around' cash each month, or you'll start spending willy-nilly out of boredom/frustration.

Re:  Cooking - HELL yes.  Even if it's just quicky cooking, you'll save money (I literally spend half as much as my brother on food each month by doing this) and you'll eat a hell of a lot better than you would from boxes/cans/whatever.  Always try to have heavy-duty aluminum foil (for meats) and Ziploc bags (for almost everything else) on hand so that you can take meat/vegetables and disassemble them into 'single guy' portions and freeze/refrigerate them when you get back from the grocery store. 

On a related note, when you get a chance, get some decent cookware, cutlery, etc.  Don't spend a shitton of cash, but avoid the super cheap shit too.  Target, Linens and Things, etc. have a number of nice low to middle-range cookware/cutlery/utensil sets.  Restaurant supply shops (either online or locally if you have one) are even better.  Decent tools help make cooking more fun than a chore.  I find the 15-30 minutes I spend cooking dinner after work (and the accompanying glass of wine) to be easily the most relaxing part of a day during the work week.  Also - chicks dig cooking skills.

As for the MMOG thing -- $15/month isn't much for a reliable 2 hrs entertainment every night.  :)

You're welcome. Bitch.  :evil:

Some banks are better about this than others. Do NOT be afraid to change banks if one charges less of an overdraft fee than the other, because even though you never want to take advantage of it, life happens. Changing banks is a hassle, but can save you lots of money.

Also, credit cards are the devil. Really. They are the candy of weak-willed fuckers like me. Get one, never use it. Pay the balance as regularly as possible, because if you don't, you WILL have to get another one. And you don't want that.

Well...  I'd say get one for emergencies, because sometimes shit happens (exploding transmissions and the like), but leave it alone otherwise.

Or find one that pays you back in some way you like. (Cash on mine), and use it for everything and pay off the balance religiously.

Exactly. I pay for EVERYTHING with my credit card (bills, entertainment, food, gas, etc...) then pay it off in full. Earned about $900 this year in Vehicle rewards toward the purchase of any car used or new. Once the wife gets her car this year I'll probably switch to a card that gives Air Miles.

Don't do a semester abroad unless you A) Have lots of cash to burn, or B) Don't mind going into debt.

My CC balence was very low before I went abroad last summer. After I came back, my balence was "Where the fuck did this all come from" high. This is even after I had taken out a fat school loan for the whole thing, which gave me some extra money after paying tuition.

Also, campus jobs can suck because they can lay you off between semesters, and depending on the job, over the summer. Last year, between not working intersession or the summer, I only worked about 8 months out of the year. As an aside, in the US, what is the minimum you have to make in a year to Have to file taxes?

Sorry, I can't really tell you anything about living outside your home since I won't be doing that until probably this fall. I can't tell you anything about cooking because I refuse to do it - it infuriates me. I can sit an dwait in a restaraunt for a long time for my food, but I can't sit and prepare a meal for 10 minutes. Looking at my food, and not being able to just eat it, grates on my nerves.

I used to save every extra penny I could in another saving account, then buy a CD for a decent 6, 12, 18, or 24 month rate.  Doesn't look as viable now, but ING does have some nice things I have been checking into.

If you can hack the military, join the Guard or Reserve.  The money from a drill weekend as a low level E-1 isn't much, but the money for college isn't anything to sneeze at, just be sure to get a "C" in every class or you have to pay your college money for that semester back (well sort of, they would take whatever percentage for the classes that got below a C of the money paid).  Of course you have to work out, stay in shape, and might get sent to fight bad guys, but as a bonus you also get to get drunk and chase hookers in all kinds of exotic places  :-D

Yeah, Joining the Guard or Reserve is a GREAT idea as they call everyone and their sick uncle the euphonium player for active duty. He'd be out of boot camp and into the sand before he could get his helmet on straight. If getting drunk and chasing hookers in exotic locales is your thing, take up the guitar ;)

I'll just echo what's already been said: learn to cook, budget your money (and time!), be wary of credit cards if you can't use them responsibly, be choosy in your banking.

My bank is extremely good, I had a couple unfortunate overdrafts due to timing issues, never had to pay any of them. But I've been banking in the same place for 10 years now and I've built up a relationship wth the employees - a very good idea. Credit cards are a decent tool if you don't get stupid buying things you can't afford (a good general rule to keep). I pay most of my bills on my cc to build up rewards and credit (I'm about to set out mortgage hunting and need to have better credit than my previous 'does not exist' record). I've also been doing short-term CDs and other little money projects to maximize my dough.

Learning to cook...well, like Mr. N says, it can become a joy to carry you through the years. And girls really do dig it. My girl went from eating cold cereal or cheese and crackers for dinner (or *shudder* microwave dinners) to a home-cooked meal every night. Last night we had one of our staples, chicken with a white wine and shallot sauce with a side of green beans fried with shallots and garlic. Took about 15 minutes to make and cost $6 for two people. I'm sometimes known as the 'baggy king', because I keep almost every variety of baggy around for freezing, leftovers, gifts, etc. A good selection of bags will save you a lot of food dollars down the road. And heavy-duty aluminum foil is key, not that flimsy shit most people seem to use. Then again, I tend to use more foil because I don't have a microwave, I use a conventional oven for everything.

Wow, I rambled.

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention one thing Sky did.  Make friends at the bank.  Been with the same bank for almost 15 years now on my personal account.  I had one oopsie a month back due to timing of funds that would have cost me $66 if I hadden't known the folks at the branch.

Also, on cooking.  Even if you don't want to learn to truly cook, a crock pot is an invaluable tool.  Toss in stuff, let it sit and you get stew, soup, chili and the like for very little effort and it tastes WORLDS better than shit out of a can.

Easy.  Ramen and Mad Dog.  I hear it's now called MD.  Try not to pay more than $1.50 per gallon for liquor, or you're being shafted.

An alternative that may still exist are boxes of frozen burritos.  You'll know them when you see them.

Be social.  Make friends.  Mooch.  Go to parties with less than $4 cover and eat/drink everything not nailed down.  It will be blamed on roommates, just don't let them see you.  Also a great way to nab detergent and other staples.

Convince everyone that you have never smoked pot before.  You'll be the king of the circle.

You may or may not get a job.  If so, an option is to get one at, say, Taco Bell where you get a discount.  I had a 50% discount on food and free drinks, which made the job tolerable when I could buy a taco for $.16 and guzzle all the Mountain Dew I wanted.

You are full of shit.  I highly recommend joining the Armed services.  If you need some questions answered about this feel free to PM me.

The downside is that after a semester worth of that, you'll have trouble passing by a Taco Bell without feeling queasy.  I had a big stack of coupons that got me a lot of very cheap lunches at Taco Bell in college... until one day I just couldn't look at the damn things any more.  That was something like four years ago and my stomach still holds a grudge.

Nix is Canadian.

Ahaha haha Canadian! Ahaha! Oh boy!

It seems he wants to spend $300-500 CAD. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. It's time for a very nice cardboard box. What's that, like $180-350 USD?

Get a credit card.
Get a job.
Make sure the job is a store that caters to your geek hobby (mine was games) and gives you a discount.
Spend more money on geek indulgencies, than you make.
Use the credit card to pay the difference to your employer.
Get a study grant to cover the credit card.
Spend more on alcohol, than you get in the grant.
Use the credit card to cover the difference.
Travel abroad.
Use the credit card.
Drink.
Hey, you have the credit card.
Drop out of school.
Loose grant.
Use credit card.
Study something else.
Graduate.
Get a high paying job.
Have kids and buy a house - suddenly the money you owe on the credit card, looks like small change compared to the money you owe on your house.


Worked for me.
I think I'll be finished paying off my study debt i nine years time - but who cares I "own" a house worth millions.

Tons of good advice here.  Here's more:

Giant Tubes of Beef - there's a good chance that your local supermarket has these.  Quality is decent, and you can't beat the price with a stick.  Back in the day, I could stuff my face full of really tasty garlic burgers (condiments go a long way, by the way) for days on end, at about the cost of a dollar and twenty cents a day.    Don't worry about the stink caused by all the garlic - people will be turned off by the stink of alcohol before they ever get close enough to smell the garlic (see next point).  To break up the monotony, buy frozen corn-dogs in bulk. 

Find your cheap local brew - I think you can find these everywhere...you know, the horrible tasting, cheaper than water, locally produced beer, probably in a can.   Odds are that it is so cheap, that they don't even  bother to refrigerate it or even give it its own shelf space.  It'll be the stuff on the floor.  Sure, this stuff may cause headaches initially, but it will soon turn into a love affair.   You will be going through this stuff so fast that the cashiers at the store will think you're an alcoholic.  Just deny it.

The opportunity cost of Heat - one of the first major shocks you will receive is your first electric bill (haha, I made a pun).  This is because heating your new place is fucking hideously expensive.  Turning down the heat will help a little, but not nearly enough.   Be a man, and turn that fucker off.  If you need tips on alternative methods  of staying warm, look no further than my second point above.  That cheap beer does an adequate job of keeping you warm, and is way more cost effective.  You have better things to be spending your money on, such as even more beer, and the occasional bill or two.

Managing Credit Cards - as soon as you get your first card, go out and blow it on a bunch of really cool shit.  Preferably high-tech electronics equipment that will become the foundation of your soon-to-be fabulous home entertainment system.  Why, you ask?  Because this is the kind of thing that draws other human beings to your place.  And what will they bring with them?  That's right, beer.  Sure, it may be that same cheap crap you've been buying all along, but it's one less case you have to purchase yourself.  You can use these beer savings to pay off your card debt.  Or to get the heat turned back on.

I have personally found that following these four basic principles to work very well.  Doing the exact opposite might be just as effective.

Around here, that stuff is in a plain white can with the only writing being the word "Beer" on the front of it in plain, black sans-serif type. You could probably scratch off the word "Beer" and replace it with "Turpentine" but after three, who really cares?

This is truly a great thread, it and the RF-Online review should be frontpaged.

For the children or something.

If you have a fireplace. Burning old furnature may sound like a good idea, but when the caster comes off the couch and sails into a window while you are chopping it up....

Also burning old shingles, they burn hot. Very hot. Like break tempered glass hot... they quit letting me make fires.

Chicken noodle dinner or Dinty Moore beef stew over toast... That's a special treat.

Bag of Burritos is also a good idea.

Some more advice (note, I don't do all these and cannont guarantee your safety).

1. Dumpster Diving:
At night, check the dumpsters behind retail stores. You can find a ton of "perfectly good" items. Refurbished donuts, books on the dot com boom, old flowers, broken yogurt machines, etc. The sky's the limit.

Actually, you can periodically find edible food* and / or ebayable items, from what I have read. (*only eat if you have solid medical insurance)

2. Get a small gas grill and use it a lot. Even if you suck at cooking, you can grill up some very good steaks, chicken breast, hotdogs, and burgers with a little bit of practice. Pork tenderloin is also uber tasty and very cheap.

3. Don't piss your money away at Starbucks, if you are a coffee fiend. Make your own damn coffee with a french press.

4. Be damn careful with the credit cards. Don't fall into that trap.

5. Enjoy being a skinny, high metabolism little bastard...bastard.

A lot of good advice. Thanks to everyone giving it out, I'll need it. I've been meaning to get on the "learn to cook better things" bandwagon, but I leave home at 8 AM and get back around 10 PM and go to bed at 11. Yay for no social life during the week. As for the heat/electricity. 90% of all apartments in Ontario offer free hydro and heat, so that's not a concern for me.

I really do appreciate all the advice.

The booze advice I gave you is your friend. Use it wisely.

Also, the Brita filter thing works on Vodka, but I've had less than desirable results with gin. Bourbon is right out.

(steal peoples lawn furniture.  what you can't use, sell on ebay)

Even though I know it was probably another one of many attempts to laugh at the canadian dolloar, I will address Schild question about the exchange rate. $300 - $500 Cdn as of today is $264 - $440 US.

In my early days it was all about Mr. Noodles. Under 30 cents each if you buy em bulk. If you get really rich, then you go for Kraft Dinner or Lipton Noodles and Sauce.

What you eventully learn, is that a 30 cent Mr. Noodles, plus a few fresh or frozen veggies thrown in actually makes a decent meal.

Forget about telling him to get cheap beer, that doesn't exist up here.

The best real advice I have: Find a room mate you can live with. I shared 5 different places with the same guy before he finally got a live in girlfriend. Having a room mate that I got along with that well was huge.

This is the best book I've ever read on dumpster diving. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1559500883/sr=8-3/qid=1141245149/ref=pd_bbs_3/104-5084286-0777516?%5Fencoding=UTF8)  (Okay, I've only read the one, but I thought it was pretty good.)

Way late to the game, but here goes a little knowledge I wish I had at the time.

Live close to where your going to school or work, both if possible.  Work at a place that can net you free food.  Waiting tables nets both money, free food, and generally free beer++, not to mention a hella fun time.  Second, if you can squeeze and extra $30 for a better place to live over saving $30 on the assumption you would rather eat out than live in a better area, eat raman and live in the better place.

If your in college, get chummy with some frats (even if you have no intention of joining) and just make sure you learn where the parties are... spend less than bar hopping.

My own .02...

1) Money management will be key.  Learn to love coupons.  Learn to love sales.  Learn to love generic items.  Also, learn to deal with Wal Mart...
2) If you *HAVE* to have a credit card, get one with a relatively low limit, activate it, then put it in a sock drawer and don't carry it.  Instead, use it for emergencies ONLY.  Make sure there are no hidden monthly, semi-yearly, or yearly fees that are charged to that card..  If you do use it, use it very sparingly in order to build up a good credit history.
3) Job - I would strongly recommend getting a job in a restaurant, as a waiter, or barback if you are old enough.  The paycheck is shit, but you make your money on tips anyway.  The plus side of working in a restaurant besides the fact you can make some decent money, is the discounted food.  
4) When you DO get paid, IMMEDIATELY pay the bills.  Try and set up your bills to be due when you get paid (twice monthly).  Again this is important to develop a good credit history, and your bills come when your paycheck comes.  An alternative to this is direct pay from your checking account.  Saves money on stamps (hey, every little bit counts), and most banks offer online banking/bill payment for free.
5) Money saving - if when you do get paid, and you have money left over from your previous paycheck, put whats left of your previous paycheck into a savings account, whereby your starting over on your new paycheck, so to speak.  
6) Bread, sandwich meat, and mayo and/or mustard go a looooong way.  So do cans of campbells soup.
7) Shopping for food:  make sure to buy foods that when you prepare, left overs can go towards other things.  A roast will make a roast, then beef stew, roast beef sandwhiches.  Grilled chicken will, of course, make grilled chicken, then toss left overs in a skillet with canned spaghetti sauce and add some noodles - voila - second dinner.
8) Get a brita water filter and a pitcher...Water's better for you anyway...
9) Snag up a couple beer mugs...Freeze them...Buy cheap beer...Drink beer from frozen mugs.  Even cheap beer tastes better in a frozen mug, and a guest wont know the difference
10) Get a cel phone, drop the land line.  Do some shopping and get the best deal you can find for the least amount of money (free nights/weekends/long distance/etc).
11) If you play MMO's settle on one.  When you sub up, immediately cancel.  You dont want the autopayment hitting your account when your funds are low.  Insufficient funds charges can start a snowball effect...
12) Speaking of insufficient funds charges, most banks will give you a 500 dollar overdraft protection limit for about 50 cents a month.  If you write a check, and it bounces, you will still get hit with the IF fee, but they will cover the check, thereby not getting hit with a returned check fee from the vendor you wrote the check to (anywhere between 15 and 45 dollars) and/or a fee from a collection agency for the returned check.
13) I would, if at all possible, avoid student loans like the plague...If it takes you an extra couple years to graduate, so be it.  Look at it this way:  Would you rather have to take a couple years longer to graduate, or would you rather be paying on student loans for the next 25 years?
14) If you cant pay cash for it, you dont need it.  Dont charge it.

That's hardly what I'd call living :P

Regarding banks, also remember that they don't really post deposits when you make them; it's usually by the next business day but it's sometimes longer to clear.  Depends on how it's done; electronic deposit is pretty solid.

Always keep your checkbook balanced, and leave yourself some pad.  If in any doubt, don't write that check.

And never, ever trust someone who says they'll hold a check for a day or two.  That foolish mistake was the one and only time I've ever bounced a check, and if I could find the guy again I'd bust him in the nards :P

Edit:  Don't burn your stuff in a fireplace; they tend to be not worth it; all your heat goes out your chimney.   A wood stove is better.  Unless, of course, you're talking about burning someone *elses* stuff.  Like, say, a former significant other.  Then it's all worth it.

Keep track of all moving expenses because that is a tax deduction as long as you stay in your new job for 39 weeks and it is at least 50 miles from your previous abode.  It usually doesn't add up to much, but why give the Gov your money if you don't have to? 

Also, I would look for a 3/2 because its better to start building up some assets than just burn money on rent.  Since this would be your first house, some places give first time homebuyers a deal on down payments, interest rates, and closing costs.  If you can't do a house right away, at least put 5-10% of gross into a 401k or Roth IRA for now.  When you move up in the tax brackets go to a traditional IRA if you want a tax benefit for the time being.  If you put 10% of gross away every year you will retire when you are 50 a millionaire if not more(assuming you are around 25 right now). 

Like the other people said, get an interest bearing account to hold money and make a budget!!!!! 

http://www.be.wvu.edu/divacctg/neid/Personel%20Budget.xls

Learn from my mistakes when I was younger:

A) You're going to need a piece of plastic with numbers on it that you can order things with.  Only use a debit card.  Do NOT, under any circumstances, bullshit yourself into thinking you're ready to handle credit until you actually are.  There are ways to build credit without being raped by Visa/Mastercard/Amex.  Loans from banks work well towards this goal.

B) If at all feasible keep around $1000 in your bank account and train yourself to never go below that level.  That's your emergency fund, and it's just enough to buy a piece of shit car should your current ride die.  Would your parents help you out if hit an emergency?  Probably, but relying on them isn't a habit you want to get into.

Great tip.  Actually, the best thing you can do BEFORE moving out (once you have established your budget) is to save up enough money to cover three months of living expenses, put it in your savings account and NOT TOUCH IT.  This will give you a pad to fall back onto in case you lose your job, or just need the money.

I lived for almost ten years on an income of between $400 and $700 (until 2002). Here's what worked for me.  btw, I'm assuimg that since you're Canadian you've already graduated from college, since you didn't have to pay for it.

Get a library card. Free movie rentals, and some places (like Portland) actually get decent flicks, rentable for three weeks for free. And reading is always free. My book recommendation: Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman.

Learn to make soups and chili. I will give you any recipe you want. Dry beans are like 50 cents a pound, provide all of your daily needs of protein and fiber, and are hell of versatile. Soups contain a lot of water and are therefore more filling and cheaper. Both chili and soup (and stew) taste even better as leftovers than fresh-made. Find a store that sells shit in bulk and utilize it. NEVER BUY JARS OF HERBS. Only buy little bags from the bulk section and store 'em in cleaned-out peanut butter jars and whatnot. HUGE savings, and when you can cook good stuff you'll cook more often. Buy some curry and a sack of potatoes and eat for a week.

Decide, and be firm about, which sacrifices you are not willing to make. For me, it was smoking quality cigarettes and always having good coffee with sugar and half n half. I won't switch brands no matter how spendy my smokes are, 'cuz it's one of my Great Pleasures. I buy whole beans from the grocery store and grind fresh every morning (you can pick up a decent coffee grinder for about $15 US). Decide what your Great Pleasures are, and just don't splurge on anything else.

Wear more sweaters and keep your heat down. That helps too.

Good luck, sweetie!

I think it may be a very region-specific thing.  The stuff I was talking about was even cheaper than the generic white label stuff, if the store even had that stuff...I don't actually recall.  All I know is that it was ounce for ounce the cheapest beer I could find.  It was still a brand name, and the can was adequately fancy.  I get all nostalgic just thinking about it.

Almost forgot one thing, buy your beer at room tempature, even if you want to drink it right now, buy yourself a beer cooler (either invest in a nice plastic one that you can reuse or a styrafoam one that you can reuse), buy some ice or make some, get some salt (borrow without the intent to return), take and place the beer in the cooler, add ice, add water to make ice water, then add a bunch of salt.  In about 5 to 10 mins you will have some ice cold beer!  Way faster than ice water, ice, freezer (which leads to beer explosions if you aren't careful or pass out), or fridge.

Learn to cook and learn to cook cheap and healthy.  Ride a bike, I did that a lot, it just sucks on time and crappy hours for me to ride to and from work now, but when I did ride to work everyday, I saved a lot on gas.  Riding at night and in the rain is a cool adventure, especially when you dodge enough cars :)

Oh, and a favorite eating tip from some stoners I knew back in college:  get some pants with lots of big pockets (like BDUs or something) and find a local restaurant with an all-you-can-eat deal (shrimp works well because of the size).  Put a plastic bag in each pocket, sit at an out-of-the-way spot, and while you're gorging on food, put part of each serving into a pocket.  Do that until your pockets are full or you get spotted and kicked out.  Eat for multiple days on the price of one meal :)

And for God's sake, remember to wash the damn pants--but take the food out first (hey, they were stoners; sometimes you had to spell things out very specifically for them)

Yeah, I saw that Mythbusters too, in my experience though cold beer doesn't cost any more than room temp beer.  If they have the cheep stuff in the freezer feel free to take that instead of the warm ones on the floor.

Yeah I didn't get this either. A bar code is a bar code and cold beer will scan the same as warm beer. Also, if the beer happened to be shipped cold and then got warm it's more likely to be skunked (or is that another myth?)

Woa, woa, woa, what the fuck? Free healthcare? Yes, below a certain income level. Free college? Yea right.

I'm 34 and I'm still paying off student loans.

You mean all Canadians don't get hockey scholarships?

Not a myth.  Keep the temperature changes to a minimum.

Some people, like me, don't have this problem.  Taco Bell is the only fast-food place that I have worked at where I can still eat.  In fact, I get cravings.  I love me some Mexican Pizza or Bean Burrito, even though I know exactly from what everything is made.  Must be some sort of addictive chemical.

Ground-up goat ass is addicitve?

Only when eaten with a spoon.  With a side order of mashed potatoes.

Temperature changes and sunlight are both bad for beer.  Which is why you stay away from beer in clear or green bottles, if you're buying for taste, and why most beers are in the amber bottles.

The fad to have expiration or born on dates really isn't based on too much.  Sure,  old beer (plus a year) will have percipitates.  And the yeast might keep going a little bit (not too much, since it'll have already eaten most of the sugars),  but temperature changes are far more determental to taste.

You all are lucky if you don't have liquor stores that charge more for cold or warm beer.  They usually tack on a few dollars for it to be cold, heck I remember the class 6 store back when I was in the service charged more for cold beer...guess I don't get to buy enough beer now adays.   :-(

Pabst Blue Ribbon, the Beer that keeps on givin.

I'm with VDL, I refused to switch to Basics or another cheap cig brand. (I also noticed they smoked about 3x as fast as a normal smoke). So you actually spent more on equal enjoyment.

Top Raman with the water drained and a little oill and about 1/2 the flavor packet is also very yummy.

If you get a roomie, find out what they refuse to eat, or are alergic to. Stockpile a lot of that (If money is really tight, chances are roomies food = your food).

The best beer deal out here in Northern Cali is a 24 pack of Keystone Ice cans.

Usually this will set you back about $6-7 (w/ tax) but this beer will take down all those mooching fucking lightweights in a hurry, not to mention ditzy females they will drop like flies after 3 gaurenteed.  Oh but be warned, females and many lightweights will not fucking touch Keystone until they are already drunk.

In these types of situations what you want is to have two 12-packs of Coors Light or something, and slowly put them into the fridge, that way the pussies will keep drinking and be happy, but everyone who just wants a damn beer will grab the easier to find Keystones and get shitfaced.

The cheap ass nasty beer that I remember the best from Cali was Lucky Lager; had little puzzles in the bottle caps, shitfaced and entertained all in one product.

Up here we have goverment liquor stores, and privately owned beer stores. The gov't stores don't usually chill anything. Some of them have a blast chiller dealy you can use, but generally its warm. Beer is about $8 - $13 per six ranging from Lucky to Hoegarden. In the beer stores all beer is in a fridge and you pay about $2 - $3 extra per six.

Liquor is quicker.

Candy is dandy but...

King Cobra.  FEEL THE BITE!

The proof is in the [meat] pudding.  I did mention that I used to work there; you aren't going to sicken me with mere text.

The cheap beer around here seems to be Milwaukee's Best, a.k.a Milwaukee's Beast or simply The Beast.  This is the beer whose national slogan was "Some days... are better than others."

Beast light (for the ladies) was our college beer of choice. Back in the good old days when a keg would run you $33 and tipping the warehouse guy $10 would get you an extra keg.

I think the last keg we got of Miller Lite (barely a step up from the Beast) ran us around $90.

I wouldn't drink Miller Light if they sponsored my Super Bowl party with 10 free kegs. That beer is ass.

I never thought I would enjoy US beer after having been to Europe and drinking my share of good wheat beers (Erdinger Weissbrau rocks!) and other beer, I'm happy to report that a good cold Samuel Adams (or Sam Adams Light) is awesome!  And if you drink it from a frozen jelly jar or ball jar it is even better.  Man, that makes me want to strap on a case of beer to the back of my bicycle and go riding off into town!  Now I might have to make some brauts, kraut, and beer in the dutchoven.   :-D

Amen.

Righ drinks Sam Adams, too, though I've never seen him drink any light beer, ever.  He does, however, buy their variety packs for... umm... variety.

Target has a new thing, the ones with grocery stores do anyway, where you can populate a sixpack with whatever bottles are on the shelf.  A ripoff, sure, but a cool idea if you are one of those that like to mix and match.