105 Ways to Save Money

I wrote this for a freelance client who evidently changed her mind as she never paid for it, so I thought I would share it with you. She hired me via Freelancer but never deposited the money, and it looks like her blog hasn't had any action since then either. Luckily, I have a use for this list. Can you think of any additions?

1. Weatherproof your house. If money is tight, even simple things like rolling up a towel and placing it in front of leaky door thresholds or windowsills, can help.

2. Make sure you aren't running money down the drain. Make sure your toilets and faucets aren't leaking. 

3. Cut your own grass. Not only do you not have to pay the yard service, you also get exercise. 

4. Turn off lights when you leave a room. The monsters under the bed prefer it to be dark. 

5. Replace incandescent bulbs with high-efficiency LED or compact florescent bulbs.

6. Dress for the season, and adjust your thermostat accordingly. Long underwear in the winter means your house is comfortable at a lower temperature; wear shorts in the summer, and keep the air conditioning close to 80 degrees. 

7. Use vinegar and water as a multi-purpose cleaner. It's cheap and works well. 

8. Plant a garden. 

9. Make friends with someone who has a garden or fruit trees. 

10. If you don't need it, don't shop for it, either online or in stores--and turn off QVC. 

11. Give your time, not just your money. Many charities need volunteers as much as they need contributions. 

12. Garage sales and second hand stores are great sources of kids' clothes and toys.

13. Convince your mom that watching your kids is a privilege, not a chore.

14. Join a babysitting co-op, or start one. You get a night out, and your kids get friends to play with. 

15. Carpool to work. 

16. Call around to price insurance coverage. Another company may beat the price you are now paying; but don't cancel your old coverage until new coverage is in place.

17. See if you can get discounts for receiving your bills electronically. 

18. Increase insurance deductibles, but not to the point that you can’t afford them. 

19. Start (or have your kids start) college at the local community college. Not only do they cost less, but classes are taught by people whose job it is to teach these classes; not by graduate assistants.

20. Keep your tires properly inflated; not only does this save wear and tear on the tires, but gas as well. 

21. Learn to change your own oil -- or at least use coupons when you get your oil changed. 

22. Change your own air filter in your car. I mean this job is dead simple and does not even require tools. 

23. Sign up for your grocery store's loyalty card. 

24. Check the weekly ads for your favorite grocery store and/or drugstore. Plan your meals around items that are on sale.

25. Meal plan before you shop, make a grocery list and follow it.

26. If things you use regularly are on sale, buy enough to last six to eight weeks (the average sale cycle for grocery stores).

27. Make a price book to track prices of things you buy frequently.

28. Buy a crockpot. Slow cooking makes even the toughest meat tender, and being able to put dinner in the crockpot in the morning and come home to a cooked meal removes the temptation to drive through the fast food place.

29. Do batch or freezer cooking. It is not much harder to make lasagne or sloppy joes or chile for three meals than it is to make them for one. Double or triple recipes and freeze the extra. 

30. Make contributions; don’t buy fundraisers. When the kids bring chocolate or wrapping paper home from school know that the fundraising company probably makes as much as the school does. Send it back, along with check to the school--donation in lieu of fundraiser. 

31. Enter blog giveaways. You can use the prizes, sell them or give them as gifts. Living Well Mom has a list of giveaway link-ups. 

32. Try generics at the grocery store; if after trying them you don’t like them, you don’t have to buy them again, but at least give them a try.

33. Seek out low-priced extra-curricular activities for the kids. Start with your church, the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and community recreation departments. Karate lessons from our community department of recreation were one-quarter the cost of a private studio because our tax dollars were paying the utility bills and insurance premiums. 

34. Use your public library, not the bookstore.

35. If you really like to read and write, become a book blogger; you will have more free books than you can read.

36. Use your public library, not the Red Box. Most public libraries not only lend books, they lend DVDs as well.

37. Check out the children’s programs at your public library. 

38. If you live in an area with several local stations, drop your cable and buy an over-the-air antenna. 

39. Match your cellphone plan to your use--or better yet, match your use to a low-priced plan. 

40. If you must eat out, eat out at lunch when prices are lower.

41. Print drafts on the back of all that paper the kids bring home from school.

42. Use the draft mode on your printer to save ink.

43. If you have lots of carpet in your house, buy a steam cleaner. Not only will you save money in the long run over renting or paying a carpet cleaning service, you will have it handy to clean up small spills when they happen.

44. Make your own laundry detergent. Here is a recipe. 

45. Use a solar clothes dryer (clothes line) rather than the electric or gas model. 

46. Make sure the washer is full when you run it.

47. Wash in cold water.

48. Only run the dishwasher when it is full.

49. Keep your freezer full, even if it is with blocks of ice. A full freezer uses less energy than an empty one.

50. Keep wrapped snacks in the car to soothe the beasts in the back seat without resorting to the drive through.

51. Especially if you plan to have more than one child, use cloth diapers.

52. Match your device to its use. You can play Candy Crush just as well on a $99 Kindle Fire as on a $499 I-Pad. If you only use your computer to type and surf the web, you don’t need a $1,000 machine; a $300 one will work just fine.

53. Don’t buy mostly duplicative subscriptions. Amazon Prime provides free shipping, free movies and free music. If you have Prime, drop I-tunes, Pandora and Netflix.

54. Consider whether you really need to buy a new device; a used one may meet your needs.

55. Drive an older car, particularly if it is paid for. If the car isn’t worth much, you do not have to carry comprehensive or collision insurance.

56. Buy your cars used; look for an “old person’s car”--those uncool big American cars that were driven by an older person who did not drive much in the many years she owned it.

57. Drink water from the faucet--or if that does not work for you, water from gallon or five gallon jugs. Individual servings of water are expensive.

58. Don’t eat between meals. Most snacks are expensive, high in calories and low in nutrition. If you must snack, make sure it is on nutritious food.

59. Wash your hands regularly. Don’t laugh, being sick is expensive and the easiest way to reduce the incidence of illness is hand washing.

60. Color your own hair. If you skip the highlights and just go for an overall color, it is as easy as shampooing your hair.

61. Do your own nails. The nail salon is a luxury, not a necessity.

62. Eat naturally meatless meals--those featuring beans, or cheese rather than meat.

63. Use online banking to pay your bills; there are banks that do not charge for this, and you save the price of a stamp.

64. If your bank charges fees for your account, look into changing accounts or banks. There are no-fee options out there, especially at smaller banks. (I’m talking about account fees, not overdraft fees).

65. If your employer offers a flexible spending account for healthcare, use it. Estimate your healthcare (including dental) out-of-pocket expenses, subtract some for safety (because if you don’t use it you lose it) and put that money in your flex account so that you don’t pay taxes on the money.

66. Eat right and exercise regularly. While this doesn’t immediately translate into dollars in the bank, many healthcare expenses can be avoided by taking care of ourselves.

67. Use ceiling fans to make rooms feel cooler so you don’t have to spend as much on air conditioning.

68. If you are looking for a new home, keep all the costs in mind, not only the rent/mortgage but your commuting costs as well. If your family has a stay-at-home parent, the right neighborhood may make it possible to live with one car for even more savings.

69. If you are buying your teen a car, buy an older, larger car. The question isn’t whether your teen is going to wreck this car, it is when. 

70. Buy in-season fruits and vegetables, not those flown in from across the country or world.

71. Check the tax assessor’s value of your home. If home values have dropped in your area, it could be too high, and appealing could get you a lower tax bill.

72. If you like to knit, crochet, sew or otherwise make things, let friends and family know that you will make things for them if they provide the materials.

73. Ask to see the mis-tints or returns at the paint store. They can color-match to make more paint that color and choosing that paint will save you a few dollars on your first gallon.

74. Instead of going out with friends, invite them over for a themed pot-luck. 

75. Pay those credit card bills off every month and pay them on time.

76. Get a no-fee credit card.

77. If you have the discipline not to charge more than you can pay off, charge everything to a no-fee rewards card (I love my Discover Card). 

78. Make your vacation accommodations match your plans. If you “do Disney” by being there for the rope drop and not leaving until after the fireworks, do you really need a fancy hotel room?

79. Buy your Walt Disney World tickets from Undercover Tourist and save. 

80. If you need a rental car, check Hotwire.

81. When reserving a rental car (including when you use Hotwire) reserve the smallest car you could tolerate. When you arrive they will probably try to upgrade you. Hold your ground, insist on the car you reserved. If you are lucky they won’t have it and they will have to upgrade you at no additional cost. 

82. Save your “gray” water--water from bathing or handwashing--and use it to water plants.

83. Form a “lunch bunch” with co-workers; take turns bringing lunch for the whole group.

84. Brush and floss regularly; it’s the best way to reduce the chances of big dental bills.

85. Make friends with people who live simply; keeping up with them will save you money; keeping up with the Joneses will cost you.

86. If you are paying for a storage locker, empty it. There are few things worth paying monthly storage fees to keep. Sell the contents, give them away or throw them away.

87. Make your next vacation a “Staycation” and explore your hometown and nearby attractions through the eyes of a tourist, while sleeping in your own bed.

88. Learn to mend your clothes. Sewing on buttons and hemming is not difficult and does not require any equipment beyond a needle and thread. 

89. Watch those recurring charges on your credit card bill, and cancel services you don’t use. 

90. If you are paying for a service (like Netflix) research free alternatives (like Hulu). Depending on how often you use the service and how important it is to you, the free alternative may be just as good.

91. If you need software, consider free versions. Instead of Microsoft Office, consider Google Docs, Kingsoft WPS or Open Office. Instead of Photoshop, consider GIMP or Paint.net. 

92. Make your own chicken broth. When you eat chicken, gather the bones and throw them in the freezer. Once you have bones from two or three chickens, put cover them with water and put them on the stove until the water boils. You have now killed the germs left from whomever ate the chicken. Put the bones, the water and some onion, celery, parsley and other herbs in the crockpot and cook overnight on low.

93. Be aware of devices that use electricity even when they are off. These include many modern electronics like televisions and game systems. Plug them into power strips and before you go to bed, or leave home, turn the power strip off.

94. Use your primary care doctor whenever possible. Most insurance companies have lower co-pays if you see your primary care doctor than when you see a specialist. While it is tempting to self-refer to a specialist to avoid double co-pays, most of the time a primary care doctor can fix what ails you.

95. Don’t go to the emergency room; it is the most expensive place to get care. If you suspect a broken bone or a serious illness then you will have to go to the emergency room; if you are simply sick on a weekend or don’t want to have to miss work tomorrow, try the drugstore minute clinic or the urgent care center.

96. Consider high-deductible health insurance. Run the numbers on what your total healthcare bills would be (premiums, deductibles, co-pays) if you and your family never got sick, with the usual amount of sickness and with sicknesses that made you pay the maximum out-of-pocket. 

97. Consider all your health insurance options. Do your children qualify for CHIP? Would it be cheaper for you to cover your spouse, or for him to get his insurance at his job? Who should cover the kids? 

98. Don’t buy adult pajamas. Sleep in your underwear or in an old t shirt (or in nothing at all). 

99. Remind your kids that broken crayons work just fine.

100. When your doctor writes a prescription, remind her that cost is an issue and ask for generic. 

101. If you take medication regularly, (such as for blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, arthritis etc.) research the drug(s) you are taking and the cost thereof. Then research alternatives. If you find some that are substantially cheaper, ask your doctor about them at the next appointment. There may be a good reason he didn’t pick them--or maybe the detail rep for the expensive drug bought him lunch the day he wrote the prescription. You won’t know unless you ask. 

102. Why do you still have a landline phone? No good answer? Get rid of it, and the bill.

103. Call your phone/cable/internet provider and shop rates. 

104. Are you carrying a balance on a credit card? Can you get a lower interest rate elsewhere, like Prosper or Lending Club, or will another credit card give you interest-free balance transfers? If you have decent credit, shop around. 

105. Do your own taxes with online sofware from H&R Block, Tax Act or other providers. Unless your finances are far more complicated than most people’s these programs will work just fine, save you a trip to a tax preparer and save you money.

Should I Do My Own Taxes?

Now that most tax forms have been issued, most Americans are either preparing to do their taxes or get them done, or are putting off doing them or getting them done.  Those who are expecting a refund are generally in a bigger hurry than those expecting to write a check.  Nevertheless, we all need to attend to this chore in one way or another.

So, Should I Do My Own Taxes?

Without hesitation I will say "Yes" you should, unless you have done it yourself recently, or unless you are wealthy enough that the time it takes to work through your return is more valuable than any money you might save.  However, I do not necessarily suggest that you file that return.

But I'm Not a Tax Professional; How Would I Do a Tax Return?

The same way most tax professionals do, with software.  Most of the big tax preparation software companies offer free online versions, and that is what I use.  If you go to most of the storefront tax preparation offices, you are going to work with a preparer who knows little if anything more about tax law than you do.  Those people ask you questions as prompted by the computer and fill in the answers you and/or your documents give.  They are not qualified to give legal advice or accounting advice.  They fill out forms.  You can fill out forms on your own computer.

I Don't Know--Are You Sure I Can Do It?

Yes, I'm sure.  I've done our taxes most years since we've been married (27 years), and I did my own before that.  I started with the tax form and the instruction book, moved to software from the computer store, and, for the last few years, to online software.  The software asks the questions; you answer them.  What is your name?  Social Security Number?  Your spouse's name?  Children?  How old?  Were you employed?  By whom?  Did you get a W-2?  Enter the information here.  While some of the steps are different between different programs, basically they all lead you to enter all the necessary information.  All the questions can get annoying, but the programs have been set up as a collection of "if-then" routines.  If you have children, then it asks their ages, and if one is childcare age, at some point it will ask you for your childcare expenses.  If one is college age, at some point it will ask for your tuition expenses.  Work your way through the program of your choice.  I've used Turbo-Tax, Tax Act and H&R Block's online program.  I often use two in one year to see if the results are the same; if they aren't, I try to figure out why (typing errors are the usual answer). 

I Know I Want a CPA to Do My Taxes, So Why Should I Do Them First?

There are good reasons to use a CPA to do your taxes.  If you have rental property and are figuring depreciation and deductions or if you have a business and are trying to decide of certain expenses are deductible, or if you want advice on what you can do next year to reduce your taxable income (which is different from increasing your refund)  from the business, a CPA or tax attorney may be worth the cost. If you have non-standard investments, the tax software may not know how to handle them.  However, for most people who are paid an income that is reported on a W-2 or 1099, and who have investments for which they receive tax forms from the investment company, a CPA isn't going to be able to save you any money over the computer.  If you don't believe me, do them yourself on the computer, and then get the CPA to do them.  What's the difference?

What about if you really do have a good reason to give the job to the CPA?  Do them yourself anyway, at least every few years.  Why?  Because I think every adult needs to know how their income taxes are determined.  Maybe you can really get this information from your tax form, and understand it, but given the large number of people who pay data entry clerks to do their taxes, I question how many people really understand the system.  If you understand the system, you can do a better job of making it work for you--even if that means being better prepared to question your CPA as to get the best advice from him or her.  

You Said the On-line Versions Are Free:  What's the Catch?

They make their money from the "freemium" model.  The software is free to use, but along the way they offer you the chance to buy various upgrades.  Most people can complete a return without them.  Some offer the federal return at no cost but charge for the state.

Note:  Since writing this article I have become aware that the IRS has deals with several companies that require them to offer free Federal filing, if your income is under $62,000 and if you enter the software via the FreeFile link.  Check the information on this page carefully before you start your return to make sure you are dealing with one that fits you.  I did my son's 1040EZ on one that wouldn't let me free file because of his age.  Since the form was simple, I just re-did it on another service, but had it been more complex I probably would have paid the money just to have it over with, which is what I suspect they hoped I would do.  

When Should I Get Help?

When you realize you are in over your head, that's when.  No one but you knows when that is but if you have filled out the forms, answered the questions and you can't get the error messages to turn off, or if you owe far more than you thought you would, asking for professional help may be the only answer, but see a professional--a CPA, tax attorney or enrolled agent-- not a data entry clerk at a storefront tax preparation service.  A few years ago my autistic son was in an expensive program at a school for the developmentally delayed.  It is a program that, had he made it to the top of a waiting list, tax dollars would have paid for.  However, we did not want to wait, so we paid the fees.  I wanted to know if they were deductible.  I read everything I could find about the subject, and I still wasn't sure--I was leaning toward saying they were not, but I wasn't sure, and the amount of money at stake was substantial, so I asked a CPA.  He too researched and looked at it a couple of different ways, and when it was all said and done, said that no, the expense was not deductible.  Even though he did not get the answer I wanted, I do not think I wasted my money.  On the other hand, the rest of the return he did matched the one I did, so I felt confident doing my own return the next year.  

Who Should Be Able to Do Their Own Return?

If your income is all accounted for on W-2 and 1099's, if your investments are all in things that issue yearly tax forms and if you do not own a business, then  you are unlikely to have problems with your tax return.  If you do not own a house or a business, you are not likely to be able to itemize your deductions and should be able to complete a simple tax form.  Complete your return on one of the online services and, if you paid someone to do your return last year, compare them (actually comparing your return to last year's is a good way to catch any omissions in any case).  What is different?  I'm not talking about exact numbers--a person who earns exactly the same from one year to the next is probably rare--but look at the lines.  Did last year's return have an entry on line 19?  Why?  Does this year's return?  Why or why not?  Do that for each line.  For most people, filling out tax returns is tedious, not hard--and by the time  you've gathered the information for the tax preparer (whether that person is a data entry clerk at a storefront service or a high-priced tax attorney) you've already done half the work.  

You probably can do your own taxes and you should have an understanding of how your taxes are computed, which is information best learned by completing a tax return. Try it, even if you do decide to hire someone to do the final copy.

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich, A Disease Called Debt and Femme Frugality*

How to Save Money on Healthcare

Many families want to know how to save money on healthcare. While it is a major portion of many family budgets, there are ways to, if not save money, at least get the most for it.

Compare the Costs and Value of Offered Insurance Plans:

Whether you purchase your health insurance on Obamacare Exchanges, get it as a fringe benefit at work or buy it from an agent, to save money on healthcare, carefully consider all your choices.  Many employers are offering a variety of choices and those buying from the exchanges or from an agent need to decide on the appropriate level of coverage.  Look at the portion of the premiums you will pay, the co-pays and the deductibles.  Then, sit down and figure out what your family will pay 

• If no one in your family gets any healthcare this year except for routine physicals (which are supposed to be covered 100%);
• If your family gets your usual and expected healthcare; and
• If someone in your family gets sick enough to reach the maximum deductible/co-pay on the policy.

Often, for the same network of doctors, the high-deductible plans are cheaper in all three cases; however, if someone else (like your employer or the government) is subsidizing the plan, that may not be true.  The only way to find out for sure which is best to save money on healthcare is to run the numbers.  Even after  you run the numbers, be honest with yourself.  If the high deductible plan would be cheaper, would you put the premium savings in an HSA for healthcare expenses, or would you spend it?  If spending it is likely, what would you do if you incurred a large medical expense?  Even if you would save the premium savings, what would happen if someone in your family incurred major expenses next week?

Also, you may be asked to choose between plans with various networks, network benefits and out-of-network benefits.  Some plans require that care be coordinated through a primary care physician; others do not.  In short, generally the more limited your choices, the lower your cost, if you follow the rules.  However, those limited networks may not include the doctors you want to use or, if the doctors are included, they may have few slots available for patients with that insurance.  If you are contemplating switching insurance, particularly if that switch will require you to switch doctors, call the preferred new doctor's office and ask for an appointment for a check-up, and when they ask about your insurance, tell them you have the plan you are contemplating.  If it will be a while before that doctor can see you, tell the appointment clerk that you do not yet have that insurance, but are considering it.  If you need ongoing care, tell her why (eg. I take blood pressure medication) and that you are considering switching insurance and switching to Dr. X as your primary care physician.  Ask how soon after the insurance takes effect you would be able to see Dr. X, and if it isn't soon enough, consider another choice.  If you do not need ongoing care, tell the clerk that you are considering switching to that insurance and to Dr. X as your primary care physician, and ask what you should do if you develop an acute illness before you are able to be seen for a check-up.  The answer to that question should be part of your choice.  If you are going to end up in the emergency room because the doctor won't/can't see you, and the insurance is going to deny your claim because your sore throat should not have made you fear loss of life or limb, then the low premium isn't much consolation.  

Know the Terms of Your Policy, and Follow Them:

What happens if you go to an out-of-network doctor?  What happens if you go to the emergency room for what is deemed a non-emergency?  What happens if you self-refer to a specialist?  How much will your prescription cost?  Those are all questions to consider both when selecting a policy and when seeking healthcare.  If you choose to pay an out-of-network provider, and that provider prescribes medicine, is the medicine covered?  Which hospital are you supposed to use?  Do you have to try a generic drug first, before a brand name?  You will not save money on healthcare if you do not follow the terms of your policy.  

If Your Employer Offers a Flexible Spending Account, Use It

Flexible Spending Accounts are a way many employers help employees save money on healthcare.  Flexible Spending Accounts allow employees to choose to have up to $2550.00 per year withheld from their paychecks and placed into an account that can only be used for healthcare expenses.  Insurance co-pays and deductibles are eligible expenses, as are prescription drugs, out-of-network doctors, dental or orthodontic care and even some over-the-counter drugs.  The advantage of an FSA account is that the money is withheld pre-tax.  If you use after-tax dollars to pay those expenses, you can only deduct those expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income; with the FSA, all the expenses are, in effect, deductible.  Also, your employer may allow you to spend the money before it is deducted from your check so that a root canal in January can be paid for from the plan in January, and basically financed for the rest of the year.  The downside of an FSA is that if you don't use it, you lose it, though employers can allow you to carry forward a small amount.

If You Have a High-Deductible Plan, Get a Health Savings Account

People whose health insurance deductible (the amount they pay before the policy pays anything) exceeds $1,300 per person/$2,600 per family qualify for a Health Savings Account.  Some employers offer them; if yours does not, your bank probably does.  You receive a tax deduction for money deposited into the account, and you do not pay taxes on money that is withdrawn, as long as you use it to pay healthcare expenses.  You can carry over the account from year to year.  One tactic people use is to choose a high-deductible plan and then put the difference between the premiums for the high -deductible and low-deductible plans in an HSA.  As long as  you do not have major claims, after a few years there will be more than enough in that account to pay the deductibles.

Don't Buy Stupid Insurance

The purpose of insurance is to protect you against things you cannot afford to have happen.  If you are going to pay money for premiums, you want to buy insurance that makes a difference if it is needed.  There are many "supplemental" insurance plans offered by companies like AFLAC or sold via newspaper ads that pay if you get cancer, if you are in an accident, if you are hospitalized, or if some specified disease occurs.  While the low premiums are the selling point for these policies, the possible payouts are also relatively low, and in the grand scheme of things, for many people,  are unlikely to make much of a difference in your life. Sit down and run the numbers.  How many months would you have to pay premiums before your benefit would equal what you paid?  How much difference would that check make if the bad thing happened?  Is there a period of time during which the policy will only return the premiums paid, rather than paying the face value?  Remember you are betting against an insurance company that knows the odds.

Pick the Right Level of Care

Face it, emergency rooms are expensive.  Unless you have no other choice, don't go there.  While choices may be limited in rural areas or small towns, larger cities have other options including drugstore minute clinics and urgent care clinics.  Unless you suspect broken bones, major trauma or serious illness, try the minute clinic or urgent care if your doctor can't see you.  Also, your primary care physician is often the least expensive person to see about an illness.  Yes, it is possible that s/he will refer you to a specialist, so that you will get two bills instead of the one you would have gotten had you gone straight to the specialist, but the reality is that most problems can be handled by an internist, family medicine doctor or pediatrician.  

Check Your Bills

Medical bills are pages and pages long and include procedure codes, diagnosis codes and charges upon charges.  Make sure you or your loved one got what you were billed for.  My husband received two bills for his colonoscopy one year.  As he said "I may be an A----but I don't have two of them".

Keep Yourself Healthy

Some healthcare problems are unavoidable; however many are of our own making.  Eating right, maintaining a health weight and exercising regularly and avoiding stupidity behind the wheel will do as much to lower average medical bills as any fancy government program or overpriced medicine.  

Healthcare is expensive.  We all know it.  There are no magic bullets that allow us cheap healthcare; however, becoming better consumers can help save money on healthcare.  Do you have any advice for those struggling to pay for healthcare?

Linked to Frugal Friday.

*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on brokeGIRLrich, Disease Called Debt and Friday Night Shenanigans*

How to Reduce the Costs of Your Hobbies--And Maybe Even Profit By Them

For most people, retirement is a time of more time and less money.  Now that you finally have time to engage in all those hobbies you put off over the years, you have less money to spend on them  Hopefully this post will give you ideas to support your hobbies.

Let Friends and Family Buy Your Materials

If your hobby produces things people enjoy having, let friends and family know that you are willing to "work" for materials.  If your hobby is needlework, perhaps a friend who is expecting a grandchild would love for you to stitch a piece for the nursery, and would consider the cost of the materials to be a bargain.  If gourmet cooking is your thing, give someone a shopping list, and prepare a meal at their house, or invite them to yours--a win-win.

Sell the Fruits of Your Labor

Many people with gardens end up with far more produce than they can use at some point, and many give it away.  Ask the recipients of your largess to help pay for your expenses.  If crafting is your thing, look into getting a booth at a craft fair periodically.  The trick is to take on only as much as you can handle without it becoming work.  

Give Lessons

Is knitting your thing?  Would your local craft shop pay you to teach once a week?  Think about what you like to do and think about where you could give lessons.  Perhaps your local community education program is looking for teachers, or the local store that sells supplies for your hobby.  Can you trade golf lessons for green fees?

Write About It, or Make Youtube Videos

I know this is going to shock you, but most bloggers do not get rich from it.  However, depending on your hobby, a blog could do a lot to support it.  Book bloggers gain access to Advanced Reader Copies, which can be either physical books or digital.  NetGalley and Edelweiss keep my Kindle full, and all I have to do is post reviews on my book blog, This That and the Other Thing.  I get monthly mailings from Litfuse which offer me physical books.  Catholic Word and Pauline Media send me pretty much any book they sell that I request.  Most experienced book bloggers find themselves with daily offers of free books in return for a review.  While Advanced Reader Copies are not supposed to be resold, and digital copies cannot be resold, it is easy for a book blogger to end up with piles of books which can be resold if desired. Check out It's Monday What Are You Reading, Mailbox Monday or The Sunday Post to become familiar with book blogs and the wide variety of review copies bloggers obtain.   While other niches may not have the steady supply of review material that book blogs do, blogs that attract a readership can sell ad space, write sponsored posts, host giveaways and make money from AdSense or other advertising programs.  

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As far as blogging goes, my advice is different from what most people writing "how to blog" posts say.  If you are blogging about your hobby (as opposed to blogging as a hobby) hoping to attract enough readership to get review copies and make a few dollars via affiliate links or Adsense, I suggest starting with a free Blogger blog.  It will mark you as a not-professional blogger, but it won't cost you anything.  WordPress may be more powerful (and it has tons more things you can spend money on) and your own domain name makes some people take you more seriously (or so I've heard) and is better for Search Engine Optimization, but self-hosting costs a few dollars every month and unless you attract a substantial following, you aren't going to earn that much--and you aren't going to get the following unless you really work at your blog.   If your goal is to be a blogger, follow the blogger's advice on how to be a great one; if your goal is community and review copies, a free blog will work just fine. 

If your hobby lends itself to demonstrations, demonstrate on camera and upload the video to YouTube.  If you develop a following your videos can earn you money from the ads that play before the video, or you may be asked to use and advertise certain products.  

I get about 4,000 pageviews a month on my book blog and about 2,000 pageviews a month here, and I earn about $4.00 per month from AdSense.  I have more books than I can read, I secured a freelance writing customer and I've gotten some freebies like a nice set of mixing bowls, an Exergen thermometer, a dog toy and a grill brush.  I'm a very small player in a very big world, but my blog supports my reading habit.  

Enter Giveaways

Find blogs about your hobby and chances are good that you will find giveaways offering supplies.  You can even find giveaway link-ups.  Many of them are run via Rafflecopter and can offer dozens of entries if you have the patience to look at everything they want to you examine but you can find smaller giveaways with better odds of winning, though the prizes usually have a lower value as well.  I've won books, holiday decor and even an electronic prayer book.  

Don't Forget about the Library

Yes, it is easy for a reader to obtain free (or shall we say paid for by taxes) books at the local library,  but today's public library also offers videos, and access to a variety of databases.  Instead of buying cross-stitch patterns, check books out from the library.  If you want to build something, a book from the library may be able to tell you how.  The library has cookbooks galore and magazines on many different topics.  Instead of subscribing to Ancestry.com, go to the library and use their subscription.

Check Out Garage Sales and Secondhand Stores 

Whatever you enjoy, chances are that other people do too, and that still others have tried it and found it wanting.  As people de-clutter, all sorts of things make their way to the garage sale or to Goodwill. I know someone for whom the hunt for quilting fabrics is almost as much fun as quilting.  

While most of our hobbies will never be truly free, a little creativity can make them much less expensive.  What are ways you have found to save money (or maybe even make money) on your hobby?