I’m a money saving game geek. Making a game out of it keeps me from feeling deprived. I make the “win” saving the money instead of spending it.

So I decided to make a list of all the money-saving games I’ve played over the years. I came up with twenty-three. You’ll recognize many of these.

I know there’s a lot more out there. I thought it would be fun to ask you readers to add any money saving games that you play. They have to be ones that you actually do.

1. The Change Can Game - every night, into the container of my choice. I’ve changed container styles over the years. For a while I was using a Poland Springs five gallon water bottle, but it took too long to fill, and was a pain to finally cash in.
2. The One, Five or Ten Dollar Bill Can Game - I’d vary the denomination, depending upon how frugal I was feeling.
3. The Give Up Something Game - coffee and going out to dinner are my two biggies.
4. The Do Something Bad and Pay Game - Swearing, or eating something I shouldn’t be eating, like Twinkies, costs a buck.
5. Returning Bottles Game - I find this to be a real pain in the butt game, a lot of work for not much return, but I still do it.
6. The Energy Saving Light Bulbs Switch Game - and I had to buy them on sale.
7. Coupon Game - I at least use enough coupons to pay for the Sunday paper. And periodically I cruise the web.
8. The Open a Credit Card Rebate Game - I opened five new credit cards, none of which I use, in the past year, to get the various rebates. They’re either for fifty or one hundred dollars a shot.
9. The Credit Card Rebate For What You Spend Game - we get 2% towards our mortgage with Countrywide. Everything goes on that card, and we pay it off each month.
10. Haggle Game - how much can you knock off of your cable bill or phone bills.
11. Discount Hunting Game - never pay full price. Surf for a better one.
12. Bartering For Professional Services - I don’t often do this, but it can save a lot. If your neighbor is an accountant, and you’re a mechanic, offer to fix his car if he’ll do your taxes.
13. The You Never See It to Begin With Game - automatic withdrawals.
14. Direct Deposit Your Raise Game - an off-shoot of the You Never See It to Begin With Game.
15. Creative Frugal Vegetarian Recipes Game - instead of that expensive piece of fish or beef.
16. Cut Back on Your Insurance Premiums Game - I remove collision as soon as I can, and have a higher deductable.
17. The Brown Bag It Game- I started bringing my lunch to work January 1st, and save about five dollars a day.
18. The Wait Two Days Before Any Major Expenditure Game - this helps battle impulse purchases of things I really don’t need.
19. The Putting My Money Where It’s Hard To Get At It Game - I mostly use on- line banking, so transfers take at least a few days.
20. The Wait For It to Rain Game - instead of taking my car to the car wash.
21. The Wait to Take the Dogs to the Groomers Game - It’s a splurge that I take them at all! But they’re hair dogs, so need haicuts regularly. Instead of taking them every month, I stretch it to six or eight weeks.
22. Dumpster Diving - I don’t do this, but my step daughter does. It’s the new thing for college students, especially.
23. Find Something Free to Do This Weekend Game - whatever we choose, it has to be free. I’m amazed at how much there is out there when you start to look.

Happy Saving!

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