What do YOU do to save money and reduce expenses?

[360ci]

Originally Posted by IdahoGrass

Even better than employing illegals, just buy a couple of them and keep 'em in the basement. I am getting a business credit card that pays back 3% on gas and 1% on everything else, that will put a little money back in my pocket for sure. I also try to make myself a lunch every day.

Credit cards are only beneficial if you pay them off each month and don't carry a balance, or else the 'reward' essentially knocks the interest from 20% down to the 19% range.

I have 'points' cards for fuel at various stations that help. Labour costs for me are six times as much as my fuel costs and I'm only a part time operator. I spend more in personal fuel costs each week during the season than I do with my business all month. Small engined and fuel efficient machines help a LOT.

[Kickin Your Grass]

I built a small bathroom in my enclosed trailer out of 2x4's and plywood and put one of those portable camping toilets in it. Saves a lot of time not having to stop and go.

I have a microwave in the trailer and a power inverter in my truck. It saves a lot of time and money from not eating out.

This year I have been really shopping around before I make any purchases. For examle: The company that usually does all my truck lettering and trailer signs wanted $490+tax to letter my enclosed trailer. I descided to go down the street to there competitor and was quoted $285+tax for the same exact thing. I saved $205 just shopping around.

[yardguy28]

i fail to see how using a bathroom in a trailer saves money. time i can see but not money.

as for the microwave so you don't eat out. i don't think thats necessary. it's call brown bag it with cold meat or pb&j.

about then only time i will not stop at a bathroom is in an emergency situation and then it's the empty gatorade bottle. otherwise there are plenty of places to stop inbetween jobs that have public restrooms and by the end of the day it doesn't save that much if i wouldn't have stopped.

[360ci]

Originally Posted by Kickin Your Grass

I built a small bathroom in my enclosed trailer out of 2x4's and plywood and put one of those portable camping toilets in it. Saves a lot of time not having to stop and go.

I have a microwave in the trailer and a power inverter in my truck. It saves a lot of time and money from not eating out.

This year I have been really shopping around before I make any purchases. For examle: The company that usually does all my truck lettering and trailer signs wanted $490+tax to letter my enclosed trailer. I descided to go down the street to there competitor and was quoted $285+tax for the same exact thing. I saved $205 just shopping around.

I couldn't have said it better. Even if someone refers someone to me to do a job or otherwise, if I have to spend MY money on it, I'll shop around. That much is a given. If this said person does find out that I got the work done elsewhere, and criticize me for it, that's fine. I'll take the words and keep the few hundred bucks I saved! As much as I believe in you get what you pay for, in some cases, it PAYS to shop around. A lot of good people are out there and can do work on par with a professional, but at a fraction of the cost and similar quality.

I have to admit, I never did think of adding a bathroom in a cargo trailer! That is one fantastic idea!

[Scagmower48]

Originally Posted by clydebusa

Got rid of the Kubota, saved a bundle!

I shopped around and the kubota was the best price AND I got the most value.

[DoetschOutdoor]

My enclosed trailer has a bathroom as well. Its an old tennis ball can. Now if I can just keep the gas station trips down to a minimum for food and soda, I will be good.

[Kickin Your Grass]

Originally Posted by yardguy28

i fail to see how using a bathroom in a trailer saves money. time i can see but not money.

as for the microwave so you don't eat out. i don't think thats necessary. it's call brown bag it with cold meat or pb&j.

about then only time i will not stop at a bathroom is in an emergency situation and then it's the empty gatorade bottle. otherwise there are plenty of places to stop inbetween jobs that have public restrooms and by the end of the day it doesn't save that much if i wouldn't have stopped.

I look at time as money. If I was to break of route to go use a restroom I could loose up to 30 minutes of working time. Multiply that by how much you make per hour for a week. It ads up. It works for me but might not work for others.

I don't know about you but cold meat sandwiches or pb&j gets old real quick. Eating out is great but IMO very wasteful. I would rather eat my wifes home cooked dinner for lunch or any other thing you can microwave. It works for me and I save lots of money doing it.

[Schuley]

Buy the right equipment.....
If you pull up to a jobsite and have to unload all your stuff from the trailer so you can unload or reload your mower on it, then you wasting time, I see it alot with guys. They buy a cheap trailer to save money, and its worthless in the long run. Like others said, time is money, the more you get done in a day the more money you make. Have nice machines, maintain them, nothing worse than fixing a broke down machine on the job.... I spend money on things that are going to help get the job done, and i'm more willing to spend money on something if it means I can eliminate labor of mine or the labor of a helper. Then you can actually see an hourly savings by having it.

[Landscraper1]

Like I mentioned earlier, you want to save money, cut down on labor. That bathroom idea was the most original on this thread yet. Saves time which in turn saves money.
Breakdowns on the job are very costly as well. If a piece of equipment is down at the job. You can have your men around it for 30 mins before they realize that they're not mechanics. And then they are screwed the rest of the day without it. Very, very costly.
I buy 20 ft trailers. Have all the equipment the men need on it plus, an extra trimmer, blower, and large mower. If they have a breakdown, they have backup. At the end of the day, they drop off the broken machine and pick up another backup for the next day.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by Kickin Your Grass

I look at time as money. If I was to break of route to go use a restroom I could loose up to 30 minutes of working time. Multiply that by how much you make per hour for a week. It ads up. It works for me but might not work for others.

I don't know about you but cold meat sandwiches or pb&j gets old real quick. Eating out is great but IMO very wasteful. I would rather eat my wifes home cooked dinner for lunch or any other thing you can microwave. It works for me and I save lots of money doing it.

it takes you half an hour to take a piss

i guess you better stick with using a toilet in your trailer. i can make a stop at a gas station and from the time i park the truck until the time i pull out is only 5 min., if that sometimes. i don't loose no half an hour. it's not like i stop 5 times a day. at the most i might stop once before lunch and maybe once after lunch. depending on whether i stop to eat my lunch or eat while i'm driving i will stop during lunch.