Cheap solutions to everyday problems.

Yeah. Hate to say it, but you may have to give up the automotive hobby for a bit. Projects are expensive. 

For other things I, too, recommend getting a job where you get discounts. I've worked at grocery stores for years, in addition to my full time job, 10 maybe 15 hours a week. The pay's not great, but the discounts are and you can definitely break even with the amount that your working and the food you buy. 

For a car guy on a budget pick a cheap car with plenty of after market support. Best two are a Camaro or Mustang.

I retired just as we dove into the last recession. My wife was in a low-grade panic, figured we'd be living in a box under a freeway. She started recording every penny we spent and categorizing it. While it was a PITA to remember every time I spent any cash the info was useful to highlight where we were spending on "wants" rather than "needs".

The other thing I do is buy my garage clothes at a thrift store. If I'm going to trash a pair of jeans it's better if they only cost me three bucks. I occasionally stumbled onto some really nice stuff real cheap.

One other one I thought of- make your tools work for you. When I was flush with cash. I purchased a fender roller for myself. I already knew how to roll, but now i had my own tool. I was already plugged into the import community locally,  so I had that angle. I put the word out that I had a roller and I was going to beat any local prices. Often times I'd leave the house, stop a few places, and come home with 100+ in cash. Off weekends I would flat 8ut just rent it to people for 20$ or something. One time a guy paid me 40$ just to go to the track and roll one fender. I would probably be doing it almost full time if I was still in Minnesota. 

There are always people in given car groups looking for help. I've found the local miata guys populated with kids that bought a cheap car and are willing to pay for help. Be that guy. Another guy I know builds fast donk motors because that's what pays. It's a mantra I stick to. Follow the cash. You might be installing ricelands on a miata, but its cash. 

If I am doing any fabricating of stuff, I usually head to the local CL free section to look for material.  Free dryers make for good sheet metal, bedframes make for good workbench frames, etc.

Shop at Salvation Army. I bought a suit for a wedding that fit me perfectly for like $20. 

People turn up their nose at these places. Old Navy has a big clearance section as does Kohl’s (big clothes/dept store in the Northeast). One of my favorite shirts cost $2.00.

smokindav said:

For a car guy on a budget pick a cheap car with plenty of after market support. Best two are a Camaro or Mustang.

I hear Miatas are popular. 

ebonyandivory said:

Shop at Salvation Army. I bought a suit for a wedding that fit me perfectly for like $20. 

People turn up their nose at these places. Old Navy has a big clearance section as does Kohl’s (big clothes/dept store in the Northeast). One of my favorite shirts cost $2.00.

I've been shopping in thrift stores for years. Can also get some good deals on eBay. 

I put this outfit together from both sources. Only wear it on April first or October 31, though. 

In reply to Floating Doc :

Yeah, yeah, I suppose you are right. I've had two of them, I'm over it now. Real men need V8's. :)

I almost never buy clothes that aren’t on clearance. Old navy for shirts, watch for sales for Lee’s or Wranglers down to $20/pair or so, etc. 

2nd getting a second job. I have a seasonal bartending job at a local hotel that pays for a lot of our family nicer things and since it’s seasonal it limits the burnout. 

Auto related...I wait for our local Pick-N-Pull to have a $100 all you can tote day. Friends are always looking for some weird part and I go in with a list. Got an engine transaxle setup along with a bunch of other plastic and interior parts (SWMBO loves her new black leather interior with heated seats) and I found some bumpers for a friend at $140 his cost! 

A keen eye and a little knowledge often finds some odd part that can be EBayed or marketed for good money. 97 Dodge diesel cooling fan is one example.

But my cheapness goes way back. I started with a snack at work that was $2.50 from a vending machine. Figures 20 days and that 50 bucks. Bought in bulk and the daily dropped to 51 cents or $10.20...$39.80 a month savings. Look for a cheaper way of doing what you want. Learn to cook, learn to fix your own car! I found that most repair jobs via a repair shop could be done by me, after buying the tools and parts I need, for less! I just had to learn how!

Got a part time job at a restaurant (pizza) and if you work well and be honest with the boss you will never go hungry and put a few extra bucks in your pocket.

Garage sales and estate sales are a good source of tools. Bought a tire balancer for $40 at one...should have bought the spot welder for 10 bucks but I get stupid sometimes.

Bruce

I bring my lunch to work every day. Almost every one else eats from a restaurant. 

I used to laugh at the older guys I worked with as a kid (building sheds in kit form). They used to buy pastries and coffee from the “Roach Coach” truck. Then, at lunch they’d buy sandwiches and drinks. Had to be $10 per day at the least. 

If they paid $2,400 up front on January 1st for the year, they’d E36 M3 a brick.

Attack the big ticket items;

What can you do about the crappy apartment? If you add 1/2 an hour to your commute will that cut the rent by a third? An extra hour of driving everyday sounds bad but if you save $400 a month you earning $20 an hour on the commute.

If it's just you can you buy an old RV and live in that for a while. I worked with a confirmed bachelor who lived in a 24ft trailer in a nice snow birders park. He was a computer geek and wanted to spend his money on tech gadgets.

As for racing and the car hobby, used race tires cut the bill by 2/3rds. Running a class that doesn't wear out said tires is also a bonus. For road racing go with an ITC car and for autocross run a stock class car.  I say stock class car because it won't require a trailer. My Formula 500 is stupid cheap as an autocross car but it requires having a truck and trailer. The key to running cheap is having a car that runs on 13" tires and runs on pump gas. 

20 years ago my road race + autocross budget was $1200 for the entire year. I only did local events. For road racing I would only run on Saturdays (events were double regionals), I did 4 events a year. I did 8 autocrosses a year, I could have done more but would mean buying another set of tires. Users sets back then were $200. 

The single biggest cost savings on car stuff is putting your ego away. Find a fun car and stick with it. Concentrate on fun events.

In reply to ebonyandivory :

I worked with a guy that spends almost $100 a week on the roach coach.