finance articles businesses business management business marketing Technologies finance accounting Industrial Manufacturing starting a small business Investment health information

75 money saving tips

money30743392.jpg

  1. The holiday time of year can be very expensive. If you look at your expenditures, you may find that throughout the year you spend quite a bit of money on gifts, for birthday's, holidays, showers and more. This tip is to help those who give a lot of gifts, especially large families to save money. Although it is fun buying for and receiving from everyone, it can be very expensive. So, instead of buying tons of gifts, do a name exchange, and set a spending limit. That way everyone gets the same value of gifts, and no one gets more than anyone else, plus you do not have to spend a fortune. If you still want to do something for those whose names you did not pick, make it simple, give them a loaf of their favorite homemade bread or a big plate of Christmas cookies, invite them to dinner, or hand make them something. This is also good for neighbors.
  2. Clearance should be your friend. If you want to save money, then always head straight for the clearance rack. This is a great place where you can find amazing bargains, and if you do not look elsewhere, you won't know what you are missing. Clearance racks are not just for clothing stores. You can find clearance sections and items at all stores. For example, Bed, Bath and Beyond has a clearance section where you can find all kinds of household items, from bed sheets, to vegetable peelers for a fraction of the original cost. And who really cares if your vegetable peeler is not this year's model? It is true that sometimes you may have to dig a little to find the right item but the savings will be well-worth your time. Most clearance racks offer variety, current trends, and great value, some are simply last season items, over stock items, or the last few remaining.
  3. Thrift and surplus stores should be your friend if you are trying to save money. Unfortunately, thrift and surplus stores have been given a bad rap as something for trashy or poor people, and so many who are frugal avoid them even though they could be saving them money. How many times have you gotten rid of something nice, just because you had no where to put it, or grew out of it? Many of these stores are filled with hundreds of top quality items, some things are even brand new. Name brand merchandise is easy to find but you have to be willing to wade through the junk to find good stuff. If you take the time to look through the racks, and shelves of items, you can find some really outstanding bargains. If you spend a few hours looking, you could walk out of thrift shop with hundreds of dollars of new and slightly used designer label clothes, shoes, purses, and household accessories for less than half what you would pay normally. You just have to swallow your pride and be willing to look.
  4. Wrapping paper and bows for gifts can really make an impact on the price of a gift. If you spend $10 on a gift, then buy a gift bag for $3 and tissue paper for $1, your price jumps significantly, even with wrapping paper, the increase in cost can be substantial. So, save money by creating your own wrapping paper. You can use plain brown grocery bags and decorate them to fit the occasion with items you have on hand. For example, if it is for a wedding gift. Take the invitation you were sent, and use that to decorate the outside of the bag, with their photograph, and their names cut out. This personalizes the gift, and allows you to use something you would have throw away to save money. If it is a gift for a boy's birthday party, use paints, and create a scene of cars, or planes, or whatever interests the child. For a little girl you can use glitter, ribbon, etc. You can have a lot of fun. At Christmas, cut out the pictures from last year's Christmas cards to decorate your paper. This is fun, and saves you money.
  5. One great way to save money is to think long term. Often times doing so is going to cost you a little more upfront, but the savings long term are huge. For example, look for items that are reusable, such as rechargeable batteries. Even though the initial purchase may be more than non-rechargeable batteries, there is a definite savings over a long period, especially if the batteries are for something you use a lot, such as the remote, a digital camera, etc. This concept of being reusable applies to everything, even Holidays. For example, while buying real pumpkins to carve for your Halloween decorations is fun, it is much more economical to buy a couple fake ones you can use year after year. While a live Christmas tree is fun, a nice artificial Christmas tree will save you money in the long run, and many of the current artificial trees look amazingly real.
  6. You can save money in your yard by thinking frugally. For example, if you are going to have a landscaper come in, do some of the grunt work yourself, as this will help save on labor costs. Remove rocks from soil, rake, pull some weeds, etc. this is what they pay other's to do, so do it yourself and save, then have them do what you can't do, like design a beautiful landscape. Also, if you are considering creating a nice flower garden area in your yard yourself, you should know that shopping for plants, even those on sale, can be expensive. So, to save money, before you go out look around to see if you have other plants that can be split from your existing flowers to fill in that area. If you do not have any, you could simply ask your neighbors if they have any plants you could use as a starter.
  7. Buy multi-tasking items. If you buy items that can perform more than one function, you can buy less stuff. For example, next time you are in the market to buy a lawnmower, purchase one that mulches leaves. This way, rather than buy mulch for your flowerbeds every year, you can simply use the mulch you make. If you use a blender and food processor often, instead of buying both, look for a blender, such as a Vita-mix, that is powerful enough to work as a food processor as well. Even with clothes, if you buy pants that can zip off into shorts, you can purchase fewer items, and save. Doing this not only saves you money, but allows you to spend a little more on the item, and get a higher quality product without spending more in your budget.
  8. Budgeting is probably the number one way to save money, but only if you stick to it. Everyone should create a budget that is realistic and meets their needs, and sets up a way for them to accomplish any savings and debt goals. If you are not sure how to do this, or you are just not good with money, many businesses such as H and R Block, offer free financial consulting to help you put a budget together. They can help you look at how you are spending, and help you to better allocate your funds. Knowing where you are spending your money is by far the best way to save. Most people really do not know how much they spend on little things, and it is not until they see it on paper that they are willing to change their spending habits.
  9. Planning ahead for every purchase is a great way to save. This is true for small items such as groceries and gas to big items such as a home, car, or other large purchases. Before you go to the grocery store, make a list and stick with it. This could save you $10-$15 each time you shop. If you shop twice a week like the average person, you are saving $20 a week, which means over $1000 a year. If considering a vacation, plan everything, from where you will eat, to what activities you will do to fill your day. If you don't you will find yourself doing a lot of impulsive spending, which always means spending more. For a home, know when you want to move and where, that way you can enlist help to move so you do not have to pay a mover, watch for coupons for items you will need to move, get a good interest rate, and more. Properly planning and organization means savings.
  10. Even if you have a small family, it is smart to try and buy items in bulk. Go to a warehouse like Costco, Sam's Club, or Price Club, get a membership, and buy items you use a lot. Toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, frozen foods, potato chips, soda, etc. You do not need 8 kids to be able to save money shopping at a warehouse bulk store. You can buy milk there for less, cereal for less, light bulbs, garbage bags, everything you use day to day, can generally be found at a reduced price. What you would not want to buy there are the large quantities of fresh foods, as they may spoil before you can use them, however you can always split large quantities with family or neighbors. The price of items in bulk is generally a great bargain, and at least looking into whether or not you can save is wise.
  11. Plan on spending money. You will want to make sure that you have some money just to spend on whatever you want, a movie, a lunch out, a new shirt, a purse, an ice cream cone. If you want to save money, do not forget to give yourself an allowance for things you enjoy. Even on a tight budget, you should find a little something for spending money each month. If you spend a little money to buy something that you enjoy, you will be much better about sticking to budgets, and not overspending because of feeling deprived. So, do something as simple as buying a new shirt or grabbing lunch at your favorite café. Remember, total deprivation leads to overindulgence. And overindulgence is never good, not in food, and definitely not with money, especially if you are trying to save.
  12. A great way to get motivated to save money is to make a list of things you want in life that have to do with finances. That could be that you want a new car, you want to have a down payment for your house, get out of debt, go on that tropical vacation, or pay off your mortgage more quickly. Make a list, then rank them in priorities. Maybe paying for your child's education is a big priority, but you would rather have your car paid off first. So, make a list, rank each item in order of importance. This will help you see the things you consider the most and least important and to provide you with a visual of why you need to save, and how saving money is going to help you. Looking at the long term, and the big picture is a huge motivator for people to save. If you are thinking about today, then eating lunch out instead of making lunch sounds really good. But, if you think about how that small expense puts you further from your goals, it leads to second thinking, and probably eating t home.
  13. Make a list of reasons you want to save money or things you want to save for. Set these things as goals, then set a time line This could be you want to save money in case you lose your job, so that you have extra spending money, so that at Christmas you can get great gifts, because your church recommends you have a few months cash on hand, etc. Now, determine how realistic your goals are. Break them down. You may have a goal to save 3 month's worth of income this year, and have it in the bank. Well, let's say you make $36,000 a year, you would need to have $9,000 in the bank. So, that would mean each month you would need to put $750 in the bank in order to reach your goal. However, if when you go over your budget, you see that with your current bills and income there is no way for you to do that, in fact, on a stretch $450 would be all you could do, then you need to readjust your goals. When it comes to saving money, make sure the goals you set for yourself are realistic, or you will never save anything.
  14. Have some flexibility in your spending, and savings so you continue to save. If you want to save some money, you will need to set some savings goals. Once you have set your goal for saving, realize that things can and will change occasionally, and be okay with that. If the first time you do not meet your savings goal you stop trying, how do you expect to ever be good at saving money? The key to being good at saving money is learning ways to be flexible. So, for example, determine how much money you will be putting in savings each month. For example, if you normally save $150 a month, set that as your goal. Then decide what you will do when something unexpected happens. For example, if you have an unexpected car repair that costs you $100, you only save $50 that month. Then the following month get back on track. Or, set up a repayment plan with the car place. That way you can save $125 a month for 4 months, instead of $150, and still get your car paid for. Not always meeting your goal is fine as long as you focus on getting back on track.
  15. One of the things we spend a lot of money on each month, and usually do not use, but must have is insurance. So, insurance is a great place to try and save some money each month. To do this you will need to shop around for insurance and work with a good agent that can provide information on discounts such as good student, multi-car discount, etc. Some people think the price of insurance is the same from one company to the next, but this is just not true. In fact, prices can vary dramatically. So, look around. Also, consider raising your deductible. If you do not use your insurance much, it would be smart to pay less monthly, and in the event something happen have to pay a little more. Usually you will find that the savings in doing this far outweigh the costs, especially with health insurance if you are in good health, and do not plan to have a baby any time in the near future. Most doctor's visits just have a copay, and do not count toward your deductible, so you may not ever even use that during the year.
  16. When people ask how to save money, coupons always come to mind, and yet how many of us actually use them? For some reason we think it might be embarrassing to use coupons. You might laugh as you watched people pull out their coupons at stores, but the truth is that they should be laughing at you. By using coupons they are saving hundreds of dollars every year that you are spending for the exact same things. Coupons can be used at grocery stores, retail chains, any store where an item is sold. Even electronic stores frequently have 10% off coupons, which can save you a lot if you are making a big purchase. Also, you will want to watch for special offers with coupons. For example, some stores offer double coupon days, which is an extra bonus. Usually, just having a coupon saves you 5% -15%. So, start saving, clip those coupons, and save on items you are already planning to purchase.
  17. Avoid using credit cards as much as you can unless you are really disciplined. For many, having a credit card means having the ability to spend money they do not have yet. Even if you plan to have it, spending money not yet in your account means it is hard to save. Even if you have a paycheck coming, do not use your credit card. Use credit cards only for emergency. While they are convenient, it is not wise to use credit if you aren't super disciplined. For example, if you have a credit card that has a $1,000 balance and you pay only the minimum payment each month, it will take you between 20 and 30 years to pay off that $1,000 balance since the majority of money is going strictly toward the interest and not the principal amount. So, only use them when you have to, or make sure you pay your balance off in full before you are charged a finance fee and interest.
  18. A great way to save money if you are on a bi-weekly payment method is to pay one additional mortgage payment each year, you can do this with the extra checks you get twice a year (as there are 2 months a year where you will get 3 checks not 2). If you are not on a biweekly payment, then still try to make one extra payment a year whether in a lump sum or monthly increments. This can substantially cut down the time it takes to pay off your loan. For example, if you do this each year, you ca lower a 30-year loan down to 18 years. If you pay more than one extra payment, the number of years will decrease even more. This simply pays off your principle faster, which means you will save thousands and thousands in interest over the course of your loan.
  19. If you have credit cards with a balance and your credit is in good standing, call your credit card company, and ask for your interest rate to be lowered. One thing most people do not know is that one of the best ways to save money is to ask. It is truly that simple. Unfortunately, most people do not even realize this is an option so they never make the call. Credit card companies want to keep your business, so just tell the representative that you want a better rate on your credit card and they will take care of your request. If they won't, you may want to try harder by threatening to transfer the balance to a different card company who will give you a lower rate. This usually catches their interest. The idea holds true in many other situations as well, so ask, ask, ask for a better deal, and half of the time you will get it.
  20. One of the tricks to being able to save is to be patient when it comes to saving. Just like the newly weds who are unhappy that their home is not as nice as their parent's, you have to recognize that it takes time to have nice things, including a nice size lump of savings. Do not expect to have a huge savings over night. Instead, work at it little by little. Try to build it as much as you can, but do not get discouraged if you have to start at $100 a month. If you keep working, you may get up to saving $1000 a month before you even know it. You need to accept that it will take time to save. You also need to know that it takes good planning. You have to plan your approach for saving. You have to plan your purchases carefully, and you have to work toward it. If your savings plan is to put whatever is leftover at the end of the month into savings, you will never save. If you are an impulse buyer, you will never save. So, set up a plan, be patient, and remember that just because you want something, do not rush to buy just to satisfy your urge. Instead, wait for sales in order to get the best price.
  21. A great way to save money is to take a class that teaches you how to manage money. Many financial companies and even churches offer outstanding classes on how to manage money. If you learn how to better manage your money, being able to save will come more naturally. You will not have to work as hard. You will stay out of debt better, and have more money to save. Some of these programs are free, others may have a small fee of around $35 to attend. However, if you pay attention, and really do learn to manage your money better, the money is well spent. If you are so far in debt, you don't think you will ever be out of it, a great option is consumer-counseling services. The counselors will work directly with your creditors to lower your balances, interest rate, and establish workable payments that you can afford. Once you have this to a more manageable amount, you can start saving.
  22. Break your bad spending habits and you will be able to save more money. If you want to save money, then take time to learn the various things that "trigger" your spending. If you know what causes you to overspend, you can avoid that and thus save money. Many typical triggers include things like: when you are depressed, lonely, sad, anxious, excited, or celebrating. Once you can identify these triggers then you can learn how to control them, or find better outlets for those emotions than to overspend. For example, if you are the kind of person who likes to spend when they are grumpy or sad, you could run into the problem of getting laid off from your job, and instead of saving because things are going to be tight with no income coming in, you have an overwhelming "need" to spend money. Can you see how these tendencies can be problematic? Knowing what affects you will help you to discipline yourself to find other ways of comfort.
  23. One of the best ways to save money is to control your spending. One of the best ways to control your spending is to avoid your weaknesses. If you can't turn down a cute pair of jeans, never head for the pants section. If you have a particular weakness for gambling, stay out of the casinos. The truth is, you have to make sure that instead of trying to withstand temptation, you just avoid it. While avoiding temptation is hard, it is also necessary in order to save money. This is especially important if you are trying to save money while you are being emotional, grumpy, etc. When you want to give into your temptation, this is the time to use your will power, and either say no, or budget for it and get this much needed item the following month.
  24. Shop at the right times. If you want to save money, make sure you shop when it is right. For example, studies have proven that when shopping while hungry, depressed, tired, and stressed, you buy more. Of course, it is hard to find the perfect time, so make sure you make it. Before you head to the grocery store, eat something. If you are upset or feeling a little blue, calm yourself down or wait until you feel better before you head out to shop. Don't go if you are in a time pinch or stressed. You will spend more. As funny as it may sound, having a clear mind is important when it comes to shopping and spending money, even grocery shopping. So, make a list, or go at an appropriate time.And do not go if you are too grumpy or emotional.
  25. A perfect way to save money is to make your own gifts. You may think this looks cheap, but the truth is, if you ask people if they prefer a store bought or handmade gift, the majority would choose the latter. Why? Because handmade gifts are the kind of gifts that come from the heart. So, if you have the skills or ability, make a home made gift. You could make a bunch of baked goods, and package them in a beautiful basket. Whether you have a birthday, anniversary, baby shower, wedding, or Christmas gift to give, make the gift. Go to a craft store and get some things, and express your creativity, and see how awesome a home made gift really can be. The following are some examples: for Christmas, you could make a ornament, for a baby shower you could purchase an inexpensive bib pattern or make a sweet fleece blanket, for a wedding create a picture album of photos of the couple.
  26. Get some trading or bartering going. You can do this with your friends, or you can use a newspaper with a trades section in the classifieds. If you are serious about saving some money, you should gather friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers and set up a bartering system. Set up a system where you offer babysitting to one family in exchange for them mowing your lawn or offer to clean someone's house in exchange for a week of car-pooling your child to school, etc. Trading provides some great opportunities to save money. So, do what you can to trade any sort of thing you can. If you stink at cooking, and eat out every night, trade food from someone who can cook for something you can do. Whether that is cleaning, tending their kids, or getting the oil changed on their car.
  27. Do things when they cost less. It is always cheaper to go placed during the week then on weekends. Usually weekends have higher prices for entertainment. So, avoid weekends. The same holds true for evenings. If you love to see movies, but want to save money, then do not pay those high movie prices. Instead of the nighttime show, go to the late afternoon or early evening matinee. The price is about 50% less and if you go often, that is a nice savings. If you want to, you can even sneak in your own popcorn and candy. You probably already know this, but food at the theater is outrageously priced. The next time that you head to the movies, hit the matinee, stuff those jellybeans and licorice sticks in your purse, and enjoy the savings. If you really want to go to the evening show, you can still save money, do this by buying your movie tickets online, which can be discounted.
  28. Comparison-shopping can make a big difference in the price you pay. If you are not smart enough to comparison shop, and find the best price for something, you will likely overpay for things. For example, let's just say you want to buy a fridge. You might be looking at a fridge at one place for $750.00 and by making two more stops, find the exact same fridge or one comparable for $700. You can really save a lot of money if you can take the time to comparison shop. Whether you are comparison shopping for shoes, groceries, or something big, it is just as important. However, it is really going to save you a lot when you take the time to comparison shop for your big purchases. Never buy something big without looking around first for other prices.
  29. Put things together yourself. One thing that is going to add expense to expense is being too lazy or too stupid to put together things on your own. You need to be willing to take the time to assemble things yourself. Do not pay the high price to have someone do something you can do yourself. If you buy a grill, do not pay the $100 to have someone else put it together, put it together yourself. Buy a better grill for that price if you are set on spending that much. There are a lot of different items you can buy and put together your self. So, start saving and stop paying others to pull out their tools, pull out your own. Do not pay for something to be delivered if you can pick it up yourself for less. The list goes on, so everything from pizza to furniture, do what you can yourself. Paying too much for convenience means not saving any money.
  30. Learn to take pride in yourself. You have worked hard to get where you are, you do the best you can with what you have, and there is no reason to pretend to be something you are not. So, once you learn to do this, you will save a ton of money. You do not have to compete with anyone. Be proud of what you have and who you are. If you can only afford an inexpensive sofa from a thrift store, Then be proud that you got the best you could. Then, find a nice throw, make a few pillows, and be proud and thankful you have something to sit on. Do not let what others have make you feel like you should spend money you do not have. Competitiveness is a part of nature and in many ways it is healthy. But when you think you have to buy things you have no business buying at all, then competition is damaging. Stick to what you can afford regardless of what anyone else has or pressure you might be feeling, this will save you money.
  31. Do not let yourself be pressured into buying things you do not need or that are too expensive. You have to know and recognize that sales clerks are often paid on commission. So, the person assisting you to find things is really not on your side. They will tell you how good you look, they will tell you how much better you would look in this, or that (something more expensive). They are going to point out all of the benefits, and guess what, those benefits are great, but that does not mean you should be getting the item. Because this is how the clerks make their money, a sales person will say whatever it takes to make the sale, they are not the ones who will be paying for it, and trying to work out the expense. So, be a strong individual and do not allow yourself to be pressured into buying something beyond your means. Know what you want, the price range you can work with, and stick with your own rules, not theirs. After all, you will be the one who can't afford it later, not them.
  32. Reward your efforts and hard work. As a family, couple, or even as an individual, if you set a savings goal, you need to reward yourself after you meet it. For example, you may find that one of the things you spend the most money on in your family is that your kids buy lunch and snacks at school, and you and your husband buy lunch and snacks at work. This adds up fast. So, set up a system where rewards are given when the rules set forth are followed. So, in other words, if you all start saving money by brown bagging it for a month, you can go to a theme park as a family at the end of the month. Or go camping, or whatever sort of reward you want to put in place for following the rules, and meeting your goal. Saving money is easy when you have motivation besides just saving.
  33. Buy items for less. You can't let pride stand in your way of saving money. If you are not thrifty with your money, you will never have much of it. How can you save if you overpay? So, do some of your shopping at places like the dollar store, or a thrift shop. These days, you can go to the dollar store and find the same name brand laundry soap, cleaning supplies, clothing, school supplies, even socks and underwear for a fraction of the cost at another store. With thrift stores you can often find name brand and designer merchandise, occasionally brand new, for pennies to the dollar. If you never take the time to check out the items at the dollar stores in your area, you will never know how much you can save. You can also try outlet and surplus type stores such as Big Lots, Ross, TJ Maxx for other items. It is amazing how much less the same brands cost when you do not buy them at the big brand stores.
  34. One thing you have to understand about saving money is not that you have to buy cheap stuff, just less expensive stuff. Huh? Don't give up the good stuff. A misconception is that while trying to save money you have to deal with sub-par merchandise. This is entirely untrue. If you buy sub-par items, you will spend more making up for their lack of quality. So, whether it is good quality house hold products, or fresh breads and pastries, there is a way to get quality for less. For example, visit a bakery thrift store. Try a farmer's market, or pick instead of pay place (where you pick your own food, but have to leave half with the grower) for your fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want good quality furniture, try the classifieds, garage sales, etc. You do not have to sacrifice quality just because you do not have a lot of money, you just have to be creative about how you purchase items. Do not waste money on junk.
  35. Save money by conserving utilities. One of the best ways to save on utilities is to simply remind people about them. We use them everyday, so many of us tend to forget about over use. So, set up some rules in your home such as turning lights off when leaving the room, having only a parent adjust the air or heat, leaving the doors or windows open when letting either cold or hot air into the house. If you learn to monitor the use of utilities, and save where you can, you will find savings monthly on your bill.You may also want to consider purchasing energy efficient appliances, such as front load washers, an energy efficient hot water heater, etc. This can be expensive, so until then, lower the setting so you are not heating water so hot, make sure you always wash a full load of laundry, turn off the heater or AC when you are not home, etc. If you think it through, you can find several ways to save on utilities.
  36. Sell your junk, or use it as a tax write off. Instead of storing boxes of old items you no longer want or use, why not sell it or donate it to charity for a tax write off. Both of these things can help you save money, and time. If you donate it and get a tax write off, you save in how much taxes you have to pay. If you find that the items you have are still very desirable, just not to you, then sell them. For example, have your kids clean out their closets and rooms. For example, if you ask your daughter to clean out her closet and room you may find perfectly good sweaters, makeup, lotion, picture frames, hair curlers, books, and more. Just because the items were of no interest to your daughter does not mean they won't be to someone else. Set up an eBay account and sell them there. Take a few photos and post them on the online classifieds of your local paper, or box it up and send it to the thrift store.
  37. If a person wants to succeed at business they write out a business plan. If you want to succeed at saving money, you want to make a savings plan. If you are serious about saving money, then create a master plan that the entire family can get involved with and learn their role. Then, if things get off track, you have a physical item to turn to, and look at to see where your plan went wrong. Find who and what is being messed up, and fix the problem. For example, if you budget out $250 a month for entertainment, and find yourself spending $400, it is time to cut back there. So, write it down, and get everyone involved. Your toddler can even participate by not wasting food, as your grocery bill might be high.
  38. If you want to save money, and be better at managing your money, you have to get in the right mindset. Attitude is everything, and this is true for saving money as well. Good money management is an acquired skill that takes patience, and positive outlook. If you can't stay positive, how do you expect to keep heading in the right direction. If you think you cannot save, then you probably will not. Be determined and stay positive about saving. If it helps, put it on paper. If you look at a paper that says with your income, bills, and incidental expenses you should be able to save x amount, you are going to be much more likely to spend how you are supposed to and save how you are supposed to. So, forget your old philosophies, and look forward to your new spending habits with a positive attitude.
  39. Keep track. If you want to save money, you first need to get out of debt. Many people have their debts being paid with automatic withdrawals from their accounts. This is great, except that when this happens you rarely look at your statements, which means you really have no idea how much you still owe, how much goes to interest, principle, etc. So, if you want to save, start by making a list of all your unsecured debts along with creditor contact information and payoff amount. Then, choose one creditor, such as a high interest rate credit card, and focus on paying off that bill. Anytime you make a little extra money, or have some left over in your budget, apply it to paying this debt off. Once you have achieved that goal, choose another. Start with the debt that has the highest interest rate since it is the one costing you the most money. If you keep this debt visual, you will be more motivated to pay it, and will have more success saving because you will get out of debt faster.
  40. One great way to save money is to do things like your family vacations during the least busy parts of the year. Usually you will find better prices for tickets, hotels, and attractions. Off-Season means savings. So, the next time you plan a vacation, consider off-season. Even things like car rentals are going to cost you less if you go during an unpopular time of year. Prices jack up during summer months, on everything from food to fun because the crowds come in and are willing to spend that money. So, figure out when peak season is, and go a few weeks early. You still get a lot of the benefits of peak season, but at a lower price. For example, flying to Hawaii through June 8 is considered off-season while June 9 is peak. One day makes a huge difference in price. If you are conscious of this you will save.
  41. Buying instead of renting or leasing is a great way to save money on some things, not on others. Not short term savings, but certainly long term. For example, in real estate, you could rent a condo for $750 a month, or buy one for $1000 a month. After one year the renter only pays $9,000, while the buyer pays $12,000. However, at the end of that year, the value of homes in the area has gone up, and the buyer sells their condo for $25,000 more than they owed on it. So, the buyer comes out $22,000 ahead of the renter. This is not just true for real estate though. Often times owning is much smarter. However, if you really need a car, and can't afford the monthly purchase payments, leasing might be a great option. Let's say you want to clean your carpets yourself. You can usually buy a good carpet cleaner for around $250, or you can rent the same basic cleaner at your local grocery store for $20. If you do not clean your carpet at least 12 times, renting would have been a smarter option. When looking at purchasing, renting or leasing something, always check the rent and lease options and compare them to the purchase options. Depending on your particular situation, renting or leasing may be a better financial decision, but buying is always pretty smart.
  42. One great way to save if you are a big eater is to enjoy a buffet meal. If you want good food, and do not know for sure what kind, or have a large picky family, or just a normal family, you will want to consider restaurants that have buffets. In many cases, the prices are outstanding and a parent can share with a small child. You do not have to feel bad about your child ordering something they do not eat, and they can eat whatever sounds good to them without you feeling like you are wasting your money. How many times have you gone to a restaurant and bought your child a burger, and your other child chicken, and the one with the burger decides they want chicken? If you buy them chicken you spend twice, if you don't you get to listen to them cry. A buffet means savings, happiness, and peace when eating dinner with a bunch of people.
  43. If you want to save money, be sure to use things like networks. If you have multiple computers in your home, and need internet in all of them, get a network set up. Cable networking, means that you can use high-speed internet access for all the computers, and be charged the normal rates for the first, and a small fee of $10 to $15 a month for the second computer. If you want to save even more money, you can buy a router and a PCMCIA card for each computer or laptop, or a network card, and gain wireless internet access. If you can do this you will be able to get internet on all your computers for the price of one, and an initial fee to buy the network card, which is usually around $50-$100.
  44. To save money use warranties and insurance. Most people do not realize that if they stain their carpet, and need to replace it, they might be able to use their insurance policy to take care of it. A great way to save even more if you are in an older home is to purchase an annual home warranty policy. These policies can run from $350 to $500 a year and are very valuable. They are valuable because most of these policies mean if something in your home goes wrong, breaks, etc. you will be able to get it repaired or replaced for a minimal fee. So, if you have something break, such as your garage door, dishwasher, air conditioner, etc., a serviceperson will come to your home to fix the item. And, in some cases, the same service man can fix multiple things covered for one price. Warranties and insurance for your cars is important as well.

  45. One great way to save money is to take advantage of stock options and 401K's. Contributing to employee stock options or a 401K plan is a wonderful opportunity to save. Not only do you never see the money, so you can't spend it, but also, most companies will match your contribution. How they match it just depends on the company, sometimes they match it dollar for dollar, sometimes they match it up to a maximum amount. For example, a company can generally match up to 6% of your annual income. From each paycheck, you can have your company deduct a small amount of money from your check. Over time, that money grows and since the business is providing a match, you get free money. Free money makes it much easier to save.
  46. A great way to save money if you have a large family is to learn how to cut hair. Often times hair cuts are very expensive. If you have 4-5 kids, and have to get their hair cut every couple of months, maybe even more, that could be costing you $25 a month. That is $300 a year. So, learn how to do it yourself, or look for hair styling shops that offer family deals. Sometimes they have deals like pay for ten hair cuts, get one free. However, many times, if you ask, they will be able to give you an even better deal, but they will not suggest it, so be sure to ask.The money you save from getting a better deal on hair cuts, or cutting the hair yourself can be saved for something (such as a vacation, or new television) or put in an account for emergencies etc.
  47. A great way to save a lot of money each month is to get a lower interest rate on your home mortgage. If you notice that interest rates are low, or maybe just that your credit is better and your equity larger, you may want to consider refinancing your home and/or securing a debt consolidation loan, such as a home equity loan. Sometimes you have to pay closing costs. However, many times you can get closing costs waived. You will have lower payments, better terms, and save thousands of dollars over the years if you refinance. Another great option if you have property mortgage insurance is to send in a letter of request to the lender that it be removed. If they are unwilling to remove it, threaten to refinance and go through someone else. Usually this will get their ears perked up and they will be more willing to remove it. This can save you sometimes $100 or more a month.
  48. If you are going to save money, you can't do it always buying the biggest and best. Occasionally you will need to go generic. Of course you may not want to go generic on all items, but for example, when buying food, try some of the generic brand canned items. Usually they taste the same. Start out buying just one can, see how it is, if good, buy more. Generally, unless you are a professional taster you will not know if the green beans are generic or a top name brand. And honestly, most people add salt, butter, etc. to them. So, they won't be able to taste a difference. Now when it comes to things like Oreos or stuffed chocolate cookies, the Oreos are probably better. But that is up to your taste buds. If you are just sticking the cookies in a milk shake, don't worry about generic versus name brand, go for the cheapest. Many generic brands are actually manufactured by name brand companies, just branded with a different name. For example, many snack food companies will have conveyor belts that run side-by-side one for the name brand and one for the generic brand. This is quite common and the only difference is the label and price. So, enjoy these savings. Often times you are just paying for a label anyway.
  49. One great way to save money is to stock up when there is a sale. If you pay attention to prices, and your own usage of items, you can really save by stocking up. As you shop, if you notice that a brand you and your family use on a consistent basis is on sale for a great bargain, stock up. Of course you never want to buy too much, or buy things just because they are on sale. However, if you know your family will be buying this item anyway, and it is on sale, why not buy some extras? For example, if you only use Charmin toilet paper, and it is usually $4.50 a package, and your local grocer has it on sale this week for $3.00 a package, you should probably buy a few extras. You are certainly going to buy more toilet paper when you run out, and so it would really truly be a savings to buy it while it is on sale.
  50. When shopping for clothes you can save a lot of money by purchasing items as singles, and items that can be mixed and matched to create several different outfits. For example, you can go out and buy six different outfits, with three items each, and spend a fortune. Or, you can go out and get six different outfits by purchasing eight pieces and mixing and matching. This will save you a lot of money, and give you plenty of options for clothes. In fact, with eight pieces most people can create twelve different outfits. Just be sure to buy staples. Good quality pants, some plain colored shirts that go with just about anything, then some sweaters, jackets, etc. to spruce things up and give your look dramatic change.
  51. A great way to save money is to try and get in on a carpool. Not only is carpooling great for the environment and reducing smog, but it also helps you, and your fellow car poolers to save money. You will spend a fraction of what you typically spend on gas, and get good company to boot. So, if you go to work each day, find out if someone who works with you lives near by, and set up a system. Maybe you could drive one week, and they the next. By the end of the year, you will have saved several hundreds of dollars in gas, maintenance, repair, etc. You do not just have to carpool to work, you can also carpool to church, community functions, etc. It is always smart to look for ways to save money on gas, and the best way is to share transportation.
  52. If you love to be up with the latest and most trendy fashion, you may find it difficult to save money. However, it is not impossible. Most people love to dress in the most up-to-date fashion, however, most people find that doing so puts a strain on the wallet. However, you can save money by dressing with basics and then emphasizing them with trendy accessories. Accessories cost a fraction of the price, can often be made instead of bought, and this will save you money on the clothing that is less expensive while allowing you to dress it up. Accessories are fun anyway. So, instead of buying a whole new wardrobe every time the fashion changes, buy a few bold pieces (such as some great jackets or a skirt), then dress up what you already have with bracelets, bags, shoes, and some of the other less expensive, fun to use and have items.
  53. One of the best ways to save money is to cut down on your boredom, and therefore your entertainment costs. Being bored usually results in increased spending. So find things to do with your time. Volunteer at a rest home. Start exercising. Etc. Or, find something that is cheap or free to do. For example, did you know you can sign up at your local police department for a "ride-a-long"? This is free, and you get to go on duty with an officer as they respond to real calls. If this is not your thing, you could check out a community college. Most offer free exercise classes or other classes. You could visit a local coffee shop, many of these feature musicians or have poetry readings you can attend for free. Entertainment should not be costing you much, so to cut back and save money, check out what your city offers, and what you can do on weekends for free fun!
  54. If you want to save money a great place to start is with your telephone. Get rid of your home phone if everyone in the house has a cell phone. Get rid of your cell phone if you only need a home phone. Decide which type of service you want, and stick with it. Then shop around for the best deals. Do not pay for tons of extras. You do not need a camera on your phone. Go plain, basic, and cheap, and you will find yourself saving lots of money. Also, consider going cellular over home for the simple fact that you will probably want a cell phone anyway, and since most wireless carriers offer free long-distance, call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, voicemail, and more, you can get everything you need for less. If you are going to have both a cell phone and a home phone, do not pay for the bells and whistles on your home phone. They likely come free with the cell. So, why would you need long distance on both phones? You don't! Reduce and simplify, it is a great way to save.
  55. If you want to save money you have to learn to be a little self reliant, especially with your health. If you go to the doctor every time you get something like a nose bleed, you are going to be paying way too much in co pays. So, before rushing off to see the doctor for a sore throat, try some home remedies or over the counter drugs instead. Only go to the doctor if those don't work. If you do not have any home remedies, it is not going to be hard to get some. People love sharing advice, including their home remedies, so ask around. Ask your family, ask your neighbors, ask your friends. It can't hurt to at least try something BEFORE calling up the doctor. Sometimes a simple over the counter medication or herb will do the trick without costing you an expensive doctor's office visit. Even the least expensive co pays cost more than a bag of cough drops, or a bottle of over the counter medication, hot lemon water, etc.
  56. If you want to save money it is time to start paying your bills on time. This does not mean buy on time, if you have the money to buy it upfront it is always the smartest route. However, if you did finance something, or have other bills, like utilities and what not, you have to pay on time if you are going to save any money. With things like bills, every payment you pay late, you are charged a late fee, which can range from $15 to $50 or more depending on the company. With things like movie rentals, library books, etc. the fees may seem small, but every little bit helps, why pay extra? You could be saving that money. Part of saving is simply avoiding paying more than you have to. Late fees are more than you have to. So, to avoid spending unnecessary money, be sure you mail your check in time to avoid these fees, return your movies by their due date, etc.
  57. If you want to save money in your home, one huge way to do so is by installing the proper insulators. Using high R-value insulation can save you hundreds of dollars in heating and cooling costs each year. You will want to make sure that you have the right level of insulation in all your walls, but especially in your ceilings and floors, and this is where heat and cool air is lost. You will also want to be careful to check you windows to ensure they are tight and no draft is coming through them. Check your doors for the same reason, and your fireplaces too, if you have one. If you find that you have the wrong levels of insulation, or in some cases, no insulation at all, buy some and get it in. This is especially important in your basement or crawl space. You will be amazed at how much you can save on your utilities.
  58. In today's busy world, one of the best ways to save money is to cancel your subscriptions. Look at the things you are subscribing to, then ask yourself honestly how many of them you are actually taking the time to read each day, week, or month? If you are not reading at least half of what you subscribe to, then you should be on the phone canceling it right now. It is always fun getting your favorite magazines in the mail, but if you are trying to save money, you should cancel them or at least most of them. If you have several subscriptions, choose one to keep and cancel the rest. If you only have one subscription, evaluate your use, and determine if there is another, less expensive way to get the same information. For example, if you have Sports Illustrated you could watch ESPN and get the same information, then buy the swim suit issue once a year if you really want it.
  59. A great way to save money each and every day is to minimize your gas usage. Depending on the car you drive, gas could be costing you anywhere from $25 to $125 a fill up. If you could fill up less often, you would find a substantial savings. A great way to make it possible to fill up less often is to consolidate your errands. You can make a list of all the things you need to do that week, where they must be done, and when. You can then plan out your errands so that you get them done in the most efficient way possible. To save gas, you will need to organize your day of errands so you get everything you need done in the same geographical area at one time. Your goal is to hit as many of your errands in that area as possible to avoid excessive driving. Then move to the next area of errands. Think through things. For example, if your husband or wife drives right past your bank each day on their way to work, send your deposit with them. A short stop on their way can save you gas.
  60. A fantastic way to save money is to make it off things you would not expect to make money off. With the new technology, and greater use of the internet, it is possible to sell your stuff to someone who wants it. So, go through your house and get together all the items you no longer use, want, or need. You may find that is will include a variety of things from clothes to furniture and small appliances. Whatever you have, and do not need, list on eBay.com or Halfoff.com, or on the online section of your local paper's classifieds. Take the money earned from these sales and put it in your savings account. You were not planning on, or counting on this money, so there is no reason to use it. Save it and enjoy watching your house get cleaner and your savings account get larger.
  61. One great way to save money is to figure out a way to make money off of something you would be doing anyway. You can turn your hobbies into money. Everyone has a skill, a hobby, something they enjoy doing that could be making them some money. Find yours and turn it into money. For example, if you enjoy gardening, you could grow some beautiful plants, and pot them and sell them to people in your neighborhood. Or, you could grow a vegetable garden and sell the harvest. If you have a skill for woodworking, create children's toys, pieces of furniture and sell them. If you have a skill that is not necessarily going to produce an object, such as a skill with writing, computers, photography, then contact your local community college, often times they have people teach classes for adults and children. These are not credit based classes, but community fun classes. Find something you enjoy and sell it, or use that skill to make money by teaching lessons, classes, etc.
  62. A way you can save a little bit of money, and really help the environment is to recycle. It is true that recycling does not pay well, but it pays more than your trash can does. So, get a separate can for your soda cans, beer cans, and juice cans. Then have a bin for your plastics, other metals, papers, etc. You can go hard core recycling, or you can simply recycle your aluminum cans. It only takes a few minutes, and almost every city has a recycle center. So, when your garbage can gets full, take the items to the recycle center during one of your already planned outings (that way you are not spending extra on gas). Turn in the items, and reap the small, but fulfilling rewards. You might only get paid $5 for a whole garbage bag of cans, but it is something, and you can save it. But most importantly, you are saving the environment, and you are being more conscious of your use, which will lead to savings.
  63. A great way to save money is to find use for items lying around your home. Have you ever received a nice gift that you like from someone but will never use? Well, you can put it in storage, take it back, or re-gift it. While you can take it back to the store and get an exchange or sometimes money, however, wouldn't you rather just re-gift it? Yes re-gifting has a bad name, but it is a practical, and money saving way to give great gifts. If you exchange it, a lot of the time you are exchanging it for something else you do not need. Avoid this. You can also find use for other items lying around your house. There are always things right in your home that can be used to make nice gift baskets - things you never use, that are brand new, etc. For example, you probably have a number of soaps, shower gels, lotions, etc. that are new, never used sitting in a cupboard somewhere. So, get a basket and some tissue paper, put the tissue paper in the bottom, and nicely display the personal care items in the basket. This makes a lovely gift, put some cellophane around it and tie with a big bow. You are sure to please.
  64. One way to save money is to not waste what you have spent money on, or currently are spending money on. Do not leave your car running. Do not throw uneaten food away, eat leftovers. Do not have vents open to the garage or unused rooms. Waste is a huge reason people over spend. They buy things, don't use them, and as a result throw them out. They might as well be throwing money away. So, next time you grocery shop, only buy enough for what you will use before it goes bad. Do not buy extra just because it is on sale if you are not going to eat what you buy before it spoils. Plan recipes that call for similar ingredients, that way you always use what you have. Next time you turn on your heater or air conditioner, don't try to heat and cool the entire home. Instead, take the time to close off areas that you are not using. You will save substantial money on your utilities. If you learn not to waste, you will have extra money to save.
  65. If you are one who impulse shops, you will never save money unless you find a better way to shop. So, if every time you go to the grocery store you come home with ten items more than you planned, it is time to consider shopping online. Shopping online can save you hundreds of dollars a month. Not only will you save because you do not overspend, but because many online businesses offer great bargains and in some cases, free shipping for online purchases. You can even buy groceries online these days. And, since the Internet is such a competitive market, you can usually find fantastic deals. So grocery shop online, clothes shop online, furniture shop online. If you are online, not there, your brain makes the purchases most of the time, not your emotions. This is going to save you money!
  66. A great way to save money is to buy things you need from garage sales, consignment shops, online auctions, and other places like these. It is amazing the kind of savings you can find online and at reduced price stores for items you were planning to buy. For example, if you have to buy your child the latest cartoon DVD, you could go to your local Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. and pay 19.95 for it, or you can go to E-bay, Half.com, and pay a fraction of the price. You can also make some money by selling your items at these places. Rather than throw out slightly worn clothing or other household items, consider selling them through a consignment shop. You will get a better price for your items and consignment shops then you will at a garage sale, or something similar. Check out Half.com, which is an online consignment shop offering books, movies, computer software, and much more in either new or used condition, they are always looking for great quality merchandise to sell.
  67. A great way to save money when selling your home is getting it sold fast so you do not have carrying costs. If you are planning on putting your home on the market, make sure you work with a reputable Realtor. You want one who is experienced and knowledgeable in your area. A good realtor versus one that is not as experienced can be the difference of thousands of dollars. A good Realtor will know exactly what you need to do to your home to get it in the best selling condition, which in turn will get you more money. They will also have a good marketing strategy which will get it sold faster for your price, which means less carrying costs. Experienced Realtors know all the best methods for advertising and selling your home while saving you the most money. So, if you are not going to sell by owner look for the best Realtor you can find.
  68. If you want to save money, you have to stay out of the malls. Most malls means spending more than you have to. High-dollar shopping malls have expensive overhead and are designed to sell, sell, sell, and at high prices. So, do not go there looking for a bargain. If you go to the mall, you will likely walk out with more than you planned on, and you will probably pay a higher price for the items. It is better to shop at stand alone stores, their prices are better, and you won't be tempted to buy things from the other stores you go past. At the mall, you are drawn in with discounts, and tons of stores close by. If you do visit the mall, go with purpose, or at least a budget of how much you will spend. Do not eat at the mall, the high priced food court is not going to help you save money.
  69. One way to save money is to take your time when purchasing a high ticket item. For example, a car. When shopping for a car, you want to shop around for the best price. While you may have seen that "perfect" car and want it now, by waiting and looking around, you could be saving yourself a lot of money. You may find the same car for less a few miles down the road. You should always give time to large purchases. Do your research, and make sure that you do not just look at your city, but check out surrounding areas, and check out other states. If you live within a few hours drive from other cities, check out the price difference, you may be surprised to find that a few hours of driving can save you thousands.
  70. One way to save money is to make sure you are always charged the right amount. Be sure to check receipts and statements carefully each time you get them. If you were to check your grocery or store receipt, approximately 50% of the time you would find an overcharge. This overcharge may be only a few cents, but when this happens frequently, you end up paying far more than you need to. This happens all the time and in some cases, the charge can be substantial. Do not just watch your grocery receipts, check your credit card statements, bank statements, phone bills, etc. Check the detail because it is quite common to find errors. You may have been charged for a service that should be free, or for a service you do not even have. These mistakes can easily be corrected simply by asking and providing a copy of the receipt or statement. However, if you do not check them, it will never happen.
  71. One huge expense for many people is the cost of the doctor and hospital. Save money here by challenge the doctor and hospital on ridiculous charges. If you have stayed in the hospital recently, you know the outrageous charges associated with every thing used. You might be charged $10 for one bandage. Even though you have insurance, and they are starting to While crack down on these charges, you should check things closely and challenge anything that is ridiculously priced. After all, you are still paying a percentage of the bill.Sometimes you are charged for services you understood to be a part of another service, or bill. For example, one woman having a hysterectomy was asked by her doctor if she wanted her appendix removed at the same time. She agreed, but after the surgery when the bill came, there was an additional $1,200 for the removal of the appendix. The doctor asked her, but never mentioned an extra charge. The woman called her doctor and the doctor removed the charge. If you do not challenge the prices and bill, nothing will change. So, if something seems wrong, overpriced, etc., question it.
  72. Cover yourself with overdraft protection. Even people with money sometimes overdraw their accounts just because they do not realize a check has not yet cleared, etc. A bank is going to charge $20 or more per returned check, which is a lot of money if you are not careful. If not careful with your account, bounce check fees can quickly add up to a lot of money. So, protect yourself from these fees by connecting a savings account to your checking. You will want to consider adding overdraft protection onto your checking account so if you ever go into a negative balance, the money would automatically be covered by your savings. Most banks offer this service free, if your bank charges, ask for them to waive the fee. If need be, threaten to take your business elsewhere.
  73. If you want to save money, you have to watch the ads. If you pay attention you will see that during certain times of year, items you buy frequently go on sale. If you are smart about things, you will stock up on those items during the times of year that they are the least expensive. For example, if you love dessert, you will find that around Thanksgiving, the frozen pies go on sale at the grocery stores. You could buy several, and stick them in your freezer. Then, next time you want a dessert, you have one on hand, and it is not too expensive. You can also do this with items like soda. It is always cheaper during the summer months than during the winter. If you drink it year round, you should stock up during the summer when it is less expensive. Watch the ads, know what good prices are, and you will save.
  74. Being organized will save you money. You may be wondering what being organized has to do with saving money, however, it has a lot to do with it. If you are organized and know what you need and when you will need it, you will not be going out late at night and purchasing high priced food items from gas stations. You will not be paying late fees because you will know what

    ,
FREE: Get More Leads!
How To Get More LeadsSubscribe to our free newsletter and get our "How To Get More Leads" course free via email. Just enter your first name and email address below to subscribe.
First Name *
Email *


Get More Business Info
Sponsored Links
Recent Articles

Categories

Copyright 2003-2020 by BusinessKnowledgeSource.com - All Rights Reserved
Privacy Policy, Terms of Use