Fix My Finances

Saving money sounds easy. You cash your check, pay the bills and put some money away. Many people even have a system where they save up 20% and sometimes more from every check regardless of the amount. This is also a good idea. However it’s not always as easy as it seems and I know this first hand. I will walk into a store with $200 and leave with a penny IF I’m lucky. I tend to spend the amount I have on me all the time in one stop.

You will be surprised that you can cut a few costs here or there and still maintain the lifestyle you live.

Money Saving Tips

1. If you buy a lot of magazines consider getting a yearly subscription. You can sometimes save $50 up to $100 depending on the type of mag you read. You can find lots of low cost magazine subscriptions online.
2. Try going to restaurants less and cook your own meals, each meal at a restaurant can $20-$30 or more per person.
3. Get electric equipments such as refridgerator, dishwasher, dryer, washer that will help cut energy costs. Also have someone check your windows and doors to see if they let out your cool or hot air because that as well can lose you more money.
4. With the miracle of the internet you can save on electronics and other deals that are many times only available online. Plus it’s much easier to shop around than physically going to twenty different stores looking for a good deal. However do factor in shipping because you can actually end up spending more if your not careful in checking that out before you buy.
5. If you have a large family consider joining a food club such as Sam’s or Costco. The yearly membership can be $45 or so but if you have a large family it pays for itself when you buy in bulk. But buy only what you know you can use. Getting a 10 gallon tub of mayonaise is unhealthy and likely to spoil considering it’s for a home and not a restaurant.
6. Use more coupons. You can find many places online that allow you to print your own coupons. Just remember to check with your grocer to be sure they accept them because some places don’t.
7. Carpool, it saves money on gas.
8. Try to cut down on coffee from Starbucks and other such expensive places. You are spending $4.00 or more per cup. Getting yourself some sort of machine to do it yourself at home will save money in the long run.
9. For a final tip consider getting a savings account at another bank. Put up the atm card somewhere and forget about it. This way you can concentrate on just putting money in the account but not taking it out.

Marsha James wrote this on June 11th, 2006 and filed it under Fix My Finances, Saving |