Top 5 Tips to Save More Money - New Tips for a New Life
Credit: Moi Cody/sxc.hu
Everyone wants to save money but few people know how to go about finding money to save where there is no extra money. There are a few shortcuts in life that will bring a bit of savings you probably have never thought of. These tips will not help you buy your next home - but they will save you some simple money in day to day life.
1) Wait 30 days. There is a rule that many people follow. This rule states - if you want to buy something that you think you want or need - wait for 30 days and then see if you still want the item. This time will often prove to remind you just how little you really needed that impulse buy.
2) Go back to the list. How many people do you know write lists before going to the store only to end up in the checkout line wondering how a list of 5 items turned into an entire buggy of stuff? When you write a list of things you need, keep checking off the items and never add things to the buggy you did not have on the list.
3) Keep entertainment cheap. The average movie with treats can set back a family of four nearly $100. This is just too expensive for a brief stint of fun. Instead - try to keep things simple and fun. Visit a local museum, art exhibit or outdoor park instead. The memories will last longer and the time spent together is priceless.
4) Cook more food. One prepared meal can cost up to $4.00. Multiply that by every day of the week and you have now spent $28.00 on about $5.00 worth of food. Instead of buying those heat and eat foods - cook on one day of the week and store the food in the fridge. The food will reheat faster and your wallet will be fatter for the effort.
5) Plan no electric days for one day each week. There are far too many electrical appliances being used every day. A family can plan one day a week where none of these items are used. (The exception is the shower and hot water heater.) During this day, the food is cooked outside, no laundry is done and the dishes are washed by hand. Combine this with no television or electronics and you will see a savings each month.
There are easy ways to save money here and there and they do not have to add up to thousands of dollars on their own to be felt in the family budget.
