Saving Money
Tips to tighten up on obligations and spending.
When you cannot find extra money to save from your paycheck, cut wasteful spending from your budget. Here are general tips for saving money.
Kick all bad habits to eliminate the expense of buying cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, expensive coffee, unhealthy foods, etc.
Do not open a gym membership, unless you will use it. Walk or jog for free.
Do not engage in strenuous activities and avoid risk-taking vacations. Protect your body from injury to prevent unnecessary health expenses and work absenteeism that jeopardize your job.
Comparative shop for car and homeowner’s insurance. You can switch insurance companies, at any time. You will be reimbursed for any unused coverage. To get the lowest premium, when comparative shopping, consider using the same insurance company for auto and homeowner’s insurance. Also, compare prices for family policies on auto, if there are several drivers in the household.
Obey traffic laws, to avoid paying speeding or parking tickets! The price for not staying within the speeding limit or parking in an unauthorized area is expensive and unnecessary. Getting traffic tickets can also increase your auto insurance.
Do not keep full insurance coverage on an old car. Research to determine when to drop full coverage.
Get the highest deductible on your car insurance that you can afford, in order to reduce your premium. If you are a good driver and annually do not have to file a claim, you will save money.
Carpool, if feasible.
Plan your driving route before you run errands, to conserve gas.
Check Internet sites for the cheapest gas in your area.
Buy a smaller house or take in relatives, if you are paying for heat, taxes and insurance on space you do not need.
Properly clean, maintain and change filters on appliances, to avoid replacing appliances prematurely.
Get timely oil changes for your car, but if you have a new car, do not get $300-400 regular maintenance upkeeps from a car dealer. Only get regular maintenance service if they are included, at no extra charge, in your car purchase.
Buy basic, inexpensive beauty products, rather than pricey, fancy-packaged, products.
Avoid buying trendy fashions; instead go for classic styles. You can get more wear and versatility out of classics, than trendy styles.
Comparative shop and always negotiate with salespeople when buying major purchases.
Save money when shopping by applying tips from “When Shopping Becomes a Problem.”
Do not buy an extended store warranty when purchasing a reputable brand item that is under a manufactured warranty. Salespeople reason that you should buy extra coverage offered by the store, in case you break or damage the item. Carelessness is expensive, so be careful with your possessions. (Don’t drink coffee when you are operating your laptop and don’t place your wide screen television on a makeshift stand).
Comparative shop for cell phones and service plans. Do not get caught into the latest must-have frenzy. Determine what you need, to avoid wasteful spending. Do you need a $300 phone and $1200 of phone time annually for social calls? Check out family plans for economical costs, and if you only need a cell phone for emergencies, consider a pre-paid setup.
Check plans to combine your cable, Internet access and telephone services. It is generally much cheaper to combine services than to have each item serviced by different companies.
Instead of paying to see the latest movie, rent DVD’s.
Avoid expensive entertainment by researching free community entertainment and activities.
Save printer ink by using a thin or small font for draft copies and/or set your printer to draft mode before printing. Also use inexpensive paper for drafts.
Do not set up accounts at banks that charge excessive fees. Avoid using ATM machines, if you will be charged a fee.
Keep holiday gift-giving to a minimum.
Save money by eating at home, instead of eating out.
Take your lunch to work and save $5-10 a day.
Make a grocery list before shopping, to remember needed items and avoid unnecessary items.
Try generic brands, instead of name brands.
Do not buy food in bulk, if you will waste part of it. Also, buying in bulk is not always the cheapest choice. Comparative shop.
Do not buy prepared meals, such as microwavable foods; they are extremely expensive. Instead, prepare extra when cooking, and freeze half for another time.
Grow your favorite vegetables.
Do not spend money on excessive toys; spend money on piano lessons or other learning skills. (Instead of buying a piano, buy a keyboard.) In a few years your child may be able to make money, giving (piano) lessons to other kids.
Do not pay for children to go to private elementary school, if your community has a good public school system. (Save that money, perhaps for your kid’s college education.)
Teach yourself something new on the Internet, for free.
Keep track of your money by keeping a small pad with you and writing down your expenditures. You will be amazed where you waste small amounts of money that add up to substantial amounts.
For more info, read “How to Hear God to Prosper” by VC Edwards.
© Found Treasure Publishing 2009
Christian-secrets.com
Related Posts:
- Recession leads to New Opportunities
- Start a Business for Under $500
Tags: Black Friday, Car Saving Tips, Cyber Monday, Entertainment Saving Tips, Finding extra money in your paycheck, Holiday Shopping, Money Tips, Money-Saving Tips, Personal Finance, Saving money by kicking bad habits, Shopping for a Cell Phone, Shopping Tips, Wasteful Spending
June 24th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Just wanted to say HI. I found your blog a few days ago on Technorati and have been reading it over the past few days.