Ways to Save Money

Ways to Save Money-

Contact online insurance companies such as esurance.com to change your car insurance to them – you can save a lot of money by doing this.  Online car insurance company rates are much lower than other car insurance companies. 

 Bundle your telephone, cable and internet with one company in order to save money.  You can usually save $20 a month or so by doing this (depending on your current service and the company you go with).

 Get rid of your telephone land line if you’re in an area that has good reception and have a cell phone.

 Shop around for life insurance – you may be able to get a better deal than what your work offers you or the plan you already have.

 Buy your kids clothes one season ahead of time (buy summer clothes at clearance in the Fall, Fall clothes at clearance in January, etc.).  You can get items for $1 - $5.

 Transform your kids summer shirts into winter ones.  Buy a few plain turtlenecks and/or long sleeved t-shirts in neutral colors (white, black, beige, blue) and have your kids wear the turtlenecks and/or long sleeved t’s under their short sleeved summer shirts.

 Use big box stores such as Walgreens and/or Walmart or online sources for prescriptions.

 Drop all extra services – manicures and pedicures can easily be done at home.  No massages, housekeeper, gardener, takeout, Starbucks, lottery tickets, etc.

 Increase the amount of time between haircuts, colors, massages (if you can’t give them up).  This decrease in frequency will keep more green in your pocket.

 Go to a beauty supply store and buy a gallon of shampoo that is concentrated (about $7).  This will make 8 gallons of shampoo – save your shampoo bottles and fill them up as needed.  Use the shampoo to wash hair and as a body wash (no need to buy soap).

 Buy a big bag of disposable razors and use them until they are too dull to use (I use a disposable razor for at least 2 months).

 Research online and in stores to find the best deals on products you use regularly (such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, detergent).

 When you do go to the movies, bring your own snacks and cans of soda in either a large coat with big pockets or a large purse.  Movie snacks are astronomically (unfairly) priced.

 Make double batches of meals – one for this week and one for next week.  For example, make 2 meals worth of meatballs and add spaghetti sauce.  Use ½ for dinner and freeze the other ½ in a plastic container for dinner next week.  You can also do this with chicken and gravy, beef stew, soups, etc.  In this way, by buying a little extra meat (in a budget family pack) you can make double meals.

 Bundle all errands so you can save car trips and gasoline. 

 Use items you’ve already paid for for your entertainment.  DVDs, games, Internet, Cable TV, etc are much easier on your wallet than trips to the mall or McDonalds.

 Spend time in your home doing fix-ups, getting rid of excess stuff, organizing, improvements.  This not only makes your home more enjoyable but also takes time away from shopping time.

 Shop weekly or every 2 weeks – every time you hit the stores is another opportunity to pick up extra items you don’t need.

 Find simple comforts – Walmart sells some great large jar candles that last a long time and are great to make your home smell nice and provide a lovely atmosphere.  They only cost $5.

 Don’t buy something when you first see it in a store – vow to come back another day if you decide you really need/want it.  You can cut down on a large percentage of purchases this way.

 Go through your closet and look at all the clothes you have (and the small percentage you actually wear).  Realize that a lot of money can be wasted on numerous clothes, shoes, and handbags.  Vow to only buy items you really need.

 If you like buying books, head to the library instead – thousands of books for free.

 Make sure your not spending a lot of money on items that are providing you little value (such as high cell phone bills).

 Don’t eat in restaurants – making meals at home are usually at least 1/5 the cost.

 Save and eat all leftovers and any doggie bags (if you do eat out on occasion).  These can provide lunches for free the next day for one or more.

 Use up anything that may be going to expire in the fridge or cupboards.  Keep a close eye on perishables like berries and vegetables.

 If you end up throwing out rotten fruit and veggies, buy frozen instead.

 Eat some vegetarian meals (grilled cheese and tomato soup, cereal, flavored noodles (spaghetti with pesto, for example).

 Make a lot of casseroles instead of meals where each person is given a piece of meat.  Examples are shepherd’s pie (hamburger, cream corn, topped with mashed potatoes), chicken and broccoli bake, lasagna etc.

Make baked goods from scratch – this is usually much cheaper than store bought mixes and baked goods.

Build your weekly dinner menus around the supermarket flyers (buy and make the foods that are on sale for the week) instead of just randomly making up a grocery list.

When you do need to make a purchase, shop around.  Use the Internet to compare prices (remember to include shipping and handling in your calculations).  Getting the most for your hard earned money goes a long way towards financial security.

When you do need to purchase something, check out the internet for coupons for that particular store (or if buying online, check for coupons or discounts for that website/store).  I’ve saved tons of money doing this.

Let your kids have friends over, take them to the park, bake with them, do crafts, etc.  Kids love these kinds of things and they are free or very inexpensive.

Use items around the house (magazines, glue, boxes, etc.) to do crafts with your kids instead of heading out to the mall or arcade.  You don’t need to buy craft kits in stores – string buttons, etc. at home.

Drinks are expensive – you can make homemade lemonade by adding 1 cup of lemon juice (buy a big cheap bottle) and a cup of sugar with 2 quarts of water.  Non-sweetened iced tea can be made by soaking 6 plain teabags in 8 cups of hot water, then pour the tea into a pitcher ½ filled with ice.  Splash in a couple tablespoons of lemon juice (from a bottle if you like) and you’ve got great iced tea.  You can sweeten with sugar or sweetener if desired.  Also encourage children and family members to drink water.

Take up hiking or walking to provide an additional activity to take up time (other than shopping).

Make a list of all expenses (use your checkbook or ccd statement) and look at each.  Think of possible ways to reduce all expenses (find a different provider, etc.)

Stick to a grocery list – don’t just go blindly into the grocery store and throw things into the cart – you need to actually be able to make meals out of what you’ve bought.

Buy things that you can at “all for a dollar” stores.  They are great for gift bags, bows, cards, wrapping paper, all cleaning products, kitchen gadgets, 3 liter bottles of soda for parties, chips, decorations, paper plates and cups, craft products, baskets and storage containers, shaving cream, pantiliners, deodorant, conditioner, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc.

Hope you enjoy these easy ways to save money.

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