Posts Tagged ‘money-saving tips’

Everyone has to have at least some skill with their finances. Even the little ones need to figure out how to allocate their allowances. The more money you make, the more important it is to be organized and sensible with your personal finances. Following are some tips that can help you improve your finances.

Make sure to save for a rainy day by creating a savings account for emergencies. You should also put money away for long term spending goals like college tuition, or a relaxing vacation.

If you have a good month where you finally get ahead, this is your cue to actually start saving, not to start spending more. Stick to a budget and readjust your savings plan to take advantage of your good fortune. You’ll thank yourself later.

If collection agencies are constantly contacting you about your unpaid debts, it is important for you to know that debts eventually expire if they remain unpaid for a specified period of time. Talk this over with an expert, and see if you can find out when your current debt will expire. If you can get this information, do not pay a dime to any collection agency.

Put a little foreign intrigue into your investments. Using a no-load mutual fund is a simple international investment which can greatly reduce the research needed for individual stocks and gives diversification.

Inquire whether your bank offers flexible spending accounts and obtain one if they do. Simply look at your monthly expenses (perhaps with an iPhone app for budgeting) to determine how much money you need to be saving. Everything that you put away will lower your tax liability on your payroll check.

Always carry a little cash around in order to buy small items. This way you won’t get stuck buying unnecessary items to meet a store’s minimum purchase requirements.

The old way of finding coupons was by cutting them out of Sunday paper, but now there are a multitude of places on the Internet that offer printable coupons. Online coupons are a good tool when you’re working on improving your financial situation.

You may find it helpful to discuss your personal finances with someone who has experience in the financial industry. If you do not have a person in your circle that fits this description, asking someone who is smart with their money is the next best choice.

These tips will help anyone understand and shape their personal financial situation into a healthier, more productive situation. No matter whether you’re starting with five dollars in the bank or with five thousand in investments, the same principles apply, and you can use tips like these to boost yourself into a new, better way of life.

Looking for new ways to save money? Consider adding one of the top financial apps to your iPhone. If you own an iOS device, be sure to go to AppCraver.com to read reviews about useful iPhone and iPad applications to manage your money and many of your other daily duties.

Young people these days get a bad rap: people say they’re irresponsible, can’t keep their life in order, and they definitely can’t manage their money in any reasonable way. But according to a recent survey by America Saves, that stereotype (at least the part about managing money) only applies to about half of today’s young adults. The other half of people under 34 are so responsible, many actually have their lives mapped out and a savings plan to support their life goals. If you happen to be part of the second group, congratulations — you can stop reading now . But if you’re part of the group that has a hard time managing their money, here are a few tips on saving money that can really make a difference in your life.

 

Socking money away in a regular bank savings account certainly won’t make you rich (and really doesn’t even keep up with inflation). They typically pay you less than 1% on your deposits, but if you’re diligent enough to put away $100 each month, you’d have about $17,000 by the time you’re 40 (and that’s after figuring in federal and state taxes, and the amount lost to inflation). So if even a paltry savings account can help you build a decent nest egg, you’ll do even better if you’re able to earn a better rate of return. So where do you start? Here are a few ways to make it happen.

 

Handing over the controls to someone else is a great way to get yourself to do something that’s unpleasant to you. The first thing to do, would be to set up standing instructions at the bank to move a certain amount of money each month out of your checking account to some kind of savings account you set up. With some banks, they’ll even relieve you off  their monthly maintenance fee account if you set up an automatic account transfer like that. Some companies will allow you to auto-deposit your payroll checks to two (or more) accounts each pay period. This is an even easier way to make sure a set amount gets added to your savings account each month. See it this way; if you never get to see your money, it won’t hurt you to lose it to savings.

 

You need to be very inflexible with your expenses you spend each week. You should allocate in separate buckets, the money for your key expenses like transportation, utilities, food, and so on. You need to spend out your exact pile no matter what you buy. If the stack runs out, you’ll need to make do with less. If there’s any money left over, you should set it aside in an emergency fund. Watching your stacks gets thinner and thinner should alert you that you need to be careful, I relate so much better to cash than I do to cards. As far as tips on saving money go, this one’s pretty easy to follow.

 

When you’re young and starting to make your own money for the first time, it’s easy to get carried away on entertainment and nights out. For the guys out there, remember not to get too carried away trying to impress a date with a fancy dinner that costs more than you can afford.   You can have fun on a date without spending an arm and a leg. Low-cost date ideas don’t have to really be cheap though. It’s all about being creative and a little adventurous. And you can always check the internet for tips on saving money on fun — and low cost — dates.

Economic downturns aren’t ever much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Although none of us can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of saving your money in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do part of our shopping online now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Web. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at retailers all across the Net.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites like Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the item you’re considering. Google will reply with a text message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores near you, check out ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club like Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a large family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing ballyhoo and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-grown food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices are usually lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding one nearby since they’ve been popping up all over the place recently.

 

9. Buy discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying under half as much for the generic pills carried by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medications at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your car is seven or more years old and/or worth $2,500 or less, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be nearing the worth of your vehicle anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited texting.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are superb resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is usually more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the energy usage of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, have a romantic picnic instead of going to an expensive restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive rendezvous. Spice it up a little with a bottle of wine.

 

16. Instead of spending money on software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of program, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the paid versions.

 

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in dozens of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. Less expensive options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and rec. center.

 

20. Reduce your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you eat out, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy pre-owned books. Major online book sellers offer a “buy it used” option, where you will often find books in like-new condition at substantial discounts.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and simple, because someone without experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the expense of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with other families. Instead of paying a teenager to talk on the phone, send your children to the neighbors’ place on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights). They use about 1/4 as much electricity, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for only about $1 each if you shop around.

 

26. Use financial-planning software such as Quicken or the free software from Rudder.com.

 

27. Swap one-time-use items (such as books) with friends once you’re finished with them. If you each have things you’ll never use again but that the other wants, you can save yourselves the expense of buying them new.

 

28. Use public transportation or a bike to get to work, if feasible.

 

29. When you need to upgrade your personal electronic devices, trade the old ones in for cash at sites like Gazelle.com and CellforCash.com.

 

30. Don’t shop for food on an empty stomach. If you do, you’re liable to purchase more than you actually need.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.

The best saving tips are the ones no-one ever tells you. Those money saving tips the enormous companies hope you do not learn about so that they can keep making boatloads of cash from you. We've all heard the standard saving tips: Pay your debts off, save for a stormy day, boost your revenue and reduce pointless expenses. Yes, these do work but you need better saving tips, saving tips the general public isn't told. Saving tips you wish you knew, saving tips that definitely increase your wealth.

So here they are:

Tip 1:

Use the equity in your home loan to purchase your vehicle instead of signing that hire buy or hire agreement. Roughly you will save R 20000 in 56 months. Yes, you heard me, don’t spend 1 cent more and save yourself R 20000. Pay the home loan back at the same premium as the auto instalment added to your existing repayment and you automatically save that money, not to mention the discount you can negotiate on the vehicle when you're paying cash!

Tip 2:

Re-appraise your insurances every year. I mean each year. Insurance corporations do not lower your premiums, in reality they increase them annually, but intend on paying out less year-on-year because of the depreciated book cost of your auto. Call a garage, get a book value and get your insurance company to adjust your cover value to match either the book price (if paid for) or the notable finance balance if under finance. Tell your insurer to adjust that worth and get a fast reduction in your premiums.

Tip 3:

Check your banking account statement. Are you paying big penalty costs for drawing cash at other bank’s ATMs? Drawing cash at your own bank’s ATM will drop your charges from R 30 to R3! Still writing out cheques at a massive cost? Switch to Web banking and save yourself between 20% and 80% of your bank charges. You are probably coughing up for membership to a rewards programme too. Do you get enough rewards for your member's fee? Most programs basically favour the establishment not the customer.

Tip 4:

Does your check account pay you interest on your credit balance? Most don’t! Open a high-interest account and pay your salary into that or you sacrifice between 0,5% and 7% (available at CAPITEC Bank) interest on your positive balance by keeping it. A check account has no use if you don't write out checks and Internet banking and cash cards make this a reality. Why are you losing money when you could be earning it? Even better is to change to an account attached to your house loan (available at FNB), you could save thousands in interest over the term of you loan by a straightforward account switch.

Tip 5:

Cut your electricity bill by almost 50%. Switch your geyser off everyday , the whole day (6am – 9pm) and shower in the morning. If you have timer, check it, most do not switch the geyser off for that long and during peak time you pay maximum demand. Check for “vampire electronics” and switch them off. Your pool pump only wants to run for 4 hours per day, change your timer setting. Check all your plugs everyday before you leave for work, you need to draw NO power while you are not at home! You are not using it while you are not there, yet you are paying out your hard earned money to keep that meter running. Don’t spend money on something that's not in use?

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These tips are easily followed and will make an impact on your bank balance. It is enabling to understand you can and should be wealthier without having to spend an extra cent!

If you are from Denmark and desire some saving tips in danish you can go here sparetips or if you want to earn money oline you can go here Tjen penge på nettet

Gardening is therapeutic and enjoyable activity for people of all ages.Both children and retirees can get something out of it.  The costs of maintain a good garden can add up though, so on that not we provide nine money saving tips to help you enjoy your gardening without breaking the bank.

 

Tip 1:  Plant shade trees:  Don’t over look the benefits of trees on cooling your home.  Planting a “safe tree”  (eg one that is unlikely to fall on your house) is a great way to keep your cooling costs down.

 

Tip 2:  Share tools with your neighbours and friends:  Buy only good quality tools (the cheap ones don’t last) and then ask your neighbours if you can share.This is a good idea if you don’t want to buy all the tools yourself. Set up a central ‘library’ for tools in your neighbourhood.

Tip 3: Free or cheap plants!…finding plants for free is possible!  Check out Craigs List in your local area and you will see that people are willing to give away plants (if they are moving) or if you are willing to do the removal for them.If you take the time to search around you will find what you are looking for.

 

Tip 4:  Plant trees that are local to your area:  Do some research into visually pleasing species that grow locally in your area.  Because these trees are indigenous you will save a lot of money on watering and feeding.Native species are a lot more likely to survive. Marijuana plants are only native to Central America, so don’t count.

 

Tip 5:  Water your garden in the morning:  If you live in a warmer area, water your garden in the morning.  This way your plants require less water as the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly.

 

Tip 6:  Remove tree stumps yourself:  Removing a tree stump can add between 10 to 15 percent to a tree removal job.Do the work yourself if a bit of hard work doesn’t bother you.  What’s more you will be getting some good exercise.If you are looking for a quick laugh then check out the shovel-glove website!It shows you different ways to excercise with a mallet! Use the ute.If you fail it will still make a great U-Tube video!

 

Tip 7:  Plant perennial flowers instead of annuals:  This way you only have a one off cost and you get to enjoy the flowers for years to come.

 

Tip 8:  Share a garden:  Growing your own produce as detailed above is great for you, your health and your wallet.  If you lack the space, see if you can share gardening with neighbours.You and your neighbors can all grow different things and share them.In some neighborhoods, neighbors have created a common garden by taking down several of their fences. With economies of scale you can get much more out of gardening this way.

 

Tip 9:  Plant your own vegetable or herb garden:  If you have a small garden area, or have room for some pot plants, then set up your own vegetable garden. There are a heap of benefits. Inexpensive hobby, eat healthy foods, and money saving just to name three.

If you want to learn 1000s of money saving links then check out our site Money Saving Tips.

 

In this down economy, raising a family is not an easy job at all, especially if there is only one breadwinner in the family. If you are the person in your family who is in charged of grocery shopping and cooking, here are some practical ways to save money on groceries.

Plan your meals and make a grocery list

Plan your meals ahead, preferably for the whole week. When you plan out your meals and make a grocery list, you are less likely to go into impulsive buying when you go to the store. Furthermore, you save on gas by purchasing all you need for the week in a single trip.

Make comparison

A wise shopper will always compare before buying. You would want to compare among several brands for similar items.

If there are several grocery stores around the neighborhood, also compare prices among the stores. You may have to spend a bit more time shopping at the different stores, as certain items may be expensive at store A, but cheaper in store B.

Make your purchase during special promotions or sales

Buy more during sales, but those items must have a longer expiry date, like non-perishables and canned food. This helps to save in terms of the cost per item. However, don’t buy fresh produce in bulk even if they are on promotion to avoid throwing them if they get spoiled. That’s a waste, and it really adds up in the long term. Remember, one of the most important ways to save money is actually not to waste.

Save money with coupons

Use coupons to shop for household or grocery items at cheaper prices. A variety of coupons can be found in magazine or newspapers. You may also want to try to search on the internet for coupons of particular items. The only thing to watch out is: do not clip all coupons you see, but just the things you need. You don’t want to end up spending on things you don’t need, just because you have those extra coupons.

If you are able to stick to the money saving tips mentioned, you should be able to notice a reduced grocery bills in a short time.

One great irony of life is that people find it so easy to spend money and yet, they find it doubly hard to save money.

The point is that if they were really wise consumers, they would definitely take advantage of freebies and discount items that can absolutely cut their expenses almost in half.

One of the greatest examples is the utilization of money saving coupons.

The problem is that many people are still not aware of the benefits that money saving coupons can give. They contend that these freebies just offer such a little amount of money and that they can be better off without it.

Therefore, for those who are not yet fully aware of the benefits they can derive from these money saving coupons and what they can do in order to save more money, here is a list of some of tips on how to use these coupons for a cause:

1.  Look for the right places

If you are not yet aware of the right places where you can get excellent money saving coupons, try to look in your local newspaper, especially the Sunday editions. It’s one of the greatest places where you can get discount coupons.

Usually, different establishments provide discount coupons to entice consumers to buy their products. That’s why they use the paper to distribute their freebies.

2. Shop online

Online businesses also provide money saving coupons. What people do not know is that online discount coupons provide more money saving percentage than what the newspapers can give.

Greatest of all, it is so easy to accumulate discount coupons. All you have to do is to sign up for the online business and you can easily get some of their freebies.

3. Coupons are great money savers

The very advantage of money saving coupons is that they can cut your bill to almost 50%.

Indeed, using money saving coupons can definitely save you more money than what you have expected. So, for those who do not know this yet, try to cut more coupons and start saving.

Because you are inquisitive about old money, you may also want to research bank money online resources. As I would like to tell you more about 3 online resources which may be in the whole a whole lot not related to magic card however which could demonstrate helpfull to find property incurance cost for someone else or employ whole life insurance definition also not that it have anything in common with you may profit from learning of free whole term life insurance quotes online. You can learn from more articles about how to save energy. For more information about money saving websites, you can our blog because I often post new information on our site about teach kids about money.

Resolved to get a handle on your finances for 2010? Our top 5 money saving tips for 2010 are a great way to kick-start your savings plan.

1. Learn to budget
   Go over your spending from last year, where did you spend your money and where there any areas that you spent too much? Can you cut down on any of those big expenses this year? It is a good idea to set a budget for the year and try and stick to it as best you can. It really makes a big difference if you know where your money is coming in from and going out to. Why not get a Prepaid MasterCard to help with all your budgeting needs?
2. No more paying full price for things
   There are numerous deals out there to be had on your common household items. Take advantage of money off coupons, discount codes, sale items on the high-street. I have already bought some up and coming birthday prezzies in the sale and have saved a mini fortune. Work out where you pay full price and then spend a little time researching if you can get it cheaper elsewhere.
3. Delay your Spending
   Could you delay any spend that can be classed as being non-essential for 30 days? Could you draw up a list of all the things you want to buy and then see if you still want to buy them at the end of the “no spend for 30 days” test? It’s a smart way to look at your impulse buying patterns and keep that hard earned money in your bank account just a little bit longer.
4. Al-Desko dining
   If you are a working mum or dad then why not dine Al-Desko and take your own lunch to work? It doesn’t cost much to make a little extra with each evening meal and provided you have heating facilities at work you can use the opportunity of taking your own food in to control your calories etc.
5. Home is where the heart is
   There are plenty of ways to save money by using your home & garden more as a family base for activities. Rent out DVDs, CD’s & books and host a movie night (don’t forget to make your own treats). Host a party for your kids or your friends at somebody elses place and then your house the next time. Ask your guests to bring a dish, they won’t mind, everyone loves cooking! Why not host a clothes swap party at your home saving you even more pennies and gaining you some new wardrobe items.

For more money saving tips and to find out more about uk prepaid cards for mums and familes visit BaBeeCard.

Personal Financial Planning Tips : How to Create a Financial Plan

 For some, the notion of a budget is generally a blur. It is frustrating to see how troublesome it is to do a budget and realizing that with one incorrect purchase, you can in reality ruin the whole thing. And this has been a perennial headache for the majority homemakers. It is about time to overhaul the way people look at budgeting. It can essentially be a remarkable way to keep track of your family’s expenditures and benifit you evaluate the things that you pay out the lion’s share of the family’s earnings on.
 
 What is a budget? A budget is a tool for managing your finances by calculating the family’s expenditures in a way that money is a sufficient amount for paying up bills, and still ensuring that savings are set separately for potential expenses – vacations, or children’s education, or even for retirement.
 Try these simple steps in disposing a no fret family budget, and realize the benefits of intelligent spending.
 
 1. Gather three months of your pay stubs and acquire your average monthly earnings Financial Assets Management .
 
 2. Get available three months of your monthly bills. Do this for the fixed expenses like the electric, phone bill, house payments and other loans that happen monthly. Add them up and perceive the average. Do the alike for other expenses like shopping, and credit card bills.
 
 3. Evaluate the results of your accounts. Looking at your average monthly earnings alongside your monthly fixed expenses and other monthly expenses, think of some ways to economize. Cut back on certain items that are one way or another unnecessary.
 
 4. Knowing the particulars of your income and expenses, develop a family budget and try to stick to this Money Saving Tip.
 
 5. Now that you come up with a monthly budget, open a savings account. Save up by making regular deposits to this account.
 
 6. Keep track of this monthly family budget just to see if it is working for you. Try to fine-tune the “rough edges” of this budget as you go along.
 
 7. If you can get possess of a personal budgeting software or spreadsheet application to maintain record of your budget, the more fitting. This will make organizing your expenses very stress-free.
 
 These are the necessary steps in developing and implementing a no fret, easy to stick to monthly family budget. Of course all family has diverse requirements and wants. You come up with the freedom to develop your own monthly family budget, depending on your family’s financial background and requirements. No question how you do it, absolutely focus on the end result, which is building a savings that leads to a cheerful and financially durable future for your family.

Economic downturns aren’t ever much fun, but as Adam Smith observed over two centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though none of us can say for sure when this latest slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of stretching your cash in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving techniques tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do some of our shopping on the Internet now, not as many of us seem to have gotten into the habit of coupon-hunting online. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com offer thousands of current offers at merchants across the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites like Shopping.com, Pricegrabber.com, mySimon.com, and Google Product Search to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the product you’re considering. Google will reply with a message quoting the online prices. To compare prices at stores in your area, use ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a sizable family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is usually in the marketing hype and not the product itself, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-grown food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices are often lower there because the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You should have an easy time finding them since they’ve been popping up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs at online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying less than half as much for the generic medications sold at these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your vehicle is seven years old or older and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be approaching the value of your car anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk dealer and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone costs under control. Today’s kids love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpected high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to find used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are great resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from local sellers, you can save on shipping costs as well.

 

13. Go to matinees. Matinee showings are often more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the electricity consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to an expensive restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive rendezvous. Add some color with a bottle of vino.

 

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from places like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will frequently be just as good as the paid versions.

 

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% discounts in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will reduce energy usage when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll cut your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider quitting your health club. More economical options might include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby park and rec. center.

 

20. Lower your water bill by installing low-flow showerheads and $1 toilet displacement bags.

 

21. When you go out to eat, choose waiter-less restaurants where you order at the register and pick up your own food. You’ll avoid having to pay a tip, and these types of restaurants often have more reasonable prices as well.

 

22. Buy used books. Major online book sellers offer a “buy it used” option, where you will often find books in like-new condition at substantial markdowns.

 

23. Have a friend or family member cut your hair. This works best for men and boys who like to keep their hair short and uninvolved, because someone with no experience can do as good a job as a barber using a set of clippers. Professional clippers are sold in department stores for less than the cost of some high-end haircuts.

 

24. Swap babysitting responsibilities with neighbors. Instead of paying a teenager to watch TV, send the kids to the neighbors’ place on your nights out and take their kids into your place for a few hours when they need some couple-time alone.

 

25. Replace your incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). They use about 1/4 as much energy, last about 10 times longer, and can now often be found on sale for approximately $1 each if you shop around.

 

 

All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as content remains unchanged and links remain active.