We are all looking for ways to save money in our households.  Whether it’s on bills or on our grocery list, being frugal is a must these days. 

There are a number of ways to save money right now and a great place to begin is to start researching a better cellular phone plan.  Cell phone companies are constantly changing their plans and there might be offers available that you don’t know about.  If your cell phone carrier’s competition has a better offer, find out if your carrier will match it.  If you don’t use your cell phone very often, you might want to consider getting a pre-paid phone.  Another option to save money is to drop your landline if your cellular service is less expensive and offers free long distance calling.  This can save up to $50 a month for certain families if this option works for you.  This may also be the time to research other Internet cable providers to find a better deal.  Offers are changed regularly and chances are high that you’ll be able to find a better deal just by looking. 

Paying your bills online can reduce money for postage.  A small expense, the cost of stamps can really add up when added to several bills per month.  If the utility company is on your way to work or other activities consider forgoing the stamp altogether and just drop the bill in their nighttime drop box.  Because so many banks charge a dollar or two for every ATM transaction you make, limit your trips to these machines.  By making fewer trips you should take out more money each time.  If you’re someone whom needs their morning coffee fix, this is the time to invest in a quality coffee maker and eliminate the gourmet coffee, which typically costs between $2 and $4 per day.  While the fancy coffee tastes delicious, your pocketbook will thank you.

Ignoring car maintenance is another example of flushing money down the drain.   It’s wise to check your oil frequently and change it often.  Frequent oil changes are the single most important factor in extending the life of your engine and they will pay for themselves in savings on repairs and engine wear. Changing the oil yourself in your driveway can also reduce a large expense.  This can typically save up to $15 off what most auto garages charge leaving you extra money for gas.  If you have a good driving record, you may be able to save money on your car insurance with another carrier.  You can also save fuel by combining your errands into one trip.  Another option is to start a car pool, which not only saves money, but is great for the environment.

You can save a ton of money if you learn to distinguish between wants and needs.  Needs are items that are necessary to sustain and include food, shelter, clothing, and transportation.  Wants are those things that enhance or possibly improve our family life.  A vehicle is a need, but a Sport Utility Vehicle is a want.  This is not to say that you shouldn’t be able to have the things you want, only that if you’re trying to save money you should truly decide upon what you need and what you want.  Try to plan in advance before grocery shopping.  By knowing what you need, you will be able to buy in larger quantities and cut down on convenience food purchases which are always more expensive.  Spend a little time clipping and utilizing coupons found in your Sunday newspaper.  Organize the coupons by type to help make your grocery list more organized.  Typically the quality of the store brand or generic is equal to or even better than the national brands, and is generally considerably less expensive.  If an item you use regularly is on sale, stock up on the item to save yourself money in the long run. 

You’ll find that one of the easiest ways to come up with additional money is to first put an end to all the needless spending.  When you begin to review your expenditures on an individual basis, adopt the mindset that every dollar is important and valuable to your budget.  Five or ten dollars may not seem like much to save off one bill per month, but if you multiply that by all of your bills, over the course of a year you will get a much more substantial figure.  You may soon find yourself saving an extra one to two hundred dollars per month by eliminating excessive and unnecessary spending from your monthly expenses. 

Trackback URI | Comments RSS