
There are a few obvious big money saving tips like not eating as much or buying a used car instead of a new one or going on cheaper vacations. The only problem is that some of those ideas are less common and can be impractical for on going consistent savings month over month.
Here is a list of easy to implement money saving tips on often overlooked ways.
1) Grocery shopping when you are hungry - I'm guilty of this more often than not and when I look at my month end grocery bills I can definitely tell when I was hungry with the spikes in the bill totals. You are a lot more susceptible to buying extra stuff when hungry.
2) Paying for cable - You could easily save $100 bucks a month on this no-brainer. With so many streaming services available you don't need to sacrifice your favorite shows in the name of a "budget." Even if you pay for premium streaming services the monthly bills are far cheaper than standard cable bills.
3) Buying brand name products - I find that store and generic brands to be one of the most underused ways to save money. Even organic food has generic brands to them that are often 10-25% cheaper than other brands. I definitely encourage you to compare the ingredients of your favorite brands to generic brands and you will be surprised how similar with not identical the ingredients are.
4) In-game purchases - Ok, who plays clash of clans, candy crush, farmville or something similar? All those $1-5 in game purchases add up real fast so remove your credit card info from the app. Google a solution to those hard to beat levels and it won't cost you a dime.
5) Keeping tires properly inflated - I'm always surprised how many people drive with low tire pressure. This is got to be the easiest car related money saver you can do. Low tire pressure is that invisible gremlin that literally sucks your gas money from your wallet.
6) Paying full retail for clothes - Everybody knows the huge markup that chain stores put on their clothes so why buy it full price? Wait for a sale or go check out an outlet mall. If you want to go even further, go to a consignment store or thrift shop.
7) Energy drinks - These crazy things are expensive and usually loaded with sugar and like all things lose their potency the more you drink. If you are needing these drinks to keep awake you may want to evaluate your lifestyle to help determine why you need them in the first place.
8) Buying individual coffee drinks - Here's another money sucker that is so common people don't even think twice spending 20x's the amount for a home brewed cup of joe. Brew your coffee at home for pennies on the dollar and put it in a really good thermos. This will save you hundreds if not thousands over the course of the year.
9) Unnecessary laundry supplies - Do you really need dryer sheets and fabric softener for the same load of laundry? There's a lot of chemicals in those expensive things. The DIYnatural.com website has recipes for economical and environmentally safe home products.
10) Pricey personal care products - This might affect women a lot more than men as they usually use a lot more variety of products. Most people buy a product but never know its active ingredients. If you check consumer reports of many popular products an alarmingly high percentage of them do not work as advertised! You are essentially paying for "brand name."
Like these tips? please comment if you do or have other suggestions!
Here is a list of easy to implement money saving tips on often overlooked ways.
1) Grocery shopping when you are hungry - I'm guilty of this more often than not and when I look at my month end grocery bills I can definitely tell when I was hungry with the spikes in the bill totals. You are a lot more susceptible to buying extra stuff when hungry.
2) Paying for cable - You could easily save $100 bucks a month on this no-brainer. With so many streaming services available you don't need to sacrifice your favorite shows in the name of a "budget." Even if you pay for premium streaming services the monthly bills are far cheaper than standard cable bills.
3) Buying brand name products - I find that store and generic brands to be one of the most underused ways to save money. Even organic food has generic brands to them that are often 10-25% cheaper than other brands. I definitely encourage you to compare the ingredients of your favorite brands to generic brands and you will be surprised how similar with not identical the ingredients are.
4) In-game purchases - Ok, who plays clash of clans, candy crush, farmville or something similar? All those $1-5 in game purchases add up real fast so remove your credit card info from the app. Google a solution to those hard to beat levels and it won't cost you a dime.
5) Keeping tires properly inflated - I'm always surprised how many people drive with low tire pressure. This is got to be the easiest car related money saver you can do. Low tire pressure is that invisible gremlin that literally sucks your gas money from your wallet.
6) Paying full retail for clothes - Everybody knows the huge markup that chain stores put on their clothes so why buy it full price? Wait for a sale or go check out an outlet mall. If you want to go even further, go to a consignment store or thrift shop.
7) Energy drinks - These crazy things are expensive and usually loaded with sugar and like all things lose their potency the more you drink. If you are needing these drinks to keep awake you may want to evaluate your lifestyle to help determine why you need them in the first place.
8) Buying individual coffee drinks - Here's another money sucker that is so common people don't even think twice spending 20x's the amount for a home brewed cup of joe. Brew your coffee at home for pennies on the dollar and put it in a really good thermos. This will save you hundreds if not thousands over the course of the year.
9) Unnecessary laundry supplies - Do you really need dryer sheets and fabric softener for the same load of laundry? There's a lot of chemicals in those expensive things. The DIYnatural.com website has recipes for economical and environmentally safe home products.
10) Pricey personal care products - This might affect women a lot more than men as they usually use a lot more variety of products. Most people buy a product but never know its active ingredients. If you check consumer reports of many popular products an alarmingly high percentage of them do not work as advertised! You are essentially paying for "brand name."
Like these tips? please comment if you do or have other suggestions!