Money Saving Secrets

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ou work hard for your money, so why not work on
doing some simple things that will get you to save
your hard earned cash? Here are a few ideas:
1. Shop around
Don’t accept the first price you’re presented with. Since
prices are so easily accessible on the Internet, it pays to
shop around. Anytime you’re researching the cost of a
service or product, check out at least five businesses that
meet your needs. Then, make your decision based on
your research.
2. Add some safeguards
Many insurance companies charge less for home
insurance if you have a burglar alarm and/or a deadbolt
installed in your home. Similarly, you may be able to get
a discounted rate on your car insurance if you have a car
alarm. It can pay to be safe, for your security and for your
wallet.
Y
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3. Buy only what you set out for
Avoid going over budget on your shopping trips by
planning your purchases according to your budget. Make
a list and only buy the items on your list.
4. Stock up
Stocking up may seem like a strange tip for saving
money, but if you stock up on the items you use on a
daily basis, such as toilet paper, you could save money.
Many stores offer deep discounted prices when you buy
a large quantity of a particular item.
5. Shop at the end of the season
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If you wait until the end of winter to buy winter clothes,
you’ll be investing in next winter’s wardrobe at
considerable savings.
6. Make use of free resources
Rather than purchasing at the bookstore or the movie
store, make use of your local library from time to time.
Since most people only read a book or watch a movie
once, it really pays to borrow.
7. Pay off your credit cards
Paying interest on credit cards is a major waste of
money. Work on paying off each credit card, one at a
time, by paying more than the minimum. As you pay
each card off, cut it up. Work yourself down to one credit
card at the most, and try your best to pay off your card at
the end of the month to avoid having to pay interest in
the future.
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8. Turn down your heat
Rather than running your heater at a very warm
temperature each fall and winter, set it at a constant 68
degrees, or lower. If you’re cold, wear a sweater. You
would be surprised at how much extra money you’re
spending for each additional degree of heat you set.



9. Book early
As soon as you decide you’re going to take a trip, begin
doing some research. Very often if you book early
enough, you can get excellent rates on airline flights,
hotels and car rentals. You may even be able to get
discounted prices on attractions at your destination if you
buy ahead and/or buy online. In addition, if your airline
trip includes a Saturday night stay, you’re bound to get a
much lower rate.
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10. Cut out the extras
If you’re spending $10 each week on cigarettes, kicking
the habit can save you $520 each year. Cut out the same
$2 you may be spending on daily cappuccinos from your
local coffee shop, and you’ll save another $520 per year.
11. Cancel subscriptions
If you have subscriptions to magazines that you read,
great! But if you’re constantly getting magazines that you
never read, cancel those subscriptions. Put the money
you save into your savings account or Christmas Club.
12. Pick names
If you have a large family and you spend an enormous
amount of money on gifts for each person, try to get your
family to “pick names” instead. This way, everyone gets a
gift, but each person only has to buy a gift for one
person.
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13. Eat home more
Eating out at restaurants is fun and even recommended
for special occasions, but doing so too often can
definitely break the bank. Eat home more. You’ll be able
to cook healthier options if you choose, and you’ll spend
less.
14. Think before purchasing an
extended warranty
Most of the time, you won’t be reaping the benefits of all
the money you spend on extended warranties. Consider
if it’s worthwhile to spend the extra money for those “just
in case” scenarios.
15. Buy gift cards
If you love shopping at a particular store, but you always
find you’re spending way more than you originally
intended, buy yourself a gift card at that store each
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month for a specified amount. Use that gift card
whenever you wish to make a purchase. Once that card
is used up, you’re done with your purchases at that store
for the month.
16. Contribute to your savings account
Get into the habit of putting money into your savings
account each week, without fail. Even if it’s only a small
amount, it will build up over time.
17. Use up what you have
Before you go shopping, use up leftovers in your fridge.
See what you can create from food items in your pantry.
Organize your cabinets, so you’re not buying “doubles” of
items like mouthwash, shampoo and mayonnaise.

18. Think twice
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Do you really have to buy an entire container of
buttermilk, when you only need a tablespoon for the
recipe you’re preparing? Borrow what you need from a
neighbor, or search on the Internet for an appropriate
substitution.
19. Grow your own
If you have a green thumb, you may want to try your
hand at growing some vegetables and fruits in your
garden. Don’t have a garden? No problem. You can start
a few container gardens instead. You can save lots of
money on tomatoes, peppers, herbs and other home
grown treats.
20. Be savings savvy at the
supermarket
Find out if your supermarket has double coupon days,
senior savings days, discount saver cards and other such
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programs that can save you money. If they do, take
advantage of these programs. If they do not, consider
looking for another supermarket that does offer these
special incentives.
21. Deduct automatically
Make saving money a breeze by automatically having a
set amount deducted from your paycheck, into your
savings account. No work on your part and those savings
will add up.
22. Turn off the water
Stop money from going down the drain—literally—by
turning off your water while you’re brushing your teeth
and/or shaving. Only wash clothes when you have a full
load.
23. Limit your trips to the ATM
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Technology has made it so easy for us to retrieve our
money any time we need it. But people tend to take more
than they need when they make frequent stops at the
ATM machine. Make one weekly stop and take out what
you need to get you through the entire week. When
you’ve spent what you’ve already withdrawn, don’t be
tempted to take out more.
24. Keep your car maintenance up
Neglect your regularly scheduled car maintenance check
ups and you run the risk of breakdowns and very
expensive repair bills. Get your car serviced when the
service need is due.
25. Buy generic
For some grocery items and medical prescriptions, it may
be well worth it to check into the generic brands versus
the name brands.
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26. Turn your stuff into cash
Rather than discarding things you no longer have a use
for, such as books you’ve read, appliances you never
use and toys your kids no longer play with, consider
selling them at a rummage sale or offering them up for
auction at eBay.
27. Pack a picnic
While it’s nice to eat at a restaurant once in awhile, it will
save you a ton of money to pack your lunch from home
each day, or to pack a picnic next time you go on a family
road trip.
28. Swap babysitting
Rather than spending money hiring a babysitter, do a
swap. You watch your neighbor’s kids for the evening,
and then next week they watch your kids for the evening.
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Everyone gets to go out and have a good time, without
spending a dime for someone to watch the children.
29. Hold potlucks
Love to entertain large groups, but can’t afford to do so?
Have all of your attendees bring a dish to pass. You can
still have your party, but you won’t be the sole supplier of
the food.


30. Use coupons
For items you use all the time, it’s worth your while to cut
manufacturer’s coupons from the newspaper and use
them when you go shopping. In addition, if you visit
manufacturer’s web sites, you’re likely to find printable
coupons you can use.
31. Plant some trees
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Plant some shade trees on the south and west sides of
your house. This will help you cut down on air
conditioning bills, especially if you live in a very hot
climate.
32. Buy an artificial tree
The pine aroma of a real tree is wonderful, I’ll admit, but
the cost of buying a holiday tree each year can be
costly—especially when you’ll be ditching it in a few
weeks. Buy a good quality artificial tree, and your friends
won’t even know it’s fake. You’ll spend the money once,
and have your tree for 10 years or more!
33. Stretch your meals
Make your meat, poultry and seafood dishes last at least
one more meal by adding rice, beans, pasta and/or
vegetables to these main courses.
34. Rent movies
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Rather than going to the movies, occasionally opt for
renting instead. A family of four will spend upwards of
$30 just to get into a movie theater, never mind the
money that inevitably gets spent on popcorn and soft
drinks. That is opposed to the $4 it will cost to rent a
movie and watch it at home. If you’re a real movie buff,
online companies such as Netflix.com allow you to rent
unlimited movies for one low fee each month with no late
fees.
35. Get them to chip in
When buying a gift for someone, rather than paying the
entire bill yourself, see if you can get someone to chip in
with you.
36. Buy a digital camera
Why waste money getting photos developed, when
there’s a good chance you’ll only be happy with 50% or
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less of them? Get yourself a digital camera that allows
you to immediately delete those bad shots.
37. Do it yourself
If you’re a very handy person, you may be able to do
typical household repairs and remodeling yourself, rather
than hiring out to do it.
38. Or, hire an expert
On the other hand, if you really don’t know how to handle
a repair or remodeling job and the outcome of similar
jobs you’ve handled in the past have been less than
good, it can often pay to hire a professional in the long
run. Know your limits.
39. Cut out the junk food
It will help your wallet and your health if you avoid buying
chips, pretzels, cookies, cake, candy and other such junk
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food. If you absolutely can’t go without your daily junk
food fix, buy one bag of something and don’t buy any
more until that bag is empty.
40. Go out, for free
Everyone needs to get out of the house and enjoy
themselves. However, these outings don’t always have to
cost money. Rather than going to expensive amusement
parks, shopping extravaganzas and theaters all the time,
opt for going to a park for a cookout, bike ride or a
Frisbee date.
41. Buy e-books
Rather than spending money on printed products you’re
only going to read once, if the book you wanted is
available for digital download go that route. It’s almost
always less expensive because there are no printing or
binding costs involved.

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42. Get the house paid off
By paying more on your mortgage payment each month
than you have to you can end up saving thousands of
dollars on interest and paying that debt off a whole lot
quicker.
43. Carpool
If you can carpool to work with several people, you’ll only
have to drive your car to work once or twice a week. This
will save on both gas, and wear and tear on your
automobile. Another carpooling opportunity is to get
together with other parents who have kids the same age
as your kids and who attend the same school. Each
parent takes turns driving the kids back and forth to
school.
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44. Eat prior to grocery shopping
Never go food shopping on an empty stomach. Most
people tend to buy more when they’re hungry.

45. Pay your bills on time
Late payments can result in exorbitant finance charges.
Always pay your bills well before the due date.
46. Keep those tires inflated
Your car will use up less gas if all the tires are inflated
properly. Check the air pressure once each month, and
always prior to making a long trip. In addition, make sure
your tires are rotated regularly.
47. Keep the fridge door shut
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According to the Knoxville Utilities Board, for every 30
seconds the refrigerator door is opened, that is 30
minutes it will require to recover its initial temperature.
48. Use a programmable thermostat
These bring your home’s temperature up and back down
automatically based on your settings and the schedule
you select. For instance, in the winter we program our
thermostat to automatically heat our home to 70 degrees
during the day and then automatically down to 66
degrees in the evening when we are asleep and under
warm blankets. This saves money because it’s easy to
forget to turn the heat down at night.
49. Research your phone services
Learn how to read your regular phone bill, your cell
phone bill and understand all the charges that go with
both, so you’re not paying for services you rarely or
never use. Inquire to determine whether some of the
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newer flat-rate plans, or other available plans, might help
you save some money each month.
50. Avoid convenience stores
Sure, they’re more convenient, but you are often paying
for this convenience. Shopping at larger supermarkets
and bargain stores will almost always save you money,
as long as you’re only buying what you truly need.




51. Keep good records
One of the best ways to save money is to be very aware
of exactly how much money you have available and what
you’ve spent your money on. You can do this with your
computer, or with pen and paper, but whatever method
you choose, keep track of your money on a daily basis.
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