When you want to find ways to save money, just change a few habits, and you are well on your way to having a fatter pocketbook.
Sometimes it seems like it’s just too difficult to save money for an emergency, get bills paid off, or even just get ahead financially. If you can change some habits, and put into place some of these steps, and you’ll be able to save some money now.
- Make your coffee at home
Spending money in a coffee shop can take a lot out of your paycheck over time. Buying lattes and treats over the course of one year can add up. Plus, you will save more by making your coffee at home because you won’t have to spend the money on gas to drive to the coffee shop, either.
[Tweet “Wait to make a large purchase. After thinking about it, you might realize you don’t need it after all.”]
- Wait to make a purchase
Before you decide on a purchase, give yourself a few days to mull it over. If you hold on, many times, you will realize that you don’t need to make the purchase after all. Waiting to make a purchase, and making the decision not to go through with it, can save you a lot of money over time.
- Go over your checkbook weekly
It’s wise to go back through and look at your checkbook on a weekly basis. You will learn to spot where you are spending too much money. Often, it’s easy to spend small amounts of money, which adds up over time. If you keep track of spending, you will be able to save money.
- Coupons
Utilizing coupons are a great way to save money. Keep track of sales through weekly flyers at local stores and pharmacies. Hop online and sign up for digital coupons directly through your grocery store that can save you money at the register. Clip coupons that come in the weekly newspaper, as well. If you pair the clipped coupons with store sales, you will find more savings.
- Pack lunches for your family
Purchasing a school lunch or eating out at the office can add up to a lot of money over the course of even one month. Planning ahead and packing a lunch will allow you control over what you eat as well as keeping money in your pocket.
- Don’t go to the grocery store hungry
Eat a meal or a hefty snack before you go to the grocery store. If you’re hungry while shopping, you’re more likely to grab something off of the shelf that looks tasty but is not needed. If you eat before you shop, you’ll be able to make better decisions on what is necessary, rather than what you’re hungry for at the time.
- Eat at home
It’s nice to go out to eat on occasion, but eating at home will go a long way to helping save a lot of money. Tipping, appetizers, drinks, and desserts all add up, on top of the actual meal. If you decide to go out to eat, pick a night when a restaurant offers free meals for kids, or buy one get one free. And be sure to drink water, it’s free.
- Drink water from the tap
Tap water is safe and inexpensive. Instead of drinking costly sodas, switch to tap water. Buying bottled water can be a huge money suck, as well.
- Grow a garden
Growing a garden in your backyard is a great way to save on groceries. Spend some time researching the growing seasons, and how to grow vegetables successfully in your garden. Once you get the hang of growing veggies, you can start canning foods for even more savings. You can put away ketchup, jelly, tomato sauce, pasta sauce, pickles, and so much more saving you a lot of cash.
[Tweet “Start and Stick to a Budget”]
- Start and stick to a budget
Sit down and plan out a budget, and stick to it each week. It might take some tweaking in the beginning, but over time, you will learn the ropes and be able to save money like a pro. At the end of the year, you can look back and see how much you saved.
- Hold out for sales
Black Friday isn’t the only day of the year to save money. There are sales all throughout the year, sometimes even better than the most notorious shopping day of the year. If you don’t need something right away, wait until it goes on sale, and then snatch it up for a lower price. Sometimes holding out, waiting for a sale, will give you the time to realize you don’t need the item after all.
- Pay off those credit cards
Have you ever sat down and figured out how much you’re paying in interest on credit card debt? You might be surprised. Take an afternoon and check out all of your cards. See you if you can transfer your cards to a credit card with a lower interest rate and pay it off. You will see savings add up when you don’t have to pay someone else interest.
- Watch free movies on TV
Instead of spending a lot of money for new movies in the movie theater, or paying for a movie on TV, wait until they are free on TV. There are quite a few cable channels that will offer relatively new movies for free, saving you a lot of money for the same experience of watching when something is brand new. You can purchase surround sound when it’s on sale and have the movie experience at home for a much lower price.
- Wash your car at home
It is convenient to go through the car wash, and it only seems like it will be a few dollars. But, picking a sunny afternoon, and pulling out the hose at home, will save you quite a bit of money over the course of time. Getting the small vacuum to clean out the car, and wiping out the inside can also keep your money from going to someone else.
- Buy generic items
Buying generic items is a great idea to work into your budget. Sometimes you can get a larger sized generic item for less than the price of a name brand. You will find that the generic items taste just as good, and include the bonus of saving money.
There are plenty of ways to save money, and these are just a few. But by putting these into practice, you’re sure to see some savings.
