Top Five Ways to Save Money This Year
With all the focus on saving money and the battered job market and the recent disheartening statements made about the economy’s prospects by none other than Ben Bernanke, I figured it would be a good time to sort of reiterate some of the best ways you can save money. I put many of these methods into use in my own household, and I’ve found that over time, they can save you a significant amount of cashola, which is just what everyone is short on these days.
I’ve really been able to use these consistently, and I actually make a kind of game out of it, and it can be kind of fun. Not only that, it may even help you to lose weight! Just listen and you’ll understand why.
Let’s talk about these five ways, I’ll list them.
1.) Clip coupons. I used to laugh my butt off about this one when I was younger. Now, I’m older and much wiser, and I’m such a fuddy duddy now that I LOVE to clip coupons. Finding a good one is akin to winning a small lottery, and it’s really fun to see the tally on your grocery bill go down several dollars when you have some really good ones in your wallet. Find something to carry them in though, they do accumulate, and can be a pain to carry around. And try to remember to actually use them before they expire. that was my biggest obstacle when I first started using them!
2.) Turn off the lights and all electronic appliances in your home all the time when you are not using them. Turn down the A/C when you leave for work during the day, and then increase it when you get home, or better yet, get one of those timed thermostats from your power company. Many power providers will actually give you a free one!
3.) If you buy bottled water, get yourself a Brita water pitcher. These things are great, and if you’re a huge water drinker like I am, you will save tons of money on bottled water, and you’ll be helping the environment too! While you’re at it, recycle. It cuts down dramatically on the number of garbage bags you use, and oh yeah, it’s great for the environment too!
4.) Cook at home, and cook large amounts, so you can have leftovers the next day. This saves not only money, but time. It also saves your butt from getting bigger. If you don’t have time to cook, a great way to experience many different types of foods and restrict calories is to get Lean Cuisines when they’re on sale and add a veggie to them.
5.) Make sure you have the right tire pressure in your car, as your tire’s pressure has a big impact on fuel use.
