From an early age, we are all taught that saving is important. However, I think we can all agree that as you get older and the lifestyle changes you have even more expenses, that is easier said than done. But still, we all would like to see more money in our bank accounts every month. Having said that, in this article, you’d find three great tips that will help you save more money on a monthly basis. [Read more…]
5 Easy Life Hacks That Can Save You Thousands This Year
Once in college, I sat down and calculated how much money I spent on food-not on groceries but those coffee shop pit stops and late night meals. It was in the thousands which are crazy, but not unrealistic. We all can get busy and start spending money on convenient things without thinking. This article will show you how to do the opposite. Here, you will find some awesome tips for saving money on the things we do every day.
Carry Cash
Now, you shouldn’t carry more than about $100, but spending cash will typically encourage you to not spend it. If you use a credit or debit card you are spending the same money but it feels different. Having to hand someone your hard earned cash makes us uncomfortable and that’s a good thing. Those moments of hesitation will keep you from making impulse purchases or buying things you may want but you don’t actually need.
Keep Rebates In Mind
There are so many rebate programs that we just don’t take advantage of. There are programs for retail and grocery shopping that will give you money back when you load your receipts. Check out your insurance plans as well. Auto insurance will often give you discounts and rebates for a portion of travel, rental cars, and for things like towing and roadside assistance. Many auto insurance companies have rental car coverage included, check your insurance agreement and if it includes rental coverage, never buy it from the rental company.
Health insurance programs tend to give reimbursements and discounts for certain gym memberships, and other health-related programs. You are already paying for these types of insurance, don’t pay more than you have to for other services.
Start Loving Store Brands
Do you know the difference between many store brands and name brand products? The marketing budget. That’s it. Don’t spend up to 25 percent more on a product because you’ve seen their commercial on TV. This is especially true for higher-end grocery stores like Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Whole Foods. Their store brands are quality and so much less expensive than their name brand counterparts. This one change can save your family thousands every year.
Get To Planting
Growing your own food can really help to reduce your grocery budget. For the tiny cost of seeds and soil, you can have a huge amount of vegetable. Start with easy to grow to produce like tomatoes or spinach and expand as you learn. Also, planting trees can help you save money in a couple of ways. First having beautiful landscaping will up the value of your home, it can also reduce your energy costs by acting as a windbreak. Adding trees can lower your energy costs by about a fourth which is great
Stop Buying All Purpose Cleaning Supplies and Make It Yourself
Cleaning supplies are a recurring cost that can be expensive. There is no reason to buy something when you can make something just as effective at home. Try this easy recipe for an easy DIY cleaner that is all natural and completely non toxic.:
Start by eating a couple of oranges or other citrus fruit.You’ll need the peels. Add the peels to a large glass jar or bowl with a lid. Fill the bottles half with boiling water and the other half with white vinegar. Let it sit in a sunny place in your home for a couple of days. Then strain the peels out and pour the cleaner into a couple of spray bottles. You can use the ones from whatever cleaner you typically bought. Just make sure you rinse them out first. Then use it as you normally would.
There you have it. These simple tips will have you spending money in no time. It’s all about finding easy ways to save money every day.
Take Advantage of Super Bowl Sales to Save Money
Super Bowl 2013 is on February 3, only a week away. If you’re a football fan, you’re probably counting down the days and planning your Super Bowl party. Your whole day, indeed your whole weekend, may revolve around the Super Bowl.
However, if you’re like me, you aren’t a big football fan. In fact, I have no idea which teams are even heading to the Super Bowl this year. (Ed. note: 49ers vs. Ravens)
Still, fan or not, the week before Super Bowl is the perfect time to save some money, and lots of it. The Super Bowl is a national, cultural event, and many sales revolve around Super Bowl viewing “necessities.”
Here are some things you may want to buy and stock up on while they’re cheap during the week before Super Bowl:
Televisions – If you’re in need of a new television, you’re likely to see the lowest prices now, the week before the Super Bowl. The prices now are often even better than those on Black Friday. Of course, if you don’t need a tv, this isn’t a good deal, but if you’ve been thinking about replacing yours, now is the time to do it.
Cable/satellite packages – If you don’t yet have cable or you want to switch providers, now is the time. Cable and satellite companies hope to snag new sports enthusiasts during the big game, and some cultural Super Bowl events, such as the notorious Lingerie Bowl, can only be seen on cable (as well as the much more benign Puppy Bowl).
NFL apparel – Get your favorite team’s jersey at a significant discount this week. Even Victoria’s Secret gets in on this by offering discounted pink NFL gear.
Beverages – If you’re a family of soda drinkers, don’t buy your pop at full price. Stock up during Super Bowl and buy enough to last you through the next big soda sale, which usually happens around Memorial Day. Bottled water is also often on sale. We only buy bottled water for our car trips when driving to conferences, but it’s nice to buy it when it’s at rock bottom price.
Snack foods – If you have a teenage boy or another member of the family who can’t get enough of snacks like nachos, chips, and cheese curls, now is the time to buy them while they are cheap. True, you may need to hide them from your snack monster so they’re not devoured in a few days, but again, you can stock up and save for the next several months until they go on sale again around Memorial Day.
Don’t forget that other condiments like ketchup, mustard, and salsa may also be on sale now.
Foods you can freeze – You’ll also likely find chicken and ground beef on sale, as well as cheese. Don’t forget that you can freeze these items, so stock up and feed your family for the rest of the winter with meat that you got on sale.
Whether you’re a Super Bowl fan or not, this week is the perfect week to stock up on some basics and buy some luxuries at a steep discount.
What is your favorite item to buy during Super Bowl sales?