Easy Ways to Save Money

I am going to keep this one simple,  just a bunch of easy ways to save money. As you incorporate more and more of these tips into your life, the savings add up and it wouldn’t surprise me if you could save thousands over the course of a year. But you need to make a decision today, and start!!! 1.Make your own coffee: Everyone seems to have heard of the latte factor. Even though the author may have overestimated the savings from skipping a latte at any coffee shop, don’t underestimate the ding it puts in your pocket in the long term. Look at the whole picture. You don’t have to entirely ban drinking coffee, I am not saying that, but skip it as often as possible unless you make it at home. In my case I am brewing fresh coffee every morning, and from my favorite brand and blend. Most of the coffee shops have ground coffee beans for sale. Cheaper and easier. Just try!

2.Make a list before going shopping: They call it impulse buying for a reason. Humans simply have a very tough time resisting the temptation to purchase extras while shopping. Without a list you will buy items that you simply do not need. Even worse is when your forget to purchase the actual item you came to the store for in the first place. If you plan on cooking at home, pre-plan a menu and make a list before you go grocery shopping. Getting all that you need in one trip can help avoid another unnecessary trip and temptation. I am doing my weekly list on my IPhone “notes” and is easy and super convenient.

3.Buy in bulk whenever possible: When it comes to non-perishable items, buy in bulk whenever you find something on sale. The items I usually stock up on are, cereals, canned goods, rice, beans, pasta, coke, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, toilet paper etc. For such items, shopping at warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club etc can save you quite a bit of money, provided you stick strictly to your shopping list when you shop at these places. I do have a Costco card, and because of that membership I receive monthly coupons, you can’t imagine how much savings you can get using those, hundreds $$$.

3.Disconnect land line if possible: Unless you have small kids in the house or older people to take care of, it is more than likely that you will be able to survive with only the mobile phones and can get rid of the land line. We have survived without any problems for over 5 years now with out a land line. And we still have an Internet connection. That is one of the best decisions in terms of savings. Highly recommended!

4.Price check before buying anything expensive: For other items that are expensive, do a price check before buying the item. Frequently available online coupons make it even more easy to save some money. This is especially true while purchasing any electronics. And it is better if you wait until the seasonal sale.

5.Plan vacations ahead of time: Vacations are a necessary part of saving our sanity in the busy lives that we lead. But vacations are also a huge drain on the family finances. You can cut the cost of a vacation significantly by planning and booking ahead of time. Bookmark travel sites for finding inexpensive airfare, hotel etc., and book at least two weeks in advance.

I hope you start using my tips, and they help your economy, as they did for me and my family.