By JP Chartier
- Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. I admit I have a hard time with this one, I always seem to be hungry when I shop and end up with tons of stuff I really don’t need and an empty wallet.
- Grab the first parking spot you find. The benefits for this one are twofold, first of all you’ll save gas by not driving around endlessly until you find that spot up close, and second, you’ll get some exercise walking the extra distance.
- Hit yard sales in neighborhoods more expensive than your own. A cheap way to find some quality used items.
- Use public transportation. Fuel is expensive why not let someone else pay for it. Just give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination due to all the stopping, and bring a good book to read to pass the time.
- Take advantage of 2 for the price of 1 sales. Or the buy 2 get one free sales.
- Start a garden. Home vegetable gardens are great fun, and not as difficult or time-consuming as you might think. They are an excellent source of aerobic activity and provide you with vitamin D. They can be a great way to relieve stress, and you’ll eat a more nutritious diet that you’ve had a direct hand in creating. In fact, veggies plucked when ripe from a home garden can provide more nutrients than the store-bought variety, which are often picked before they’re ripe so they can travel the long distances to get to your table.
- Close the curtains instead of more A/C.
- Use window tint on any windows that let in a lot of sunlight. Cuts down on hot spots and fading and adds UV protection while saving money on your electric bill.
- Take your lunch to work. This can save you $20-25 a week, which adds up to over $1000 a year.
- Use the library. Instead of buying books. I read at least a book a week, and at $15 a book this adds up to $780 a year. I also frequent used book stores, where it’s normal to find books at 75% off. Plus I borrow books whenever I can too.
- Say no to Starbucks. Brew your own. I used to drink a latte every day and over a year that totals over $1000! So just by using the library and brewing my own coffee I’m saving over $1500 a year! Add in the savings from brown bagging it to work and you can keep $2500 in your pocket!
- Shop at the grocery store on Wednesday evening. The best deals are found then. Many grocery stores release their new sale advertisements on Wednesday but also honor the sales items from the previous week, plus fresh produce and fish are likely to be re-stocked mid-week.
- Use rechargeable batteries. You have to be committed for this to save you money. The initial cost for a charger and the rechargeable batteries will be paid back over time, then the real savings begin. Other than the minimal amount of electricity that it takes to charge the batteries you now have free batteries!
- When you cook, make double. You won’t have to buy anymore ingredients – you will only use more of the ingredients you already have. Your meals will go twice as far and you’ll spend half as much, which leads to fewer trips to the store, saving gas and time. Take the leftovers for lunch the next day and save your lunch money.
- Clip coupons. The old fashioned way to save money. You can save 40-60% off your bill if you do it. Combine store coupons with manufacturer’s coupons and shop on double coupon days to really save.
- Shop at Half.com. This is a website where you can find killer deals on books and movies for guess how much? Half off.
- Dump cable. The average cable bill is $128 a month! Instead rent from Redbox or join Hulu Plus or Netflix. You can watch tv on the internet virtually free. Libraries rent movies and documentaries for free.
- Buy in bulk.
- Use Groupon, Living Social and Bloomspot. You can save up to 80% off on movies, restaurants and outings.
- Save on things you repeatedly do. You drive to and from work at least 5 times a week; you eat 3 times a day every day. If you can find a way to shave even a little off these activities that you repeat so often, you’re going to save a lot of money thanks to repetition.
If you have any money saving tips please share them in the comments section below.
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