Today I want you to come up with 10 ways to cut your spending. Don’t complain about it or say it’s impossible. Just put your thinking cap on and get busy.
If you really had to – and at this point, you probably really do have to in order to survive the current economy – I’m sure you could be really creative.
But just to jump start your thinking, I’ll start you out with 10 ideas:
- Do your own home maintenance
- Only go to your bank’s ATMs
- Bring lunch to work daily or a few days a week
- Visit www.cardratings.com to get a better credit card deal
- Stop smoking (or drinking)
- Carpool
- Use coupons (always or from time to time)
- Buy in bulk (but only on items you will consume in 1 month, tops; avoid the triple pack of 64 oz ketchup, you don’t need all of that sodium anyway)
- Raise your insurance deductibles
- Plan and pay for travel in advance
Saving Money Doesn’t Have To Be a Big Hassle
I’m constantly amazed at how many people pay full price for products and services – when they could so readily get the things they need for a lot less money.
Thankfully, there are some fast, painless and – dare I say it? – fun ways to save money, simply by hopping on the Internet. After all, who doesn’t relish snagging a true bargain?
Take your homeowner’s or auto insurance. To save money there, check out www.insure.com. It’s a great free site to find the best insurance rates, as well as read interesting articles and tips about all types of insurance. Since homeowner’s coverage averages $700 a year, and auto insurance another $880, (according to the Insurance Information Institute) if you spend 20 minutes surfing the web to save 10% on these insurance expenses, you can readily put $150 or so back into your bank account.
And don’t forget to look for ways to curb costs on big-ticket items, such as your mortgage or car note. If you want to slash the amount of money you’re doling out for your monthly car payment, it is well worth it to visit www.capitaloneauto.com. They let you refinance your existing auto loan. Typical time it takes to fill out the application: 10 to 15 minutes. Average savings: $404 per year, and $1,353 over the life of the car loan.
If you’re a person who gets into a grocery or clothing store and loses your mind, buying indiscriminately and not getting a lot of value for your hard-earned money, get some help from the experts at www.thefrugalshopper.com. This site also gives you great tips on how to save money on a variety of products and services. Yes, they tell you to use coupons – but that’s just one strategy!
