Everyday Money Savers

Getting into debt is easy, getting out of it is much harder.  Being proactive with your spending habits and living within your budget is always a good game plan. Being in debt is a stressful place to be.  Staying out of debt is a lifestyle choice.  You can begin today working towards a life with less debt by changing some of your small habits that little by little eat away at your money.  

Grocery Shop Regularly

Groceries are a necessity and a large expense in any family budget.  Believe it or not grocery shopping once a week for needed items as opposed to quick stops throughout the week is a money saver.  Making a grocery list and plan fully purchasing items that you need is a good habit. Buying routinely used items in bulk eliminates frequent stops at the store. Less stops at the store typically results in less spending and more saving.

Limit Your Convenience Store Stops

Think about how many times you stop at a convienence store each week. If it’s more than one or two times it may be costing you a small fortune.  The more stops you make the more things you will be tempted to purchase.  Convienence stores offer many impulse purchases at the counter.  Stopping for milk one night, eggs the next and gas the third night probably results in two or three additional items per stop. You go in for milk and come out with milk and cookies and a pack of gum.  Frequent stops at the corner store temp us to spend more than we need to on a regular basis.  $5.00 extra on non-essentials may not seem like much at the time but over a month or a year it adds up.

Beware of Using Your Card

Using your credit or debit card is convenient but can be costly. The price you pay to swipe the card can range from $.50 to $3.00. Swiping at the grocery store gas pumps or at the ATM machine can result in additional charges. Some charges are double imposed. One is charged by your bank and another by the vendor you are using.   Many times the charges at the gas pumps are not posted but surface on your credit card statement.  Add up these charges over a month and you may realize you are spending an extra $20.00 just to use your card. Pay attention to the locations that have charges.  Make an effort to use those locations in your area that don’t impose charges.  To eliminate multiple stops at the ATM (and multiple charges) take out the money that you need in one withdrawal. Make a point to use those machines that belong to your financial institution.