Most of us know the most common ways to save money like, making a budget, not spending more than you make, brown bagging your lunch, etc. What we sometimes don’t realize is that there are numerous other ways to cut spending and save money. Read on for some great ideas.
Tips To Save You Money
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Never grocery shop when you are hungry or in a hurry. Plus, always make a list before you go and stick to it. If you do not have a list, are hungry or in a hurry you are much more likely to make impulsive buying decisions.
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Use your plastic grocery bags inside your trash cans. Instead of using a large trash can that requires you to purchase large bags, use a smaller one and reuse your grocery bags. While you will have to take the garbage out more often, you will see a savings.
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Borrow books and movies from your local library instead of renting or buying. Or, if you need to purchase a book see if you can buy it used.
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Stop using bottled water. Instead, purchase a durable water bottle that you can refill and take with you.
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Buy a used car instead of a new car. New cars lose their value very quickly. Choosing a pre-owned car, even one that is only a couple of years old with low mileage, can save your thousands of dollars.
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Cut your electric and heating bill. Just lowering your thermostat by a couple of degrees over the winter can add up to a cost savings. Plus, making sure you turn off and unplug items not in use can cut your electric bill.
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Disconnect your home phone and use your cell instead.
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Never try to compete with family, friends, neighbors, etc. when it comes to making purchases. This is a sure way to not save money.
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Purchased used instead of new. This can be for any number of items including clothing, kid’s toys and equipment, furniture and more. Your local Craig’s list is a great resource for buying used items.
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Stay on top of auto maintenance on your vehicles to avoid costly, preventable repairs later on.
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Instead of replacing dated furniture, look into using slip covers or having it reupholstered
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Have a garage sale once a year to clean out and make some extra money.
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Drink water instead of costly sodas, juices, etc. Not only will your pocket book like you, but it is healthier too.
Our goal is to help consumers get their financial lives in order. No matter what the circumstances you find yourself in, there are simple things you can do TODAY to help you Erase Debt, Spend Less, and Earn More 
I really like this article! Thanks for taking the time to write it.
There are only two points that I would slightly disagree with. I just don’t agree that the cost of doing away with the landline is worth the hassle. We pay $15 a month for unlimited phone service. Then again, things may vary from area to area and for some folks, perhaps it may actually be more cost effective.
I can honestly say that sometimes, it costs more money to re-upholster a couch than a new couch would cost! I’m speaking of a modestly priced couch. Perhaps again in some situations, if you had purchased a very expensive piece of furniture, you’d consider that. Also, slipcovers can be really expensive and don’t hold up so well when you have kids. I view them as a temporary fix until you can get the money to purchase a “new” couch. I’ve seen some wonderful clean used furniture at our local thrift store. I’m waiting to get my “new” couch there when I see something I like!
this was a very useful and insightful article. a lot of the suggestions i already do out of habit but a few of them if i can remember to do them will really come in handy.
This was a really good, solid article. Just following the suggestions given should save anyone a noticeable amount of money.
I’d also like to suggest putting unused items on Amazon.com and/or on Craig’s list and trying to sell them. This works best for apartment dwellers who can’t really have “yard sales.”
Also, depending on the water quality of your tap water, a $30 or $40 water filter can take the place of bottled water.
I like this article. It was encouraging to me because it validated a lot of what I’ve already been doing! Yeah!
Since the recession hit I’ve become more careful with money, as most people I’m sure have. Craig’s list is definitely the way to go for buying and selling. I’ve saved so much money by using Craig’s list. I’ve also started frequenting a local consignment store and have found some great buys there, too. If you’re concerned with what people think, it seems to me that buying used has become the hip thing to do as of late.
Another suggestion: clip coupons from the newspaper as well as websites like smartsource.com. Save the coupons until a store has a sale on those items and use them then. You’ll be amazed at how much you can save that way if you play your cards right.
Finally! An article that mentions ditching landlines and focusing on the cell phones out there and there are lots of really good deals. When I moved out on my own at first, I couldn’t afford a landline and a cell phone at the same time so I just focused on keeping my cell phone since it also was necessary for my job. Flashforward a year later and my cell phone is still my sole phone at home and outside of it and I have yet to have any really major problems beyond the ocassional drop called. It pays to ahve the backing of the Verizon and ATT claling networks, but in this case it doesn’t cost me anymore than $45 a month and I have talked well over 1,200 minutes and not an overage in site. I am in debt to Walmart for selling Straight Talk prepaid and helping me save and keep in touch.