|
|
Babysitting
Don't pay for babysitting, swap time with your neighbors who have kids and need the same services.
Bottled Water
If you buy bottled water at work every day at $0.75 per bottle and there are 250 working days per year, you are spending $187.50/year! Solution: bring the water from home!
Carpet Cleaning
Consider renting the equipment versus having a service come out and do it. Also there are now many very good steam cleaners being sold in department stores for $100-$250 that would pay for themselves after 2-3 usage's.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Checks
Do not buy replacement checks from your bank or credit union. Order them from a discount company. You can find these companies in the food coupons stuffed in your Sunday paper and online. Each time you need more checks go to a new company so you can get there first time buyer discount. You will save about 50% doing this.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Clothes Drying
Drying your clothes in the sun is a real cost saver no matter how old fashioned it seems. Operating anything that heats (dryers, heaters) or cools (air conditioning, refrigerators, freezers) uses more energy (power) than any other appliance. In some areas there is too much wind and dirt to make this idea effective, so try doing your clothes on non-windy days.
Clothing
Name brand versus an unknown or less known name. Besides the name, what is the difference? Only Price! The same is true for where you shop at, a boutique down the street or JCPenny or Wal-Mart!
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Credit Cards
Obviously the best way to save money on credit cards is to pay them in full each month, this way you are getting a free 25-day loan! If you are unable to pay them in full each month, then look for a low fixed rate card and use promotional balance transfer offers until your balance is paid off. Many promotional balance transfers can be obtained for 0% and a small balance transfer fee, others start as low as 1.9% with no fee. The best way to get these offers is to maintain a good credit rating and have a few cards that you don't carry a balance on.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
If you are paying Annual Fee's, make sure that you are getting the value of the benefit out of that annual fee. For example, if you pay $50/year membership for a card that gives you 1 frequent flyer mile for each dollar you spend and an average plan ahead U.S. round-trip ticket costs $250 (equivalent to a 25,000 mile frequent flyer award), then you would need to charge $5,000 year on that card to break even. Keep in mind that sometimes you can get round-trip tickets for $200! Then you would need to charge $6,250 per year to break even, if you spend less than this the card is costing you money to use. These calculations also assume you are paying the card in full each month. If you don't pay the card in full each month, the interest rates on these cards can be higher than non-benefit cards! The calculations also assume you are using your benefit (the frequent flyer mileage in this case).
Dishwasher
You can use a little less detergent, run the shorter cycle, do non-heated drying or shut the dishwasher off after the wash cycle is over. These are great ideas to use less water, less sewer disposal (some people pay for this), detergent and electricity!
Eating Out
Buying your lunch at work or eating out every day adds up! Bringing your lunch to work will save you and average of $4/day versus buying it at work and $4-$12/day versus buying it at a restaurant. At $4/day this adds up to $1000/year that could have gone in a retirement account or been used for a cruise for two! At $10/day for a medium price restaurant including tip, that's $2,500/year!
You can get coupons for many fast food and sit down restaurants in the Sunday newspaper food coupon section.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Most restaurants these days serve large portions. If you each buy a meal you generally have enough for two normal home size meals. Ask for a take home container (versus stuffing yourself or leaving it there) and eat it the next night (even if you have to make a potato or something to go with it).
If you eat-out more than 6-10 times/year fast food and 2-5 times/year sit down, invest in a coupon book such as Gold C or Entertainment. As long as you use them, they will more than pay for themselves.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Groceries
Be a Loyalty Shopper (so to speak). I am a loyalty shopper; I have 15 store membership cards hanging from my key chain! No matter how ridiculous this seems, I save an average of 20-35% on my food bill by using these cards and buying what is on sale. When we are on vacation and use grocery stores, I request that they swipe their card or I sign up for their free membership/savings card (our RV has 20 store cards from all our trips).
When a non-perishable item is on sale (a good or very good sale), stock-up! Examples include paper towels, toilet paper, soft drinks, items you can freeze (don't go out and buy an additional freezer, the operating costs will eat up the savings). You can and should adjust your budget to stock up on these items (the budget splurge will pay for itself in the long run).
If you get food store flyers in the mail weekly, pick out the items you want that are on sale and take that list (and the flyers) to a Super Wal-Mart. They will match the sale prices and beat most of the store prices on other items.
Hair Cuts
Cut you husbands and children's hair yourself. You can buy a shaver and trimmer that has directions on how cut and trim hair. A haircut can range from $8 to $20; if we use $8 to calculate possible savings and assuming you have 3 kids and a husband and they get their hair cut monthly, this could save $384 per year!
Home Repairs & Improvements
Learn to do them yourself versus paying a contractor and their companies overhead! Many larger home improvement stores will teach you for free.
If you need to use a contractor, get several quotes or bids. Many people ask for a few, but then hire the first person that responds. Once you get a verbal or written quote, ask if there are any other ways that "we" can reduce the price.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Don't make home improvements that won't add to the value of your house. Items that don't add to the value of your property include swimming pools, tennis courts, making your house the best house in the neighborhood.
House Cleaning
Cleaning your house yourself will save $15 an hour or more, plus you will benefit by working your muscles and joints by the exercise you will receive.
Keys
Keep a spare house and car key in your wallet or purse, if you get locked out you won't have to call, wait and pay for a locksmith.
Lawn Maintenance & Fertilizing Services
These services run $30 to $50 per month! Go to a home or landscaping center and have them educate you on what lawn fertilizers & weed killers you need and how to apply. You will get free exercise by doing the work yourself and if want additional “free” exercise, the monthly money you save here can pay for a health club membership!
Lawn Mowing
Mowing the lawn yourself will save $25 or more dollars weekly. Get out there yourself and save money and get exercise all at the same time!
Miscellaneous
Rent items (versus buying) that you will only need occasionally. Items such as Chain saws, carpet shampooers, ladders, rototillers, etc. take up more storage room and are probably not used enough to warrant buying them.
Try to minimize trips to the store; each trip costs additional gas & time. Keep a running list of items you need to buy at the Grocery, Department, Home Center, etc, for the next time you go out. This way you won't forget items and have to go right out again the next day.
If you have a choice of automobiles each time you go out, use the most economical to operate (this is generally the one which gets more miles per gallon). For example use your Suburban, Van, Truck or Sport Utility Vehicle when you need to carry many people or large loads, if you are just running a few errands take the small car.
Newspapers
If you subscribe to the paper for daily or weekend delivery, on average how many papers do you have time to actually look at (read)? Better method, pick-up the Sunday paper and use at least 1 or 2 coupons in the food coupons section and this will pay for your paper! It will also provide you additional coupons, the TV guide, a bigger classified section, all store ads, and a lot more coverage/reading than the weekly editions.
Recycling
If you live in an area where you pay a surcharge (on soft drinks, etc.) because of a state "bottle bill" for recycling, return those bottles! If you drink soft drinks like our family, this could be $2/week or $100/year you might be throwing in the trash by not recycling! I know this can be a lot of trouble to store and carry back, but $1 to $2 a week adds up, enlist your kids to organize and be responsible for this activity (you can even make it a bonus to their allowance or a part of it).
There are many other items you can recycle (metal, plastic, cardboard, newspaper, plastic grocery bags / trash bags) or use again (food containers, bottles, packing materials, etc.) and save or get money from.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Shaving
For men disposable shaving blades are extremely expensive over time compared to the cost of a top of the line rechargeable close cutting shaver. The better shavers can cut just about as close or as close as disposable shaving blades.
Comparison Shopping Websites & Companies
Have your company and website link here
Individual Companies / Websites
Have your company and website link here
Soft Drinks
Do you buy a cold soft drink at work? How often? Let's assume you buy 1/day and there are 250 working days per year. At $0.55 each, this amounts to $137.50 for 1 person buying 1 drink per day at work! Many people buy two cold drinks per day. You can get name brand soft drinks on sale for $1.99 a 12 pack ($0.17 each, at 1 per day for 250 days this is $42.50 per year); bring the drink to work in a small cooler of ice, savings $95.00 per year!
Do you buy soft drinks in fast food restaurants? This is the most expensive way to buy a soft drink! Other options are to bring a can with you and ask for a cup of ice or buy the smallest size and get free refills!
Storage
Are you renting space to store some of your property? Fit it, shove it, or stack it in your house or business or sell it or throw it out! Buy it later when you really need it. Most people keep items in paid storage for months to years on end paying anywhere from $19 to $70 per month just for small areas. After a year of $70/month, this is $840/year…..sell it now and buy it when you really need it later.
|
|
|
|
|
