7) Insurance – Make it a habit to shop around whenever your insurance policy is due for renewal. Insurance companies will always be interested in outbidding each other to get your business.
8) Check Your Bills – When your bills come in, make sure that they are correct. Even large utility companies make mistakes, and if you don’t catch them no one else will.
9) Paying Your Bills – Pay your bills online. You will save a packet on postage in the long run, and it’s just plain easier as well.
10) Refinance Your Mortgage – People get into the mindset of once they have a mortgage with a bank, that’s what they have to stick with. This is not so, you need to approach other financial institutions and see if they will offer you a better deal.
11) Make Your Own Cards – Birthdays, Easters, Anniversaries, Christmases, the number of cards we buy and send off every year is astounding. It’s quite easy to make your own, and fun if you get the kids involved as well.
12) Clean Out Filters – Your air conditioner and clothes dryer both build up a large amount of lint over a period of time. Cleaning them regularly will ensure that they run better and use less electricity.
Ways To Save Money Shopping
13) Watch The Catalogues – All your large grocery stores bring out a new catalog weekly. Collect these as soon as they are put out and use them when compiling your shopping list. There are some great savings to be had.
14) Collect Coupons – I know it can be a pain, but if you make it a regular practice and store them all in one handy location, then you are more likely to use them when shopping time comes around.
15) Buy In Bulk – Buying wholesale is always cheaper than buying retails. If you have any access to a factory outlet, be it for food or clothing or whatever, make use of it and buy a few month’s worths in advance.
16) Stock Up And Freeze – Meat goods will store in the freezer for quite a long time, if you see mince on sale, why not buy a heap of it, store it in a chest freezer and then use it as needed, rather than buying a kilo here and a kilo there and spending a fortune.
17) Buy Clothes Out Of Season – The cheapest time to buy Winter clothes is at the end of Winter, and the cheapest time to buy Summer clothes is at the end of Summer. Plan and save a bundle. If you are buying for kids make sure you buy a size or two larger so that it will fit them next season.
18) Christmas Shop After Christmas – Likewise, Christmas decorations, trees, wrapping paper, cards, and all the other paraphernalia that comes with the joyous season can be had at a fraction of the price after the festivities are over. Once again, it’s a matter of planning.
19) Second Hand Clothes – Many people may shudder at the thought of wearing second-hand clothes, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Salvation Army and other second-hand stores have some great items for sale at a fraction of the cost and are well worth a look.
20) Buy Generic Brands – A lot of the time a no-name generic brand is of just good quality as the more expensive brand names. This is not always the case, and there is a bit of trial and error involved, but well worth the effort.
21) Cut Up Your Credit Card – I know you love it, I know how handy it is, but it is tying you down, and you will be much better off without it. Not only will you be saving all that interest you have to pay, but quite often you will get goods cheaper by paying in cash.
22) Don’t Take The Kids Shopping – “Mum can I just get…”, “Mum, I really need…”, “Dad, I’m hungry!” – These are the sounds that waft through supermarkets all over the world. If you don’t take them, they can’t beg, and you will be amazed at how much you can save.
23) Don’t Shop On An Empty Stomach – Your stomach has the ability to subliminally steer you to food that you really don’t need. If you eat a hearty meal before you start shopping, you are less likely to buy unnecessary food.
24) Plan A Weekly Menu – If you plan your meals, you will have a much better idea of what is needed for the week. Set up a list of meals that you will have and then write down all the ingredients for those meals.
25) Grow Your Own – Starting your own vegetable garden is not only a great way to save money, but it is incredibly healthy for you, both in the maintaining of the garden and of the end product that you consume. Get the kids involved and teach them where your food comes from.
26) Always Barter – Any time you go to make a purchase, barter with the salesperson. Most shops will put a high profit on their goods just for cases like these. If you stand your ground, you will be stunned at how much you can knock the price down.
Ways to Save Money Travelling And At Work
27) Take Your Own Lunch To Work – Buying that burger and chips and coffee every day really starts adding up over time. Make yourself a nice packed lunch the night before and you will be able to save money and eat a little more healthy at the same time.
28) Refill Printer Cartridges – Printer cartridges cost a bundle. Find somewhere that will refill your existing ones for you and save money.
29) Alternative Transport – Instead of chewing up your petrol while gridlocked on the highway, take public transport or even better, ride a bike to work.
30) Car Pool – If you are unable to take the train or ride to work, set up a group of people you can carpool with and share the travel expenses.
31) Check The Tyre Pressure – If your car tyres are low, your car is struggling a lot more when traveling. As a direct result, you are using a lot more fuel to travel the same distance.
32) Don’t Carry Unneccesary Loads – Have a look at what you’re transporting around in your boot. Odds are you won’t be using those golf clubs every day or those picnic chairs. Get them out of the car and store them until you need them.
33) Stick to The Speed Limit – Not only will you be saving yourself from a possible speeding fine, but your car will run a lot more economically if you stick to the limit.
34) Service Your Own Car – A lot of the things an auto mechanic does to your car are quite easy to perform. Get a few books on auto mechanics and learn how to change your own oil and air filter. Most of the expense of an auto machine servicing your car is in labor.
Ways To Save Money On Entertainment
35) Hire DVD’s – Don’t go to the movies as often and hire DVDs instead. The lounge chair at home is a lot more comfortable than those dingy cinema seats anyway, and you can stop and start the movie for toilet breaks whenever you want.
36) Outdoor Concerts – Councils is always running free outdoor concerts in local parks. Keep an eye on your local newspaper to see what’s coming up in your neighborhood
37) Markets – A great thing to do on the weekend is to go to the markets. You don’t need to buy anything, the experience is just browsing and enjoying the fresh air. A great idea for the whole family.
38) Go To The Beach – One of the most wonderfully entertaining places in the world is absolutely free. The beach is a great place to reacquaint yourself with nature and spend quality time with family and friends.
39) Have A Dinner Party – Instead of organizing a night out with all your friends, why not have a dinner party. It’s a great way to strengthen friendships and get to know each other better. After dinner, pull out a board game or two, and you’ll have a night to remember for years to come.
40) Borrow Books – Think of all those books that you have bought over the years. How many times are you really going to read them? All they end up doing is taking up space and gathering dust on your bookshelves. Make it a regular tradition to go to the library and stock up on a month’s worth of books.
As I said, these are only a few ways to save money. Print this list out and add your own ideas to it. If you incorporated all the ideas listed above, you would literally save yourself thousands and thousands of dollars every year. What are you waiting for? Get started now.
