How to Save Money Without Much Effort

Many people run out of money before the end of the month. This article includes 15 easy ways to save money.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A desire to save money.
• A willingness to make small lifestyle changes.
• Other needed items depend on which money making plan you decide to implement.

1. Clip coupons. To make your coupon clipping more worthwhile check out www.thegrocerygame.com or www.couponmom.com.
2. Utilize public transportation. Depending on where you live and work, this may or may not work for you, but many people find that public transportation not only saves money, but reduces stress. Concerned about the extra time that you’ll spend commuting? Then use that time wisely by reading, balancing your checkbook, studying, etc.
3. Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. The slight change won’t really be felt by you, but you’ll notice the change in your electric bill.
4. Run clothes in your dryer for only 5 minutes, then remove the clothing, hang it up on plastic hangers (to avoid rust) and then allow to air dry. Not only will you save electricity, your clothing will be less wrinkled.
5. Split restaurant meals with a friend or family member. Not only will you pay half as much, you’ll also reduce your calorie intake. If you don’t have anyone to share with, ask your server for a container, and before you even begin eating, cut the portions in half and immediately put half in the container to eat another day. Another way to save money at a restaurant is to opt for water, rather than another beverage. This especially makes a difference when feeding a family. Not only will the basic bill be reduced, but the tip amount will be reduced as well.
6. Drop your gym membership and replace it with exercise DVDs. This is not advisable for those who find that they thrive in a more social setting, but if you go to the gym for nothing more than exercise, you may find exercising at home to be just as enjoyable and profitable. I’m personally exercising more since I started exercising at home, because without travel time to and from the gym, I’m able to exercise six days a week rather than only three.
7. Pack your lunch and take it to work rather than eating out. If your place of employment has plenty of room to store food, bring all the food you’ll need to work on Monday, so you don’t have to deal with packing a lunch daily.
8. Meet friends for coffee rather than for a meal. Social times often include time in restaurants, but even if you go to an upscale coffee shop, you’ll spend less than you would on a lunch or dinner date.
9. Plant a garden. Fresh produce not only tastes better and is often more nutritious, a small garden will provide more than enough vegetables for the average family. Rather than running to the grocery store for salad ingredients, simply walk outside and harvest something fresh from the vine.
10. Use your public library. Libraries have a lot more than books. Nowadays, most libraries have even current DVDs, and items can be reserved online, from the comfort of your home.
11. Have a regular errand day. Grouping your weekly errands saves gas, and time. Plus, if you include a library run in your weekly errand day, you’ll be less likely to incur late fees.
12. Switch to a “pay as you go” cell phone, if your cell phone usage is minimal. Per rate minutes on pay-as-you-go phones are definitely higher than other options. However, if like me you use your cell phone for infrequent and short calls, you’ll find the pay-as-you-go option to be a big money saver. I spend only $9 per month for my cell phone using this plan. Another plus of the pay-as-you-go option is that you are not locked into a contract, so if money is tight, and you need to cancel your cell phone usage for a period of time, you can do so without penalty or hassle.
13. Learn the fine art of bartering. Do you have skills or other resources that might be helpful to others? Look for ways to exchange your resources with the resources of friends and relatives.
14. Cook in bulk and freeze meals in advance. Bulk cooking often costs less, and you’ll definitely spend less on eating out if you have males you can prepare in a snap at home. Don’t have time to do full-blown advance cooking? Try cooking up ground beef, chicken, etc. ahead of time and freezing it. Even having something simple like ground beef cooked ahead of time can make meal preparation easier, which may help you avoid eating out when you’re not in the mood to cook.
15. Develop a budget and stick with it. Budgets may feel restrictive, but in the long run, they’ll help you to have more financial freedom. They also help you to avoid mindlessly spending money on things that have little lasting value. Some people also find it helpful to switch to a cash-only system for areas they tend to overspend on such as groceries, eating out, and clothing. Separate cash for those items into envelopes, one envelope for each budget category. When the money is gone, the spending stops. Guys may find it helpful to separate their cash in their wallet using different colored paper clips, each color representing a different budget category.

Tips & Warnings

• Many people may try to undermine your money saving attempts. Resist the temptation to allow others to encourage you to spend more than you can afford.