Things You'll Need:
- discipline
- commitment
- accountability
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Step 1
Check your receipts. You’d be surprised how often you’re charged TWICE or you’re charged the incorrect price, especially if the item is on sale.
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Step 2
Think ahead. There are a lot of things you know you’ll use in the future so watch for sales and don’t be afraid to stock up. Items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, toilet paper, saran wrap, ziplock, trash bags, lotion, and razors can be stored for a really long time and if bought on sale…can save you a lot of money.
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Step 3
Check out movies at the Library. There are plenty of great films for adults and children and the library doesn’t charge anything…unless you get a late fee. The library is also a great place to get books. You can even request the library to order certain new books. That way, they buy it and you borrow it.
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Step 4
Exercise. Whether it’s walking, running, swimming, or playing basketball, get in shape. Studies show that staying healthy physically impacts every corner of your life. And that saves you money everywhere you go.
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Step 5
If you want to be really tough… get rid of your cable and turn off the TV. According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. If you turned off your cable, you could save some serious money and gain nine extra years.
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Step 6
Eat at home. An average meal dining out for two cost $30…the same meal prepared at home cost $10. It is very possible to feed two people for one month for less than $360 (that’s $180 per person). And while you’re cooking at home, invite friends over for dinner. It will only cost a few extra dollars to host another couple and you’ll be investing in a great friendship. Jesus showed us the importance of hospitality over and over in the Bible. Imitate His example and open your home.
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Step 7
Plan meals a week in advance based on what is on sale. You can search your grocery stores’ weekly sales online and then decide what is most cost effective to buy. It is also helpful in the grocery store to compare CPU prices. That is price per ounce or pound listed on the shelf price tag. That will give you a fair comparison against other brands.
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Step 8
Subscribe to free magazines like Pottery Barn instead of buying home decorating magazines from the grocery store. Pottery Barn pays designers and decorators millions of dollars to get everything just right for their FREE magazine. I have found just as many great ideas in their magazine as I have in ones I paid for. Once you find great ideas, you can normally paint, build, or buy the things you like locally for a whole lot less than the listed price.
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Step 9
Make stuff. Being creative can save you big. Be on the lookout for fabric that matches your home décor. You can turn an old shower curtain into a table cloth simply by sewing one straight line to adjust the size. You can use fun patterned flat bed sheets to make curtains, pillow cases, or even purses without much effort or knowledge of sewing. You can also make your own greeting cards. Use cardstock paper and decorate with paint, markers, pens…whatever you have lying around. I can’t believe how much cards cost and they have no resell value after they’ve been written on…even the cards for 99 cents end up in the trash can or stored under the bed. Make your own. Another easy thing to make is wrapping paper. Ask for paper bags when you check out at the grocery store and store the bags until you need to wrap something. Cut the grocery bag until it’s totally flat and put the plane side of the bag facing on the outside of your package. Then you can personalize the paper for whatever occasion (this also works for mailing packages). Having colorful ribbon on hand adds to the zest of the package.
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Step 10
Wash your car at home. In the summer, there is no reason why you can’t wash your car at home and save the $7.00 from the car wash. Then you can save up for the winter when it is almost impossible to wash your car yourself without freezing.
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Step 11
Avoid pre-made meals. For the most part, boxed meals are really high in a lot of stuff you don’t want going into your body and some of the ingredients actually make you even hungrier, causing you to eat more than you otherwise would. Cook fresh. Though the boxed meals are often priced cheaper individually, cooking with fresh ingredients will end up being cheaper if you like having left overs or plan to feed more than one.
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Step 12
Look on Ebay before you buy anywhere else. There are some great deals online and your cheating yourself if you aren’t willing to take a look. You may have to wait a few days to win the bid and another week to receive the shipment but in the end you’ll probably save a good bit on your purchase
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Step 13
Pay your bills automatically through online banking. You’ll save on late fees and also on postage.
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Step 14
Shop at Goodwill. They’ve got great furniture and with a little paint, it can look like new.
