With the economy in the toilet everyone is looking for creative ways to save money effectively. Rather than going out to buy expensive shoes and dining out every night, we are socking money away and being more frugal with what we buy. One of the things we learned is that saving money really isn't as hard as it sounds. Here are some more of the best ways to save money.
Do you scoff at the thought of clipping coupons? Do you see it as something that only old ladies do? Well think again! Clipping coupons for things that you buy anyway are one of the easiest and simplest ways to save money and doing so only takes about five minutes of your time. It doesn't sound like a lot to save 20-30 cents on a tube of toothpaste, but get coupons for ten items every time you go shopping and it ads up to hundreds of dollars a year.
Next, do compare prices in one store to prices in another store. I know, you're probably thinking you're too busy to comparison shop, but when you go downtown how often do you see a Target next to Walmart or Home Depot across the street from Lowes? Shopping around really only takes a few extra minutes of your time but can save a lot of money over the long term.
Are you an impulsive shopper? Ok, I admit I am too. A lot of the time I find something I want, look for the most convenient place to get it and go spend whatever the price on it. Then two days later I find the exact same product for a fraction of the price at an even more convenient place. Talk about frustrating! Everything goes on sale at some point, if you are patient with what you buy you can save a bundle.
Next, whenever possible substitute the generic product for the name brand. More often than not, companies who sell generic products sell the exact same product, just in generic packaging. I don't mean a similar product, or a comparable product, I mean the exact same product. You didn't think your supermarket really had a manufacturing plant did you? Buying generics instead of name brands will give you a 20% discount on what you buy and a 20% discount on your grocery bill as well.
Lastly, you need to make a budget. I know a lot of you cringe at the thought, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. I don't mean you should plot everything you buy on a graph and make fancy pie charts, I just mean you should make note of how much money you make every week or every month, and figure out how many bills you have over the same time period. By doing this you know how much money you have to spend on going out to eat or buying things you don't really need, and will help encourage you to stick some of that money in your savings account.
Do you scoff at the thought of clipping coupons? Do you see it as something that only old ladies do? Well think again! Clipping coupons for things that you buy anyway are one of the easiest and simplest ways to save money and doing so only takes about five minutes of your time. It doesn't sound like a lot to save 20-30 cents on a tube of toothpaste, but get coupons for ten items every time you go shopping and it ads up to hundreds of dollars a year.
Next, do compare prices in one store to prices in another store. I know, you're probably thinking you're too busy to comparison shop, but when you go downtown how often do you see a Target next to Walmart or Home Depot across the street from Lowes? Shopping around really only takes a few extra minutes of your time but can save a lot of money over the long term.
Are you an impulsive shopper? Ok, I admit I am too. A lot of the time I find something I want, look for the most convenient place to get it and go spend whatever the price on it. Then two days later I find the exact same product for a fraction of the price at an even more convenient place. Talk about frustrating! Everything goes on sale at some point, if you are patient with what you buy you can save a bundle.
Next, whenever possible substitute the generic product for the name brand. More often than not, companies who sell generic products sell the exact same product, just in generic packaging. I don't mean a similar product, or a comparable product, I mean the exact same product. You didn't think your supermarket really had a manufacturing plant did you? Buying generics instead of name brands will give you a 20% discount on what you buy and a 20% discount on your grocery bill as well.
Lastly, you need to make a budget. I know a lot of you cringe at the thought, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. I don't mean you should plot everything you buy on a graph and make fancy pie charts, I just mean you should make note of how much money you make every week or every month, and figure out how many bills you have over the same time period. By doing this you know how much money you have to spend on going out to eat or buying things you don't really need, and will help encourage you to stick some of that money in your savings account.
About the Author:
Are you looking to save money on your monthly bills? Spare Dollars is your one stop resource for saving money advice, investment advice, and money making advice. For this and more money saving ideas, check us out at SpareDollars.com.
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