10 Money-Saving Tips for 2012
When it comes to improving your financial picture, small steps can yield big
gains. Whether you’re saving for a down payment or dealing with increased
expenses having just moved into a new home, the following tips from
SWparents.com are great ways to save money in a variety of areas. Start today
and you’ll quickly notice the positive impact on your bottom line:
- You’ve probably heard this since you were a kid, but really…turn off all
lights when you leave a room. Train your kids—usually the worst offenders—to do
the same.
- Have an honest conversation with yourself: If you haven’t used your gym
membership in more than six months, cancel it. You can always rejoin and
probably take advantage of a better deal when you do. Some gyms will even offer
to “freeze” your membership, allowing you to pick back up after a certain period
of time.
- Save Starbucks and the like for a special treat. If you buy a $4 coffee five
days per week, that’s $80 per month. Record your coffee-buying expenses for a
month and see what your own personal damage is…then adjust accordingly!
- Ditto for lunch. Even grabbing a burger at a fast-food chain adds up. Start
packing your lunch instead. An easy way to accomplish this is by cooking extra
at dinner or on the weekends, then packing lunch-sized portions in advance. If
you’re banking on making lunch during the morning rush, odds are you’ll run out
of time and end up buying lunch instead.
- Do everything you can to increase your credit score. You will save tens of
thousands of dollars in interest from any loans you have simply by having a
better credit score.
- Call every company you have monthly bills with and ask exactly what you are
paying for each month. You will be surprised how many hidden fees are
mysteriously added to your bills. You will never know this unless you ask.
- Consider paying interest-bearing loans twice a month instead of once a
month. You might be able to knock thousands of dollars off your total bill.
Arrange automatic payments with your bank on the first and the 15th of each
month.
- Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth or shaving in the
shower.
- Odds are you can reduce your cable bill. With the plethora of options for
on-demand and online viewing, chances are you no longer need 200 channels and
three DVR boxes.
- Buy anything and everything you can from second-hand stores. Second-hand
doesn’t have to mean poor quality. In fact, most people donate items to these
outlets because they are unused or hardly used, making it wasteful for them to
be disposed of. Utilize this strategy with kids, who grow out of clothing and
shoes at a rapid rate. Many teens also love shopping at second-hand stores where
they can get the most bang for their buck, along with vintage or retro items.
As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I have a wealth of real
estate and homeownership information that may be of help to you. Feel free to contact me
any time to learn more about this important information, and be sure to forward
this article on to any friends or family that may be interested as well.
Sincerely,