Saturday 5 November 2011

Simple, and Efficient Ways to Cut Your Spending


It can be hard to learn that you need to cut back on your spending in order to survive financially. Thankfully, there are some simple and efficient ways to cut your spending that are easy to do. Even though these tips are easy, it can take a little bit of creativity to make those dollars stretch. Below are some simple ways to cut down on your spending.

Car Insurance Savings

One of the first ways to save on your spending is by taking a thorough look at your car insurance policies. If you want to lower your premiums, one of the easiest ways is to raise your deductibles.
If you are wanting to find the best and cheapest on car insurance policy, you could get some new quotes online. Many websites offer you the ability to quickly and easily obtain multiple quotes from different insurance companies. This is an effective way to compare them and find the most affordable policy with the best coverage.

Buy Generic

An easy way to save some money on a weekly basis is at the grocery store. It can be really tempting to go straight for the name brand products, but sticking to the generic or name brand products can lead to major savings over time. If you have any coupons for items that you already planned on buying, those few cents here and there can also add up.

Always Bring a List

A shopping list is an effective way to keep yourself from spending more than you should. It can be very useful when you are trying to stick to a tight budget. Before you leave your house, make a quick inventory of the food that you already have and add items to the shopping list that will go with what you already have. Do your best not to stray from the list.

Leave Credit Cards at Home

Credit cards get millions of people into habits of overspending. It can be very tempting to pull out a credit card and buy something that you don't necessarily need. By using only cash and checks for your everyday purchases, it will make it easier to keep track of your finances and your budget. Keep the credit cards stashed away for emergencies only.

Bring Snacks and Drinks from Home

Buying coffee from coffee shops and snacks from the vending machines at your job can really add up. Just a single cup of coffee bought daily can add up to almost $1000 a year! You can save a lot of money by making your own coffee in the morning to bring with you and by bringing in your own snacks from home instead of hitting up the vending machine.

Have a "Staycation"

Vacations can be one of the most expensive times of the year for most families. If you are trying to cut your spending, it can be really easy to want to just skip a vacation altogether. If you cannot give up having some fun on your vacation away from work, a great way to save money is by staying close to home. You can easily do a search online for fun and cheap places to visit nearby. Also, be sure to look for deals and coupons for local areas of interest.

Lower Your Bills

Take a good look through all of your bills to determine if you can cut down on some of your expenses. To save on your electric bill, try conserving energy by turning things off and unplugging them when not in use. If you can, hang your clothes out to dry on a clothesline instead of using your dryer.
You can also save some money by getting rid of extra services that you don't need on your cable bill. You may think you need all of those channels, but you could spend that extra time doing more important things with your family instead of watching tv.

Overall, there are many ways to find simple and efficient ways to cut your spending. All it takes is a little time and creativity to find where to save those extra dollars here and there. The savings might not seem like much at first, but over time they can really add up. Thankfully, with these tips you don't have to make lots of sacrifices to save a lot of money.

Author: Elizabeth Johnson

No comments:

Post a Comment