Shopping is such bliss. For some it is a stress reliever. But what do you do when you are strapped for cash? Even if you are holding less money than usual, there are many easy ways on how to save money every month without you even realizing it.
Maybe you want to save but do not know how. Putting aside some cash regularly is a surefire way to have some savings. And you know what? You could actually do it. Here are some simple and super easy ways to set aside a few dollars, even loose change, every month. Of course, your fervent desire to save should be there.
10. Piggy Bank
It does not have to be an actual piggy bank. A large mason jar will do. Even a plastic canister is all right. Use you makeshift piggy bank to keep your spare change instead of placing them in your drawer, counter top or at the bottom of your bag. At the end of the month, empty your piggy bank and take your saved coins to the bank. If you want to know how much those loose change amount to each month, start your piggy bank at the beginning of the month and tally them at the end of the month. Here’s something neat. Take the average of how much you save each month and multiply it by 12. Just see how much you’ll be able to save in a year.
9. Make a Grocery List
You might think this is silly because you could almost memorize the items you have to buy each month. However there is value in making a grocery list because it’s a way to buy only the items needed in your home. The temptation to buy things that you do not actually need or grocery items that are on sale but are not a necessity would be avoided.
If you have a regular monthly budget and you stick to your grocery list, you’ll realize that you’ll have some extra dollars left each month. Now don’t go about thinking about what to buy with those extra cash. Go to the bank and deposit it.
Likewise, take your time before making a decision for your large purchases. Taking your time often lead to the realization that a particular item you’ve been meaning to buy is not that necessarily.
8. Make your own lunch
Making your own lunch and bringing it to work gives you the chance to set aside your lunch money. Without you knowing it, you save money every month, which could be about several hundred dollars. You not only enjoy home cooked meals, you are sure that what you are eating is nutritious and freshly cooked. Moreover, this minimizes leftover food that accumulates inside your refrigerator.
7. Make your own coffee
This could be trivial but consider how much savings you’ll get in a month when you invest in a small coffee maker and prepare your own coffee to bring to work. You could find some coffee blending recipes online to vary your morning brew or prepare gourmet coffee now and then. A cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop where you buy a cup every morning on your way to work still amounts to a lot of cash monthly.
6. Change your mobile phone service
Switching from an annual wireless phone service to pre-paid phone service gives you hundreds of dollars in savings monthly. On the average, an annual wireless phone service is about $96 dollars a month. On the other hand, when subscribing to a pre-paid wireless service provider, the monthly bill would only be about $35. Just imagine how much money you will save monthly just by doing the switch.
5. Chang your Internet service
Would you believe that changing Internet service providers could give you lots of savings as well as other freebies? Most Internet service providers run promotions for new subscribers. Not only do they give lower subscription rates; other freebies usually come with the new subscription. So think about changing your Internet service and switch to another provider as soon as the promo contract ends. Another way is to look for a provider that offers bundled packages of Internet service, landline and cable TV.
4. Cut off your landline service
Assess if you still need a landline service. If you and your family each own a mobile phone, then maybe your landline is lying idle at home and just gathering dust. So instead of paying for a service that you rarely use or not even at all, consider having the service terminated and save the cash that you set aside monthly for your landline bill.
3. Consider paying bills online
If you mail several checks each month for your monthly bills, consider paying your bills online. Depending on the number of bills you pay monthly, you are likely to save between four to five dollars each month. That’s still $50 to $60 a year.
2. Reduce your electric consumption
Thinking of more ways of how to save money every month? Develop the habit of turning off lights in rooms that are not occupied and unplugging electronics when not in use. Leaving some electronics on standby consume electricity, a waste of valuable resource that adds to your monthly utility bill. Unplugging them before you leave the house ensures that the power consumption is totally off. It also increases the safety level in your home.
1. Buy in bulk and store brands
Rather than paying more for big name brand grocery items, consider stocking up on store brands, which are considerably priced lower. At the most, the only difference is in the packaging, which increases the price by as much as 27%. If you have a large family, buying grocery items in bulk offers you huge savings as well. That equates to several dollars’ worth of savings from grocery items alone.
These are just of the many ideas on how to save money every month easily. Every cent you save will contribute to a large amount in the long run. So do not pay for power that you do not actually use by turning off your lights and switching off your electronic gadgets. Develop a habit of buying only the things that you actually need by keeping to a grocery list. Make your own coffee, bring your own lunch, walk instead of using your car or taking a taxi for short distances and keep your spare change in one place. After all, money saved is money earned!
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