It sounds dead easy to save money: you resolve to spend less, and you end up with a heavier wallet. Yet when you get round to it somehow it turns out to be devilishly difficult. Finally you teach yourself to check splurging sprees and keep your eye peeled for bargains. But you know what, it’s only the beginning of the road. See how many more steps you can take to ensure a firmer grasp of your money. These ideas come from experts who get richer through inventing ways to diminish spending – profit by them!
Save on the cable
Why stay with the cable when you can switch on to Netflix or Hulu? According to the FCC, you dish out an average of $64 for an expanded cable subscription, whereas Netflix will take only $8 monthly.
Don’t look down on grocery coupons
The Sunday newspaper delivers you coupons that are a good way to spend less. Also helpful are coupon apps like Grocery Pal and Pushpins.
Go for regular gas
Don’t get premium fuel unless it is recommended by your owner’s manual. Your car won’t run better only because you fill it up with premium. And if you don’t overburden your trunk and your tires are well inflated, your supply of gas will last longer.
Arrange BYOB parties
Why meet up with your friends in a bar or a café where you will get poorer by about $25 after only a couple of glasses of wine? Better pool for several bottles and get together at your place. It will be more fun and less money.
Don’t use ATMs that take fees
It’s not that much money going away, yet as you go on using ATMs that do not belong to your bank, the charges can run up to tens of dollars a month. So, it’s worth your while to ride on until you come across your bank’s ATM.
Laundry allows saves too
If you can, purchase clothing that doesn’t require dry cleaning (thus saving about $8). When you get round to laundering, do it in cold water and skip drying. Dry your clothes on the line instead, this way you will make them serve longer.
Reconsider your phone deal
Get as much information on mobile providers’ offers as you can; once you’ve done that, you can try and renegotiate with your provider. When they know that you are aware of rival deals, they can agree to better terms. Alternately, get the breakdown of your phone usage for the last couple of months and see if you can do with a cheaper deal.
Saving apps at your disposal
There’s RedLaser which scans the bar code of a product and brings up a list of sites and local stores with the most competitive prices for the thing. Other apps (Ibotta, Shopkick) can get you rewards and earn you money while you shop.
