There is no doubt that at this time of financial crisis, every cent counts. The global recession has affected millions of people around the world. Thousands upon thousands of employees have been laid off from their permanent jobs. Most of the contractual employees lost their primary source of income. Some companies and small, striving businesses closed down and filed for bankruptcy. Even college graduates who have graduate studies up their sleeves find a very difficult time landing a job that has a salary and benefits fit for their curriculum vitae. To make matters worse, the price of food, utilities, rent, gasoline, matriculation, and other commodities keep getting higher and higher. At this situation and at this rate, we just cannot afford to spend on anything unnecessary. Here are some tips to save every cent from your paycheck.
1. Bring your own lunch to work. We all know that a meal costs way cheaper if we prepare them in our own kitchen. There is nothing embarrassing about bringing your own lunch food. In fact, this can teach you discipline and control over your choice of food and the amount you consume. As much as possible, learn to cook healthy meals. Recipes are free and available online. You can cook them the night before and reheat them before you go to work in the morning. If your office has a microwave oven in the pantry, sneak in to reheat your food for a quick minute during lunch time. Opt for easy-to-prepare and quick cook meals. Do not be afraid to take on new recipes during the weekends. Learning how to cook more meals can provide variety for your packed lunches and you won’t ever be bored with just one thing.
2. Make your own cup of joe. Whether you prefer brewed or instant coffee to kick start your day, buying your java or latte from your favorite coffee shop every morning sets you back at least a thousand dollars each year. If you drink coffee more than once a day then you would be roughly two or three thousand dollars poorer by the end of the year. Think how nice this figure could have reflected on your savings account than on your accumulated coffee receipts. For coffee drinkers choose to buy your favorite ground coffee, brew it yourself, and enjoy your daily dose of caffeine knowing that at the end of the year you have at least saved a thousand bucks. That is something worth looking forward to.
3. Turn appliances and lights off when not in use. It sounds so cliché but this proves to be very effective. Acquire the habit of unplugging those cords when you leave the house for work or vacation. Not only are you saving energy, you are slashing off a considerable amount off your electric bills every month. If the whether is fine, open those windows to ventilate your home. That energy consumption for your heater or air conditioner. If it is bright outside, turn off your lights and pull up the shades instead.
4. Use fluorescent lamps and bulbs instead of incandescent. It has proven over and over again that fluorescent lamps consume lesser energy, emit more light, and have a longer life than incandescent bulbs. They can be more expensive but the cost of purchase pays off in terms of the length of its use and its energy consumption.
1. Stick to your budget and your grocery list. Make a list of the items you are ran out or running out of. Prioritize the basic necessities like toothpaste, soap, meat, vegetables and cereals over items such as popcorn, chips, ice cream, and the like. There is no harm in purchasing some treats but make sure important things come first. Buy these extra, not-so-important things only after you have extra money from your budget. Avoid grabbing items that are not in your list and not important.
2. Make your list and do your shopping on a full stomach. Studies show that on an empty tummy, we often exaggerate on our needs and their quantity. If you are trying to save money, you cannot afford to go over your monthly food budget. Only when you are full are you able to think rationally of the appropriate amount of food you need.
3. Make fewer visits to the grocery store. Instead of going to the grocery store once or thrice a week, try to go there once a week or even every other week. This way you can save up on gas and you learn how to budget your supplies for that long period of time. Frequent trips to the store allow us to buy more items at the end of the month.
4. Avail of food coupons. Food coupons and food stamps are given away by food clerks. They can also be downloaded from the stores’ websites. Never feel obliged to use all of these coupons. Clip on the ones that you normally buy and discard the rest. There is no reason to hoard and spend extra bucks on items that you will not be using. That will completely defeat the purpose of saving up money.
5. Check out the items on sale. If an item on your list is one sale, do not hesitate to grab the opportunity to pay fewer dollars for your item. However, be very conscious of the expiry date of the product. When it seems like the printed expiry date has been tampered, do not buy it. Also check for extra air in the packages. This can indicate growth of bacteria or fungi especially when the products are old stocks and has tiny holes in their seal, reason for the food contamination. If you are suspicious of the older stocks on sale, opt for the new ones in the shelves. There is no need to skimp on the quantity if you hold on to your budget.
Going on a vacation means spending a whole lot of money. You need money for your food, transportation, and of course where you would be staying. To have the most fun, you should learn a few tips to save money while travelling. If you save your money, you would have more to spend on souvenirs and what not, plus, you would not fear getting back from your vacation with an empty and clean bank account and a huge debt to boot. Here are just several tips to save money while travelling:
See those snacks, drinks and other stuff in your hotel room and mini bar? They look pretty enticing, but once you take one, get ready to pay a bomb. It goes without saying that it is much better and thriftier to bring your own drinks and snacks. Hotels provide a small fridge in your room so just utilize that to store the food and drinks you have with you. Some hotels however, do not have refrigerators. In a time like this, just purchase a small cooler and simply put your perishables inside it. There are much cheaper options than the pay-per-view. Instead of that, bring your own laptop or player and some DVDs. You could entertain yourself without spending a cent instead of spending for the service offered by your hotel. If you do not have the luxury of those things, you could opt to watch the television. But I doubt that you would need to do those things because after all, you are on a vacation. The last thing you would want is to just stay inside your hotel room. Go sight-seeing, experience new cultures and have fun!
The last thing you should ever do is to make use of your credit card. International trips usually push your credit to the limit. There are constant transaction fees and other minor stuff which eventually mount up to quite a sum. A great tip to save money is to just purchase stuff with cold, hard, cash. You will be thankful for taking this advice in the future. As much as possible, avoid calling from your hotel room. If you absolutely need to, check the call charge first, or better, utilize your cell phone. Phone bills are usually just added to your bill when you check out. Anyway, you are on a vacation. So relax, do not worry about other stuff.
