Money Saving Tips

Buy less of those processed foods that are pre-cooked or packaged for convenience, rather than thrift. Does your child really need a single serving “lunchable” bought at the grocery store, or would a nice sandwich and piece of fruit be better and less expensive? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to put a few cookies in a plastic bag (or in some foil) for a snack, rather than buying small individual bags? You might think you are saving money by reducing waste and preparation costs, but your per meal cost is considerably more expensive with prepared foods and convenience packaging. So, try to buy ingredients instead of meals or conveniently packaged small portions and save. And try to avoid the “junk” foods altogether. Homemade snacks are usually healthier and cheaper.

Pick out your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner meals that can be prepared and frozen, and develop recipes for making large batches at once. If you are not sure a certain recipe can be successfully frozen, try freezing a small amount next time you make it and see how it works.

Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your family dinner for the week. You can plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it for the next week — this way you can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan a leftovers night.

Plan one big trip a month for bulk staples. You can get fresh items at another store on other weeks, but doing a big bulk trip will cut back on the expense and amount you have to carry for the other three weeks. Avoid buying on impulse at the bulk store too — just because they sell a lot of it doesn't mean you're saving, if you weren't planning on buying it in the first place. Buy in bulk only when it makes sense. If you can save money, over the course of a month or two, by buying in bulk, plan to do so. But be sure that you're going to use all of it before it gets bad — it isn't cheaper to buy in bulk if you don't use it.

Call your credit card company and ask for a rate reduction. Take any of your credit cards that are carrying a balance, flip them over, and call the number on the back. Tell them that you want an interest rate reduction or you’ll take your business elsewhere. If the first person you talk to won’t do it, ask to talk to a supervisor. If you have a $5,000 balance, even a 3% rate reduction saves you $150 a year.

Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes – just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.

Write a list before you go shopping - and stick to it. One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there. Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come out of the store saving a bundle

Master the thirty day rule. Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to buy has passed and you’ll have saved yourself some money by simply waiting. If you want, you can even keep a “thirty day list” where you write down the item and the day you’ll reconsider it, but I prefer just to keep this one in my head - that way, I often just forget about the unimportant things.

	Money Saving Tips Buy less of those processed foods that are pre-cooked or packaged for convenience, rather than thrift. Does your child really need a single serving “lunchable” bought at the grocery store, or would a nice sandwich and piece of fruit be better and less expensive? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to put a few cookies in a plastic bag (or in some foil) for a snack, rather than buying small individual bags? You might think you are saving money by reducing waste and preparation costs, but your per meal cost is considerably more expensive with prepared foods and convenience packaging. So, try to buy ingredients instead of meals or conveniently packaged small portions and save. And try to avoid the “junk” foods altogether. Homemade snacks are usually healthier and cheaper. Pick out your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner meals that can be prepared and frozen, and develop recipes for making large batches at once. If you are not sure a certain recipe can be successfully frozen, try freezing a small amount next time you make it and see how it works. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your family dinner for the week. You can plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it for the next week — this way you can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan a leftovers night. Plan one big trip a month for bulk staples. You can get fresh items at another store on other weeks, but doing a big bulk trip will cut back on the expense and amount you have to carry for the other three weeks. Avoid buying on impulse at the bulk store too — just because they sell a lot of it doesn't mean you're saving, if you weren't planning on buying it in the first place. Buy in bulk only when it makes sense. If you can save money, over the course of a month or two, by buying in bulk, plan to do so. But be sure that you're going to use all of it before it gets bad — it isn't cheaper to buy in bulk if you don't use it. Call your credit card company and ask for a rate reduction. Take any of your credit cards that are carrying a balance, flip them over, and call the number on the back. Tell them that you want an interest rate reduction or you’ll take your business elsewhere. If the first person you talk to won’t do it, ask to talk to a supervisor. If you have a $5,000 balance, even a 3% rate reduction saves you $150 a year. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes – just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go. Write a list before you go shopping - and stick to it. One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there. Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come out of the store saving a bundle Master the thirty day rule. Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to buy has passed and you’ll have saved yourself some money by simply waiting. If you want, you can even keep a “thirty day list” where you write down the item and the day you’ll reconsider it, but I prefer just to keep this one in my head - that way, I often just forget about the unimportant things.

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Money Saving Tips