by Judy Turner
The times are oh-so-bad and recession or depression or a slowdown (whatever you may call it) is upon us. Well, this world is all about survival of the money savers and so, save we must - here are 30 practical ways of cutting expenses and saving big:
1 Save on energy costs - use power-saving CFL lights, monitor and change your thermostat's temperature as required during daytime and night and don't leave lights/appliances on when you don't require them.
2. Skip the movies and rent or borrow dvds. You will also save money by making your own popcorn.
3. Instead of meeting friends at the coffee shop or bar, call them home. Potluck dinner parties are a good idea.
4. Do you eat out at work? Plan ahead and pack your lunch.
5. Carpool to work whenever possible.
6. Go generic on prescription and over the counter drugs whenever possible.
7. Do you see a good sale for a product you use anyway? Stock up whenever possible! If you have coupons for the sale item you can save even more.
8. Call long-distance in the evening and on weekends. If you make a lot of long distance calls look for a plan that offers unlimited free long distance.
9. Start saving your spare change. You will be surprised at how fast it adds up.
10. Never pay full price for clothing. Check the sales flyers in your Sunday paper. Why pay full price on a pair of jeans at one store when another store is having a sale?
11. Can anyone really afford cigarettes anymore? For the sake of your budget and your health now is a good time to quit.
12. Install a water saver type shower head.
13. Save the cost of a gym membership and work out at home.
14. Keep your vehicle well maintained. That way you will hopefully get many more miles out of it well after it is paid off.
15. Shop discount stores. But be careful, sometimes you can still find the items cheaper on sale somewhere else.
16. Do you have high interest credit cards? Consider refinancing or making power payments each month (making more than the minimum payments).
17. Keep ingredients on hand for meals that you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. This just might keep you from ordering take out if you had a busy day.
18. Always bargain at shops and look at a few options before making a purchase. If you're buying fancy stuff like jewelry, buy it from a pawn shop.
19. If you're paying a high rent, move to a cheaper place.
20. Try Freecycle.org for getting and receiving unwanted items for free. One man's trash is another man's treasure!
21. Stick with the cheapest cable plan you can get. Check your local library to borrow video tapes and dvds for free.
22. Do your own manicures and pedicures. Color your hair at home.
23. Open a savings account that you use just for emergencies. If possible have just $5.00 per week taking right out of your paycheck and work your way up. This will come in handy the next time you have an emergency car repair.
24. When shopping for your work wardrobe try to avoid anything that is "dry clean only".
25. See if you can get a better price on insurance. Some companies will give you a deal if you carry all your policies (car, homeowners, etc) through them.
26. Drink more water. Sugary soft drinks should be an occasional treat instead of an everyday staple.
27. Have a rummage sale or check out local consignment shops. They will either give you a set price for all your stuff or, sell your items and share the commission with you.
28. Pay bills on time to avoid late fees and higher interest rates.
29. Try your hand at gardening. If you are limited on space check online for information on raised beds or container gardening.
30. Know when to splurge. Cut back on the trivial things that eat up your paycheck and you can splurge occasionally on something fun.
Whether you implement some or all of these tips or even come up with a few of your own, finding creative ways to stretch your budget will really pay off financially.