Recession or no recession, everyone likes to save money. But let’s be honest, it’s not everyone’s forte. Some people are shop-a-holics. They spend excessive amounts of money on items they do not need, whenever they have money. Some people simply eat out a lot. Either way, if you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck wondering where all your money went, perhaps the time to reevaluate your spending habits, is now. If you are someone who is simply not good at saving money here are a couple small tips that could help change your ways:
- Carry cash instead of cards. For a lot of people, physically handing over money is a bigger commitment than swiping a card. Carrying money will tend to keep you from spending as much as you normally would, considering you have to physically give it to someone else.
- Piggy-backing off of number one, saving up loose change is another great way of saving. Consciously making an effort to save your loose change in a designated jar or piggy bank will add up in the long-run.
- Rent or buy used books. For college students, instead of buying them from your university bookstore, check out sites like Chegg.com or Amazon. They will offer significantly lower prices than overpriced college bookstores. And for all other books, buying them second hand online will not only increase the amount of money you spend, but you will feel good knowing you did your part to go green!
- Use grocery store bags for trash cans instead of buying trash bags. Obviously, this won’t work for larger trash cans, but this is a great alternative to buying small trash bags for bedrooms or bathrooms.
- Pack your lunch. Take five minutes the night before to pack your lunch. This keeps you from spending money unnecessarily by eating out.
- Buy in bulk when necessary. For recurring purchases such as toothpaste, deodorant, shaving needs, etc., it much less expensive to buy in bulk at wholesale stores. You’re going to buy them sooner or later, so why not purchase them now? Replaceable razors don’t expire, so you might as well buy them in advance.
Personally, I have found number two to be really helpful. I save up all my loose change in a jar, and save it for stuff like shopping, going out to eat, or whenever I feel like spoiling myself. My parents used to save up their loose change in a water jug, then use it toward vacations.
Picture Courtesy of: Kenteegardin
