Budgeting Without Effort
Unless you live in a cave, you realize that the economy is in the worst shape in a very long time, so all of us are trying to find ways to cut back and tighten our belts. Instead of buying fancy clothes and expensive cars, we are keeping the money in our pockets and being more innovative in how we spend it. During this time, many of us realize that saving money isn’t as hard as we sometimes make it seem. Here are a few tips to help you save money effortlessly.
How often do you read the newspaper, and when you’re done, you throw away the coupons? Coupons are one of the simplest and easiest ways to save money on everything from cereal to services, and every week you get a new set of coupons on products you buy anyway. Each coupon doesn’t seem like much but cumulatively you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the year.
Next, do compare prices in one store to prices in another store. I know you probably think you’re too busy to compare shops. Shopping around takes only a few extra minutes but can save a lot of money over the long term.
Are you an impulsive shopper? Ok, I admit I am too. I often find something I want, look for the most convenient place to get it, and spend whatever the price is. Then two days later, I found the same product for a fraction of the cost at an even more convenient place. Talk about frustrating! Everything goes on sale at some point; if you are patient with what you buy, you can save a bundle.
Next, whenever possible, substitute the generic product for the name brand. More often than not, companies selling generic products sell the same product in generic packaging. I don’t mean a similar or comparable product; I mean the same product. You didn’t think your supermarket had a manufacturing plant, did you? Buying generics instead of name brands may give you up to a 20% discount on your purchase and a 20% discount on your grocery bill.
Last, we need to remember not to live paycheck to paycheck. By forming a budget that we stick to, we will have much more money at the end of the week. I know this sounds like common sense, but people spend way more money than they make and pay interest to credit card companies instead of spending that same money on things they want. Understanding how much you have and how much you can spend is vital if you want to save money every month.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a good rest of the day!
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