Sis, I gave you some tips to Get Your Money Right. But Honey, let’s help it stay that way. Here are tips on saving money in not so obvious places:
1. Unplug non-essential electronics when not in use.
Do you realize how many blue, red, green, and other colored little lights stay on all around the house? Those lights symbolize electronics that are being powered but are not in use. Make it a habit to unplug things that are not in daily use and unplugging non-essential things (e.g. refrigerator, stove, etc…) directly after use.
2. Check to see if the room is bright enough from natural light before just switching the overhead light on.
We are so used to entering a room and turning on the light. Let’s get used to pulling back curtains and letting in the natural light instead. If you aren’t reading, most often you don’t even need an overhead light on. Your phone, tablet, and computer are already illuminated. During daylight hours, that may be enough light. Try it out and see.
3. Get in the habit of not turning the faucet on full force during every use.
You do not have to turn the faucet all the way to the other side to brush your teeth, rinse liquid off a dish, run dish or bath water when you are not in a hurry, etc… Instead of a mindless full-force waterfall, start the good habit of being intentional of the stream of water you need for the task at hand.
4. Shop online to compare prices; even everyday items are sold online for quick delivery now.
Over the years we have gotten used to shopping online for random items. Nowadays, your everyday items are also available online and can be cheaper, even if it just saves gas. A lot of the larger chain grocery stores offer online ordering with home delivery. For even better pricing, check out what Amazon has to offer that can be sometimes be delivered the same day. It’s all about price shopping, as well as saving time and gas.
5. Also, a great online choice is savings accounts that yield more interest for your balance.
Traditional banks do not pay very much in interest to your savings account. Without the overhead of a brick and mortar building to pay for, a lot of online-only banks offer higher interest payments for your savings balance. Do your research and start making more money for just letting your savings sit.
6. Familiarize yourself with credit card and Visa debit card reward and discount offers.
You could be saving money on the purchase of things you buy all the time or even big-ticket items just by being a cardholder. Again, do your research to get familiar and stay on top of it by paying attention to emails from your card companies and banner messages on their websites when you go to pay on your card. You could be missing out on ways to save big money.
7. Speaking of credit cards, pay the balance before the due dates to avoid interest payments.
No need in paying interest if you can pay off your monthly balance before the due date. Even if you cannot pay the card off by the due date, pay more than the minimum balance by the due date to lower your balance… thus lowering the interest you pay as a whole.
8. Say no to bank fees.
Being fiscally responsible has its perks. You still need to “balance your checkbook” even if you only use your debit card and not checks. You cannot rely on the balance shown from the online access to your accounts. They do not reflect pending payments that have expired but will still be withdrawn, some charges that haven’t shown up yet, all scheduled electronic draft payments, etc.
Also, don’t depend on your memory nor the bank to know your correct balance. Use a check registry, an Excel spreadsheet, or even accounting software to keep an accurate accounting of your affairs and avoid those overdraft fees.
9. Eat before going out.
I’m not going to tell you to take food into places that it may not be allowed (e.g. movie theaters, bowling alleys, etc…), but I will suggest that you eat before going. When going places for entertainment, it’s best that you feed the family before going. And not sandwiches and such, feed them a nice hearty meal so that it will not “wear off” and they get hungry while you are still out having fun.
10. Cut off subscriptions that you aren’t using.
Not going to the gym? Cut it. Not reading the newspaper? Cut it. Not flipping the pages of those magazines? Cut it. Not utilizing online memberships whether for business or personal. Cut them. If you aren’t using the subscriptions at all, then you will save money by not paying for what you do not use. If you use the subscription-only some of the time, then you’ll still save money by paying per use rather than getting charged the discounted price every month despite actual usage.
I hope this helps you to save some money, Momma. Let me know what you think about these tips. Are you already implementing some of these suggestions? Did you find a few that you can start implementing that haven’t been? For more information on getting and keeping your finances straight, go HERE.
