Easy Ways to Save Money

Pay your bills on time = Avoid the late fees. Organize you bills so that you know what and when they are due. Automate them when possible. Most banks these days have "Bill Pay" programs. You can even have the bills sent to your bank and they will alert you when a new bill comes in. So there will be no excuse not to pay a bill on time and forking out late fees. If for some reason you are late on a bill, and this is your first time, call the company and ask nicely to have the late fees removed. Most of the time they will do this for you.

Know how to freeze and store your food. Here is a bunch of info on how to do just that.

Being Frugal Sally: National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Freeze

 

Know your banks ATM fees and be aware of the charges for using other banks ATM's. Some banks will waive fees, most won't. Use your banks free ATM's or make a withdrawal directly from the bank.

 

 

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.’ - Henry David Thoreau

 

 

Bottle your own water. Buy a reusable water bottle (for those who won't use plastics) or buy a bottled water once in a while and refill it yourself. If you don't like tap water then invest in a Brita pitcher or a Pur faucet filter and refill the bottles. If you are a water drinker, this can save you hundreds a year (if not a thousand). You will also be keeping bottles that don't break down out of the landfills.

 

 

Plan ahead for vacations. Vacations are important for keeping your sanity and are healthy for you too. Plan ahead so you can save the money to pay for it instead of putting it on a credit card. Check the discount sites such as Hotwire, Priceline, Expedia, and many others. Package deals are usually the better deals and make sure you book at least 2 weeks in advance.

 

 

Instead of buying books, borrow them from the library. You can also borrow magazines, DVD's and sometimes games too. There are also other things offered at your local library, such as children's reading time, summer programs, and the list goes on. Check it out....IT'S FREE!

 

 

Lose your landline if possible. It is very possible to have just cell phones to communicate these days. There are reasons to keep a landline, but if it is something you can do it would save you some major money. I have lived without one for about 2 years now. We have our internet through cable.

 

 

Know what your bank balance is and avoid getting overdraft fees. If you do a lot of check writing or debit card transactions. If you have bills being paid from your account automatically, make sure you are aware of your balance. Overdraft fees can be very expensive.

 

Put distance between you and "high maintenance" friends. If you have friends who have every conceivable new gadget, eat out in high dollar restaurants all the time, have large screen TV's in every room, buy new (or lease) new cars every year or so. Keep a them at arms length. They may be wonderful people that mean no harm, but by being close to them it could lead to desires, wants and sooner or later - discontent. Is it more important to have them as friends or have your peace of mind??