Simple Tips to Start Saving

Going from life as it is now to saving a few more bucks a month, or even to saving up to half of your income (my ultimate goal) is rough. It's hard to change your lifestyle, your current habits, and your routines. But if you have a goal of paying off debt, building a savings account, saving for a home, or whatever, small changes are the easiest to implement to get you started.

Here are some simple tips to start toward that goal:

1.  Quit your cable company.   I've harped on about this already. 

2.  Start couponing.  See previous ramblings here.  In addition, I always recommend looking online for coupons (or Groupons) whenever you plan to eat out, go to a movie, or go shopping at department stores.

3.  Shop smarter.  Assuming that you don't have time to coupon, you can still save money at the store.

           - For example, take advantage of sales on items you'll be buying anyway. If you're not picky about cereal, buy the brand on sale instead of what you usually get.  

           - Try the less "luxuried" brands. For example, try swapping out the super expensive brand of shampoo you've been buying for a less expensive brand like Suave.

           - Also, try the store brand, especially for basic items like sugar, flour, bread, chips, pickles, etc. B and I have found that 90% of the time, the store brand is just as good.  

           - Try local farmer's markets for less expensive produce and meat.

4.  Reuse.  

           -  B and I had been buying flats of water for him as a matter of convenience for his line of work. But my parents got him a light water bottle for Christmas, and he's been using that instead of spending $4-5 every couple of weeks on water. 

            - We also never use paper plates, despite our love for convenience, and we wash and reuse plastic flatware. 

            - We only use rechargable batteries for our gaming systems and cameras. They're a bit more up front, but I can't even tabulate how much we must have saved on batteries!

5.  Save Energy. 

            - Try keeping your A/C a few degrees higher when its warm, and your heater a few degrees lower when it's cold. Running these constantly really jacks up your power and gas bills.

            - Unplug chargers and turn things OFF when not in use, like your printer, Keurig, DVD player, etc.

6.  Limit what you spend.  

            - If you eat out three times a week, cut it back to two, or even one! 

            - Buy a coffee every morning on the way to work?  Make it at home and take it in a travel mug.

            - If you're really prone to impulse spending,  set a spending limit for yourself when you do hit the mall and stick to it.

The MOST important part, however, is to remember that the few dollars here and there you've been saving now needs to go toward that debt, savings account, etc.  It's very easy to splurge with the extra money you've saved, especially if you're not in the habit of saving. Resist it!!!