5 Easy Ways to Help You Save Money

These helpful strategies can save you money EVERY DAY, and best of all they are quick and easy to do:

1. BRING YOUR SNACKS AND LUNCH TO WORK 

   Do you really need to hit Starbuck’s every morning for your daily coffee fix? My guess is that there is a coffee maker at your place of employment, and you are not charged for the coffee you consume at work. Skipping that daily morning visit to your local coffee shop could save you more than $50-$100 per month.

   Many of us go out for lunch, often spending $5-$7 per lunch at a standard fast food restaurant. If you do this everyday, you are spending well over $25 a week, or over $100 per month on lunch.

2. UNPLUG ELECTRICAL CORDS AT HOME

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   Many of us plug in cell phone chargers at home and leave them plugged in even after our cell phone is removed from the charger. Did you know that even when your cell phone is not plugged into the charger it is still pulling electricity from your outlet? DVD Players and Coffee Makers are just a few more items that can be turned off when they are not being used to help conserve electricity and save you money on your electric bill. By unplugging these devices you can save yourself more than $10 per month on your electric bill.

3. BUY GENERIC EQUIVALENTS OF YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS

   You’ve heard it time and time again, “Generic substitutes work just as good as the name-brand product”. Not only is it true, but it is universal for almost all products, including food and medications. Generic substitutes can often save you up to 50% versus buying the name-brand equivalent. And if you add up the money you can save if you switch to generic products, you could see yourself saving hundreds of dollars annually.

4. CLIP THOSE COUPONS

   Even if you don’t read the paper…buy it for the weekend coupons. These coupons, mostly distributed in Sunday papers, are great ways to save some money on your favorite products. Also, you may find yourself saving more money than expected since you can benefit from both a store’s sale on a product and a corresponding manufacturer’s coupon for that same product.

   Also, be sure to avoid the “Buy Two Get One FREE” coupons unless it is a brand you regularly use. You might think you’re saving money getting two for the price of three, but if it is a product you seldom use you are better off just buying one as needed.

5. CALL TO LOWER YOUR HIGH-INTEREST RATE ON CREDIT CARDS

   Most of us get our bill in the mail and just pay it without asking ourselves “Are we being charged too much for interest?”. Many credit card companies will work with their customers to lower their interest-rate in order to keep that customer. Call your credit card company and see if they can lower your interest rate. If they get the slightest feeling they may lose you as a customer because of the high-interest rate, they will work with you to lower that interest rate and keep your business.