Ways to Save
The following is a list of ways to save money.
1. Put all loose change in a bucket every night and use it for your Christmas fund
2. Make a budget
3. Make shopping lists and stick to them
4. Do no shop when you are hungry
5. Puree kidney beans and add them to spaghetti sauce to increase fiber, protein and save money
6. Direct depost. The faster it gets in the account, the faster it starts earning interest
7. Buy generic. Even with coupons, generic is usually cheaper
8. Buy in bulk (unless you eat in bulk)
9. Buy your cars slightly used. Let someone else take the depreciation
10. Freeze your credit cards in a block of ice if you tend to Charge It!
11. Use 1 part cooked lentils to 3 parts meat in meatloaf and meatballs
12. Use the fans in your house to cool off instead of cranking down the air conditioner
13. Wear warm clothes in winter and keep the heat at 68 instead of 75 degrees
14. Drink water. Many people spend tons of money on soda…
15. Use coupons
16. Don’t subscribe to the newspaper. Many newpapers are online. Not only do you save money, but you stop a bit of pollution and save a few trees.
17. Pay off credit cards every single month. Finance charges are just money down the drain.
18. Use Puppy Linux and open source software instead of paying $500 for the privilege of having Microsoft. Puppy Linux and other similar system are also much faster, do not have the security/virus/spyware problems and they are free.
20. Cancel your home phone if you have cell phones.
21. Use leaves instead of buying expensive mulch—The decompse faster and make really rich soil, especially if you add a bit of kitchen waste –no dairy or meat though as they stink!
22. Use soaker hoses instead of sprinklers and minimize the grassy area of your home. We planted grass last year on 1/4 acre of our lot and our water bill went up by $200/month. Consult with your local Environmental or go to the IFAS to find out about drought resistant plants
23. Grow your own fruits and vegetables, especially the expensive ones: blueberries, strawberries, cantelope, tomatoes. If you live in an apartment, get permission from the manager to start a community garden in one area of the property.
24. Use online banks. Many of them have much better interest rates for savings and checking accounts.
25. Shop around before you get a Certificate of Deposit (CD) at your bank. Again, many banks run specials.
26. Get movies and books from the library instead of buying them
27. Goodwill—Many stores and events give their unsold or slightly irregular merchandise to Goodwill. It is still brand new, but may say “Walk America 2006″ on it or something.
28. If you get the Sunday paper, save the Comics. Use them for wrapping paper.
29. Use salt-dough instead of playdough. You can add some cloves or other spice so it smells good. You can let it dry to preserve the artwork. It is cheaper than playdough, so you won’t care as much when your children start mixing colors. There are many salt-dough recepies on the internet.
30. If you have pets, visit Pets Megastore We save hundreds of dollars buying our heartworm and flea prevention from them. No prescription necessary for most medications on their site.
Feel free to post your suggestions too.
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