You can find many ways to save money if you look hard enough and dig deep enough. Sometimes you just need to find an article like this to find a new way to keep money in your pocket.
I’ll start with gasoline because it’s such a major expense for everyone. You can save as much as $100 a year in gas cost just by keeping your tires inflated properly and keeping your car tuned up. Driving slower and using cruise control saves you money too. Not to mention it’s safer and less stressful which ultimately could save you medical and mental health bills.
You can save money on your auto insurance or other insurance for that matter by raising deductibles and eliminating any coverage you don’t really need. Take a few moments to consult with your agent to find out exactly what coverage you are being charged for. Keeping your credit clean will save you money on auto insurance too. If you have bad credit your insurance company considers you a higher risk and therefore charges you more money.
You don’t own a car? That’s ok, I’ll tell you how to save on other things. When buying groceries use your coupons and you can cut your grocery bill in half. You can get deals buying coupons on ebay, clip them from your local paper, and print them from your computer. Always comparision shop. I always take a calculator with me to the grocery store. That makes it easy to decide if the store brand is cheaper or the name brand is the better deal if I use a coupon. If I don’t use the coupon then I’ll leave it on the shelf for the next person. Hopefully that attracts a little good karma too.
If you are planning a trip you can save money on airfare by comparision shopping on the internet and calling travel agents. When you purchase a roundtrip ticket you can save as much as 60% or more by having a Saturday night stay over included in your trip. Also remember to purchase your tickets in advance.
Saving money on your electric bill can be a matter of unplugging appliances you aren’t using to save the cost of phantom energy. When purchasing new appliances watch to see they are energy efficient. Using electricity off peak hours will save you money too. Just like the phone company has different rates at different times your electric company has this feature.
You can save money on your phone bill by elimating features you don’t use. Do you really need that call waiting? Knowing and understanding how your phone company charges can save you a lot. If you don’t use your land line anymore because everyone in the house has cell phones then consider eliminating the land line. If you must keep the land line then eliminate the long distance if you are able. Why pay for long distance when you have free long distance on your cell phone?
Saving on prescription drugs by using generics is the easiest way. However, you can sometimes save money using mail order pharmacies if you are on a drug long term. If you take a pill that can be split you might have your doctor order a higher dose and cut it in half. Some places give you deals when you buy two or three months at a time. It’s just a matter of shopping around. If you are in a real world of hurt there are programs to help. Check out www.needymeds.org for tips to get FREE meds. Some doctors are able to hand out samples to help you out short term.
Credit cards just say no! If you must have a credit card pay it off in full each month. Write your purchase in your checkbook in a different color and write “cc” next to it. When the bill comes due your money will still be in the bank. If you get a card that gives you a rebate then the credit card company is paying you instead of you paying them.
You can save thousands of dollars by refinancing your home, car or whatever you have a loan on if you can get it at a lower interest rate. Just make sure the loan fees don’t out weigh your savings. A great website to figure interest rates and find out how much you’ll save is www.moneychimp.com. Always shop around for the lowest interest rate. Rates vary from bank to bank and they also vary from day to day.
You can save a ton of money by negotiating. Remember that EVERYTHING is negotiable. You can negotiate the sale price of any item if you are tenacious enough. How much you negotiate is up to you. The ultimate ways to save money are through negotiation, comparision shopping, and researching. Learn to question every charge and look for ways in your life to eliminate the excess spending and you’ll find financial peace of mind.