Here are 9 small ways to save more money this year:
- Quit costly habits: Smoking a pack a day costs over $1,600 a year. That’s not including the cost of dental work, general health, laundry service and replacement costs for cigarette burns. A Starbucks addiction can cost you around the same.
- Consolidate bills: By finding the right deal and bundling your phone, internet and cable bills, you can save a few hundred dollars a year.
- Cook your own meals: Even at a minimum of $5 a meal for fast food, twice a day, that amounts to over $3,500 a year. Buying your own groceries and taking your own lunches to work will allow you to use that money more wisely.
- Double check your minutes: Are you using all of your cell phone minutes or consistently going over? Check your plan to see if you can save more money by changing your plan.
- Keep away from cash: As discussed in Can You Break This Debit Card for a Dollar Please, carrying cash can burn a hole in your pocket. Plus all of that loose change quickly adds up.
- Switch to compact bulbs: Energy Star qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Each light bulb will save you $30 or more over the life of the bulb.
- Reduce gas consumption: Gas prices are not going down. Try biking to work or planning your chores and travel routes more efficiently in order to burn less gas.
- Plan ahead for vacations and other expenses: If you know you have major expenses ahead, start saving now a little at a time. Your vacation will be much more rewarding when it is money you can afford to spend.
- Use Online Bill Paying: Set up your reoccurring bills for automatic bill payment in order to reduce postage, save checks and avoid late fees. Some companies even offer a discount on their service for arranging an automatic payment program.
Millionaire Money Habit: There are many ways to increase your cash flow. The most obvious and simplest is to reduce your expenses. Develop the habit to save a little today, which will slowly add up to an abundance of wealth tomorrow.
11:09 pm on January 15th, 2008 1
Amen on vacations in particular. It’s really not a vacation if you’re periodically getting stressed that you might not have enough money or that you’ll have to pay it back…