There are so many easy ways to save money that everyone ignores! When jobs are hard to come by and the economy is in a perilous situation, it is always a good idea to save as much as possible, especially on the things you normally spend money on. Here are four great tips that will help you save that will only have a minimal impact on your standard of living.
1. Pack Lunch
1. Pack Lunch
This is something that people always ignore, because they say that they "do not have enough time". However, the amount of time it takes to make a sandwich or to make a salad is ~5 minutes. Think of it as work. Making your own lunch probably saves you $7, and if your materials cost $2, then you make $5 in 5 minutes! If you do a bit of simple math, you can easily see that you're wasting $100 to $200 PER MONTH - just on lunch Mondays to Fridays! That may not seem like a lot of money, but it could be the difference between having any money in your savings account or being broke by this time next year.
2. No Starbucks!
One cup of Starbucks coffee usually costs $3 in most states. This is an exorbitant amount of money for what is essentially water. It would be a lot more cost effective to make coffee in a portable coffee cup and take it with you each morning. Again, you could make coffee while making your lunch. All it takes is pressing a couple of buttons and pouring into a cup. That is hardly a great deal of effort. A coffee cup made that way would cost less than a dollar. You would also be saving close to $50 a month, or $300+ a year. Combine that with the food savings, and you are close to saving $1000 a month JUST by making a few simple food items at home everyday. If this is just too much time, how about cutting what you spend on going out to eat or premium coffee in half? Or a third? Even limiting going out for lunch to once a week can do wonders for your budget.
3. Generic Brands
Sometimes, people like purchasing goods from a particular company or brand, but in some cases, it really does not make too much of a difference. For example, it is fair to buy organic milk instead of regular milk, as it is a health issue. The few extra dollars spent there are worth it. However, compare Kellogg's Frosted Flakes to a generic brand of "Frosties", and you'll see different results. In reality, neither cereal is "good for you". Both have little nutritional value and both taste the same. So instead of spending $5 on Kellogg's, you could spend $2.5 or $3 on the generic brand cereal. Do the same for a few of the foods you get, and you will be saving hundreds of dollars every few months. Imagine, eating the same things but saving money!
4. Filtered Water
Many spend hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water, if not more. While it is great to drink water, it is also a waste of money when you can simply buy a Brita Filter and have the same great water for a fraction of the price. The Brita Filter gets rid of anything harmful in the water, and also ensures a great taste. As long as you replace the filters every few months, you are essentially having the same bottled water at much less of a price.
2. No Starbucks!
One cup of Starbucks coffee usually costs $3 in most states. This is an exorbitant amount of money for what is essentially water. It would be a lot more cost effective to make coffee in a portable coffee cup and take it with you each morning. Again, you could make coffee while making your lunch. All it takes is pressing a couple of buttons and pouring into a cup. That is hardly a great deal of effort. A coffee cup made that way would cost less than a dollar. You would also be saving close to $50 a month, or $300+ a year. Combine that with the food savings, and you are close to saving $1000 a month JUST by making a few simple food items at home everyday. If this is just too much time, how about cutting what you spend on going out to eat or premium coffee in half? Or a third? Even limiting going out for lunch to once a week can do wonders for your budget.
3. Generic Brands
Sometimes, people like purchasing goods from a particular company or brand, but in some cases, it really does not make too much of a difference. For example, it is fair to buy organic milk instead of regular milk, as it is a health issue. The few extra dollars spent there are worth it. However, compare Kellogg's Frosted Flakes to a generic brand of "Frosties", and you'll see different results. In reality, neither cereal is "good for you". Both have little nutritional value and both taste the same. So instead of spending $5 on Kellogg's, you could spend $2.5 or $3 on the generic brand cereal. Do the same for a few of the foods you get, and you will be saving hundreds of dollars every few months. Imagine, eating the same things but saving money!
4. Filtered Water
Many spend hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water, if not more. While it is great to drink water, it is also a waste of money when you can simply buy a Brita Filter and have the same great water for a fraction of the price. The Brita Filter gets rid of anything harmful in the water, and also ensures a great taste. As long as you replace the filters every few months, you are essentially having the same bottled water at much less of a price.