Debt Professor's Blog

Does money tend to dribble out of your pockets? Making the most of your cash can be done through simple steps. There are countless ways to save money. Just implementing a few simple tricks can add up to thousands of dollars a year. That’s the price of a new car, a tropical vacation, or an addition on your home, all thanks to simple techniques you can incorporate into every facet of your life.

1. Cook at home as often as possible. This can be difficult if everyone in your household works, as the temptation to let a restaurant do the cooking can be luring indeed if you come home from work wrapped in a ball of stress. Cooking can be made easier, however, by choosing simple meals that are easy to do or pre-prepared. It also helps to make cooking fun by trying new recipes. Invest in some interesting cookbooks and start experimenting. If done right, cooking can be a stress reliever. There’s nothing more relaxing than preparing a great meal, especially if you take time with a partner to do it together.
2. Skip the coffee shop and make your own coffee. A good $1.50 to $2.50 per cup every morning adds up. Even if you are a coffee snob and need the flow of the good stuff surging through your veins to deal with the stresses of your job every morning, you can buy a pound of good coffee for under $10, which can last you a good two weeks, which is a good third of what you’d pay at the Java shop if you let the professionals make it.
3. Brown bag your lunch, even if it’s only a few days a week. Even if you are only spending $5 to $7 per lunch every day, that quickly adds up to a total of nearly $250 a month. Of course, lunch can be a powerful networking tool, as well as a good reward for working hard. Save going out to lunch when you are meeting with clients or other associates. Strike a balance between the brown bag and the lunch counter.
4. Grocery shop in a hurry, and pretend that the store is on fire. The faster you shop, the less you’ll be likely to buy those items you don’t need. Don’t buy too much at a time, and you’ll have less food rot in your fridge. Stick to the essentials and bargain shop.
5. Buy in bulk on non-perishable items, especially if you can find the sales. Warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and Costco can dramatically save you money.
6. Check the expiration date on perishable foods. It can be extremely frustrating to have the milk go sour the day after you buy it, or watch tomatoes wilt soon after a shopping trip. Check out the sell buy dates and try to buy as early as possible.
7. Always buy generic whenever you can. Truth be told, generic Cheerios taste every bit as good as the name brand. Generic NyQuil has the exact same ingredients as the real stuff, so the effect is exactly the same.
8. Line your trash cans with grocery store bags. This tip is environmental as well as economical. While this might not work for your kitchen trash, these bags are perfect for bathroom or bedroom trash cans that are small enough for the bags.
9. Keep track of what’s in your bank account and avoid over draft fees. It may also be a good idea to do your banking with a credit union that charges fewer fees.
10. Ditch your landline. Unless you have small children that need the phone or you don’t get good cell service where you live, giving the traditional phone company the boot will save you money. You’ll save on long distance if you just keep to your cell phone.

Related posts:

1. College Students Save Money with These Tips
2. Easy ways to Save Money Eating Out