Easy Ways to Save

One of the best ways to save cash is an old 'tried and true' one.

EVERY DAY TAKE OUT THE GOLD COINS ($1 AND $2)FROM YOUR WALLET OR PURSE AND PUT THEM INTO A JAR/MONEYBOX.

It doesn't have to be a sealed money box, any jar will do. As I get paid monthly it can be hard to budget and I often run out of cash by the end of the month. Having gold coins really helps out until my pay arrives. You'll be surprised at just how much you have in a short time.

EVERY TIME YOU GET A $5 NOTE, PUT IT AWAY.

If you do this with every $5 note you get, you will have quite a lot of money fairly quickly. You can use it for Christmas Presents, Birthdays or just as an emergency fund. Once again, put it in a jar or sealed moneybox (whichever works best for you).

SAVE ON ENTERTAINMENT COSTS

A lot of money goes on entertainment. Why not try walking the dog instead of going out once in a while. Its cheap and healthy. Or just take the kids to the park and kick the footy around or play cricket, or even just take a brisk walk along the beach. The fresh air and exercise will benefit everyone. You don't have to give up everything, but maybe a walk in the park on a beautiful day instead of going to the movies might be just what you need.

GROW YOUR OWN HERBS AND VEGETABLES.

If you have a garden or even just a few tubs you can save quite a lot of cash by growing your own herbs and vegetables. Even if you're not a great gardener its easy to grow parsley, mint, coriander, tomatoes, basil and other herbs in pots or tubs.

When you consider that you will pay at least $1.00 for a bunch of parsley or basil, you can see that you will certainly save money by growing your own and just picking it when you need it.

I never buy tomato plants. I just throw overripe tomatoes into a tub filled with potting mix, and each spring tomato plants come up and provide plenty of free tomatoes. I fertilise it by throwing in peelings etc. and watering it regularly.
Can't get much easier than that!

TAKE YOUR LUNCH TO WORK

If you work it can be very expensive to buy lunch every day - take it from home - its healthier and will save you heaps. Also forget about that take away coffee you buy on the way to work - either have one at home before you leave or wait until you get to work where you can get a coffee for free. Just small things like these can save you several dollars a day.

QUIT SMOKING

If you are a smoker you may want to think about quitting. This will not only save you a lot of cash but will help you to be healthier. I know it can be hard, but its certainly worth thinking about for more than one reason.

Another way of saving money is by staying healthy, thereby avoiding medical expenses which can be really hard to keep up with.

Trying to eat healthily and exercise regularly may save you those expensive trips to the doctor. Try to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can and cut down on the processed food.

If possible it is far better to use natural treatments and medicines as they have less side effects.

DON'T GO TO THE SHOPS UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE TO BUY SOMETHING.

I used to shop for groceries on a daily basis. This was a big mistake because you will always buy more than you intend. If you wait until you really need to shop and then only buy what you actually need and nothing else, you will save. This can be
difficult, but if you persevere you will get into the swing of it over time.

DON'T SHOP WHEN HUNGRY

Make sure you never go shopping when you are hungry. You will be tempted by the take away food shops, bakeries, cafe's etc. and will end up spending. Just a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, or some fries can cost you several dollars. Eat before you go and always carry a bottle of water with you so you won't have to buy if you get thirsty.

TRY GENERIC STORE BRANDS

Another way to save at the shops is by using the generic home brands. These are a lot cheaper than the name brands and can be just as good. Its a matter of trial and error with home brands. Some will be the same quality and taste as the more expensive brands and some will not be any good. Try them one by one in small quantities until you know what is worth buying, but over time you will save quite a lot of money on groceries if you use them.

CUT UP THE CREDIT CARD.

Credit cards can be very useful but can also be your downfall. If you have a credit card you will be more prone to impulse buying online, over the phone and in the stores. There is temptation everywhere so get rid of the credit card as soon as you can. I haven't quite got rid of my credit card yet, but every time I have paid off another $500 I get the credit amount reduced so I won't be tempted to use it again. Its a slow process but eventually you will get rid of that pesky card.

DEBIT CARDS

You can always switch to a DEBIT CARD which will give you the flexibility of a credit card, but you will be using your own money - you can't spend what you don't have. A better option than the credit card.

I have recently switched to a debit card/savings account and have the added bonus of only paying a small monthly fee and getting all my transactions (both online and at atm's) FREE, saving me around $15.00 a month on transaction fees.

Check out all the different types of accounts and fee structures that your bank offers. It will differ from country to country so see what your bank has on offer. Its also worthwhile to check out the offers from other banks/credit unions etc. and if you can get a much better deal somewhere else - switch over to them. A little research can save you quite a lot in fees over time. You may also get better interest rates too.

TRY SECONDHAND SHOPS.

Many bargains can be found in secondhand shops if you are not too proud to use them. Often people have donated unwanted gifts like Dinner Sets, Coffee Sets and many other things - still in boxes and unused. Often you can find manchester either brand new and still in the packaging or in almost perfect condition. Manchester can be very expensive so look for it at the secondhand shops. Towels are another expensive item that you can find there, often brand new and very cheap. There are also a great many quality items which are not new - check these shops out and you will save heaps of cash.

As mentioned before though, don't give in to impulse buying. Just stick to things that you actually need right now. Its not a bargain if you don't need it!

GO THROUGH THE WHOLE HOUSE AND SEE WHAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU NO LONGER NEED OR USE.

You many find heaps of things to sell, furniture, jewellery, clothing, household appliances etc. even old records, dvd's cd's and so on. If you haven't used it in the last two years, chances are you can do without it.

Sell things on Ebay, in your local paper or maybe at a local market or school or church fete. If you don't mind strange people in your driveway/front garden - have a garage sale at home.

Remember, "one man's trash is another man's treasure".

If you have any websites or belong to any affiliate marketing sites they can be a useful way of making a bit of extra cash to help your savings. Make sure you advertise them as much as possible (using free traffic exchanges if you can).

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Another good payment processor is Alertpay.



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