Before venturing on ways to save money over the course of the next 30 days,
identify what the goal is for the month. Is it to save $50? 100? 250?
Once you have this established, the work you do each day will have more
meaning.
The only thing you truly have complete control over is how you spend your
money. The choices are yours to make…
Day 1:
Take the time to write up a grocery list and review the local grocery stores
circulars. Start this month by being prepared with enough food to make
quick meals at home. Take a full hour to walk through the grocery store to
compare brands and prices. You can easily save $20 or more each week by
shopping the sales at the stores.
Day 2:
Instead of going to the arts and craft store every time your child has a
project due, use this time to teach your son or daughter creative ways to
use things already in your home.
Day 3:
Skip to vending machine today. This daily habit might be costing you $1.00
or more for something you can buy in the grocery store for a fraction of the
price.
Day 4:
Avoid late fees – pay your bills on time! Give yourself a weekly allowance
in cash to pay for incidentals and stick to it. When the money is gone – it’s
gone.
Day 5:
Stretch out the time between haircuts. If you normally get your haircut
once very six weeks, try stretching it to once every eight and save yourself
the cost of at least two haircuts and tip a year.
Day 6:
Don’t skimp on getting oil changes; just find a coupon before you go.
Coupons for oil changes can be for as much as $10 off! To find local
merchant coupons, visit www.MoneyMailer.com.
Day 7:
Use 1/3 less of dishwashing soap and laundry detergent. The portion size of
the scoops in laundry detergents is simply too much – you’ll be amazed just
how far 2/3 of the suggested amount will go.
Day 8:
Meet a friend for breakfast or lunch instead of dinner. Dinner is always
the most expensive meal if you’re eating out.
Day 9:
Partner with your neighbor to have a yard sale this month. This puts a new
twist on spring cleaning while you get to know your neighbors. Get your
house clean and pocket some cash from your effots.
Day 10:
Instead of throwing away a pump bottle of hand soap, transfer your shampoo
to the empty bottle. Manufacturers do an excellent job of making shampoo
bottles spill out more than you really can use in one washing. One pump of
shampoo per use will do just as good a scalp cleaning as two pumps.
Day 11:
Ask for a discount even if you don’t have a coupon at a local merchant. If
you are a regular customer of a dry cleaner’s, a shoe repair store, or even
with a mechanic, ask “is this the best price you can give me?” The first
time a shop keeper gives you a 20% discount just because you asked, you won’t
be shy anymore.
Day 12:
Plan a potluck this month with your friends instead of going out to eat.
Have each person bring something. Voila! Dinner is served.
Day 13:
Buying a book or CD as a gift? Check out eBay’s Half.com – you can
typically find the title you are seeking for at least 25% cheaper than in
stores. Plus the flat rate shipping keeps costs down.
Day 14:
If you are making a major purchase of any kind, be sure to ask the sales
person if the store has any last year models on sale. Stores are constantly
trying to move inventory, take advantage of the savings!
Day 15:
Increase your automobile insurance deductible from $200 to $500 and save
15-25% per year. The money you save each month on premiums can then be put
aside to ensure that you have a deductible amount on hand.
Day 16:
Dust off your crockpot and plan a soup or chili dinner. Make twice as much
and freeze the leftovers for an easy dinner night later this month.
Day 17:
When the cable bill arrives this month, determine whether you really use all
of the channels that your plan offers. You can add channels back in later
if you are feeling deprived.
Day 18:
Want to do something special for your co-workers? Bake some blueberry or
corn muffins or banana bread – the homemade effort is really appreciated.
Day 19:
Stop drinking soda.
Day 20:
If you are paying for a storage unit to house your “stuff” – make a
commitment to end the madness. You don’t need to be holding on to junk you
don’t use.
Day 21:
Quit smoking – this $1500 annual habit has just got to stop. If you’re
still smoking, even if you’re a die-hard 20+ year smoker two packs a day
smoker, you can do it. And, deep inside, you know this is true.
Day 22:
Stay at home one night this weekend. Pull out a puzzle, a board game, a
book, or a DVD and some popcorn.
Day 23:
Spend less than you earn – Earn more than you spend. It’s genuinely that
simple and that difficult.
Day 24:
For every coin you find, place it in a jar. At the end of the year, donate
it to your favorite charity and write off the donation on your taxes!
Day 25:
Cancel your long-distance package on your home phone if you don’t use long
distance often. By purchasing a phone card, you can have the convenience of
using the phone in your home without paying needless $5.00 monthly charges
for the privilege to have a long distance company connected to your home
phone.
Day 26:
Wait until the dishwasher is completely full before running it – save your
money and the earth’s resources
Day 27:
If you own 20% or more of your home and you are still paying private
mortgage insurance (PMI), call your mortgage company to cancel it. This can
be a savings of $40 per month!
Day 28:
Budget your money. Write down everything you spend or budget your money
online with One Paycheck at Time eTools, www.OnePaycheckataTime.com. By
tracking what you spend you will easily save 10% or more per month because
you are aware of the money that is going out and coming in.
Day 29:
Refinance your auto payment. If a year or more has passed since financing a
vehicle, researching refinancing the loan. You may find that you can get a
loan for at least .5% less than what you have now.
Day 30:
Depending on where you live, figure out a way to cut your commuting cost.
Once a week, try taking a bus, bicycling, or joining a carpool. It’s just
one day a week – it won’t cramp your lifestyle the other 6 days in the week.
About One Paycheck at a Time, Inc.
One Paycheck at a Time Inc. is the leading source for sensible debt
reduction solutions. Its products include the One Paycheck at a Time
paperback (ISBN: 1591133327), as well as an ebook format, and the eTools
program. The author of the book and president of the company, Kimberly A.
Griffiths, has been through the vicious cycle of debt herself and has made
it her personal goal to share her experience to help others. More
information can be found about the company and its products at
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