Creative Ways to Save Money
Creative Ways to Save Money
Posted by: Teri Keene in Save Money, recipes, organizing tips, life organization on Feb 15, 2009
Part of being organized is running an efficient household budget. Where are you spending your money? Could you be spending less? Here are a few easy ways to cut back on spending in your home. You don't even have to give up what you love. You just have to be more creative and do a little bit of planning.
Lose your landline. Maybe this one isn't so creative, as more and more people are going this route. If you have a cell phone and carry it with you all the time, why pay for a landline that isn't portable? If you feel you need to keep your landline and you have a DSL internet connection, consider switching to an IP phone service like Vonage. It's cheaper, comes with more features, and the sound quality is the same as or superior to a typical landline.
Trade coupons. Many people already clip coupons or print them from websites. But how often are there coupons for products and services you don't need? Do you regularly visit with friends that also clip coupons? Next time you meet, pass along the ones you don't need. Maybe your friends have some you can use. The more people you consult with about your coupons, the more you can exchange.
Get your media materials from the library. More and more libraries are loaning magazines, movies and exercise videos. Before you spend money on these things, check to see if your library has them. Read your favorite magazine in the peace and quiet of the library when you take your kids to get new books. Skip the movie theatre and the video rental places. Borrow DVDs from the library. Tired of doing that same old exercise video week after week? See if your library has it. And if you're ready to purge your large stock of books and DVDs, consider donating them to your library to increase their inventory. Call first to see what they'll accept.
Cook at home more. A LOT more! The morning latte, lunch out every day, health and energy drinks from the grocery store all add up to a big chuck of the food budget. There are many cheap, easy, healthy alternatives to spending money on these things. My favorite recipe website, allrecipes.com, has thousands of user-submitted concoctions from cheap and simple to expensive, complicated gourmet recipes. They are user rated and reviewed, so you know what's good. Many of them even come with the same nutritional label you find on grocery store packaging. It's easy to find recipes that you like and that fit your lifestyle. A few of my favorite recipes:
Do you have some creative money saving tips? Leave a comment, or e-mail me at teri@keenespaces.com and I'll keep the list going!
Lose your landline. Maybe this one isn't so creative, as more and more people are going this route. If you have a cell phone and carry it with you all the time, why pay for a landline that isn't portable? If you feel you need to keep your landline and you have a DSL internet connection, consider switching to an IP phone service like Vonage. It's cheaper, comes with more features, and the sound quality is the same as or superior to a typical landline.
Trade coupons. Many people already clip coupons or print them from websites. But how often are there coupons for products and services you don't need? Do you regularly visit with friends that also clip coupons? Next time you meet, pass along the ones you don't need. Maybe your friends have some you can use. The more people you consult with about your coupons, the more you can exchange.
Get your media materials from the library. More and more libraries are loaning magazines, movies and exercise videos. Before you spend money on these things, check to see if your library has them. Read your favorite magazine in the peace and quiet of the library when you take your kids to get new books. Skip the movie theatre and the video rental places. Borrow DVDs from the library. Tired of doing that same old exercise video week after week? See if your library has it. And if you're ready to purge your large stock of books and DVDs, consider donating them to your library to increase their inventory. Call first to see what they'll accept.
Cook at home more. A LOT more! The morning latte, lunch out every day, health and energy drinks from the grocery store all add up to a big chuck of the food budget. There are many cheap, easy, healthy alternatives to spending money on these things. My favorite recipe website, allrecipes.com, has thousands of user-submitted concoctions from cheap and simple to expensive, complicated gourmet recipes. They are user rated and reviewed, so you know what's good. Many of them even come with the same nutritional label you find on grocery store packaging. It's easy to find recipes that you like and that fit your lifestyle. A few of my favorite recipes:
Do you have some creative money saving tips? Leave a comment, or e-mail me at teri@keenespaces.com and I'll keep the list going!
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