Wrapped up in our day-to-day responsibilities, it is not uncommon to be involved in activities that cost us money.
This isn’t done out of lack of concern or in not trying to be smart or diligent. It’s usually our trying to be responsible adults that cause us to be caught up in duties within which money-saving strategies can escape us. But we’ve got some “sneaky” ways to save—sneaky in not only how easy they can be, but in that you may be surprised when a smile creeps on your face more often as you realize how it may apply to a goal that was once believed to be out of reach.
- Do you have a collection? A collection of just about anything can bring us joy, or cost us money. If the collection requires costly maintenance, it may be time to let it go or reduce its volume.
- Turn off the TV. Not only will your exposure to “gotta have it” commercial marketing be reduced but so will your electricity costs. If you replace watching TV with another activity, you could probably cancel the gym membership or switch to another, cheaper form of TV entertainment, such as NetFlix.
- Clean out your closets and drawers. It’s amazing what gets tossed into these out-of-sight nooks. This not only can deter spending on items you think you need—as you discovere you already had it—but you may find some unique treasure that can be sold or re-gifted.
- Try rounding up on bills. If the electric bill was $49.12, pay $50. This will provide a credit on the next month’s bill. If you can continue to do this, you can make paying bills a bit cheaper by the month, thus creating relief in a month you know may be more expensive, i.e. winter months when utilities tend to go higher.
- Examine your habits. Do you love to get that morning latte at on the way to work? Why? Is there something comforting about this? For many of us, our habits result from what we believe to make life easier or feel like a stress reducer. We all know that those latte costs can add up. Why not instead streamline? Which days of the week tend to be more hectic? Buy the coffee on those days and bring your own on others. Do long showers comfort you? Maybe the sound of running water? Try putting a table-top water feature in the bathroom that recycles water to supplement that sound while you take a shorter shower, thus reducing the cost of water. Use this train of thought with any habit and you’re sure to save.
To further explore easy ways to save, take a look at www.thesimpledollar.com. They list 100 easy ways to sneak in savings, and ways that also save you time.
