9 Painless Ways to Save Money Now

This article has been written by our users, feel free to edit or expand this article. You may also write an article on a new subject.

From WikiParenting

Jump to: navigation, search

Is your paycheck gone before the end of the week? Do you know you need to save money, but haven’t a clue where to start? Here are 10 simple and painless ways that you can begin to save.

Take your lunch to work – Brown bagging your lunch can save you $5 a day. Over the course of the year, you could save $1000 if you eat out every day. If you only eat out once a week, you still would save $250.
Gifting – For gift giving occasions, have your kids make a birthday card, and have them help you make a gift. You will save money, and the gift will have more meaning. If your kids have one party a month and you save $10 on each event, you will save $120 over the course of the year.
Stop renting videos – Your local library has videos that you can check out. Log onto the library website in advance, in order to request titles that your family wants to watch. Alternatively, you can have book night at the library, reading the latest magazines – for free! If you rent just one video a week for $3, you will save $156 by borrowing from the library.
Skip the machine- Don’t purchase soft drinks at work, bring your own from home. If you drink two soft drinks every day at work, and save 25¢ per can, that can add up to a savings of $125 per year.
Nature’s dryer - Hang laundry up to dry on a clothes line whenever possible, instead of drying them in the dryer automatically. If you air dry 4 loads each week you could save $104 in a year.
Send snacks – It may seem like just 75¢, but if you buy a snack twice a week out of the machine at work and your two kids each buy a snack three times a week, that adds up to $300 dollars per year. Send snacks purchased in bulk and repackaged into single serving zip lock bags to stop money drain.
Be prepared – If you are going to be out and about running errands, pack a small cooler with drinks and healthy snacks for both you and the kids. If you save $5 per week you would save $260 by the end of the year.
Cancel the newspaper – Most newspapers are available online now, and many will send you the latest edition if you sign up at their website. You could also make a deal with a neighbor to pay half the bill if they give you the paper when they are done, or go read the paper at the library. You could save around $150 a year this way.
Meatless Mondays – Okay, it doesn’t have to be Monday necessarily, but plan on one meatless meal each week. Start out with vegetable lasagna or a nice vegetable soup and salad; then expand your vegetarian culinary skills from there. Figure that you will save at least $4 per week this way. Besides saving around $200 per year, you might shed a few pounds.

If you follow these 9 simple tips over the course of the year, you will save around $1665 dollars per year.