What is your best tip for saving money. Quick, don’t think just answer. Often those quick tips are the easiest to follow, so they save the most money cumulatively. It is the little things that mean a lot. Sometimes those little things can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year.
Here are 5 quick ways to save.
1. Negotiate every time you make a purchase. A close friend of ours admits that he never pays full price for anything. Simply by asking, he can save anywhere from 5 to 75 percent off of a purchase, even in retail stores and restaurants.
2. Buy used whenever possible. Yard sales, outgrown sales, thrift stores, online auctions, classified ads and more all offer opportunities to buy used. You can usually save anywhere from 50 to 80 percent off of anything you need this way.
3. Make your home energy efficient. A simple inexpensive thing such as caulk can save you hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs. Seal up your house and eliminate leaks, shut the water off when brushing your teeth, put the thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter, and upgrade features that will improve the energy efficiency of your home.
4. Reduce your use of consumable products. Did you know that most people use too much of consumable products without thinking or even checking recommended amounts. For example, most dishwashers call for a tablespoon of detergent, but what do we normally do? We fill up that little dispenser that holds so much more. Shampoo, conditioner and laundry detergent are other common products we overuse.
5. Cook from scratch. Eating out and convenience foods (even the ones you make at home) can cost up to five times the amount you would spend when you cook from scratch. Cooking from scratch does not have to be difficult. For example, you can add a can of soup or salad dressing to some chicken and frozen veggies and have a meal.
There are many more ways to save, but these should get your started down the road of saving.