Has something come up that you’re really like to do, like vacation in a new place? Would you like to update some electronic toys? Need to save to make it happen? If so, here are some things you can do to boost your savings.
Do you have a savings account that’s specifically for trips or other fun? If not, you might open one at your bank. It really helps, both by the power of suggestion and having someplace specific to put the extra savings. Watch them grow!
Using ATMs That Aren’t Your Bank’s
When you’re in a hurry and/or your bank is out of the way, an extra couple of dollars doesn’t seem like much. But, over time, it really adds up, especially if the fee is on the higher end. Also, if you haven’t noticed already, you might be getting hit double with each transaction—once with a fee from the ATM’s operating bank, then one from your own bank.
Keeping Track of Your Loose Change (Coins)
Change adds up! Does yours collect in your car, in the bottom of your purse or backpack or, as I’ve seen while working as a professional organizer with clients, in random places around their homes? If so, here’s a suggestion – get a piggy bank! Whenever I pay cash for something and receive change back, I drop it into the piggy bank on my kitchen counter. As the women’s chorus I’m in is about to tour Scotland, the extra change gets deposited into my trips savings account.
Letting Food Spoil
By buying what you really need, you’ll save money. Research shows that most Americans throw out at least 33 pounds of food each month. That translates to some $40.00 monthly. (You also might be able to avoid “buyer’s remorse,” a term we often consider about bigger ticket items, but it still applies.)
Follow Up on Rebates
Do you take advantage of rebates when offered, by mailing or submitting them online? They add up, like saved loose change! I’m waiting for $10.00, from buying stain for my front porch floor. Where will it go? Into my trip savings account!
Avoiding Late Fees
A few dollars here, a few dollars there – they add up! Do you pay bills late? Do they get lost in a pile of papers? Again wearing my professional organizer “hat,” here’s a suggestion. As soon as you receive them, put your bills into a manila file folder, in “date due” order. It will help you to stay on track, and also may help to protect your credit rating.
Paying for Idle Memberships
Do you have a gym membership that you haven’t used in months? Do you have a viewing account that goes unused? You might have a talk with yourself about them, then cancel those that are (figuratively) gathering dust. You’ll save!
Buying Name Brands
Do you naturally, or out of habit, buy brand-name merchandise? It might come as a pleasant surprise that generic, or store-brand, items are just as good, often with nearly identical ingredient lists. If you carefully read labels, they sometimes state what brand names they compare to or replicate. You’ll save, sometimes a lot!
Drinking Bottled Water
Buying plastic water bottles is expensive, both for your wallet and for the environment. Two possible solutions – invest in an at-home filter for your tap water, or buy a pitcher and filters set. Get a good reusable bottle to fill up at home, and you’ll save.
Inflate Your Tires Properly
Research shows that keeping your car’s tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by some three percent. Easy-peasy!
Buying Fancy Coffee
It’s oh-so easy to succumb to the temptation of over-spending on fancy coffee. You might try an experiment for two weeks, tracking your purchases. For the first, if you have a favorite coffee “fix,” buy it. For the second week, get something more generic. Is there a big difference? Research shows that skipping fancier brews can save more than $1,000 per year!
About De-clutter Me!
De-clutter Me! offers non-judgmental, competitively-priced and confidential assistance to help clear clutter in your home and/or business. We’ve been “bringing calm to chaos” since 2013.