Saving money is oh-so-important. Most people know that, they simply can't find the additional money in their budgets to put back much. The trick is to try and save money in all areas of your life. The following tips will help you save nickels and dimes that can be added to your savings!
1. Share Internet Service with a Neighbor
If there's a nearby neighbor who also wants to save, why not share service with them? You can easily access their wifi (or they can access yours) if provided with the password. This cuts the internet costs for both of you down by half, since you will have to pay only one bill each month rather than two.
2. Negotiate with Your Cable or Satellite Company
Now, this may seem like we're pulling at threads but it works. Have you ever noticed how “new” customers receive discounts and monthly deals from cable or satellite companies, but the loyal customers are stuck paying the same high bills? Call your cable or satellite company and threaten to leave them for another service. You'd be surprised what kinds of money-saving deals they will come up with!
3. Join Facebook “For Sale” Groups
If you check Facebook, you're likely to find several “for sale” groups within your area. This is a great way to find items at a cheaper price than purchasing them new – including furniture, clothing, jewelry and just about anything else you could think of.
4. Trade Babysitting Days/Nights
Rather than paying a babysitter for those nights when you go out, or when you have to stay late at work, try trading services with another parent. For instance, you watch his or her children one night when they go out and then they will watch yours when it's your turn. You could save quite a bit if you set up a regular trade system.
5. Make Your Own Items
If you're even slightly skilled when it comes to crafting or creating, you can save a ton of money by creating your own items. For instance, I really wanted this gorgeous cascade ruffle shower curtain from Anthropologie, but it was nearly $100.
That's not a lot of money, but more than I could justify spending on a shower curtain. Instead, I simply bought a couple of king sheets and sewed my own. The total cost was $15. It's amazing how much money you can save if you make something yourself.
Small tips like these may not seem like they're saving you a lot of money, but when you add it all up, you'd be surprised to see the difference. Place the extra money you're saving into your savings account and it will certainly accumulate!
We recently cut cable and then received an offer for new customers. When we called, we were told that was only for people who hadn’t had service with Charter in the past two years. They were completely unwilling to work with us, but that might be because they are the only cable service for our neighborhood.