Not letting money get in the way of life
Saving money doesn't have to mean giving up long hours to work on financial planning spread sheets or carrying a calculator with you wherever you go. Your money is there to help you to achieve your goals, not to hinder you from doing the things that you want to do in life. At the same time it is very easy to read or to write advice about not letting money get in the way of life, but actually living this principle is another story entirely. There are some very sad stories about real people whose money really did get in the way of life and lead to some very sad consequences because of it. Without, undermining the difficulty of managing money and the importance of good financial sense, there are small things that we can do to save and protect our money that do not conflict with life.
If you are willing to exercise some self control and strive to keep your spending and living within your means, it is possible to not let money get in the way of life. Here is a list of a few simple things that you can do, that do not take very much time, but that can make a huge impact on your quality of life by saving you money that you need to be able to live your life the way that you want to.
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If you are able, riding your bike to your destination is even more cost effective and can do great things to improve your health.
If this person then eats out for dinner on an average of 3 days a week and once or twice during the weekend, this person is spending $65 per week and $279.50 per month eating out. You can save hundreds of dollars by making your own meals at home.
Are you willing to use coupons to save money? If you are excellent examples of websites and companies that are frequently offering coupons to customers free of charge include: GetLocalDeals, HotCoupons.com, and ValPak.
While driving, turn off the A/C unit and roll down the windows instead to save even more of your precious fuel.
Avoid the vending machines. With the average American drinking an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year and the vending machine industry's generation in U.S. sales of about $22.1 billion last year, there are big bucks to be saved by keeping your coins in your pockets and out of those machines.
If you insist on using your car to get where you need to go, make sure that it is running as efficiently as possible. Clogged air filters and under inflated tires can cut your fuel efficiency dramatically.
Putting away money in a savings account is easiest when your savings is treated like any other payment on your budget. You can decide how much your savings "payment" will be every month or you can choose to contribute an amount to your savings that is a percentage of your weekly or monthly earnings.
Warehouse shopping is very popular and for good reason. Places like Costco and Sam's Club offer bulk items for sale at a discount that ranges on average between 10%-25%.
American families spend more than they earn each year and the average households carry some $8000 in credit card debt. Be very careful in how you decide to use debt. It is very easy to fall for "free money" and to very quickly become so consumed with debt that there is no end in sight.
By turning down the temperature on your thermostat this winter, you can save a bundle on your utility bill. Start by reducing the thermostat heat just one degree at a time. Try this for a week until you feel like you are at a temperature that you can be comfortable at.
