Saving Tricks; 5 Small Adjustments You Can Make for A Better Life

Saving money is one of the best ways to live happily and in control of your life. When you have money left over after paying the bills, you can use it to save or invest in your future, or even have around when an emergency crops up. But how do you save that money in the first place? Luckily, a lot of good financial habits don’t have to take a complete overhaul of your life. If you’re smart, using small adjustments can make a big difference. If you are looking to gain more control over your financial future, use these five tips to improve your life and bank account balance.

 

Saving Trick 1. Buy Things From Cheaper Outlets Or Thrift Stores

You might not think it’s cool to be seen shopping around at places like Dollar General or Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, but believe it or not, you can sometimes get more than what you pay for when you’re willing to do so. Yes, we would all like to have fancy brands and get the finer things in life, but you’ll be very happy to see your pockets not be emptied by these products. In fact, you might even find hundreds of dollars saved in some cases. Try a cheaper shampoo for a few months and spend wisely on essentials like cereal and toilet paper at places where they come at half the price. The take home for me is to know what brands I won’t sacrifice and then go after them on sale or lower-priced options for the rest of your shopping.

Saving Trick 2. Learn How To Cook If You Don’t Know How

Food is an expense you will always have, but you can save a lot of money if you know how to cook. The great thing about it is, there are so many simple recipes that even those who don’t know anything about culinary arts can make them in a flash. Yes, you still need to buy the groceries to make food, but there are all kinds of places you can get those, and most grocery stores even have discount coupons you can use. You can even go the extra mile by planning your grocery week in advance and preparing food in the freezer for nights when you don’t have time to cook. You can also always visit my food blog www.BiteTheRoad.com for ideas on way to cook at home and some the recipes I use on a day to day basis!

 

Saving Trick 3. Conserve On Electricity

This is something that’s often overlooked because we use electricity so regularly we don’t even think about it. By simply remembering to turn off the lights when you leave a room, turning off the TV at night, and making sure your appliances are running at efficient levels are big electricity savers. In fact, the Family Handyman notes that taking your electronics, plugging them into a power strip, and then shutting the switch off of that can save up to $100 a year on costs.

 

Saving Trick 4. Pay Your Credit Card Bills Ahead Of Time And In Full

You might think that delaying full payments and paying the minimum amount on credit cards when you get your monthly statements will save money, but actually, you’re going to be accumulating a lot of debt and paying even more in the long run if you do this. Credit cards have a lot of hidden fees we often forget about, and on top of that, interest will pile up and in some cases could turn $1,000 that we owe into as much as $1,300 if the APR is high. The best policy is to use your credit card wisely and always pay it off in full.

 

Saving Trick 5. Always Drive Safe

Most important to saving money could be your driving habits. You might think it’s fun to speed down the road on that hot summer day with the windows open, but getting ticketed or getting in an accident will take that good feeling away immediately. And most importantly, drunk driving should be avoided at all costs because according to one law firm, that could cost you a driver’s license suspension, jail time, and a hefty fine, even for a first offense. By driving safe or having a designated driver take you home when you’ve had one too many, you not only will save money on tickets, accident,  and court costs, you can keep your insurance premiums low and apply for good driver discounts which can save you even more.

 

In summary, there are always ways you can bring more money back into your wallet even if it’s just $5 when you go out to eat. You don’t always have to sacrifice what you love to save money, but if you’re willing to look at discount deals and plan ahead for expenses, you might be surprised at just how much your savings can compound. You should always be willing to adopt new habits and lifestyle changes if they mean more happiness and less trouble down the road.