20 Ways to Save an Extra $1,000
Saving a dollar here and there may not sound like a lot but it adds up over time. Wasteful spending isn't limited to buying an overpriced jacket or eating out too often. It's more about the out of sight out of mind aspects of our lives which cost us the most money in the long run. Here are a number of ideas can have a significant impact on your finances and can result in an extra $1,000 at the end of the year.
1. Buy Last Generation Electronics
When a cell phone, which was released nine months ago, is displaced with a new version coming out tomorrow that doesn't make it suddenly obsolete. Top quality products 6 to 12 months old can be purchased for substantially less than the brand-new version.
2. Cancel the Gym Membership
This is an easy one. Unless you're using your gym membership 3 to 5 days a week cancel it immediately. This change alone can result in a savings of $500 per year. Instead, walk around the park or purchase some used weights to get your exercise.
3. Take A Lunch
Eating out can be nice especially when enjoying the company of coworkers or friends but it is also quite expensive. For the price of one lunch at a restaurant you can buy enough ingredients at the store to make lunch for a week.
4. Buy Store Brands
Store brands and generics are as good if not better than many name brand products available on shelves today. When it comes to staples like butter, milk, bread and sugar go with store brands exclusively.
5. Buy Used
Sports equipment, books and many household items should be purchased used. There's no reason to pay full price for certain items which may have limited life spans or usefulness.
6. Comparison Shop
Regardless of what you buy, whether it is a replacement tire for a bicycle or clay pots for your plants, always shop around. The free-market will guarantee someone will have the best price. You just have to find out who that is.
7. Trim the Cell Phone Plan
Increased competition among cell phone providers, specifically from MVNOs, has led to creative and lower price offerings to compete against the large national networks. Companies like Ting, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile all have plans which can save hundreds of dollars over a year.
8. Cancel the Landline
Seriously, cancel the landline already. It's an unnecessary redundant technology which is been supplanted by cell phones. Save yourself between $10 and $20 per month by canceling this service.
9. Clip Coupons
Clipping coupons no longer has the stigma it used to and has been embraced by celebrities and turned into TV shows. Hundreds of dollars per month can be saved on commonly purchased food items by using coupons.
10. Do It Yourself
Not everyone can rebuild an engine or install radiant floor heating but many projects can be done yourself. Whether it's fixing a leaky faucet when installing a digital thermostat, instructional videos and online tutorials number in the hundreds and can teach you anything you care to learn.
11. Quit Smoking
Quitting smoking not only has significant health benefits but can also save hundreds of dollars. With the price of cigarettes increasing substantially due to higher taxes, quitting this one bad habit could save you an extra thousand dollars per year.
12. Haggle
If something is for sale then the price is negotiable either directly or indirectly. You can sometimes get 10% to 20% off of a product or service just by asking. Like most things in life, it doesn't hurt to ask and you never know what kind of benefit you may get.
13. Have Garage Sales
Garage sales don't necessarily save you money but instead make money. There is another plus however. Many individuals and families use off-site storage from having too many possessions. A garage sale not only turns rarely used items into money but may also mean canceling a $50 per month storage space.
14. Go Vegan
Even if you don't go completely vegan or vegetarian, by cutting back on red meat and increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables you can save hundreds of dollars per year. Meat prices have increased significantly in the last decade so purchasing produce in season can provide substantial savings.
15. Cancel Premium Channels
More more consumers are cutting the cord not only on premium channels but cable in general. Services like Netflix and Hulu have made watching what you want when you want at a reasonable price more realistic than ever before.
16. Avoid ATM Fees
Pulling cash from an out-of-network ATM can cost as much as $3.50 per transaction. If your current bank or credit union doesn't have or is not part of enough ATMs consider switching to increase coverage and save money.
17. Raise Insurance Deductibles
Very few people file enough claims for auto or home insurance to justify low deductibles. Increase your deductible from the standard $250 to the more realistic $1,000 to lower your monthly premiums.
18. Make Your Own Cleaners
Baking soda and vinegar are incredibly inexpensive and can be used to clean almost anything. Avoid paying 10 times as much for the same cleaning potential from buying name brand products. Make it yourself and save big.
19. Use Ground Shipping
Patience is a virtue and it is very rare that a consumer can't wait 5 to 7 days for a product to be shipped to their doorstep. Instant gratification is nice but if the difference means a choice between free ground shipping and $27 for overnight delivery I'd rather wait a week.
20. Find Free Fun
Communities around the nation normally have free activities for families. From open air concerts to camping and hiking, there is very little you have to pay for to have fun. Go online to your city or town website and look for a calendar providing more information about upcoming free events.
