Has the financial crisis finally descended upon you? Do you spend more than you would like?
No need to worry: inspire yourself with our list of 10 common dollar-gluttons and find a few alternatives to your daily spending.
- Grocery shopping
Eat before you go shopping and stick to your shopping list. These are the two rules that can save you plenty of money over time. When shopping, always compare price per ounce. You might notice that you always find the most expensive stock right in front of your eyes, while the cheaper alternative (private label or store brands) would be located right at the bottom of the shelf. Can you really tell the difference (blindfolded) between a $9 bottle of wine and a $25 bottle of wine? On the other hand, don’t buy something only because it is cheap: stick to your shipping list! - Bottled water
Did you get used to drinking bottled water over the years? Filtering your tap water works just as well. Just think of all the plastic bottles you leave behind! - Coffee
Can’t live without your coffee? Most people can’t. But do you really need to stop by at your favourite coffee shop every morning? Invest $10 in a coffee pot and make your own coffee. - Snacks
Sure 8 hours at work every day can’t be completed without some tasty snacks. Have you tried munching on fruits and vegetables instead of buying your favourite chocolate or protein bar? As well as saving money, you might even lose some pounds from - Movies & Cable
A movie night at the cinema for a couple can be as much as $30, if you include popcorn and babysitter. Netflix, on the other hand, costs only $9 for unlimited viewing. On the other hand, do you really watch all the channels you pay for every month? Check your billing options at your cable provider and choose the option that matches your viewing habits. - Music
Do you still buy new CD releases? Why don’t you get your favourite tunes at Amazon or iTunes, where you pay per song, so that you can download only those you really like for under $1 per song. - Phone
Living without a cell phone is near impossible these days for most people, but the good news is there are plenty of opportunities to save on your cell phone bills. Compare the billing options or switch to pay as you go, if that would make you call less often. - Smoking
If you cannot stop smoking altogether, think of switching to rolling tobacco. You might need a few days before you master rolling your cigarette, but the saving effect (as much as 50% in many countries) will be astonishing. - Petrol
Of course driving less would be the the ultimate money-saver, but that is not always possible. If asking yourself is this trip really necessary every time you turn on the engine isn’t an option for you, comparing petrol prices instead of stopping by at your closest petrol station could save you a bundle. - Credit cards
You probably heard that one already many times, but if you if you keep using your credit card for every day shopping and in the end find yourself unable to repay it on time, no money-saving tips will ever help you. Why don’t you close you credit card accounts (except for one for emergencies) and stick to paying cash, thus avoiding paying the interest (sometimes up to 30%) and possible late charges, which can also be very high.Lots of credit card companies have secret low interest versions which you can move to if you press them. On the low interest versions you may not get some small bonuses but the savings on interest (as low as 5%) more than make up for the bonuses for most people.
Other ideas
I hope these ideas help you. Let us know if you have any other ideas in the comments. We have to all stick together to get through more difficult times in a changing world. Strange going back to the world of our grandparents where saving is more important than spending.