Food
1. Make your own coffee
2. Take your lunch
3. Buy generic brands
4. Skip the candy
5. Use coupons
6. Buy in bulk
7. Bake from scratch
8. Cook for yourself
9. Take back your bags or bring your own (many stores give a discount)
10. Look at the per ounce/pound price. Bigger does not always mean cheaper.
Car
1. Keep your tires inflated (saves gas)
2. Go to GasBuddy.com to find cheaper gas
3. Do not change your oil every 2,000 miles (check your manual. Mine says 5,000)
4. Get cheaper insurance if you qualify
5. Keep to your maintenance schedule to avoid big costs later
6. Don’t carry extra weight in the trunk
7. Accelerate slower out of lights and stop signs
8. Do not drive over 55 miles per hour
9. Take public transportation if it is cheaper than gas/parking
10. Find cheaper parking lots when in urban areas
House
1. Lower your thermostat
2. Lower your hot water temperature
3. Switch to compact florescent light bulbs
4. Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it
5. Water your lawn less
6. Take shorter showers
7. Let your grass grow a little more before cutting it (unless you use a hand power mower)
8. Get winter window insulation kits (I use Frost King. It really works!)
9. Skip dryer softener sheets. They don’t really do anything anyway.
10. Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Bills
1. Downgrade to a lower cable/satellite plan if you don’t use all of the channels
2. Pay your credit cards in full every month to avoid interest charges
3. Stop newspaper or magazine subscriptions unless you really read them. Online is free!
4. Re-evaluate that cell phone plan. Do you really use those minutes/texts? (Beware of ETF)
5. Prepay your car/mortgage loan to save interest in the long run. Every bit counts.
6. Refinance the mortgage if you have a high rate
7. Pay on time. Late fees suck!
8. Pay online. Some companies give a paperless discount.
9. Save the stamp. Another saving for paying online.
10. Consolidate your student loans to a lower interest equity loan
Spending
1. Don’t buy that impulse DVD at Target/WalMart (I know that one is hard)
2. Do not buy the whole CD if you only like one song. Buy the MP3 online for $1
3. Distinguish between wants and needs
4. Distinguish between wants and needs (I really need to emphasize that one)
5. Do not buy drinks at restaurants. Water is free (and healthier).
6. Avoid the bars. Drinks at home with friends is much cheaper.
7. Find a hobby that costs less than your current hobby
8. Get books from the library rather than the book store
9. Get movies at the library rather than Blockbuster or Hollywood Video
10. Enjoy going outside. There is no admission fee for most parks and trails.
