5 Simple Ways to Save Money Today!
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Does finding five simple ways to save money today seem too good to be true? It’s not, and there are things we do every day that we can adjust in order give us more money in our pocket, especially over time.
It is so hard to make changes at times, especially when the changes don’t yield results that are big enough to give us a sense of satisfaction right out of the gate.
Wouldn’t it be fun to make a few simple changes that would make a noticeable difference over a one month time period? Changes that were small enough to only feel like a little bit of a pin prick, yet were sizable enough to really add up, especially if you were to make all five simple changes at once?
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Although making sacrifices is rarely fun, it is fun to watch money add up over time. I wrote a bit about how nearly 20 years of sacrifices have snowballed to get us out of debt as I wrote in 18 Things We Did to Become Debt-Free By Age 42, but even if this is not where you want to be, pick your financial goal and strive for it. Our goal was set 20 years out in the future when we made it. Your goal can seem really out there to you, too. Just set one and get started o
n these steps.
- Say no to one thing you usually say yes to. Maybe it’s coffee along with a breakfast sandwich or maybe it would be avoiding a treat like coffee in the first place, but, something small you do indulge in every day, cut it out for the next month.
- Downsize on one thing a day. Super-sizing your order, getting dessert along with a meal out, or even buying the name brand cereal, downsize on just one thing today. It doesn’t have to be the same thing every day, just make a conscious choice to buy cheaper on one thing a day.
- Avoid one area where you impulse by. If you shop garage sale pages on Facebook as I described in How Facebook Can Save You Thousands of Dollars and How I Made Money Redecorating My Home, if you look for great deals on Amazon and tend to buy more than what you need, or if you shop while your daughter hangs out with her friends at the mall, just don’t. Avoid whatever your temptation is. I fell victim to this with the Facebook garage sale sites. I got countless great deals, but I found I was buying more than what I needed and just stopped browsing.
- Focus on paying down one small debt.
This could be a credit card with a small balance – work on paying one off and then moved to the next one. This could also be making just one extra mortgage payment a year and adding it to the principle. Focus on one place you carry credit and expedite getting it paid off. You will save a ton in interest. - Find someone to be accountable to for the previous four suggestions, and check in with them on a daily basis. Being forced to put your money where your mouth is generally forces us to follow through much more often than we would otherwise.
Changes are hard, but changes don’t have to be big ones in order to make a difference. These five simple ways to save money are a great place to start.
Begin planning on only implementing these changes for a month if the thought can seem overwhelming. Oftentimes, knowing that sacrifices are only temporary can make them so much easier to endure. Then, at the end of that month, decide whether to keep making these changes or whether you are ready to treat yourself again.
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Looking for more money saving ideas? Try:
12 Sneaky Ways to Start Saving for Christmas During the Summer
What to Do When Living Paycheck to Paycheck Still Doesn’t Get the Bills Paid
