It may seem difficult to find extra money in your budget, but for a lot of us, making even a few small changes can make a big difference. Since a dollar saved is more than a dollar earned, saving even $100 each month is really like giving yourself a yearly raise of $1,500! Here are some ideas on how you can find some extra money in your budget.
Cook in once more per month. With busy schedules and hungry kids, it can often be very convenient to order in or eat out. But even a simple pizza delivery can easily cost $20 or more. When you’re in a pinch, you can really save by having planned ahead or deciding to make something simple like sandwiches or even scrambled eggs.
Evaluate your utilities. Utilities are one of the largest expenses in a monthly budget but they’re also one of the things we have the most control over. Take a look at your cable or phone bill and see whether you have any room for reducing it — call your cable company and ask to renegotiate your package or consider giving up movie channels. Also, make sure you’re being efficient about energy and water use. Make a concerted effort to track these things for a few months and hopefully you’ll observe a visible downward trend.
Carpool. Can you carpool to work or to your kids’ activities? Especially if you drive a gas guzzler, spending less time in your car each week will really cut down on your gas expense.
Buy generic. You can cut your grocery bill by quite a bit if you just switch from brand-name items to store brand ones. With most items, you won’t even notice a difference — the only change you’ll see is the one in your growing bank account!
LincolnParkAnnie is a freelance writer focused on how to live large on a little living. She writes financial savings tips for the online payday loan company, QuickQuid.co.uk, and enjoys finding new ways to have fun on the cheap in her native Chicago.