Learn to save money
If you are currently in debt or have a poor credit rating, don’t give up! It’s not too late to rectify your situation. Saving money can be extremely rewarding, as well as fun. There are many blogs devoted to the subject of saving money and/or avoid spending money, such as frugalist, lifehacker, and clever dude which provide entertaining distraction. Especially during moments when you are procrastinating at work, you might as well visit a few of these sites, and collect some tips on how to save money around the house. The little things really add up!
Plan in advance. Outline a monthly budget for yourself, taking into account how much you spend on food, clothing, entertainment, rent, and the like. Make sure you have enough leftover to pay your bills each month.
Don’t eat out all the time. Learn to cook! If you have no interest in cooking whatsoever, that’s OK too. There are many ways to eat frugally yet lavishly. A little polenta goes a long way. Incorporating grains into your diet is both easy on the pocketbook and good for you (try quinoa, kasha, and millet). Recommended reading: Peasant Cooking in Many Lands. You might also consider buying lunch specials and keeping them refrigerated until dinner time. If you are a fan of spicy foods, you might consider investing in a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce, which has the mysterious capability to make anything mediocre taste wonderful.
Distinguish between wants and needs. For instance, do you really need a BMW? Do you really need to buy a new car at all, when there are so many quality used cars available? If you are in need of a means to get around, consider public transportation. These days, there are also many car-sharing services such as Zipcar and City Car Share. Check to see if these services are available in your area. The cost to rent these cars is much cheaper than the cost of car rental and frequently, car sharing is even cheaper than the price of gas and maintenance of owning a car.
Space out your big purchases. Once you’ve differentiated between your wants and needs, and you have decided you really need a new houseboat as well as a big screen TV, it’s a good idea not to purchase both in one fell swoop. Decide which is more important to you
Grow some vegetables and fruits. Eat them, eventually. If you live in a city like New York, where you don’t have access to any garden space, consider growing herbs. They take up a miniscule amount of space when grown in small pots indoors. It will save you hundreds in buying tiny packages of herbs from the supermarket.
Kill two birds with one money-saving stone. Many times when you cut back on expenses, you also help spare the environment for future generations. Wash your clothes in cold water: this will conserve energy and help your clothes last longer. Along those lines, there are many other ways that saving money can also save the environment. Open the window instead of turning on your air conditioning. Use fewer paper towels, thereby killing fewer trees.
Buy the Sunday newspaper. Cut out coupons. It’s a really therapeutic thing to do on a nice Sunday morning or afternoon, and will continue to delight you the whole week through. Remember to stock up on things you regularly use when they are on sale.