Oct

10 Easy Ways to Save Money Today

Today’s post is a guest post from Hannah at Debt Advisors Direct.

There is simply no better time to be thinking about saving money and it’s something we all should be striving to do, but what are the best ways to save money?

Don’t Buy ‘Designer Clothes’ 100_9144
Although the celebrities endorse them, try not to buy too many designer clothes. You may only wear the outfit once, which means that the $150 you spent has been more or less wasted. You would get better value for money buying a $30 outfit and if you only wear it once, its not such a big deal.

Create A Shopping List
By creating your own shopping list, you will be able to save yourself a lot of money over the course of the year.

Go through your cupboards before you go shopping and write down exactly what you need – and nothing more. Keep your list with you when you’re shopping, and stick by it. By buying exactly what you need, you will avoid wasting things and overspending.

Shop at Your Local Market
Supermarkets may be convenient and have a lot of choice, but did you know that your local market is probably cheaper for fresh produce? Buying your fruit and vegetables from your local market could save you hundreds of pounds – and you’ll be supporting a local business.

Sell Your Old Things on The Internet
If your house is cluttered and you no longer need your old stuff, then sell it online! Even if you make just a few dollars on each item, it’s better than making nothing by throwing it away. Remember – one mans junk is another mans treasure.

Switch Your Gas/Electricity Supplier
By switching your gas/electricity supplier, you could save hundreds a year. There a plenty of switching sites available online, and many of them operate for free and take a small commission off the supplier when someone switches via them.

Say ‘No’
Learn to say ‘no’. This is one of the hardest things to do, especially when you really want something. For example, if you are looking for a new TV and see one you really like, but it costs $1500 – and you only have $600 in the bank, then just walk away. Don’t be tempted to put it on the credit card, as the interest could cost you a lot of money.

Walk to Work
Something as simple as walking to work could save you hundreds of dollars a year. If you work too far away to walk – ask if anyone would be interested in sharing lifts with you.

Cancel Your Gym Membership
Your gym membership is a luxury that you may not even use. Why not run around the block? Or run round the local park? Join a free sports club…there are so many ways to keep fit for free. If you feel you need to use the gym occasionally most will let you pay per session anyway.

Pay off Your Outstanding Unsecured Debts
If you have outstanding unsecured debts, try to pay these off as soon as possible. The sooner you clear them, the less interest they can gather and the cheaper they will be to clear! (For more debt information visit http://www.debtadvisersdirect.co.uk/)

Create a Strict Budget
Create a strict budget and stick to it! This should help you keep in control of your finances. You may be able to highlight areas where you are ‘overspending’ – in other words, areas where you can cut back and save money.

There is no hiding the fact that to save a little bit of money you will need to put in some effort and stay on top of you finances. The benefits are substantial though, not only does saving money help your cash flow, being in control gives you a nice feel good factor.

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