It is a new year. We have seen the economy as bad as it has ever been in most of our lifetime. Many people don’t realize how close we really came to catastophic circumstances with our economy. The unthinkable nearly happened. Even with that crisis apparently avoided, many people don’t think we are out of the woods. Certain states, like Georgia, are now facing more foreclosures than ever. The food banks and toy drives were needed more than ever, and they had a bigger shortfall than ever. Whether you are in a tough situation, or you need to change your spending habits, I will be offering suggestions on how to cut your budget, without necesarily making big lifestyle changes. I will continue to offer business ideas, as that is the main focus of this blog, but right now, here are ways to cut your budget.
How to save money:
Shop for clothing at thrift shops (especially for young kids). Look for gently worn or even new clothes for 1/10 the price of new (or less).
Pay your bills online. It’s protected and you can save with stamps.
Put your kids on the school bus rather than driving them to school.
Slipcover or reupholster older furniture for a quick update rather than buying expensive new furniture.
Refinish furniture and/or decorate with new paint. Use older and broken furniture to make a unique piece.
Take your lunch to work every day! Make your meals in bulk and then freeze them in smaller containers to save even more money.
Buy a bread maker to make your own bread. This is much cheaper than $2.00 a loaf, and tastes terrific!
Shop for dented canned goods and outdated toiletries at salvage grocery stores.
Read magazine subscriptions at the library or buy them at the thrift shop for .25 to .50 after someone else has read them.
Stop drinking expensive sodas and make Kool-Aid or decaffeinated iced tea, instead.
Cancel expensive telephone options like call waiting. Consider using an internet based phone company, but make sure you are comfortable with how the 9-1-1 service works. It is different than a traditional landline phone service, and in an emergency, it may be more difficult for them to find exactly the address from where you are calling
There are many more ideas to come on how to save money, but this will get you started.
