Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Instead of a Timeline – Frugality Experts’ Tips Adapted from The Huffington Post 30 Fast Tips for a More Frugal Life, originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com 1- Find Ways to Re-Purpose Why chuck your stuff when you can re-purpose it and get more use out of it? 2- Always Get at Least Three Bids Jean Chatzky said that when it comes to getting a service, it’s best to shop around. 3. Buy Used to Get High Quality at a Low Price Kristin Wong said that it can seem like to get high quality you have to pay high prices – but think again. “One way that I found to cut costs and still get quality is to buy used,” Wong said. 4. Repair Instead of Replace Just because you have a wardrobe item that is worn out doesn’t mean it’s destined for the trash, said Aisha Taylor. When Taylor wore through the soles of a favorite pair of shoes, she decided to repair them rather than replace them. She sent her shoes to the cobbler and they came back good as new. 5. Add Up Your Loose Change Ellie Hirsch said that her family’s favorite way to save is to pool their change together in a simple plastic bag. “While it just looks like change, it can actually be a lot of money,” Hirsch said. The last time she and her kids cashed in their change collection, it added up to $100. 6. Pay with Cash “To help prevent going over your budget, especially when shopping at a mall or store, use cash,” said Daniel Fayette in his one-minute money tip. “Having to actually take money out of your wallet or purse helps remind you how much you’re really spending instead of just seeing a number in a bank account go down,” Fayette said. “You can even set a cash limit on your spending by only carrying the max amount of cash you want to spend for the trip.” 7. Get Free Admission at Museums and Zoos Susan Kessler finds free ways to have fun. At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art near her, “It costs $15 for admission,” she said. “However, not if you come on the second Tuesday of every month” – then patrons get free admission to the museum. 8. Use Half the Amount of Toiletries Annie Logue said she has a simple trick “to save 50 percent on toiletries for the rest of your life.” She said her suggestion is to use half as much toothpaste, shampoo and half of just about everything else. Often commercials or box directions will suggest an amount, but Logue said she has found she can often get away with using less to make her toiletries last longer. “ 9. Find Coupons and Deals Online “Before shopping for anything, I always check Slickdeals online or through the mobile app for coupons and deals,” said Amy Chang. “I use coupon codes to get additional savings even when things aren’t on sale.” 10. Spend Less on College Textbooks According to Carole Fleck, college students spend an average $1,200 a year on textbooks. With a little work, college students can cut that figure in half. Fleck gave these five tips to follow: “Rent them through your college or through online booksellers like Campus Book Rentals and Check. “Buy or rent eBooks through Amazon and other sellers. “Buy used books. “Ask if your school offers a buyback program. “Ask your professor whether a previous and cheaper version of the textbook would be okay to use.” 11. Skip the Gym Membership and Exercise for Free Alyssa Windell said that she has a favorite way to exercise for free: “I like to call it ‘frunning,’ because it’s frugal, it’s fun, and you’re running!” Sure there’s a multi-billiondollar fitness industry out there, but you don’t have to buy into it. You can stay fit with a simple workout like running. “So ditch those expensive gym memberships, get outside, do some fun work, get that work in, enjoy the sun,” Windell said. 12. Shop with a List “Food is such a big part of any budget,” said. Alan Slagowski. That’s why it’s crucial to “shop for food with a list and stick to it.” “People who shop with a list and buy little else spend much less money than those who decide what to buy when they get to the store,” he said. Other easy ways to trim your food budget include bringing a lunch to work so you eat out less often. 13. Have a Meal Plan A grocery list helps you buy less, but Keri Houchin said making a meal plan is her key to using the food she buys to make sure it doesn’t go to waste. 14. Buy Staples When They’re Half Price “How would you like to have your pantry, fridge and freezer filled with half-priced groceries?” asked Teri Gault. The trick, she said, is a savings strategy she calls “investing.” Keep an eye on those grocery and pantry staples that you always go through, especially the higher-priced items. “Whenever it’s on sale, instead of buying just one, ‘invest’ in two, four, or more.” 15. Split a Meal When Eating Out “If you’re worried about this not being enough food, you can always add extra sides at a lower price,” said Stephanie Bills. 16. Spend Less On a Night at the Movies It doesn’t have to cost a lot to catch the latest blockbuster. You can save money at the movies when you follow these tips from Lorrin Forester: “Buy tickets at Costco or any wholesaler. “Go on cheap nights – usually once a week – these tickets are usually half price. “Buy concessions at the grocery store – even the dollar store has candy! “Avoid popcorn. If you must have it, get a small one. You don’t need a large bucket. “Wait for the show to begin before you eat or drink your concessions. This way you will only need to buy small portions, which are cheaper.” 17. Use Free Refills to Save More Ted Jenkin said that his favorite way to save at the movies is to bring a couple of Ziploc bags with him. Then, “When you go into the movie theater, you’re going to order one large popcorn,” Jenkin said. “And at all movie theaters, guess what they’ll let you do? They let you refill the popcorn.” Knowing this means that instead of buying everyone their own popcorn, you can simply buy one and get enough to share. “Take that large popcorn, fill out the quart bags for the kids and yourself,” Jenkin said. “Go back and get a refill. You’ll enjoy the movie, and you’ll cut your price in half.” 18. Use Less Energy With her MoneyMinute video, Brittney Nielsen showed that saving money on electricity is so easy even your kids can help. Her son knows how to save energy at home with small actions, like line-drying clothes instead of using an electric dryer, closing the fridge when a younger sibling leaves it open, turning off lights when they’re not in use and turning down the thermostat. 19. Be Your Own Handyman Elle Martinez said that when her family went from renting to owning a home, she faced many home maintenance costs that she hadn’t encountered before. By being willing to do some of the work on her own, she has helped keep her spending under control. 20. Learn to Do Something New Michelle Jackson suggested looking everywhere in your life for opportunities to do-ityourself. “We have boxed ourselves into always having to purchase stuff because we don’t know how to do anything anymore,” said Jackson. “So basically my tip is this: Learn how to do things so that you can decide later if you want to purchase a good or service or make it yourself.” 21. Make Your Own Cleaning Products To spend less on household items, “I stopped buying a lot of those commercial cleaners and started making my own,” said Amrita Singh. 22. Or Try Using Vinegar Vinegar is cheap, especially when bought in bulk, and it has a variety of uses. Tracie Fobes’ favorite cleaner replacement is vinegar. “You can also use it to clean your windows and your mirrors and your toilets,” Fobes said. 23. Cut Your Budget to the Bone for a Month Joseph Hogue suggested giving yourself a money challenge for a month to cut spending. “Instead of going to a restaurant, plan a picnic or a family cooking night,” said Hogue. “Skip the expensive gym membership and go jogging with friends.” 24. Skip the Bottled Water “We all know that we should be drinking more water, but the price of bottled water may be an unnecessary expense,” said Money Saving Pro. “Ban the bottle. Save yourself some money and start drinking from the tap instead.” Or opt for a filtered water pitcher. 25. Grow Your Own Food Linsey Knerl’s saving trick is her four-acre home garden, which she tends with the help of her husband. In just one day, she said, she can pick enough green beans to fill 50 cans. 26. Pay Less Interest You probably already know about staying out of debt – that’s the best way to avoid the added cost of interest. But if you already have debt, you can get a better interest rate by consolidating debt or refinancing a loan. 27. Cut the Cable Cord Peter Anderson’s money-saving tip is, “Just to get rid of your expensive cable TV package and become a cord-cutter.” 28. Commute with Public Transportation Sam Walker said that public transportation is cheaper than most car payments. He lists these ways taking public transit can help you save more: “Avoiding traffic prevents you from wasting not only time, but also gas, which means you save. “No more paying for gas. Less money spent on gas equals more money in your wallet. “No maintenance costs of owning a car. No insurance costs. “Stop paying for parking and wasting gas driving around to find a parking space.” 29. Only Buy What You Need, When It’s On Sale Bekah Jorgensen has some simple money rules her family follows to help them stay frugal. Even her daughter, Natalie, knows what they are. When Bekah asked her daughter, “Natalie, when we go to the store, how do we save money?” Natalie answered, “We only buy things on sale,” and “We only buy things that we need.” 30. Teach Your Family About Money “Do you have any financial vampires in your life that are sucking the savings out of your money and your budget?” Brian Brandow asked.” I do – I have three to be exact: my kids. It took me a while to figure out what to do with them. Education was the key.” When it comes to being frugal, Brandow said it needs to be a family effort. “Having educated children goes a long way to saving you money and better preparing them for their financial futures,” he said.