6 Simple Ways to Save Money in Your Daily Life
People are always looking for ways to save money. Whether you're living on a budget, saving money for the future or just looking to have healthier spending habits, saving money doesn't have to mean big sacrifices. One of the best ways to save money is to first discover what you're currently spending money on. Write down every cent you spend for a week. It seems like a tedious task, but at the end of the week, you might be surprised at how much money you're spending on things that aren't necessary. It also helps you to become conscious of the money you're spending and you might learn to think twice about buying something you don't need.
At the end of the week, go over your list of spending and see if there are things you could cut out. Here are some common ways that people spend money unnecessarily and ideas for alternatives.
- Do you stop every morning on your way to work and pick up coffee? This may not seem like a big expense, but when you add it up for the week, month, and year, you might be surprised what the total is. Whether it's just regular coffee or expensive designer coffee, it can be a real budget killer. Buy yourself a reusable thermal travel cup, make coffee at home and take it with you.
- Do you leave the office and go out for lunch every day? Whether it's cafeteria food, fast food or a meal in a restaurant, eating out can get pricey. Pack a lunch instead of buying one - not only does it save you money, it could prevent you from making unhealthy food choices.
- Do you buy snacks on the go? When you stop at the gas station, do you grab a bag of chips or a chocolate bar? Convenient store prices for these items are sky-high and can really eat into your budget. Carry snacks with you in your purse, briefcase or car, and have them available at work, too. This way, whenever hunger strikes, you don't have to head to a vending machine or convenience store because you'll be prepared. Things like fruit, raw veggies, granola bars, pretzels, and nuts make great snacks, and they're healthy options as well.
- Do you spend a lot of money on bottled water? Buy a Brita tap filter or pitcher and filter, along with a reusable bottle to put the water in, and you'll never have to buy bottled water again. You can use the bottle around the house, take it on the road and even refill it at work. Not only is this much cheaper (if you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water a day, you could go through multiple cases of water each week), it's also better for the environment.
- Do you spend a lot of money eating out because you think it's too time-consuming to cook meals? Create a weekly meal plan, do one big grocery shopping trip for everything you need, and prepare meals ahead of time. If you always have food on hand and know how it's going to be used each day, you can do the prep work ahead of time, or make entire meals and store them in containers in the fridge or freezer to pull out when you need them. Making big meals that will guarantee leftovers is always a good idea because it means there will be a few nights each week where you don't have to cook. For example, if you make a big stew in the slow cooker some morning before going to work, you not only won't have to worry about cooking once you get home, you'll have leftovers for later in the week, or you can freeze the leftovers and use them later in the month. Slow cookers are great for stews, soups and some meats (whole chickens, roasts of beef or pork/ham). With stews and soups, you can eat them right away, and if you're making something else, you can throw together a salad or steam some veggies and you have a quick, nutritious meal.
- Do you find that you're paying a lot in banking fees each month? Bank fees can range from simple usage fees to withdrawal fees to transferring fees to overdraft fees, and can add up substantially in the span of a month. Use cash instead - it'll save you the bank fees, and you might learn to be more conscious about your spending habits.
These are just six ways to save money in your daily life, but there are dozens of ways to save money in small, simple ways that won't affect your quality of life or leave you feeling deprived.
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Thank you for reading 6 Simple Ways to Save Money in Your Daily Life. If you're looking for further reading on saving money and cutting expenses, you might be interested in Ways to Save Money Around the House and Cut Your Monthly Expenses.If you enjoyed this article and found it useful, please vote it up, rate it, and/or leave a comment - you don't have to be a member of HubPages to leave comments. If you'd like to learn more about me and read my other articles here at Hubpages, you can visit my profile page. I love writing for HubPages, and would recommend it to anyone who's interested in writing online. If you'd like to join (it's free to join and a great way to make money online), you can sign up here.