5 Quick and Easy Ways to Save Money

With today's economy people are strapped for cash and searching for ways to save a little more. It is so important when you are looking on how you can save money to think outside the box. Yes, eating out less saves money and so does turning off the lights in the house when not in use. However, there are other ways you can save money too.

1. Start using coupons when shopping. I know there is a lot of buzz about coupons lately with television programs getting into it, and people are awed by how others save. However, you can save with coupons too! You don't have to be a coupon diva. You can slowly learn to coupon, picking out what works with your time available, and add it to your regular routine. The trick to couponing is to slowly make it a part of your life instead of going at it full force.


2. Clothes shopping at the end of the season. You will be surprised with how much you can save on clothes alone if you learn to shop at the end of the season when everything is on clearance. Shopping ahead and thinking about next year means you can save up to 90% off of clothes.


3. Call Your Electricity Provider. Some electric providers may have discount incentives or even free software on their website to let you know what your usage should be. Also, they may offer services to have your house checked for leaks, etc. that may be causing your electricity bill to be higher than it should. Be sure to check your company's website to see if they offer anything. If you don't see anything there than try contacting them to see if they know of any ways you can save on your electric bill through special programs they may offer.


4. Get rid of extra services you don't need. This one seems obvious, but it is amazing the services people pay for that they never really use. For instance, your cell phone provider probably charges extra for insurance on your phone. However, if you have had your cell phone for a year (sometimes even less) you may do just as well nixing the monthly insurance coverage. My family has a policy that once we can buy the same phone for cheaper on Ebay or Craigslist we get rid of the insurance. There have been a few times when we lost or damaged the phone; however, in the end we saved ourselves some money. Most cell phone insurance providers require a monthly fee plus a fee (around $50) if your cell phone does end up needing to be replaced. This may not be to the thing to do if you have an iPhone or a newer phone, but if your phone is older than ditch the insurance coverage and just buy one on Ebay if you actually end up needing to. This goes for television too. My spouse and I realized we never really watched the 100+ channels on cable. We typically stuck to the basic stations. We ditched cable all together and bought a satellite dish (no more ugly bunny ears needed). Now we get the basic stations for free. We have Netflix which we stream to our television so we have plenty of television for the whole family without having to shell out $50 or more a month of satellite or cable services.


5. Create a Budget. You will be surprised with how much you will save by creating a budget for your household. When you learn to really start looking at your money and where you are spending it, you will become more conscious of poor spending habits and make changes. I was shocked when I first started making a budget for my family. We were spending a ridiculous amount of money on eating out each month. By seeing those numbers and our daily spending habits in print I started slowly making changes. It doesn't need to be drastic, but just being aware means you are able to do something about it.

Be sure to keep in mind that saving yourself and your family money doesn't have to always mean life altering changes. Sometimes there are small things we can do to save ourselves money. Using the tips given above will help get you started.

With today's economy people are strapped for cash and searching for ways to save a little more. It is so important when you are looking on how you can save money to think outside the box. Yes, eating out less saves money and so does turning off the lights in the house when not in use. However, there are other ways you can save money too.

1. Start using coupons when shopping. I know there is a lot of buzz about coupons lately with television programs getting into it, and people are awed by how others save. However, you can save with coupons too! You don't have to be a coupon diva. You can slowly learn to coupon, picking out what works with your time available, and add it to your regular routine. The trick to couponing is to slowly make it a part of your life instead of going at it full force.


2. Clothes shopping at the end of the season. You will be surprised with how much you can save on clothes alone if you learn to shop at the end of the season when everything is on clearance. Shopping ahead and thinking about next year means you can save up to 90% off of clothes.


3. Call Your Electricity Provider. Some electric providers may have discount incentives or even free software on their website to let you know what your usage should be. Also, they may offer services to have your house checked for leaks, etc. that may be causing your electricity bill to be higher than it should. Be sure to check your company's website to see if they offer anything. If you don't see anything there than try contacting them to see if they know of any ways you can save on your electric bill through special programs they may offer.


4. Get rid of extra services you don't need. This one seems obvious, but it is amazing the services people pay for that they never really use. For instance, your cell phone provider probably charges extra for insurance on your phone. However, if you have had your cell phone for a year (sometimes even less) you may do just as well nixing the monthly insurance coverage. My family has a policy that once we can buy the same phone for cheaper on Ebay or Craigslist we get rid of the insurance. There have been a few times when we lost or damaged the phone; however, in the end we saved ourselves some money. Most cell phone insurance providers require a monthly fee plus a fee (around $50) if your cell phone does end up needing to be replaced. This may not be to the thing to do if you have an iPhone or a newer phone, but if your phone is older than ditch the insurance coverage and just buy one on Ebay if you actually end up needing to. This goes for television too. My spouse and I realized we never really watched the 100+ channels on cable. We typically stuck to the basic stations. We ditched cable all together and bought a satellite dish (no more ugly bunny ears needed). Now we get the basic stations for free. We have Netflix which we stream to our television so we have plenty of television for the whole family without having to shell out $50 or more a month of satellite or cable services.


5. Create a Budget. You will be surprised with how much you will save by creating a budget for your household. When you learn to really start looking at your money and where you are spending it, you will become more conscious of poor spending habits and make changes. I was shocked when I first started making a budget for my family. We were spending a ridiculous amount of money on eating out each month. By seeing those numbers and our daily spending habits in print I started slowly making changes. It doesn't need to be drastic, but just being aware means you are able to do something about it.

Be sure to keep in mind that saving yourself and your family money doesn't have to always mean life altering changes. Sometimes there are small things we can do to save ourselves money. Using the tips given above will help get you started.