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10 Frugal Living Tips To Save Money every day

June 3, 2019 Wise Dollar Frugality, Saving No comments

In this post, I have shared 10 frugal living tips to help you save more money. There are many reasons why someone might decide to live their life frugally.

Early retirement, buy an expensive car, invest in a business, pay off debt, etc are some of the common reasons driving people to adopt a minimalist lifestyle.

Here are 10 frugal living tips to save money every day.

1) Use Ebates

Through Ebates you can shop at the nearest supermarket and get up to a 40 percent discount. It’s shocking how much cash you can save by being a little more informed about such deals. The supermarkets pay a commission to Ebates and Ebates gives you a discount.

2) Use Swagbucks

Always look for free gift cards and cashback offers. This is one of the best frugal living tips I can give you. Swagbucks gives you points for watching videos, surfing the web and filling out simple survey forms. You can use these points for shopping from your favorite online stores.

3) Use Coupons

With coupons, you can save more than $100 a month. They provide printable and digital coupons for almost all grocery items. You can save $0.5 to $5 on each product you buy using coupons.

4) Don’t eat out

Eating out may save time and effort but it is way too expensive for someone trying to save money. Calculate all the money you spend last month in restaurants and you will know what I am talking about. It’s best to prepare food at home and keep it in the some in the freezer for later consumption.

5) Brew coffee and tea at home.

You know you are serious about following these frugal living tips when you don’t mind making coffee at home. Cafes like Starbucks and Caribou sell expensive coffee to make up for the salary of their employees and rent of the space. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare coffee or tea at home.

6) Generate side income

You can generate some side income by selling your old tech!? Check out?SellCell.com, the US?s largest price comparison site for selling your old mobile phone, tablets & tech. They compare all of the BuyBack sites so you don?t have to ? and their Best Price Guarantee ensures that you will receive the maximum amount when?selling your old phone.

7) Avoid debt

A stat by nbcnews confirms that one in five adult Americans are still carrying student loan debt. It’s not a great idea to get buried in debt in your early 20’s. But if you are in debt, do everything possible to pay it off.

8) Eat leftovers

Food, when prepared in bulk, can be preserved in a freezer. Leftovers can be cooked again and eaten without any problem. Make sure to heat it in a microwave before consuming it.

9) Wash your own car

Washing your car can a messy task. You can wash your car in a garage or empty space in front of your house. Get some good a cleaning kit and get to work. Buy an air compressor if you are looking for long term savings.

10) Buy clothes at the end of the season.

The final frugal living tip is to wait till the end of the season to buy clothes. Major clothing brands are desperate to sell off their old collection in December. This is the right time to buy some high-quality clothes for a quarter of their price.

Conclusion

Along with buying inexpensive products, it’s also important to get rid of unnecessary things that you already own. There are platforms like Craigslist and eBay where you can sell anything you want. Also, make a quarterly plan in a notebook and keep a list of all your expenses in it. Keeping a log will help you track your spending habits.

Need to Make Room for More Bills? These Tips Could Be Useful!

April 12, 2019 Wise Dollar Saving No comments

If you budget correctly, your current income should be able to handle additional expenses that may come your way. However, some people still believe that the best way to pay for unexpected bills or a financial crisis is by increasing your total take-home pay. You have an option to work overtime or at a second job. Earning extra money is always an option, but, as with most people, if you make more, you happen to spend more.

So what do you when your extra time only allows you to work a job for one day? You don?t need any magic wand not to let money burn a hole in your pocket. There are some easy tips to stretch your paycheck so that you can afford a few new bills:

Tip #1 Alter Your Budget

Altering your budget is the most important thing you can do while trying to make the most out of your paycheck. Your current budget could be working well for you until a new bill shows up on your list of regular expenses. To have more money left over at the end of the month, you can design a budget by prioritizing your savings and accommodating all the fixed and variable expenses within the remaining amount.

There is no set rule for budgeting, and that?s the best thing about it. You can make adjustments in your budget every time there?s a new expense or change in your income.

Tip #2 Keep Away from Debt

When you don?t have to pay any interest on your installment loan or your purchases, you have surplus funds. However, with all the alluring offers on credit cards, most of us end up buying things we don’t need. So even if you choose to pay the minimum payment for your credit card, you should know that ultimately you?re spending way more in interest than you think you saved on the credit card offer.

It?s better to make a habit of paying with cash. You can try the envelope budgeting system to help you spend less by making all your transactions in cash. On the other hand, if you are repaying any long-term debt, it?s better to plan and get out of it soon. Paying less interest will help you increase your total take-home pay and save more for new bills that are going to be due from next month.

Tip #3 Factor out Bonus

The percentage, frequency, and criteria of bonuses vary from firm to firm. Also, you may not be getting your bonus every month, so it is better not to include it in your budget. By not making your bonus as part of your budget, you’ll have a fair amount of money at the end of every financial year. You could either save the money for your retirement or pay off your debts in full. Also, the bonus money can help you to decrease the principal value of your loan if you are planning to make a big purchase, like a car. By doing this, you may not feel the burden of new debt.?

Tip #4 Split and Save

This tip is perfect for those who are single and have just started to earn. Mostly, if you are someone who often goes out with friends, you can save a few dollars on every time you shop or dine together. All you can do is buy things in bulk and split the cost. This way you can get the discount of bulk buying (if any) and won?t have to throw away goods as you couldn?t use them up before they go bad. Hence, splitting your bills can not only save you money but also give you more shelf space.

Tip #5 Check Your Withholdings

Do you see a long list on the deduction side of your paycheck? Though you can claim all those excess deductions made while filing your tax return, your monthly payout is always going to be less. As a solution, you can try to increase the value of your withholding. This will automatically increase the contribution of your employer, and less money will be taken out of your gross monthly salary.

All in all, if you thought you couldn?t manage to accommodate a new bill while living paycheck to paycheck, the above tips could make your life easier, even without going out to search a second job for yourself.

4 Easy Ways to Save Money and the Earth

April 25, 2018 Wise Dollar Saving No comments

We all love to save money. Saving money today means you have more money to spend in the future ? and that?s a good thing. You may need that money for some unexpected expense, or you may be able to use it for something fun like a vacation. Whatever the case, we should all agree that saving money can be seen as a positive.

At the same time, taking steps to save the earth should be seen as a good thing as well. So, can you serve both of these goals at the same time? We think so.

Let?s take a look at four ways in which you may be able to save money and the earth at the same time.

Buy a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle

You probably saw this one coming. One of the best things you can do with your money in order to save both the world and dollars down the line is to purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle.

On the personal side, owning a fuel-efficient car will allow you to stop at the gas pump less frequently, saving you money. As far as the earth is concerned, using less gasoline means less oil needs to be consumed, and fewer emissions will be put out into the atmosphere.

Fortunately, car manufacturers have made great strides in fuel-efficiency lately. So, you can pick from a wide range of models when shopping.

Pay Attention to Home Efficiency

So much of this discussion is going to come down to doing things efficiently. Just like you want to use an efficient car, you should also strive to live in an efficient home.

A well-designed home with plenty of insulation should be rather energy efficient. This means you?ll use less energy to heat it in the winter and cool it in the summer. That?s good news for the environment, and it?s good news for your pocketbook, as well.

Consume Less

While you probably don?t think about it much when shopping, buying a large amount of consumer goods is going to have an impact on the environment. Plus, it is going to impact your wallet.

Most of what you buy will need to be shipped a great distance to reach you. Shipping requires the use of lots of energy resources. The more we consume, the greater the stresses that we place on the environment around us.

By reducing your consumption and leading a simpler lifestyle, you can keep more money in your bank and do a small part to help the earth at the same time.

Buy Local

This last point is a takeoff on the previous point. When you do need to buy consumer goods, do your best to purchase things that have been produced in your local area. Local goods not only prop up your local economy, but they also have to travel a much shorter distance to reach your home.

While you might not save much money with this option, you can feel good about the impact you are having on both your local area and the environment as a whole.

Have you ever done of these things to save money and help the earth? Do you have other tips?

Photo courtesy of: stuarthampton

5 Simple Ways to Live Cheaper in a Big City

October 9, 2017 Wise Dollar Lifestyle No comments

Big city living can be great. Depending on what career path you chose, there?s a city for that career. Think tech in Silicon Valley, movie stars in Los Angeles and business in New York City.

But, big city living also means higher living expenses. Granted salaries are usually increased to match the inflated costs of large metropolises so you can afford to live there. But, even so, it can be a stretch on your take home pay to live in these areas.

So, how do you make it in the big city? Here are some ways you can live cheaper in a big city.

Ditch the Car

Depending on the city, you most likely won?t need a car.

Places like Chicago or New York City have great public transit. By not having a car you are saving on things like oil changes, car insurance?and parking lot and garage premiums.

The rise of Uber has also made it easier to grab a cab and get around. Walking to and from everywhere saves you money while giving you a daily workout. Some cities are pretty walkable, or?if you do need to go further than you want to walk, a short metro ride can get you in the general direction.

Get a Roommate

To save on rent, get a roommate, or several depending on the situation.

When rent is more than half your salary, roommates are a great way to save money. Not only is rent cheaper, but you can save on groceries and utilities by sharing costs. Your roommates can also become your new friends and support system, especially if you don?t know anyone yet.

Drink at Home

With so many options for dining and drinks, it?s hard to say just one drink or only eat out only once a week. By starting the party at home, or eating a light meal before, you can save on meals and drinks by not needing to eat or drink as much while you are out.

If you enjoy going out, or are expected to be out often for your job, this can save you a lot of money over time.

Find a Rent Controlled Apartment

In order to help with living expenses, some neighborhoods and cities have rent controlled properties. This means their rent doesn?t rise and stays constant. You might need roommates, but it is a cheaper option should you come across it.

Go Farther Out

Location is important to the value of anything. This comes true to when looking for a place to work. Depending of your company?s location, it could be super busy and bustling and also expensive to live near your job. If you can still get to where you want, it?s worth your time to look at renting further out. The farther you are from the downtown, the cheaper (usually) everything is.

Living cheaper in the city isn?t easy, but you can do it.

If you do see that a large metropolis and your salary don?t mix but you still want the city life, look at a smaller large city like Kansas City or Des Moines. The further from the coasts you get the less expensive cost of living is.

What do you do to cut costs in the city? How else do you save money?

Photo courtesy of: Free-Photos

5 Ways to Save on Your Summer Bills

July 17, 2017 Wise Dollar Saving No comments

Summer can quickly become one of the more expensive times of the year. Between pool passes, vacations, grilling out, fireworks and more, your wallet can get a bit crunched.

Not to mention that your bills can go up as well. Air conditioning, watering the lawn/garden, new construction, whatever, start to add up as well. Here are some ways you can?lower your summer bills.

Get an Energy Audit

An energy audit?is especially important for home owners. If you rent your place, you can talk to your landlord about getting this done. An energy audit is when your energy company comes in to access how efficient your appliances are and where there is drafting.

Drafting allows heat and cool air to escape throughout the year. Knowing this can save you money once those problem areas are addressed. Also, there are energy rebates that can be applied to help pay for the energy fixes you might have to do.

Buy a New Thermostat

Let’s get real. Your house doesn?t need to be 65 degrees all the time. Instead, try using a [easyazon_link keywords=”programable thermostat” locale=”US” nw=”y” tag=”wisedollar-20″]programable thermostat[/easyazon_link]. It can help you set what temperature your house is at. If you are away from your home all day, you can set you?re air conditioner high during the day and then have it turn down an hour before you get home, so the place is cool.

Some air conditioning systems allow you to control the individual rooms in your house so if you don?t use half of your house regularly you can keep those rooms at a higher temp and not use as much energy.

Get a Rain Barrel

If you are a big gardener whether with flowers or vegetables, you?ll use a lot of water this summer. This can push your water bill over the edge. By getting a rain barrel you can save some money by watering from the barrel and not the city water. Also, there are some energy rebates?you may be able to use to help cover a portion of the cost of a rain barrel.

Use a Pool Cover

Summer means swimming and if you have a swimming pool in your back yard you are one of the cool kids! A lot of water is used for a pool or hot tub. Filing them, or even just topping them off, will add to your water bill like crazy.

It’s estimated that households that don?t use a pool cover use over 1,000 extra gallons a month. You add up that cost. It’s obvious that a pool cover can save you money.

Grow Your Own Veggies

When you go to the grocery store, what are the two most expensive things? Meat and fresh produce. But, if you grow your own, produce is?basically free. Of course, it does cost a fair amount for soil, seeds, plants, water and fertilizer. But, in the long-term, running outside to pick your own tomatoes for guac will save you money.

Summer is supposed to be a time for fun, not a time for worrying over how you are going to pay the increases in your bills. Even by holding out on turning on the air conditioner, can save you money. People lived for thousands of years without one. With some determination and smart planning, you can keep from overspending on your summer bills.

What are some ways you save during the summer? Have you done any of these things to lower your summer bills?

Photo courtesy of: RitaE

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