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by Christine T 1 Comment
These 5 ways to save money on a tight budget can add up to surprising savings quickly!
With so many money-saving tips out there, it is easy to forget the simple ways you can save money. While these may seem like obvious ways you can save cash, people often don’t use them because they may not remember them or they may not realize how much money they could be saving. When it comes to saving money, every bit counts. Every dollar you save is another dollar that can be spent elsewhere. Let’s look at some ways to save money on a tight budget.
5 Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget
Watch your energy consumption. Whether it is winter or summer, you may be using more energy than necessary to keep your home temperate. Before you crank up the heat, try putting on some warmer clothes. If the summer heat has you down, try placing some fans in your home to circulate the air better so your air conditioning can run more effectively. In all weather, make sure your home is weatherized. Keeping your weather stripping and insulation in good shape as well as regularly checking for leaks is vital to making sure you energy consumption is under control.
More Energy Saving Tips:
- How to Save Money on Utilities in the Winter
- How to Save on Your Gas Bill in the Winter
- 5 Frugal Ways to Winterize Your Home
- 10 Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill
- 5 Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
- How to Save Money on Utilities in the Summer
Stop buying things such as clothing, housewares, and appliances at full price. Even if you have the money to spend, there is no reason not to buy these things secondhand or on clearance. Every year, new models of large and small appliances come out. This means you can save money on the old ones that really are not that out of date. For clothing, shop outlets and thrift stores. No one will be the wiser because you can find amazing deals at these places on new clothes. Even if you buy them used, you can often get them in such good condition, they will be like new.
More Frugal Clothing Tips:
- How to Make Your Clothes Last Longer
- How to Organize a Clothing Swap
- How to Shop for Second-Hand Clothes
Quit driving so much. I think we have all gotten so used to hopping in our cars whenever we need to go somewhere that we have forgotten other modes of transportation even exist. Or, we may think that because we have a car, we don’t need them. Either way, instead of taking your car to a busy park or event where parking might be a problem, consider taking public transportation or a shuttle. Don’t forget about all the places you may be able to walk to instead. There really is no need to drive a few blocks, unless of course, you have a health condition that prevents you from walking the distance.
More Ways to Save on Transportation:
- 5 Phone Apps to Help you Save on Gas
- A Guide to Frugal Driving
Stop buying packaging. By this, I mean, stop paying for products that can be bought in bulk that are sold in glass or paper containers. Spices are a big one. You can save 90% off spices by purchasing them in bulk rather than paying for the container and brand name. Bulk sections are also a great place to buy baking supplies such as flour and sugar and food staples such as rice and beans. You will be glad you did and amazed at how much you were wasting on packaging.
More Ways to Save on Groceries:
- Tips for Beating Rising Food Costs
- How to Get Started Couponing
- 10 Ways to Save on Groceries without Using Coupons
Stop making impulse buys. Ask yourself if you really need something before you buy it. Stop hitting up the drive-thru for a coffee when you can make it at home for pennies. Skip that candy bar or bag of chips when you go in to pay for gas at the convenience store. These little purchases add up to a lot of wasted money in no time flat. To see what I mean, try keeping a tally of how much you would have spent each time you feel like making an impulse buy. After a week or two, see how much you would have spent. The number might shock you.
More Frugal Shopping Tips:
- Secrets of Frugal Shoppers
- 101 Ways to Save $1.00 a Day
- 7 Little Ways to Save Money in Your Budget
How do you save money on everyday expenses? Do you use any of these ways to save money on a tight budget? How much have you saved? I would love to hear about it!
More Money Saving Tips
- How to Trick Yourself into Saving Money
- How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
- 8 Reasons Your Budget May Not Be Working
- How to Budget for People Who Hate to Budget
- Bad Spending Habits You Should Break
Comments
MPaula says
I was never a fan of buying new clothes at retail prices, plus the fact that so many other people would be wearing the exact same thing. Thrift and second hand stores are amazing places; I can spend hours looking at their stuff. There are 2 thrift stores within walking distance. I am on their email lists; both send me notice when they have a sale. Since they already have good prices, a sale is a bonus. I have purchased many garments that had never been worn or with dry cleaner tags on them. Plus I have had complements on some of them … sometimes from complete strangers!
Because I sew/quilt and have fabric I can refashion ones that don’t fit/suit me or just reuse the fabric. Not to mention the fact that refashioning/restyling is quite a trend these days.
Furniture and housewares are often even better buys than clothing and equally difficult to identify by visitors. I don’t care if my plates don’t match; in fact, I prefer them that way. I bought a big upholstered arm chair for $15. I had to spend hours cleaning it but it looks like a treasured antique now.Reply
