In these tough economic times, everyone is looking to save money. A few dollars here and there will really add up at the end of the year.
Read also Ten Easy Ways To Save $100 Fast
Here are five simple ways you can cut costs and save up to $1,000 in twelve months!
- Stop using other ATMs. When you withdraw cash from ATM that is not affiliated with your bank, you could be charged anywhere from $2.00-5.00 per transaction – just for taking out YOUR money! Over time, this adds up to a lot of money wasted. So when you’re in need of cash, only use ATMs run by your bank – period. Yearly savings: $104.
- Become a coupon clipper. Maybe you used to roll your eyes when the little old lady in front of you at the grocery store would pull out a stack of coupons. But now you realize she was actually onto something. Retail and grocery stores often advertise coupons in weekly flyers or on their websites. Manufacturers of your favorite products offer coupons online, too. These companies are just giving money away, so start taking your share! Want to double your savings? Hold on to coupons and wait until items go on sale. When you use a $1.00 off coupon on an item already marked down $1.00, you’ve effectively saved $2.00. Even if you cut just $5.00 a week on your grocery bill, the savings add up fast! Yearly savings: $260.
- Rediscover the library. Remember those days when you were a kid and you’d stop at the library to borrow a book or two for free? The practice hasn’t changed! So stop going to expensive retail stores to buy books that you’ll only read once. Visit your local library and read for free! As an added bonus, most modern libraries also carry movies, workout videos, and even CDs. Yearly savings: $180.
- Switch to generics. Will your kids really notice if you switch from Coke to “Kola”? Do you really need to buy snack sized bags of Goldfish, or can you buy a giant bag of “Fishy Crackers” and divide them into snack bags yourself? Often there’s absolutely no difference between the products behind the labels. The only one who will notice the difference is your wallet! Yearly savings: $270.
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Online Bill payment Services: Many banks and financial institutions offer bill payment services, which let you make a payment to hundreds of companies electronically or by paper check, at a reduced or even no cost to you. Have you done the numbers to calculate how much you are paying on postage every week? Using online bill payment services may also also help stay on top of your bills and ensure that your payments post on a timely manner to avoid late fees. Yearly Savings: $186.00.
