50 Money Saving Tips!!

1. Be happy with what you have.

2. Use old grocery bags to line trash cans.

3. Buy energy efficient light bulbs.

4. When replacing your appliances, make sure they are energy efficient and look into any tax credits you may be eligable for "going green". Lots of states/provinces have income-tax credits or deductions for taking energy-conservation measures.

5. Plug all of your "power hungry" items on a power strip with a timer. Program them to get turned off completely every night. Over the course of a month, it works out to the same time as if they were off for an entire week.

6. Instead of a whitening mouthwash, use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water (rinse then brush your teeth for the best effect) - it may not taste as good but hydrogen peroxide is a natural whitener and anti-bacterial!

7. Lower the water level in you toilet. You can fiddle around with the float in the back of the toilet so it lower the water level a bit or you can put large mason jars in the tank of your toilet to limit the amount of water being drained (but keep the lid off the jars there will always be fresh water flowing into them). This will save you tons of water for everytime you flush the toilet.

8. Your dryer is one of the biggest energy drains in you home - the less you use it the better!

9. Buy a water saver for your shower - you probably will not even notice the difference and will save you TONS if you have teenagers showering!!

10. Wrap your hot water heater and insulate your hot water pipes. You loss a lot of heat as it comes from the heater to the faucet - insulation is cheap and you will get hot water faster and cheaper.

11. Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater. Often we have the water hoter then we actually need. Fiddle around with it, turn it down 10 degrees at a time and see what the perfect temperature is for you.

11. Turn your heat down - put on a sweater or toss an extra blanket on the bed.

12. Install heat reflectors on the back of your heat vents, causing the heat to move towards the middle of the room instead of up your walls.

13. Don't go shopping to often - limit the amount of times you hit the Wal-Mart.

14. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

15. Don't bring your children grocery shopping with you - the frequent requests, bickering, crying or running through the aisles will distract you and may cause your resolve to weaken and therefore give in to an impulse purchase. Whenever possible, shop solo.

16. Don't bring your spouse grocery shopping with you - the frequent requests, questioning items or selecting their own unneeded items will end up costing you more. Leave your spouse home with the kids!!

17. Buy in bulk - but only if you are going to use all of it.

18. Buy perishables in season - they will taste the best and be the cheapest.

19. Shop at warehouses instead of grocery stores.

20. Buy store brand items or generic brands instead of name brands - sometimes they are even better!

21. Cook your own food instead of buying prepared food.

22. Have a meal plan and a grocery list before you shop.

23. Decide how much money you are going to use on eating out each month. Take it out in cash - once the money is gone thats it.

24. Shop for major purchases late in the month - many times retailers are anxious to meet their monthly sales quotas and will be ready to make a bargin.

25. Buy floor models when buying furnature or appliances.

26. Freeze candles before using them - they will last longer.

27. Don't play the lottery.

28. Don't carry around excess cash and use your ATM sparingly. It is harder to track where your money is going if you use cash instead of debit.

29. Find a bank with no monthly fee.

30. Have a budget and record ALL your purchases - know where your money is going!!

31. Bundly your phone/internet/cable services, here in Alberta it will save you quite a bit.

32. Don't put anything on your credit card that you can't pay off in full at the end of each month.

33. If you do have credit card debt (or even if you don't, but often use your credit card), fight for a lower interest rate. Keep asking to speak to a supervisor till you speak to someone who has the power to make the change. If you keep getting a "no" then find out what steps you need to make to work towards geting a lower interest rate (sometimes you need to be making certain monthly payments on time in order for them to implement the change).

34. Always pack your lunch for work (or your hubbies lunch) - this will help you have cheaper and healthier food choices.

35. Never skip breakfast - eat before you leave the house to avoid having to grap something while you are out.

36. For date night, make a game out of taking turns planning romantic and frugal nights out. See who can plan the most romantic night out with the least amount of money spent. Get creative!! The reward should be creative too :)

37. Put your cleaners in spray bottles - you will use less.

38. Look at your budget every six months to re-evaluate your spending and bills. Phone competitive billing companies and see if they can give you a better deal for your business.

39. Take up hobbies and sports that are low cost or free - that goes for the hubbie and kids too!

40. Have a budget for holidays/special occations/birthdays. Save ahead of time for the extra expense and stay on budget.

41. Put yourself on an allowance - decide what you want to spend and stick to it.

42. Limit all eating out - not only is it typically unhealthy for you, but it is a drain on your wallet - save eating out for one special night each month. The kids will look forward to their McD night!

43. Whenever possible car pool, walk, or ride a bike.

44. Use old newspapers to wash windows.

45. Use less dishwasher detergent - mine works fine with about 2/3 of the recomended amount.

46. Make your own rags out of old towels.

47. Have your kids save up for part of the "big ticket" items they want.

48. Put on lights that kids often leave on on sensors, so they will turn off automatically when no one is in the room.

49. Make shorts out of pants that still fit around the middle, but have gotten too short on your child.

50. Okay, here is my favorite money saving tip that I ever got - "never take finanical responsibility for anything that eats - children, spouses, pets and plants".

So there you go, my best money saving tips - these work for me!

Happy Saving,

Christine