Now is a time when everyone is turning to cost cutting measures, a term largely used in most companies today since the economic downturn hit us all so badly.
If you don’t know where to start to begin cutting down your expenses, here are some tips to help you get started in thinking and taking action on where you can actually save a couple dollars and more.
It may seem only some small savings in each of these items, but when you add them all up together, you may find that you are able to save a lot just by cutting back a little on each thing in your life. So here we go, on to the list of money saving tips.
1. Cut down on your mobile phone bill. If you are using a postpaid plan and not the discipline kind who can keep tab on your calls and text messages, why not subscribe to a fixed monthly plan? Choose a reasonable package which is lower than your current monthly phone bill and stick to the fixed rate plan. For example, if you are spending on average RM80 a month on your phone bill, choose a monthly package of RM50 a month. Normally, such package would tend to make you more aware of your usage so that you don’t use more than the RM50 worth of calls or else you will need to top up. Check with your mobile service provider for their packages.
2. Read your daily newspapers online. This is a savings of at least RM30 a month to those who currently purchase printed newspapers everyday. Online newspapers are aplenty and free, so you need not spend on the physical newspapers.
3. Switch off your electrical appliances and lighting, fan, air conditioning sets when not in use at home. Although the tariff rates have come down by 2.54% (which is not much of a saving, really), it is still not the time to waste paying more on bills for electricity that we don’t need to be using. You can also opt to switch to energy saving bulbs for your lights so that you can save even while using your lighting.
4. Drive moderately and don’t step on your accelerator and brakes too harshly as this will cause more fuel consumption. Don’t you hear enough of Priscilla Patrick’s voice on the radio saying this, proudly brought to you by Shell’s fuel saving tips?
5. Use public transportation or car pool if you want to save more on fuel, toll charges and parking fees. You might be surprised how much it can save you in a week if you can avoid or split the toll and parking charges day in and day out, for several trips a day!
6. When you have food leftovers which you feel is good enough to make another meal, don’t throw them out. Pack it up and heat it up for another meal the next day. This applies to both home cooked food as well as when you’re eating out. It’s not good to waste food in any case.
7. If you have old magazines and newspapers sitting around, sell them to your neighbourhood recycling agent. We’ve all been rather generous souls and giving them out for free (as a way to get rid of clutter too?). There is nothing wrong in selling them to the recycling folks who are willing to pay you for these recycleable items. Of course, do not expect very high payments for your used things.
8. Make gifts and cards for your family and friends for special occasions instead of buying expensive gifts. Many people appreciate the effort and thought of a selfmade gift and greeting card. They are also fun projects to do if you like arts and crafts.
9. Rent movies instead of going to the cinemas to watch them. The hidden charges of driving to the cinema, paying parking, buying the popcorn and drinks all add up, not to mention you need to pay for the movie tickets too. By renting a movie to watch in the comforts of your home, you can ask as many friends and family members over to share the show as you wish.
10. If you enjoy reading and find buying books too expensive, you can find book rental outlets and rent the books instead of buying. Alternatively, you can also opt to see if there are any free e-books you can download and read on your computer or handheld device.
11. If you use a lot of non-reusable batteries for devices such as MP3 player, electric shaver, camera, etc, you may want to switch to using rechargeable batteries. The one time investment to buy the rechargeable batteries and the charger set may set you back a lot for that one purchase, but over the long run, you will save on buying more batteries for your devices.
Did you find any of the above ways to stretch your money useful? I sure hope you do! When I think of more to put together, I will post it up.
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Yay
A blog so similar to mine
Relax, I hope to learn more from your site too. You’ve done such a great job on your blog.