25 Ways To Save Money

1. Do not buy things from vending machines.

I do not use the vending machines in the building. I make sure I always have bottled water
in my bag so that I have something to drink at all times. I have trained my mind to ignore the stuff from the vending machines and since I always have a snack with me I am not tempted to use the machines.

2. Buy in bulk.

Well we all know about buying in bulk in order to save money. Now I do not just buy things in bulk JUST because they are in a bulk package. I buy the things I would normally buy anyway in bulk so that I can get a better rate.

3. Use Compact Fluorescent bulbs .

I think we have already beat this one to death. The CFL bulbs save energy. I have replaced all the bulbs in my house with them, even the one in the refrigerator. I have also cut down on the number of bulbs used. The fixture in my bathroom has slots for four bulbs but I am only using one. It still lights up the room enough so that I can get all my stuff done with just the one light.

4. Use natural light.

In order to cut down on the electricity bills even more I use as much natural light as possible. Since I live alone I just leave the bathroom door open constantly and let the light from everywhere else stream in. (My doors are constantly dead-bolted people in addition to being locked and I live on the second floor so I doubt anyone will ‘accidentally’ walk in through the sliding glass doors in the living room.)

5. Open the windows.

I put up curtains to ensure privacy and I open windows. I have the bedroom window open during the day so that fresh air can circulate freely so the place does not get all stuffy. During the summer this allows a breeze to go through which cuts down on the need for the air conditioner most days. When it starts to heat up more then I use a fan with adjustable settings that will turn itself on and off according to the temperature.

6. Order free samples online.

Now you guys and gals know how I just LOVE to get FREE stuff. I can get stuff online or from other folks it really does not matter. The thing I just love about ordering things online is that you can get samples shipped to you for free and who does not like free stuff.
I have used the trial sample of tylenol to keep in my purse at work in case I need a pain killer. I kept one of the trial deodorants in my glove compartment for that odd day when I rushed out of the house only to discover that I had not put on any deodorant before getting dressed. My favorite website http://www.spoofee.com/

7. Use candles .

I wrote previously that you could save money by spending more time in the dark. I have candles in my bathroom now that I use to serve multiple purposes. I have the prayer candles that I burn every so often as part of my spiritual journey and I add scented oil to the ones that are not already scented to give a lovely smell to the bathroom. These candles are placed in front of the mirror so that the light is reflected through the room and I do not have to turn on the light in the bathroom….so I save on the electricity. It has seriously lowered my electric bill so I will keep doing this.

8. Turn off unused appliances.

Do I REALLY need to get into this one? If you are not going to be using the appliance then there is really no need for it to be on. I only use my microwave to heat water for breakfast and then again to heat either my lunch or my dinner. This means the microwave is being used twice for the day. I unplug it as soon as I am done because it does not need to stay on. I have two watches, two cell phones (one is old and is not being used) and a battery powered clock (rechargeable batteries y’all) that I can get the time from. I do not need the microwave to function as a clock during the day and it is not like a refrigerator that MUST stay on constantly.

I have my computer on a Energy Saving Power Strip that is separate from the strip the cable modem is on. At night when I go to bed I turn the strip with the computer off because the computer will not be in use from about 9pm (yes I am like a chicken, I go to sleep early) to about 3pm the next day when I get home from school. That is 18 hours of non use where I can save on electricity costs. I also have the VCR unplugged because I rarely ever use it. Now I guess I should unplug the television too…but I have not because I do not want to have to reprogram the channels. (Bah!).

9. Make my lunch.

Yup I am the only one in the office who has stuff in the refrigerator. Every day I come in and put my little sandwich and my container of yogurt in the back office. I make cheese sandwiches or tuna sandwiches and bring them to work every day. Sometimes on Fridays I would bring one of those little frozen dinners if I had decided to splurge sometime. If I cook during the week then I take my little dish of leftovers and (gasp coworkers) heat it up in the microwave thoughtfully provided by the office. I also bring grapes or bananas to work to have as a snack during the day. I save money by always having something to eat during the day so that I am not tempted to go to the vending machines.

10. Pick up pennies.

I am always scanning the ground when I walk across campus as I go to and from class. When I go to do laundry I make sure to look at the floor around the lint bins too because people always leave money there. I am always finding pennies on the ground so I pick them up. You would be amazed at the number of pennies people leave on the ground in laundries, near the bus stop and in offices. I guess they think a penny is not worth stooping for…but I love the penny!

I have set up a little automatic transfer from my checking account to my online savings account. I have a little emergency fund called my Never go back to Broke fund that I am working on currently. Right now I do not have much in there since I just started it and I can only put in about $5 a month but it is better than having no savings at all in my opinion.

12. Pay bills online.

I use my Chase account to pay my bills online because it is free for me and offers me a great way to track my spending. I modify this online system by continuing to receive paper statements (bad for the environment I know….soon I will stop getting them) so that I can monitor the due dates. The money is taken out of my account and sent to the appropriate place and I do not have to lick any stamps or carry cash around. I also have a record of when the money was sent and when the check was actually cashed so I can gauge the time it takes for each bill to get paid.

13. Reduce interest rates.

I have called my credit card companies and asked for the interest rates on my cards to be lowered. I know that the ideal situation would be to not carry a balance from month to month but at this point I am not able to pay off the cards in full. Since I have already resigned to carrying a balance and working at bringing down the balances it is in my best interest to get the interest rates lowered on the amounts that I am already paying. In some cases I took advantage of a lower rate on a balance transfer so that I would have to pay less in interest and fees.

14. Take the bus or walk.


15. Cook for multiple days.

I don’t like to cook and I certainly do not want to cook every day. I cook on the weekends and a couple of times during the week but when I do make something I make a HUGE amount. The extra food goes into the refrigerator and I have meals for two or three days. I make an extra large container of potato salad (my FAVE!!!!! yum yum) and that lasts for about three days. I do not like to eat food that has stayed more than three days so by then I have to cook again.

16. Use coupons.

I believe in using coupons but only for the things that you REALLY use all the time. I get a lot of coupons but I usually throw them out because they are brands of things that I do not use or else they are items I would not event think of using in any case. There are however items that I get coupons for that I use all the time.

17. Buy generic.

There are some instances where I will only use the brand name item e.g. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter (because it makes my skin feel GREAT) but I have learned to use the generic brands of most items. Great Value evaporated milk tastes just as good as Carnation milk and contains the same vitamins so I go with the cheaper version. I save few cents on every can of milk and still get the same nutrition.

18. Keep extra money in high yield savings instead of checking.

I keep all my money except for the rent money in my high yield savings accounts online to gain some interest and make my banking easier to track. I pay my bills online and this has freed up so much time for me that I cannot imagine how I used to do it before.


19. Use the library.

I love to read and get free books from the library. I may have to wait a little bit longer when a new book comes out but it is better to wait a couple of weeks than to just pay money for the book when I may not like it. If I really do love a book then I will buy it AFTER I read it for free from the library. Reading also keeps me occupied and cuts down the time I would spend watching television or surfing the internet, which saves on electricity.

20. Wash dishes by hand.

I wash my dishes by hand all the time and only use the dishwasher to store the dishes so they can air dry. I do not see the point of running the dishwasher especially since I do not like my dishes to accumulate. I don’t know how much I save but I am sure it is a good amount because I am not using all the water it takes to run the machine and I am also not using any electricity to get my dishes clean.

21. Re-use plastic shopping bags as trash bags.

Every time I go off to supermarket I get tons of those little plastic shopping bags. While I have a tall trash can in the kitchen I have the normal medium sized ones in the other rooms. I use the Walmart shopping bags as my trash bags instead of buying bags. This saves me money and makes use of the bags that I get from shopping.

22. Use a water filter .

I drink tap water to save money instead of buying bottled water. I did invest in a filter because the ordinary tap water tastes a bit funny to me. The cost of the filter is absorbed over the time period it is used and I have great tasting water all the time.

23. No Cable.

I do not pay for cable (although sometimes I do miss the shows I do not regularly get to watch) because right now that is an unnecessary expense. I watch the television shows online, for free usually at hulu.com I also spend time on this blog and I use the internet at school a lot so that I do not miss the cable too much.

24. Use Paypal for purchases.

I use my paypal card to purchase things so that I am operating on a cash-like basis. The card will only work if I have the money in my account so I am using it like a debit card and not racking up any more charges on my credit cards. However I do get 1% cash back if I hit credit when I use the card. Getting a 1% cash back might not seem like much but when you operate on a cash basis you do not get anything back so I am winning here. Another way I look at it is that I get a 1% discount every time I make a purchase. Way to go PayPal!

25. Make lists…and stick to them.

I have found that one of the best ways for me to save money is to make lists and stick to them. When I go shopping I only buy what is on the list and nothing else. That way I can stick to my budget and not end up overspending on anything. I also make lists of my chores for the day and rearrange items so that I have minimal walking or driving to do. I combine trips when possible so that I can also save on gas and time.