How do you know if you’re paying the lowest amount possible?  Have you really looked into how much things are costing you? If the answer is no to either of these, you may be surprised at what you find out!

  • Make some phone calls.  I know, I’d rather chat online instead, but there is something to be said about hearing a real voice on the other end – and that goes BOTH ways!  Person to person.  Maybe there is something available that is cheaper. Call your gas/electric company. Call the cable company. Call your phone provider.  Call insurance companies. And lastly, call your credit card companies if you have balances!  You might be amazed about what can be done!! I know I was. I cut my cell phone bill in half because I wasn’t using as much data as anticipated!
  • Are you paying a “monthly subscription” for something – like the gym membership you haven’t used in 3 years?  Look at what you’re paying for. If you don’t use it, get rid of it, even if it’s “a good deal”.  It’s not a good deal if you’re paying for something you don’t actually use.
  • Stop buying bottled water. Not only are you killing the landfill with all the bottles (if your town/city doesn’t have a proper recycling program in place), you’re wasting a ton of money, even if Costco has a sale!  Find a place that fills water jugs in your area (there are often dispensers) for cheap. The place down the street from me sells reverse osmosis (RO) water for 20 cents per gallon.  This means filling a 5-gallon jug costs $1. How many water bottles does that save?!  Not to mention…the exercise is always a bonus in my opinion.  Amazon has lots of BPA-Free reusable jugs along with lead-free crocks and stands to hold them.  The initial set-up isn’t cheap, but you’ll save that money fairly quickly if it replaces bottled water.  And you’re doing your part for the environment. Bonus!
  • Evaluate your spending. Log into your bank account(s) and see what you’ve been blowing your money on. It might be time for a reality check when it comes to impulse spending. Ask yourself, “Can I live without this?” Then give it at least until the next day before you make up your mind. If it’s worth going back to wherever it was you found it, then maybe it’s meant to be.  Maybe. Often, you may find yourself staying home instead.
  • Cook at home instead of eating out. Not only will you be saving money, you’ll save on calories. I like making big batches of things I can enjoy at the time, save a helping for another meal, then divide up the rest into additional helpings to freeze.  Soups, pasta dishes and casseroles are great for this! You can freeze portions in gallon-sized zip-lock bags or disposable sealable containers (like Gladware).

You can do this! Give your wallet and your savings account a little love.  We ALL need a little love…and only you know what’s right for you. Be realistic and be kind to yourself.

– The Frugal Guru
Kim

Wealthy people stay wealthy by living below their means. Broke people stay broke by living like they’re wealthy.