Folks,
It spring time in DC. The weather is beautiful here, it partly cloudy and nearly 80 degrees. Spring is typically a time to do some cleaning but its also a good opportunity to start saving some money. Why? People tend to get out and about more, so you might have some extra spring travel planned. Also, saving money tends to help your budget and accelerate your investing. So, here are 13 ways to shave a little off your budget:
1. Switch from name brand groceries to store brand.
2. Pack all lunches for school / work.
3. Join a carpool. This saves both money and the environment.
4. Turn off the lights when leaving the house.
5. Water the lawn at night, as evaporation from the sun will waste water.
6. Set your lawnmower to cut the grass as short as possible.
7. Keep your showers short.
8. Consider hand-washing your dishes if you don’t have a full load.
9. Save your leftovers for a second meal.
10. Eat everything in your pantry before you make a new trip to the grocery store.
11. For shorter trips, use a bicycle or walk instead of driving your car.
12. Wash your car at home, rather than a commercial car wash.
13. Leave your credit cards at home.
While some of the above tips will only save you pennies at a time, but if you try to work several of these into your daily routine, the overall effect could help shave your household expenses by a significant amount. The money you save can be used for investing, paying down debt or for going on vacation if that’s your inclination.
Best,
James
You can actually "make" money using credit cards. With my discover card I get cashback on purchases. Instead of using cash I use my Discover card. The cash builds up and then I make even MORE money by choosing a gift card instead of taking a check. The $20 I got JUST for using the Discover card was turned into a $30 GAP gift card.
As long as I pay my credit card bill each month, I make money.
Watering at night is not a good idea. It can cause fungus problems in the grass. Instead water early in the morning, right before the sun is up. You get the same benefit, but without the fungus problems
Well depending on your dishwasher, even a half load is less energy than doing a sink load of dishes. For car washes, find the 50 cent day and go then to save money.
Also, #6 cut your grass as short as possible might not be a great idea. If you cut grass too short it can't withstand drought conditions and you will have to water it more often. Also, shorter grass gives weeds a gateway to get established – you end up paying more in watering and weed killer.
Sometimes, you just need to take the first baby step. Figure out your goal and map out small steps you can take every day to get to that goal. :)
Re #8, if the dishwasher isn't full I just don't run it. I rinse the dishes and load them, and we may run the dishwasher only every 2-3 days.
Re #12, this is presuming it's permitted. I live in an apartment complex and we're not permitted to wash our cars there, and last summer when we were having drought issues, some counties instituted daily water limits and prohibited car washing at home. Some counties were so strict that they'd cut the water off if you went over the limit.
Hey,
Thanks for the good tips on budgeting and reducing household expenses. We use mostly cold water when doing laundry and now that the weather here in Central Ontario is getting warmer, I'm biking to work when possible to save on fuel costs.
Keep up the great info,
Guy
I'm doing most of the stuff mentioned here except for the last one, leave my credit cards at home but I only bring credit card that has no balance. Those that I left are those I 'm trying to pay-off. I use my plastic card sparingly and pay it in full every time the bill arrives. Good tips and very easy to follow.