Author Archives: Jason Butler

Hello, Dinks. Many people have a hard time saving money. I have had up and downs with money over the years. Some years I had decent savings while others I didn’t. Over the past couple years, I started doing these things to help me save more money. They are easy, but a few of them take discipline.

Review your phone plan

The 1st thing you can do to save money is to check your phone plan. Phone plans change all the time. Phone companies don’t always relay that information to their customers. A few years ago I was paying over $100 for a plan that I am currently paying $45 for. I found out about the cheaper plan by checking my provider’s website. They didn’t e-mail or contact me about the new plan. Make sure you check your provider’s website every six months for updates. Don’t be surprised if you see a deal out there. If your provider doesn’t have any deals at the time look around and check with some of the low-cost providers. There is no reason for anyone to pay over $100 for a single cell phone line anymore.

Buy food in bulk

The next thing that you can do to save money is to buy your food in bulk. By doing this myself, I’ve been able to save a lot of money on certain items. Individual stores like Kroger’s have sales where things are cheaper the more you buy. Besides Kroger’s, some of the other stores that I’ve had success in purchasing food in bulk are Walmart and Sam’s Club.

Cut the cord

The 3rd thing that you can do is to review your cable plan. If you have cable, there are a few options that you have when it comes to saving money. The 1st thing that you can do is to get the most basic plan that is available. The smaller amount channels you have, the less your bill will be. The 2nd option that you have is that every 6-8 months you can check with your cable provider and ask them if they have any discounts. If they say no tell them that you want to cancel and go to a competitor. I’m 90% sure they will you give you a discount for a few months. The final thing you can do is cancel your cable once and for all. You can grab an HD antenna or subscribe to Hulu which is much cheaper.

Eat out less

The 4th and final way that you can save money is by eating out less. This will be hard for some people because they just don’t like to cook. Going to restaurants multiple times a week adds up quickly. If you go out to lunch four times a week and spend $10, that’s $40 bucks a week. In a month, you would have spent $160 on just lunch meals. By cooking you food from time to time, you can save a boatload of money. Meal prepping each week doesn’t take that long. If you still plan to go out make sure that you stay within your budget when ordering.

Have you ever used any of these ideas to save money?

Hello, Dinks. The weather is warming up in most places. It’s one of the best things about spring. For whatever the reason, some people spend more money when it’s warmer. Whether you’re going out with your significant other or buying a couple of spring outfits, you should ask yourself a question. Do you have enough money to pay for this? If you don’t, there are a few places that you can look to help you save. Instead of side hustling, what if you could save money by cutting costs in places that you don’t expect.  Below are four ways that will help you save money.

Consider other energy and water companies

In most areas, there are one of two main energy companies. They are usually the main ones that are being promoted to the residents. That doesn’t mean that they have the best or cheapest service.  You just have to do a little research. Changing your power companies shouldn’t be difficult because of anti-monopoly laws. If you find a cheaper company with a good reputation to go with, making the switch can be as easy as making a quick phone call.

I’m stuck with both of my companies, but it’s not a problem to me. My light bill averages $50 for a month. Water is included in my rent. You truly can’t beat that deal.

Save money on drinks

Do you drink coffee? Do you purchase it each day? If you said yes to both of those questions, I want you to pay close attention to this cash saving idea. Instead of spending $3 -$4 on Starbucks each day, you should make your own. Your coffee will cost you about $0.50 per cup instead. You may have to get up 10 minutes earlier, but who cares? You’re saving money. If you drink soda a lot, don’t purchase bottles from the vending machine. They add up. Instead, buy your soda in bulk from a store such as Kroger, Walmart or Publix. This can cut your costs by a half or more.

Purchase generic products

Is “General Mills” better than ‘Cornflakes”? Is “Kleenex” better than “generic tissue”? Is “Crest” better than regular toothpaste? When it comes to some items, you can easily tell the difference. With others, there isn’t a difference. It’s just the packaging. Instead of buying name brand products, you can save your money and buy the generic brands. In the past, I’ve purchased generic cereal, pop tarts, and hamburger helper. I didn’t notice a difference. The products were just as good to me. If you make buying generic products a habit, you can easily save a couple of hundred or more bucks each month. You could do whatever you want to with that extra money.

Shop once a week

Many people make two or three trips to the grocery store each week. There’s no reason for you to do that. Cut those trips down to one outing; You can do it. You just have to switch some things up.

You and your significant other should have a shopping list. It should be posted on the fridge so that you can add anything that you need from the store to it. Shopping lists make a big difference. They will keep you from buying unnecessary things. Once a week, buy everything that is on the list.

Your shopping list also saves time. You aren’t just walking down the aisles wondering if you need something or not. Your list is a guide for you. Follow it so that you can be in and out of the store in no time.

In the past, I’ve made a lot of financial mistakes. I’ve spent money when I technically didn’t have it. I’ve also paid bills late because I was just pure lazy. Many people feel bad due to their financial decisions or situations. You shouldn’t feel that way though. It is very possible to make things better. With the correct advice, anyone can improve their finances. Below are a few tips that you can do to help you reduce your financial woes.

Recycle

Have you every recycled before? I have recycled a lot in the past. Recycling and Reusing items can save you big bucks. Why should you continuously add to the environmental problems associated with manufacturing and landfills? You shouldn’t. Anything that can be reused should be reused. That’s something that I’ve been doing for a while. It is practical not just from an environmental standpoint, but also from a personal finance one. If you aren’t recycling or reusing stuff, you should give it a try today.

Insurance

The next thing on the list is to review your insurance premiums. Different types of insurance can be expensive. Don’t just settle for an insurance company because you see them in commercials all the time. Review and compare several different companies before you decide to purchase. When I was looking for car insurance, I checked out Progressive, State Farm, and Geico. I ultimately went with Geico because they provided the best services that I needed for the best price out there.

Pay bills on time

Pay all of your bills on time. It’s such a simple concept, but everyone doesn’t do it for some reason. I’ve learned from experience that it’s best to pay the bills on time even if you have to postpone having fun. When you pay a bill late, you are charged a late fee. Depending on what the bill is, your late fee can be $5, or it can be $35. That’s a big difference. If you pay your bills late every month, those fees can add up quickly. Another thing with late payments is that they can also affect your credit score. My credit score was horrible when I was late every month. It increased a lot when I started paying bills on time.

Purchases

Don’t buy anything unless you can afford it. Doing this will allow you to save your money for essentials. You will be less likely to end up in debt by doing this. For most people, I’d suggest that you can use cash because many people don’t pay their credit card in full each month.

Watch your investments

Before you make an investment, consider how big of a risk that you are willing to take. Don’t invest $100,000 when you can only afford to invest $10,000. The wrong investment can leave you sick with stress, or it could leave you broke. You don’t want to waste your money. Start off with low-risk investments. They may not yield big rewards, but they won’t drive you crazy if they happen to fail.

Many of us have several different policies. We have health policies, vehicle policies, life policies, and home policies that we deal with. Some of them cost more than the others, but one main thing is that you pay for what you get. There is no reason to pay for unused coverage. To make sure that you’re not doing that, you should review your policies a couple of times each year.

Auto

It is a good idea to review your auto insurance coverage twice per year. Make sure that you are getting adequate coverage and also paying the lowest price that’s possible. I reviewed my auto policy thoroughly last year. I was able to lower it by close to $90. That’s a darn good saving to me. When reviewing your policy, you should consider the difference between full coverage and liability. It may or may not be worth it. If your vehicle is parked or broke down, you might need to consider compensation insurance until you can drive it again.

Don’t forget to compare your insurance provider to another one. You may have your policy with Progressive, so check State Farm and Geico. They may have better prices.

Life

Everyone doesn’t have life insurance. It can be pretty cut and dry when it comes to what you need. Checking with your agent about discounts is a way that can help you keep it low. You will also want to make sure that your policy is giving you what you want. When you get a chance, you should talk to your agent and ask them about ways to lower the premium

Home

The next policy that’s on the list is home owner’s insurance. It is important to make sure that you’re not paying for more than what you home is worth. You want to make sure that you are always getting a good deal. It’s good to make sure that you are not paying for unneeded protection such as flood insurance if you’re not in an area that typically gets a lot of floods You should also consider adding a deadbolt lock to your door or adding a fire extinguisher to your kitchen. That may lower your premium. Talk to your insurance agent to make sure that you are not spending too much.

Medical

Medical insurance can be tricky and a pain. Sometimes you have no control over the amount you pay. The main thing to remember is to evaluate your family’s needs. Don’t pay for coverage that you won’t use. Make sure that you use in-network doctors and specialists. Pay attention to how your claims are paid. You don’t want to see any surprises. Checking claims will take some time, but it will be worth it once you make sure the amounts are correct.

Auto, life, home, and medical policies are critical and valuable to your family. You don’t want to be wasting money by overpaying. It is important to sit down and review your policies from time to time. If you have any questions or concerns, this is the time to get them answered. When you take the time to reevaluate your policies you may find that you can save some money.