Here are a few easy tips and tricks on how to save money by the week.
Looking for ways on how to save the money by the week is challenging, not just because it’s hard to cut back on spending money, but also because it’s easy to run out of money saving ideas. So to help give you a head start on saving money every week or so, check out the following surprising tips.
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Make Your Own Coffee
Many of you have a morning ritual that involves stopping by the local breakfast fast food restaurant or coffee shop for that morning cup of joe. While the price of this cup of coffee will vary, it’s almost always a few dollars more expensive than simply making your own cup of coffee at home. By making your own coffee at home before work, you can easily save $10 to $15 each week.
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Pack Your Own Lunch
It’s fun and convenient to order lunch out, but it’s also much more expensive than packing your own. Depending on where you live and your eating habits, you can easily save $25 to $75 each week by brown-bagging your lunch and avoiding the restaurant.
With such significant savings (and the fact that food almost always tastes better when someone else makes it), you don’t have to avoid eating out altogether. But packing your lunch a few times each week can produce major savings, yet still allow you to enjoy the culinary delights from the eateries surrounding your place of work.
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Rent Movies
Instead of going out to a movie theater to see a movie, wait until it comes out on home release DVD or Blu-Ray. Sure, it’s not the same as a movie theater experience, but if you’re happy with just seeing the movie, renting it is a lot cheaper than buying a movie theater ticket. And if you have a large family, buying the movie to take home can still be cheaper than seeing it in theaters.
Another advantage of renting the movie is saving money on concessions. By watching the movie at home, you can make your own concessions, such as movie popcorn. There are special seasonings, butter formulations and popcorn products that come very close to matching the fresh movie theater popcorn flavor.
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Cancel Unused Memberships
Think about any memberships you may have, but that you don’t use or don’t use that often. Decide if continuing to pay that country club, gym or warehouse shopping membership is worth it. If you decide it is worthwhile, you might realize you’re not taking full advantage of it and make changes to get the most out of your investment.
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Cancel Unused Subscriptions
Do you have any magazines, video rental or newspaper subscriptions that you don’t use or don’t care to keep? If so, cancel them! It may only result in a few dollars’ worth of savings each week, but if you’re not going to miss the subscription, it’s a way to cut costs without feeling the pinch.
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Learn Unit Pricing
When comparing products that have different sizes, deciding on the better deal is a little more complex. One method for comparing prices is to look at the unit price, which provides how much the product costs for a given measurement. For example, if a Brand A costs $1 for a one pound bag, while Brand B costs $5 for a six pound bag, is Brand A the better deal? At first glance it might seem so, but after you look at the unit pricing, you realize the unit price for Brand A is $1 per pound but only $0.83 per pound for Brand B.
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Maintain Your Vehicle
Getting regular oil changes and vehicle inspections are great ways to ensure you get the most life of your vehicle. Proper maintenance will prevent unexpected breakdowns, which are always costly. Then there’s the fact that proper maintenance actually makes it cheaper to operate your vehicle. For example, having overinflated or under-inflated tires can reduce the vehicle’s fuel efficiency, resulting in more expensive gas station fill-ups each week.
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Use Coupons
This tip is pretty straightforward but often ignored. So many people have excuses, such as not having the time to clip coupons or not being willing to spend the money for a newspaper subscription. You don’t have to be an extreme couponer to save money each week with coupons. Many coupons are available for free online or offered in your weekly circular. Another advantage of looking through the weekly circular is that you can look for any specials your local grocery store is offering.
Visit your nearest Title Tree store for more tips on spending less – or if you need a little help making ends meet right about now.