What to do when you need ways to save money fast? Follow these tips!
Need easy ways to save money fast? No worries. If you’re like most consumers, there are plenty of ways to trim your budget temporarily. Follow just a few of these tips and watch your nest egg hatch.
5 Lightning Fast Ways to Grow Your Savings
- Put non-essential services on hold.
Do you have a cell phone? Cable? Internet service? What about a newspaper or box subscription? Contact your providers and inquire about a vacation hold. Many companies will temporarily stop charging you if you’re unable to use their services for a while. Just know that holds extend your service contracts, and they may come with monthly administrative fees for keeping your accounts active. Taking this route can help you build up a few hundred dollars every month.
- Stick with shopping lists.
According to The Simple Dollar, one of the easiest ways to save money in a hurry is by pre-approving every purchase. Whether you’re heading out to get groceries or going to the store for pain reliever, write down your intended purchases. Limiting your purchases to the items on your list means you’ll have to keep track of essentials when you’re running low. A simple list on the phone or stuck to the fridge will go a long way in preventing the dangers of giving into just-need-one-more-thing-itis on your next shopping trip.
- Cook at home.
Fast food is so convenient, but it’s seldom delicious or nutritious – or not seriously bad for you. If you’re used to going out for dinner, though, it can be hard to transition to home-cooked meals. Small changes are best, but remember that mixing and matching meats and veggies with a bread are great platters for supper while salads are simple and cost-effective for lunch. Eggs and oats are about as cheap as breakfast gets, and all of the above will be better for your wallet and your waistline than even the most “value” of value meals.
- Use one credit card.
Lots of people today don’t take their debit card, check book or cash when they go shopping. They charge it all and pay it off with a payment direct from the bank. This is an excellent strategy if you can really pay off everything you’re charging, but when you’re trying to save, these expenses need to be made wisely. Limiting your available credit helps you limit how much you spend, so either put the card away when you hit one-third the limit or call the issuer and request a temporary spending cap.
- Curb your home comfort for a few months.
While immediate savings may not be seen from turning the lights off when you’re not home, the same isn’t true for your thermostat. Keep the temperatures in your home above 55 and below 78 to help preserve your belongings. Other than that, pile on sweaters or peel off layers. Running the AC or furnace is one of the most expensive activities you likely engage in, and cutting back over just one month’s time is capable of opening up a few hundred dollars in your budget.
Giving yourself a little bit of spending money during this time may help you stick to your long-term financial goals. A budget will work, but you have to be reasonable. For people who are used to living strapped for cash will consider $20 per paycheck a luxury while those used to overspending may need $20 per week.
Even if you’re working on ways to save money fast, you may need a title pawn to help you in the meantime. Come on into Title Tree, and we can help you get the cash you need.