Featured, Finances

How to Take Control of Your Finances

It’s a tough would today. Our paycheck is here one day and gone another. All of us want to be financially secure and have money to not only pay our bills, but be able to put back some for a rainy day, or even enjoy some of the finer things of life. Here are some easy ways to stretch your hard earned money and save a dime.

1. Invest in a programmable thermostat. Turn the temperature down the hours you are not at home and a degree or two when you are sleeping. By doing this most people will see a savings of at least $20.00 on their heating and cooling bill. We will play it safe and say $10.00.

2. If you drink more than one soft drink a day cut back to one. If you save the money from just one drink @ .50 that equals $15.00 a month.

3. Use coupons that are in the Sunday paper. You should save conservatively $4.00 a month.

4. Pick one name brand you use and find another name brand that is less expensive. An example would be fabric softener. There is a big difference in prices. By doing this we will save $1.00 per month.

5. Take twenty minutes two or three days a week to fill out a survey. You won’t get rich but there are some survey sites that are honest and do pay. Opinion Outpost, is a great one. You should easily earn $7.00 per month

6. Shop for coupons on ebay. Yes, there are coupons on ebay that can be purchased at a very low price. Many times these sell for less than $1.00, including shipping. You usually get around ten coupons at a time but it is well worth it. A monthly savings of $2.00.

7. Make a pact with yourself to save just .50 of your change every week. At the end of the month you will have saved $15.00.

By doing these simple steps you have now saved $54.00 in one month. Be sure you have put this money back and have committed to this savings plan. Now, here comes the great part. Open a savings account and place this money in it monthly. You should get at least 1.5% interest on it. By doing this you will have $707.69 at the end of one year with little effort and no change in lifestyle. Happy savings!