By Katrina Caruso
Living life to the fullest doesn’t mean that you need to spend needlessly. Here are six tips to help you to cut down your spending—so that you can start saving.
Photo: iStock/sanjagrujic.
1 • Stop Paying ATM Fees
It’s a good habit to always have a bit of cash on you. With ATMs, we’re usually charged once by the machine and again by our banks. Instead, use the cash-back option when paying with your debit card at stores or start your week off with a trip to the bank.
2 • Brown Bag It
You’d be surprised at how much money you save by bagging your lunch more often! This includes making your own coffee in the morning (rather than stopping at Tim Horton’s every morning) and ditching plastic water bottles for reusable ones.
3 • Plan Before You Shop
We waste a lot of food because we buy too many groceries. Instead, make a grocery list by using the sales flyers and plan your weekly meals around that. Write down all the ingredients that you’ll need for each meal and stick to the list when you’re shopping.
4 • Cut the Cord
With affordable online streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, or HBO (all under $20 a month), there’s almost no more need for cable. Plus, streaming services take nearly no time to set up and you can take advantage of trial months before committing. Chances are, you won’t miss cable once you realize how much you’re saving.
5 • Don’t Pay More for Your Phone Bill
Cell phone companies are just waiting for you to go over your data plan so that they can charge you an extra $15–25 a month. If this is a common problem for you, consider switching plans, cut down your time on high-usage apps (or turn data off for specific apps), and connect to Wi-Fi as often as possible.
6 • Buy Generic
Choosing no-name branded products, as opposed to the name brand, is a simple money saving solution. It’s often pretty difficult to tell the difference. You don’t have to buy generic only, but making the switch more often can help you save big.