10 Ways To Make Your Spending Go Farther

Two years I ago, I decided to pack up and move out of state.  I was going to school and working, but only part time and my spending habits were outweighing my savings horribly.  I knew that if I wanted to move and even be semi-successful, I would have to figure out a way to save my money, even when that impulse spending/buying mode kicked in.

I decided to make a list of ways that I could save money and then I narrowed that list down to things that were actually possible for me to do.  Once I had my list, I couldn’t believe how just a few, simple limits really helped with my spending habits.  So here is a list of the ten rules I followed that really allowed me to easily save money.

1.    Put money away.  The first thing I did was open an account that took more work to take money out of than to put money into. What I did was put away $50 out of every paycheck.  After a few weeks I increased the amount to $100 every paycheck.  You will be surprised at how much money you can save just by putting away $100 every two weeks.

2.    Avoid ATMs. Once a week I would stop at my bank and take out $60.  $30 for gas and the rest was spending for the week. — If you really need an ATM, avoid extra fees by only using the ATM of your bank or credit union.

3.    Make a list.  If you make a list of things that you need when you go shopping, it is easier to stick to and it can put a stop to impulse buying.

4.    Buy in bulk.  Buying individual packs of anything adds up much faster than buying in bulk.  Also, you can easily break down the bulk items and store them in sizes and amounts that are typical for everyday use.

5.    Utilize coupons and deals. No matter where you are shopping there are always deals of some sort going on.  Ask around; find out where the best deals are for groceries, clothes, etc.

6.    Utilize savings applications.  For example, use websites such as Groupon.com or sites just like it.  Deals are easy to find, you just have to keep your eyes open.
Related Reading: How to Save Money Using Using Coupons

7.    Take advantage of reward spending.  This is one of the best rules I live by.  Lots of stores and websites offer mail-in-rebates or cashback cards for certain products that you purchase.  An example would be the paint I recently bought $30 for one gallon then send in a $5 rebate! Easy savings.

8.    Avoid unnecessary driving  With gas prices being as crazy as they are, you have to be conscious of where you are buying gas and how much you are driving.  Try to do a lot of errands and running around in one day

9.    Dine in  Eating out is probably one of the easiest ways to blow your money.  Cook for yourself!  99% of the time it will be healthier for you anyway!

10.    Be organized  Being organized is not an easy task, but just following a simple list like this one can help you organize your life better.  When you’re organized, you can keep track of everything better, which includes making your spending go farther.

It won’t be easy at first and these are just guidelines.  Try making a list of your own for things that suit your situation.  Everyone is different and everyone has different spending habits.  This worked for me and hopefully it will be able to help you too.

This article was written by Alina Cambridge. By day, Alina helps to run and maintain a TV comparison website that guides people to the best options for the TVs including Vizio TVs by providing Vizio reviews; called YouReviewElectronics.com. She loves to find ways to make day to day life better. Some of her hobbies include wriitng her own music, gardening, and studying about finances.