FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Smart Ways to Cut Costs and Realize Savings Each Month

Whether you are single or married with children you are likely in need of additional money-saving tips. The most obvious is to have a disciplined mindset.

More specifically you will want to apply one or more of these principles:

Make your own gourmet meals instead of going out. This is perfect for a couple who wants to indulge in a romantic evening but does not make enough money to invest in a night out on a town. Your favorite food, a reasonably-priced bottle of wine, and an old music collection to play in the background may be ideal.

Repair or alter damaged/outdated clothing. If you or someone near you is handy with needle and thread you can very quickly make easy repairs. Furthermore, if you know anything at all about sewing you can alter outdated items to keep up with today's fashion.

Find less-expensive ways to entertain your family. It can be hard to always invest in fun for your whole family if you have one. Days at the local beach, trail walking, or window shopping are often fun activities. If you go to fairs you may want to pack a picnic lunch if permissible. It will save you from spending all your hard-earned cash on over-priced fairground food.

Make wise purchases on video games, audio devices, and appliances. For instance, you will want to purchase items that can be repair or replaced for cheap rates. Do not waste your money investing in items you know will be outdated. For instance, many places are now selling video cams for cheap because the new HD will be coming out the following year.

Order water instead of soda with your meal. This can save you $7.00 a week if you eat out at least once a day. This is often the case with persons employed in business-related and financial-related fields. Ironically enough, even people knowledgeable about wise investment need this advice too.

Prepare "convenience" foods ahead of time. You can prepare and store your own on-the-go foods for lower prices than you would if you buy single-serving foods in the store. This is great advice whether you are single or not.

For singles: Share an apartment. There is no shame if you are a legal adult and making it on your own to want to save money sharing a place with someone. Do not ever let anyone think of you as less of a person if you are paying all your own expenses.

Besides, if you are truly independent living with someone is not going to change that. You are still likely to take care of yourself and be responsible. It would be less lonely for you to live with someone as a single person anyway.

Consider alternative housing situations. You can even find whole communities of people who live on the same plot of land and share resources and expenses. Each situation is set up differently so you will be able to find one that is most suitable for you.

Cut down on unhealthy, costly habits. Just think of all the gadgets, trips, and essentials you could by if you were not spending an average of 40 to 100 dollars per month on alcohol, cigarettes, and other substances. It is even recommended that you cut down on soda, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages.

Purchase in bulk. If you must have a vice or two, such as soda or beer, it is often cheaper to purchase it in bulk. All types of foods can be purchased this way. The cost up front is much more but you will not need to shop for awhile.

Capitalize on unused items. If you own items or find items that are no longer used by you or someone else sell them. Someone out there is bound to buy them even if you think they are absolutely useless.

This list of creative money-saving tips should get you started. There are more bits of advice where this came from!

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