Unnecessary Expenses

We don't realize that things that have become everyday occurences can add up to some serious money being spent that are unnecessary.

According to this month's "AARP Magazine" there are three things in particular that cost us money that we can do without or do less often.

ATM FEES

"Americans spend $7 billion a year getting their own money out of cash machines."  Cutting out these fees amounts to a savings of $60 per household.

BOTTLED WATER

"We each drink almost 30 gallons (or 222 half-litre bottles) of bottled water every year."  Stop doing this and the savings are $190 per household.

MOTOR OIL

The rule of thumb in the past has been to change your oil every 3,000 miles.  According to AARP, "Today's cars can safely go 7,500 miles or more between changes."  The savings is $500 after 100,000 miles.

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These changes in our lifestyles can amount to some real savings.  Being aware and making informed spending decisions can put some extra bucks in our pockets.  Not bad!

Enjoy your weekend.

Meanwhile .... keep it simple and make it real.

Jeanne

15 Ways to Save Money

Now that the merriment of Christmas has passed it is time to get serious about how to make 2013 a year in which we buckle down and save some money and do life simply.

Here are some tips compiled by MSN that will nudge us to be more cost conscious.  Everyone needs a bit of a jolt to get into the saving mode after a season of spending and giving.  Take a look and use what you can.


Shop around 
If you’re in the market for a big-ticket item, make sure to do your research. You can save up to 30 percent by comparing prices. Do it online instead of going from store to store, so you can save on gas, too.

Always look for free shipping on websites

Remember: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Don’t throw your crummy old shirts in the bin. Cut them up into rags and use them in lieu of paper towels.

Re-use wrapping paper 
Or try aluminum foil on for size. If that sounds like something your grandma did, you could be right.

 
Towel-dry your hair instead of using a hair dryer 
This is better for your hair. So save on the electricity costs and go au naturel.

Ask for a trial-size
 
Curious about a pricy cream? Don’t be afraid to ask the department store beauty counter for a trial size. It will scratch your itch to try something fancy and it won’t cost you a thing.

Wash your hair every other day 
Reducing the frequency with which you wash your hair is better for your scalp and your pocketbook.

Practice delayed gratification 
If you’re out shopping and see something you simply must have, wait a few days to buy it. Chances are, you’ll have forgotten all about it.

BYO bags
Does your city charge a plastic bag fee? If so, save on the $0.05 fee and bring reusable totes with you wherever you go. Not only are you saving green, you’re being green.

Buy store brand (generic) medications 
They contain the exact same ingredients, work just as well, and cost up to 33 percent less than their brand-name counterparts.

Be a Mr. or Miss Fix-it 
Take your at-home issue to Lowe’s and see if you can solve it yourself before you hire someone whose rates can be astronomical. You get the personal satisfaction of solving the problem yourself — and you’ll save a hefty chunk of coin.

　
Sell stuff on consignment
 
Take your old clothing to a consignment shop instead of donating it. Yes, it’s important to give to Goodwill, but if you have a particularly fancy frock, capitalize on it. Selling your fancy wares is a great way to stash some bonus bucks.

Don’t be afraid to return your purchases
We’ve all let an ill-fitting garment die quietly in the back of our closet. But if you don’t like something, take it back. You’ll save money.

Brew coffee at home instead of swinging by Starbucks 
It goes without saying that store-bought lattes can rack up quickly. If you buy a coffee drink four times each week at around $3 per beverage, that’s a cool $624 savings each year. And that’s likely the low end of the spectrum.

Subscribe and save
 
Subscribe to your favorite publication instead of buying it at the checkout stand. Depending on the magazine, a subscription can run you around $20 a year. If you buy individually, a mag can cost you around $4 a pop. That’s at least a $36 savings each year — but it can wind up being much more than that.


Today .....  keep it simple and make it real.

Ways to Stop Wasting Money

Today I am thankful for CH (current husband) because life would not be as good without him.

 

 

 

 There is an awful lot of info on the web about ways people waste money.  Just having us think a moment about our spending could put an extra few bucks in our pockets. 

The first question I ask myself when I am about to spend is "Do I want it or do I need it?"  Answering this question has put a halt to many unnecessary purchases.  It may work for you.

So here are some things to stop and think twice about before spending your hard earned dollars:

Bottled water  - why pay over a dollar for 12 oz. of water when you can fill a water bottle at home for pennies?

Prepackage food items  -  how much cheaper is it to buy an apple rather than a package of apple slices? 

Vehicle maintenance at a dealership  -  Do as much of a regular tune-up as you can and then go to a reputable auto service place for whatever you cannot do.  The prices that dealerships charge is outrageous.  Their parts markup is deplorable.  Save some bucks ...

Single cups of coffee  -  There are so many ways to have the same gourmet tasting coffees from shops made in your home that there is no reason not to brew up a pot at home and put it in your mobile coffee cup.  Why pay over $3 per cup when you can pay pennies? 

Magazine subscriptions or newsstand copies  -  Go to the library and checkout the magazines.  No cost.

Movie Concessions  -  There is no way in the world that I would pay $3 for a small bag of M&M's.  I bring them with me. 

Film and Film Developing  -  Digital cameras can be found in all price ranges.  Digital cameras eliminate the need of film and film developing.  Also - when was the last time you dropped of film at a "One Hour Film Developing" place and came back in one hour and they were ready?  Ha!  Get a cheap digital camera and put some bucks back in your pocket.

Lottery  -  Let's face it, the odds of winning $2 are so stacked against us that it is a waste of time and money to buy a ticket.  Put your money back in your pocket and save it for a sure thing.

High Priced Cosmetics and Beauty Products  -  If one reads the labels on both drugstore and high end products one will see that they both have the same ingredients.  Packaging and advertising costs raise the prices on the high end things but, I think (and many others) that they are all the same.  Don't go with the "label" go with dollar sense.


So, has any of this made you think differently?  Give the ideas a chance and see what happens.  You may have a few extra bucks at the end of the month that you can put away for a rainy day.

Whatever you do, keep it simple, folks.