How can you save money for a two week vacation when you’re already strapped? There are a couple of ways. Take a short term part time job in addition to your full time job. Then save the money to take a fantastic trip.
Another way is to save money on your basic needs every day so that you have more cash for the things you really want. It comes down to two things:
In order to have more money you need to:
earn more
or
spend less
For those who want to spend less on a daily basis, here are simple ways to save money. Get in the mindset of always trying to keep the dollars in your jeans, instead of spending it.
How to Cut Down on the Electricity Bills
One of the easiest ways to save money at home is to cut down on your electricity bills. This can be done in a number of ways and perhaps the simplest one is to go online and look for an alternative energy supplier.
Apart from this, you could also look at blocking drafts, as a lot of heat goes out through improperly sealed windows and doors.
If you have to buy a new fridge, always go for the more energy efficient appliances around the house. They will always save you money over the long term.
If you want to take a longer term view then fitting solar panels to the property can give you free energy for a long time. You could look into the possibility of a government grant to help.
Another simple idea is to monitor your energy use and therefore be in a better position to control how much you pay out in the future. We all waste energy now and then so controlling your usage makes a lot of sense.
Do Your Own Household Repairs
If you need to call in tradesmen for every repair you need to do then the cost of keeping your home looking good can soon mount up. Can you do some of this work yourself?
If you make the effort to learn how to do some home repairs around the place then this can save you a good amount of money. It could also be the start of a new hobby.
For example, if you go on one of the home painting courses in your area you can carry out this work yourself and avoid paying out a lot of money to professional painters.
The same principle applies all across the property and you might be surprised to see how easy some of the jobs which you have been paying experts to do actually are.
The Family Handyman is a good resource – with all kinds of home maintenance and repair instructions.
Sell What You Don’t Need
You might not make a fortune on selling your old things but you will at least make a start on a nice vacation fund while clearing out some space as well.
Hold a garage sale and selling whatever you no longer need you can free up some cash which could come in very handy for other things later on.
Cook at Home
Many of us spend a lot of money on eating out or buying in take away meals. Cutting down on this by cooking at home might not seem like a big deal but the savings can add up over time.
In fact, for two people, eating at home would save many hundreds of dollars a month.
If you start to make more of your own food then you will soon see how you can put away more savings in order to finally get those luxuries you have been dreaming of.
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