Four Money Saving Tips For Families

Money-Saving-Tips

by Tony G

With the current state of the economy, many families are looking for ways to cut back. Here are a few simple and easy money-saving tips to get your started.

Save on groceries

Grocery stores tend to place the least expensive items on the lowest shelf. They take advantage of the fact that most people give attention to items at eye level. You can find many bargains and store brand products here. Don’t be afraid to give store brands a try. They are usually cheaper than their name brand cousins and you rarely will have to sacrifice quality. Stores often have manager’s specials in their meat department as well. These may be items that are nearing their expiration date.

Keep in mind that any food that has been processed is going to cost you more. But you can save money by doing that work yourself. For example, simply cutting a block of butter into four pieces adds significantly to its cost. Buying the block of butter and cutting it into fours yourself takes about 2 seconds and could save you 50 cents or more. Buying meat in bulk and slicing it yourself is another example. You could save money by, instead of buying boneless/skinless chicken filets, trimming the fat yourself and pocketing the savings.

Another way to save money on groceries is partnering with a friend, or neighbor and buying in bulk. This is the same way WalMart has become so successful. You can put the same principle to work yourself by copying them. Look for the one gallon size cans of food and bulk items, then split them up between yourselves. You can realize some really nice savings this way.

Trim the fat

Look over your credit card bill for unnecessary expenses. Things like subscriptions to magazines you no longer read can be canceled. You may find that you don’t need that huge TV package because you really don’t watch those channels that often. Take a look at your phone bill as well. Many people find that their phone company is charging them for services they never use.

Eat at home

Eating out can be convenient, but it can also add extra expenses to your checkbook, not to mention your waistline! Try eating out no more than once a week, and prepare a healthy meal for your family instead. You will save money and likely shed a few pounds as well.

Cut out soda

Try substituting water or tea for soda. You can save a good deal of money from this over time, and your health will improve as an added bonus. Soda has empty calories and makes your blood sugar levels spike- a major contributor to developing diabetes.

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