With bad times looming ahead, it’s time to need to exercise some caution as to how we spend. It’s not just about cutting down on big expenses that matter, it’s also about the little savings here and there that helps to make a big savings at the end of the day.
I’ve been thinking about how I can cut back on things or spend less for the same things I need. Note that I’m saying “things I need” and not “things I want”. There’s a big difference there.
Some of my thoughts on what I can do to cut down my daily or monthly expenses and save some money are as follows:
1. Take the public transportation to work instead of driving. This saves me lots on fuel expenses, parking and toll charges.
2. When grocery shopping, I don’t need to buy the best of breed brands and can settle for average or even cheap alternatives like house brand products from the supermarket or hypermarket.
3. Fresh produce are cheaper from wet markets than at supermarkets or hypermarkets, so I should head to the markets instead.
4. When buying toiletries, buy refill packs of shower creams or hand wash packs instead of the bottled toiletries. The refill packs are always cheaper! This saves quite a few dollars for each refill that you pick up.
5. Cut down on junk food. This is a very healthy habit, not only does it save me money, it also improves my diet and health!
6. If you smoke, cut down on the number of cigarettes you burn up a day. It’s not easy to give up smoking, but gradual cut downs are possible. And if you need to quit smoking, all the better. Read this article about quitting smoking effectively.
7. When eating out, go for less expensive eateries. Drinks are rather expensive at most restaurants and cafes, so cutting back on costly drinks will help reduce the food bill. Alternatively, bring along your own bottled water if the place allows for outside food. Not only is it cheaper, water is also the healthiest drink you can find.
8. Using free facilities to work out instead of buying a gym membership. There are public parks available at many housing estates. Some even come with exercise and circuit training equipment for those who want more strenous exercises after a jog around the park. If going to the parks for exercises is not an option, then a jog around the neighbourhood is another option. Doing push-ups and sit-ups at home can be as effective as doing them at the gym too.
9. Movie tickets are rather expensive seeing that there are always cheaper alternatives like renting the movie from the rental store. Provided you return the movies back to the store on time, this should save you quite a bit of money especially if you are watching the movie in a big group.
10. Resort to read more online instead of investing in books and magazines which don’t come cheap. Only if there are some niche books which contain valueable information that I can’t possibly find from the internet would I make an exception to buy.
Want to read more on how you can save? Read this article on 11 smart ways and tips to stretch your money.
What are some of your saving tips? Care to share?
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