RE/MAX Premier Group’s Blog

Do you want to buy a new home, but you haven’t saved up quite enough money yet for a down payment?
Are you already a homeowner on a tight budget? Do you just need to save more
money so you have it for a rainy day?

Here are 30 money saving tips to help you achieve your goals.

1. Budget. Creating and sticking to a budget is the best way
   to start saving now.
2. Sell the stuff you don’t need. Have a yard sale or place
   items in your local classifieds or on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon.
3. Limit eating out. By preparing your meals at home, you’ll
   not only save upwards of $200 each month, but you might also save some extra
   pounds from avoiding all the fast food you’d otherwise eat.
4. Leave the plastic home. When you go shopping, only carry
   cash. Once the cash is gone, there’s no credit card to fall back on.
5. Be thrifty. Don’t be afraid to shop at thrift stores or
   consignment stores.
6. Save energy. Turn off and/or unplug your appliances and
   lights when you’re not using them.
7. Skip Starbucks. Make your coffee at home instead of buying
   it at the coffee shop.
8. Wash your own car. You don’t need the $20 interior/exterior
   cleaning. With soap, water, and a little elbow grease, you can save a lot by
   washing your car yourself.
9. Consider eliminating cable or satellite T.V. Many people
   use Hulu, Netflix, and other online sources to watch T.V., movies, and
   sports.
10. Buy generic brands. This includes over-the-counter
    medications, prescriptions, when applicable, all available grocery items,
    etc.
11. Clip/Print coupons. Obtain coupons from newspapers,
    mailers, group coupon sites, etc. There are many classes offered around the
    nation – some of them free – to teach you how to save hundreds each month by
    using coupons.
12. Know before you go (shopping). Create weekly menus and
    shopping lists and buy only the items on the list when you go shopping.
13. Carpool. Carpool to work with your colleagues or use public
    transportation.
14. Stay healthy. Exercise, eat right, and wash your hands
    frequently. Healthier people spend less on medical expenses than unhealthy
    people.
15. Use energy-efficient light bulbs. You’ll save on energy
    bills and since energy-efficient light bulbs last longer, you’ll buy fewer bulbs
    over time.
16. Use homemade cleaning supplies. Use old-fashioned vinegar
    and baking soda to clean your home.
17. Avoid overpriced snacks. Avoid snacks and drinks from the
    gas station, convenience store, and vending machine.
18. Filter and bottle your own water. You can purchase
    inexpensive filtering containers for your water, such as a Brita water filter,
    if you want filtered water. Also, if you have a filter in your refrigerator, you
    can use that water. Reuse BPA-free containers to carry your own water with you
    to avoid buying overpriced bottled water.
19. Stay away from ATMs. If you need to get money out of the
    ATM, plan ahead and only withdraw it from your financial institution to avoid
    paying additional fees.
20. Auto-withdraw savings. Automatically withdraw a
    predetermined amount of money from your checking account that goes into a
    separate savings account. When the money is automatically withdrawn, you
    generally don’t even notice it’s gone.
21. Consolidate and pay off debt as soon as possible. Avoid
    paying too much interest by making additional payments each month or adding to
    your monthly payment. You may also be able to consolidate your debts to a lower
    interest rate.
22. Avoid overdraft fees. Be aware of your checking account
    balance and when automatic payments are withdrawn. Sometimes banks will set up a
    line of credit if you qualify so you can avoid overdraft fees.
23. Avoid credit cards with annual fees. The best way to do
    this is to not apply for credit cards with annual fees. The fees often don’t
    justify the rewards. Smaller banks and credit unions often offer credit cards
    with no fees.
24. Do regular scheduled maintenance on your vehicles. Don’t
    forget your regular oil changes. Remember to check the air in your tires often,
    and use the grade of fuel that the owner’s manual recommends. These small acts
    can significantly lengthen the life of your car, giving you years of use.
25. Cancel subscriptions. Don’t subscribe to newspapers or
    magazines. Almost everything we want can be found online for free.
26. Borrow books from the library. You usually only read a book
    once, so why pay full price for books when you can check them out at the
    library.
27. Drive your car as long as possible. Drive your car as long
    as you safely can.
28. Pass on extended warranties. A $100 two-year extension on a
    $300 product is just not worth it. Warranties are insurance, and we rarely need
    to insure such a small amount.
29. Agree to limit gift giving. Agree in advance to limit the
    gifts you exchange during birthdays and holidays and save everyone money.
30. Find free local activities. Explore your town’s public
    parks. It’s likely that your town or a nearby town has free outdoor movie
    nights, museum days, greenways, libraries, festivals and so much more.