Money Saving Tips (cont.)

• Don’t lug around extra weight in your car. It’s easy to leave the golf clubs, tools, whatever in the car, but the more weight the more gas. The more gas, the more money out of your pocket. It also adds, ever so slightly, to the wear and tear on your vehicle.
  
  
• If you’re thinking of buying books or CD’s and the like, consider buying second hand through some well known channels like Amazon
  
  
• Keep your tyres properly inflated. Not only will you save on wear and tear, but you’ll also get better gas mileage.
  
  
• Get in touch with your telephone provider (and their competition) and see if they have any special deals or services that you can take advantage of. For example, many offer the option to nominate 5 or so overseas telephone numbers which can be dialed much cheaper than normal.
  
  
• If you’re constantly buying ready made sauces or spice mixes for your meals, spend some time to learn how to make them yourself. They’re deceptively simple, and much, much cheaper.
  
  
• Take care of all your belongings. You’ve worked hard to get them, so make sure you take care of them and they’ll last. You’ll save money on replacements.
  
  
• Don’t buy in to the whole ‘brand name’ scam. Yes, some brand names are synonymous with quality, but by and large, you simply end up paying more for the name, not the product.
  
  
• If a store offers its own in-house brand, choose that over the more well known brands.
  
  


• Dilute your shampoos and detergents with small amount of water to make them last longer. You can also do this with thick sauces, dressings and such.




• Think carefully about if you really need the latest mobile phone with a fixed term subscription. More often than not, a simple ‘pay as you go’ phone will do the trick, and you’re less likely to make calls that you don’t need to make. Mobile phone companies spend a small fortune in marketing to make you a slave to their products.




• If you have a number of outstanding loans, concentrate on paying off the loan with the highest interest rate first, then the next highest, and so on (assuming the interest payment each month for that loan is the highest)




• Check your supermarket receipt to make sure there have been no mistakes. You’d be surprised just how often mistakes do happen. It’s also a good reason to try to remember as many prices in your head as possible.




• When in the supermarket, keep a look out for ‘reduced to clear’ items, particularly those that you can freeze and use at a later date.