5 Easy Ways to Save Money
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Looking to save money? Here are 5 easy ways to start saving money, so you can start putting it toward things that matter more to you.
1. Cut cable, get an antenna then cut Netflix too.
A digital antenna is a one-time cost of $15-20. I still get almost all the channels I care about (abc, nbc, cbs, ion, etc. no espn sadly) but I don’t have a monthly bill.
Yup, I even cut Netflix last month. I don’t need the additional distraction, antenna tv is plenty. Give it a shot you can always re-up Netflix or Hulu, they don’t have an installation fee. Keep in mind that for a digital antenna to work you must have a tv that is from 2009 or newer.
2. DIY frugal but personal gifts
My dad, brother-in-law, sister, and niece all have birthdays in a 6-week time span, not to mention mothers day which also falls around the same time. It is a lot of gifts and could easily put a strain on my budget.
There is a reason they say “it is the thought that counts” thoughtful gifts don’t have a set price tag on them and usually mean a lot more. So before you pull out your wallet, do a little thinking and come up with a unique personalized gift just for them. Generally, anything where you incorporate old photographs, will be a winner.
Related: 5 Frugal Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts
3.Pay your bills on time. For loans-split the payment
For my rent and utilities, I build the cost into my budget and pay when they are due. I know this is probably obvious, but make sure you are organized and always paying your bills on time. Late fees are money in the trash. I have recurring calendar notices for each of my due dates.
However, for my car loan and bar loan, I submit payments bi-weekly. With the exception of my student loans (that’s a story for another time), this allows me to pay more of the principle even if I am just making the minimum payment.
Since the first payment goes towards both interest and the principle, it lowers the overall amount of the loan so less interest accrues in the two weeks until your next payment. So your second payment goes towards even more of the principle. You can certainly make payments more often, but since I’m paid bi-weekly I tend to stick to that schedule.
4. Cut or suspend your gym membership
Gyms can be costly and with great weather ushering in you may want to consider canceling your gym membership. Now if you live some place, like I don’t know, Boston? Where you get a ton of snow and sub-zero temperatures during the winter, you are going to want to have a gym to stay in shape over the winter, so instead of just canceling, see if you can suspend your membership.
My old gym would let you suspend your membership for up to three months. So you keep your rate, but don’t have a bill when you are busy enjoying the summer weather while you exercise outside.It is certainly worth looking into.
5. Invest in your own wireless router and modem
If you are reading this, chances are you have access to the internet and I am willing to bet that most of you have access at home. This means you have a modem and wireless router. Chances are they belong to your internet provider and they are charging you a monthly fee to rent them.
This can be anywhere from $5-15 a month. You can get a good modem and wireless router for $80-130. So you easily make up the cost in a year. My last router lasted over 6 years and it actually still works, but I upgraded for work reasons.
Wrapping it Up with a Bow on Top
You don’t just magically start saving money, you have to actually take action to do so, but the actions don’t have to be difficult. Here are 5 easy ways you can start saving money.
- Cut cable, get a digital antenna instead
- DIY frugal but personal gifts
- Split your bill payments
- Cut or suspend your gym membership
- Invest in a wireless router
What ways do you save money?
