5 Great Money Saving Tips for Families

money saving tips for familiesIf you are searching for money saving tips for families it is quite likely that you are currently experiencing a few financial issues in your life. In light of the part-time job economic crisis impacting the nation, company pension compensations at an all-time low, and the cost of living consistently on the rise, millions of people are suffering from the same financial complications. Most families are left feeling as if, regardless of the steps that they take, they are not doing enough to meet the demands associated with the cost of living, much less anything related to their financial future, such as saving for college, saving to purchase a home, creating an emergency fund for unexpected events in life, and retirement. In this brief guide, you will be provided with 5 great money-saving tips that will optimize your financial health and the financial health of your family, as a whole.

1. Implement the 30 Day Rule
The first and most beneficial of all money saving tips for families is to implement the 30 day rule within your household. This is a very simple concept. When you consider making a purchase that is not deemed to be “necessary” for your household, you should avoid the splurge, wait a total of 30 days, and then revisit the consideration to determine if you still have a desire to make the purchase. In most instances, that initial impulse to buy will be eliminated and you will find that you no longer want the item. Once this urge has passed, you should take the money that you would have originally spent on the impulse purchase on place it into an interest-bearing savings account. This will allow you to make even more money.

2. Transform Your Unwanted Items into Cash
The next most popular of the money-saving tips is to transform all of your unwanted items into cash. This is relatively simple to do. All it takes is a little time, patience, research, and an internet connection. Simply clean out your closets, your attic, your garage, and all of the rooms within your home. You are likely to come up with clothes, books, jewelry, electronics, DVDs, CDs, video games, and a multitude of other items that you may sell on websites such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and the “Swip Swap” groups on Facebook. Once you have sold the items, simply stash the cash away in your savings account and watch your money grow!

3. Reduce Your Phantom Load
One of the largest monthly expenses for a family is the electricity that is used throughout the home. While changing your light bulbs and turning off electrical items when not in use are wonderful means of saving money, it is simply not enough. Many do not realize it, but, when items remain plugged in – such as the computer, the television, and cell phone chargers – they still consume power. This is often referred to as “phantom load”. If you truly want to save a little cash as a family, you should make certain that you reduce your phantom load by unplugging all items that are not in use.

4. Engage in Regular Maintenance
Each of the items within your home requires some degree of maintenance. When it comes to money-saving tips, engaging in regular maintenance of these items is at the top of the list. Examples of items that should be regularly maintained include your central heat/air conditioning unit, the fans throughout your home, your refrigerator, your deep freezer, and items that are similar in nature. By simply changing filters, vacuuming out coils, and cleaning these items, you may save hundreds of dollars each and every single year!

5.Ensure Cleanliness
The final tip of the money-saving tips for families is to ensure cleanliness. You should ensure that each member of your family practices good hygiene by taking their shower, brushing their teeth, washing their hands, and cleaning their clothes on a regular basis. Additionally, you should make certain that your home is as clean as possible, at all times. Ensuring cleanliness in and around the home will ensure that fewer sicknesses are spread throughout your home. As a result, you will spend less on medical expenses, over-the-counter medications, and fuel to travel to the doctor.

Conclusion
There are, literally, millions of money saving tips for families. In this guide, you have been introduced to 5 great and easy-to-implement tips that will allow your family to, potentially, save thousands each and every single year. If you would like to learn more about how to stretch your dollars, pinch your pennies, and increase the amount of money that you and your family have at your disposal, be sure to check out other money-saving tips at Free Money Wisdom today!

Save Money like a Boss

save-moneySave Money like a Boss

If you want to save money like a boss, you are going to have to start thinking like a boss! Do not get caught up in the excuses for not saving money. It may seem like external forces are keeping you from saving money but the truth is a little more heartbreaking. If you are not saving money, it is because you do not want to. WAIT! Before you angrily click away, stick around a few minutes and learn why how you think about money is affecting what you are doing with it. (Trust me, you will be glad you did)

Assets and Liabilities

You might think a discussion on assets and liabilities is a bit much when you are talking about saving money. After all, you are probably not a business owner or big time investor. The truth is your life is full of assets and liabilities. The problems come in when you have more liabilities than assets. Take for instance:

Assets:

  • Income
  • Investments- stocks, bonds, real estate

Liabilities:

  • Debt
  • Vehicles
  • Home
  • Credit card purchases

Basically, anything that takes money out of your hand is a liability and anything that does or could potentially increase the money in your hand is an asset. Many people group their home into the asset category and it can be. Just realize until you owe less for it than it’s worth, it is a liability.

Now the question is how much money are you shelling out on liabilities? How many times do you stop for your favorite Starbucks coffee? Did you recently purchase a bigger television or newer car even though the ones you had were in good working condition? Do you see where this is going? You have to change your mind set about money and your ability to save because in most cases, you have several dollars per week you could stick back. You just have to re-purpose the cash you already have.

No Bashing Zone- Money Saving Tips

Look, you may be thinking at this point that all we want to do is beat up on you about your spending habits. Totally not the case. There is nothing wrong with enjoying some of the finer things in life. The question that remains is are you in the financial position to do that yet?

You can easily save around 1400 dollars in the next twelve months by trimming the fat in your budget and working on a savings plan. Aside from spending, the biggest barrier to savings for most people is simply getting in the habit of doing so.

Simple Savings Plan:

Start your simple plan today with $2. Yes, you read that correctly. Put two dollars in your savings account this week and next week put in three. Over the course of the year, increase your savings by one single dollar until you reach 52 weeks. You will never put more than $52 in the savings account in one week and at the end of the year, you will have amassed a tidy $1378. Hey, that is enough to take a nice small vacation or better yet start investing in your dreams. Do you want your own business? Have an invention idea? Slow and steady may not be sexy or exciting but it will get the job done!

Boss Mentality

Now that you have been saving for a while, it feels like second nature and you should be seeing your purchases in a different light. It is at this point that you begin to process money matters like a boss. In other words. focus on ways to bring in and save money rather than spending it!

banner