Painless ways to cut your spending

Are extras weighing down your budget? Use this list to identify the fat in your budget; then, decide what’s worth keeping. Find and trim the fat in your budget.

Save on household expenses. Running a household is an expensive affair, but there are a lot of things that you can do to minimize the cost.

Slash your food bill

Eating is a necessity; fortunately, spending a lot of money on food isn’t. Reign in your food bill by making a few simple changes to the way that you shop.

Simple Ways to Slash Your Grocery Bill

Eat out for less. Wait for sales. Want to get the best deal on everything that you buy? It all starts with knowing when to shop.

Switch to store brands

Name brand products are good, but store brand products are often just as good (if not identical). Make the switch to the bargain labels, and you’ll shave 25-50 percent off of your weekly grocery bill. With competition among grocery chains launching their own line of organics and other premium products, there’s never been an easier time to switch.

Shop with a list

Ever gone to the store for a few items and come out with a whole cartload? Who hasn’t? To keep impulse shopping from taking hold of your budget, make a habit of shopping with a list. Jot down everything you need, and then only shop for those items. Stop getting carried away. Still tempted to add an extra item to your cart? Go home and think about it first. If you still want the item you can always add it to your next shopping list.

Shop to save

Challenge yourself to save more every time you shop. If you normally buy something at regular price, challenge yourself to find it on sale. If you normally buy something on sale, challenge yourself to find it on clearance. When you’re always on the lookout for a bargain, there’s no end to the money that you can save; and soon it becomes a game that you look forward to playing.

Clear the clutter

Whether it’s food in your pantry, hobby supplies or beauty care products, you probably have lots of unused or partly used items around your house. Before you run to the store to buy your next “must-have,” look around and see if you can find something at home to fill your need. This simple exercise will not only help you to spend less, but also to clear out some of the clutter in your home.

Develop a monthly spending plan

Start an Emergency Fund. Get rid of Credit Card debt. Draw up a Weekly Meal Planning Worksheet. It organizes you activity like nothing. Cut back severely on extras.

Are extras weighing down your budget?

Use this list to identify the extras in your budget; then, decide which are worth keeping and which are just keeping you at work.

Carry snacks

Eating out always costs more than eating at home whether it’s a quick snack from a convenience store, a vending machine or a fast food restaurant. Avoid this cost entirely by keeping snacks on hand at all times. Toss a bottle of water in your bag before running errands; stash some goodies in your desk drawer at work, just be ready for that hunger attack wherever and whenever it decides to strike.

Phone plans

Do you need caller ID and call waiting? What about voice mail? Could you cancel your long distance, and use a phone card instead? Do you need a land line and a cell phone? Could you switch to a cheaper cell plan? Get rid of text messaging or other features?

Eating out

Could you eat at home more often? Pack your lunch, instead of buying? Bring your coffee from home? Pack snacks when you know you’ll be away from home for an extended period? Bring drinks and snacks to work, instead of relying on the vending machines?

Entertainment

Could you rent movies instead of watching them at the theatre? Go to matinees? Go to free concerts and events, instead of paid events? Borrow books and movies from the library, instead of buying them? Listen to the radio instead of buying CDs or songs? Find a cheaper hobby? Scale back your vacations?

Clothing

Could you set a clothing allowance or lower your existing allowance? Could you swap clothes with a friend? Shop second-hand? Repair clothes, instead of replacing them? Forgo dry cleaning?

Subscriptions and memberships

Are there seldom read magazines that you could cancel? Is your mail movie rental subscription a must? Do you have a gym membership that you aren’t utilizing? Could you cancel your membership to clubs that you no longer have time for?

Cable/ Satellite

Could you do away with cable or satellite entirely? Scale back to the basic channels? Switch from digital cable to regular cable? Do you need a set-top box or hook up in every room?

Services

Could you cancel your lawn service? Ditch your maid service? Change your own oil? Have your hair cut less often? Do your own manicures and pedicures? Forgo the massage?

Save on household expenses
Lower your phone bill
Save money on your water bill
Trim your electric bill
Cut your food costs
Tips for eating healthy on a Budget
Eat Out for Less
There you are!