Painless Ways To Save Money?

Discussion in Misc & Others started by Denis Hard • Apr 12, 2016.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    For most people saving money demands sacrifice. You have to do without somethings in order to save money.

    Are there easier ways to save money that don't involve making any sacrifices?

    Well there's one I've heard of — Sleep early.

    If you sleep early you'll spend less money on electricity, won't spend any money on entertainment [cable TV, Netflix, etc], you'll spend no money on snacks you'd be munching on late at night and the more sleep you get at night the healthier you'll be.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. Briannagodess

    BriannagodessActive Member

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    That's actually a great idea, that won't work for me sadly, since I work during night time. But in the case of other people, they can actually do that and save money in a very easy way. Here are some other ways that we can save money, the painless way:
    • Use rebates sites to earn some cash back from your shopping. It's a very painless way of earning some money that you spent.
    • Get rid of your credit card, opt for debit card. This way, you are spending your own money when buying things. You don't gain interest unlike with credit cards where the interests are high when you have to pay your credit.
    • Get rid of your landline. I mean, we don't even use the landline anymore so we have to let it go. We just waste money on paying a fixed rate each month. Our cellphones are enough to communicate with each other anyway.
    • Buy generic medicines. They are just the same as the branded medicines and work as well. Ask your doctor for generic brands when you are prescribed a medication.
    • Walk more, bike more. You can save money on fuel and hey, it's exercise as well. But yeah, this last one can be a bit painful. Lol.
    I hope this helps!
     
  3. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    I sleep a lot and easily too so that can work. If yo have a phone or tablet and you would just want to read webpages, ebooks or watch videos then just use that instead of using your PC, it can save you money in the long run.
     
  4. steph84

    steph84Active Member

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    That is a very good idea! Then I would have more time to get up early and work in the morning when my mind is still fresh. I do not like to stay up late and eat all of the snacks that I spent my hard money on. Good tip! I also make sure we have all of the lights off and just use our candles/air fresheners at night to see and have a great smelling room.
     
  5. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    This reminds me of my mother when we were kids. She would admonish us when we were still awake past bedtime hours because we were consuming electricity. Now, we sleep early but not earlier than 10pm and I think that is a neat trick to save money on electricity and probably water too when you sleep early and wake up earlier.
     
  6. djdontpay

    djdontpayActive Member

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    That's actually a great tip.
    Also, manage time well. Pay for things on time. Complete tasks on time. Make time your friend. What do I mean? I mean pay bills on time, pay insurance premiums on time, pay people including employees on time, etc etc. First of all, every bill payment gets tracked on your credit score, so its best not to miss timely payments. Second of all, when you pay people who have worked for you or a company that has served you on time, your reputation increases.

    You'll save money because you won't have to pay late fees or similar charges. Also, reputation is key when you need guarantors, or when you might need just a few hundred bucks extra during a tight month. If your reputation isn't good, no one will stand behind you or support you. And you'll make money because if you work for someone and you always deliver on time, the chances of you getting a raise increase manifolds.
     
  7. GemmaRowlands

    GemmaRowlandsActive Member

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    I have found that by spending some time thinking of ways you can save money, you can simply build things into your life. For example, I go swimming several times each week (it costs me $25 per month membership, but I really enjoy it and it's good for me, and it's the cheapest membership in our local area) and I used to tie my hair back and wash it when I got home. Now, I have realised that I might as well use their hot water and power to dry my hair, so I will always shower at the pool. I barely use my shower at home now, and our energy bills seem to be cut by more than my membership costs, which is great news!
     
  8. Zyni

    ZyniWell-Known Member

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    Prepare smaller servings of meat and other expensive foods, so that you won't have leftovers. Unless you intentionally want leftovers and are sure to eat them. Otherwise, leftovers may go to waste. It's easy to forget about them or they get pushed back where you don't see them right away.

    Bring your own drinks with you when you are out and about. It's quite expensive to pick up a beverage at gas station, convenience store, soda machine, etc. For example, a 20 oz. bottle of soda often costs more than a two liter would at the grocery store. I can buy a six pack of personal size bottles of water for about the same price as one bottle costs at a gas station.
     
  9. morgoodie

    morgoodieActive Member

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    I try to go to bed early but since I work online right now I have a hard time doing that. I try to get in as much work in as I can in a day. I do not have the TV on though so I may be saving a small amount of money. I think other ways to save money is to make some calls to check for lower insurance rates. You may be able to get discounts if you are a good driver and would be able to save a considerable amount of money. Maybe you do not need as much coverage as you have been carrying and can lower your bill that way as well. Another way to save money would be to make a meal plan for the week or the month and only buy the ingredients that you need for those meals. Leftovers if you have any could be turned into some other meal depending on what you have leftover. I think saving money can be a little less painful than it used to be.
     
  10. gata montes

    gata montesActive Member

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    Admittedly possibly a great idea for those who are in a really tight fix financially - but looking at it logically - not only would the amount saved from going to bed early be negligible - especially as the costs incurred of a having a light on, running the TV plus watching a DVD, streaming or getting a download are minimal to say the least - but bearing in mind that this is what people used to do in the days prior to the arrival of TV - it could backfire and cost way more in the long term - especially as many of those back then - landed up with much larger families than they had originally planned for.

    Either way - why is it - that when people think of saving money - they immediately think they need to make sacrifices and cut something they really enjoy - when in actual fact saving money doesn't have to be painful at all - as all that is really needed - is to live within your means and manage your money wisely - by buying only what is needed and making cost effective decisions when you do so - as not only does doing that save money in the long term - but it generally avoids having to sacrifice comfort or quality of life.
     
  11. Lushlala

    LushlalaWell-Known Member

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    Hehe my husband and I just bury ourselves in work and try not to go out as often as we could, opting instead to go out only when I'm going to work, or if we have a business meeting or some errands to run. This really saves us a lot of money, because if you don't go out, you don't spend money= money saved LOL

    We also set up a direct debit to take money out of our regular account into a savings account we don't touch.
     
  12. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    There are many painless ways to save in my opinion. From little things like grating a carrot into dishes with mince to make them go further to making sure you use up all the food you buy, not throw it out, can stop you spending excess.

    Another way is making your own toys for the kids and dogs from things you have already. They'll have just as much fun with them, and it saved you from having to buy something when you already had something you could use.

    You can also use cash back sites, loyalty schemes and vouchers and coupons to stretch the money you have further. This works great in my opinion as you're not losing out on anything, you can still have what you wanted but you're getting a little bit back for doing so.

    If you're hot, open a window instead of turning the air conditioning on if it's cooler outside. Similarly if it's too cold and you have the window open, close it instead of using the heating and put on an extra layer.

    On the lines of what @Denis Hard@Denis Hard said, turning appliances off at the wall and unplugging them while you're sleeping can also save you money in the long run, and takes just a few seconds.
     
  13. Zyni

    ZyniWell-Known Member

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    Making things from stuff you already have is a great idea. I enjoy doing it just because I like making stuff, so that one is more than painless for me. With a little creativity, people can save a ton of money that way. It's also a good way of recycling things.

    Another thing I thought about is something that I used to do with a friend. We'd shop together and hit the big sales at grocery stores. If there was a bulk deal, we'd often split it. If we wouldn't use the whole thing in a reasonable amount of time, or didn't have room to store it, or just didn't want to put out that much money on one item, we'd split the deal. It worked out nicely.
     
  14. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    For me, reusing supposedly disposable items is where I find one of the easiest ways to save without feeling like I'm sacrificing too much. For example, if I use my paper towels to just wipe water, I'll set them aside for when I need them to maybe wipe the floor later on for spills or if I have any food or drippings I need to wipe off of the table. It might not sound like much to be able to save two sheets of paper towels but that only means that I waste less of new ones that I can put to better use and accumulation of it will definitely amount to significant savings. I do the same for plastic bags and food containers as well and it doesn't really take that much effort to think about it since it's not like I need to plan it out that much.
     
  15. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    I've recently tried a savings approach where I bring a fixed amount of money with me and leave the rest at home - including my ATM cards. I do this so that I won't be tempted to bargain with myself and purchase something I'm not supposed to. Prior to leaving the ATM carsd at home, I withdraw money in accordance with the budget I set for the entire pay period. For instance, I withdraw $50 to cover my needs for the next 2 weeks.

    Since my home's not too far from my workplace, I can simply walk the remaining distance instead of commuting all the way. My savings plan also includes not spending more than a dollar or two everyday so that what's left of $50 could serve as "emergency" money for unexpected needs. It's not painful for me because I feel happy whenever I achieve goals I initially thought I wouldn't.
     
  16. ACSAPA

    ACSAPAWell-Known Member

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    I agree with the poster who said that paying things on time is a painless money saver. For example, my storage unit has late fees of $15, $25 and $100 ,depending on how late you are with your rent. If you are late with your rent, you can pay up to an extra $140 in fees so it's obviously a painless money saver just to pay things on time.
    That applies to anything from rent to utilities.
     
  17. DiscountDreams

    DiscountDreamsActive Member

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    I aim for the sacrifice, I don't see pain as negative. The easy is what everyone does, I'm ok with suffering a little bit for what I want. The whole point of cutting costs is to make it easier or even just flat out possible to achieve my idea of success.
     
  18. Zyni

    ZyniWell-Known Member

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    That's a good idea. For those who live too far to walk the entire way to a destination, they can use transit for a portion and walk the rest (if that suits them). I never thought of that, but back when I worked in the city and road the train, that would have been a good idea.

    That's a great attitude. Instead of looking at it as a sacrifice, see it as achieving a goal. That's a nice way to make it into something positive. People tend to respond better to positive messages.

    I always keep my card on me in case of emergency. I have learned to curb the impulse spending temptation... for the most part.
     
  19. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    I think painless ways to make money would include making cleaners from vinegar and so forth. Using materials that you already have around whether they going out to buy new products is a good idea. There are lots of beauty products you can make from materials you already are using in your kitchen. This is one way to save money.
     
  20. djdontpay

    djdontpayActive Member

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    Move to a cheaper place if possible while earning the same amount of money. I know that sounds crazy, but it works. It doesn't matter where you are, you can always find a cheaper city to move to. And staying at such a place for like a few months or years, will help you build up cash. And by the time you get ready to leave, you may not even want to. Case in point: My best friend moved from New York to Portland. We all thought he was a bit cuckoo, after all who leaves the most happening city to go anywhere else. Long story short, by the end of his 24-month stint, he had been able to put away $25k. That's money that he didn't have before. While most of us had only credit card debts and toys to show for savings.