Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Faith and Finance

Home
Evangelical
Business, Finance and Religion
Become a Money Saving Expert

Become a Money Saving Expert

Last updated on: April 28, 2014 at 12:11 am by Tim

Become a Money Saving Expert 2014-04-28T00:11:25-05:00 Tim

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The thought of being an expert at anything can be intimidating, especially when it comes to money. But you don’t need a degree in finance to become a money saving expert. You just need a little creativity and an open mind.

If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck, you can learn to spend less and save more with these money saving tips. But before you can really succeed, you need to:

– Have a plan

Your budget and savings plan need to have clear goals for how much you’ll spend and also save. It’s a two way street here and you want to set the right expectations or you’ll get lost!

– Change your mindset

You CAN be good at saving money. Don’t let past failures keep you from succeeding now. Today is the best day to start fresh!

– Follow this simple principle:

Spend less than what you make. It’s simple, but it really comes down to this.

I didn’t expound on these general tips because most are self-explanatory and some are simply idea generating tips. If you’re like me, I can usually think of a few good ideas when I read a couple of tips, so if you do, be sure to share them in the comments!

30 Money Saving Expert Tips

Ways to Get Frugal

– Buy used books online

– Borrow DVDs and books from libraries

– Shop secondhand

– Buy generic brands

– Make your own laundry detergent

– Save your spare change!

– Prepare double dinner portions for tomorrows lunch

– Ask for discounts – student, children, military, senior, church affiliation

– Ride a bike or walk

Controlling Monthly Entertainment

– Cut cable or trim satellite package

– Use Redbox instead of the movie store

– Use Netflix instead of cable

– Set specific days of the month for eating out

– Go to the matinee instead of the evening movie

– Make your own coffee or set aside cash only for your mochas

Lowering Other Monthly Bills

– Contact insurance providers – increase deductibles, lowering payments

– Call credit card company to lower interest rates on outstanding balances

– Use Sunday papers to reduce grocery bill with coupons

– Cut unused subscriptions and memberships

– Lower your utility bill with an automatically adjusting thermostat

– Trim down your cell phone plan

Building Retirement Savings

– Take advantage of the match!

– Make an Ira contribution for you and your spouse

– Convert to Roth for future tax savings

– Max out retirement accounts and utilize catch up provisions

Growing Your Wealth

– Create automatic savings – pay yourself first!

– Build your emergency fund!

– Have a garage sale – bank the cash!

– Sell Your Stuff on eBay!

– Set aside money for a car fund – pay for your next car with cash!

If you had one tip to contribute to this list, what would you add?

image credit: posterize

ALL

Personal Finance

Saving

Previous Post

March 3, 2014

3 Reasons Why Your 401k is So Important

Next Post

August 8, 2014 16 Fundamental Truths of Personal Finance

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category ALL Bible and Money Biblical Perspective Book Reviews Budgeting Business Corner Churches and Pastors Debt Encouraging Scriptures Entrepreneurship Faith and Economics Family and Money General Personal Finance Giving Inspirational Quotes Investing Making Money Other Personal Finance Retirement Reviews Round Up Saving Self-Improvement Taxes Uncategorized

Select a Month January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 November 2016 October 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?"

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joshua Elijah Moses Aaron