101 ways to save $500 a month
Written by admin on May 21st, 2011 101 Ways to Save 0 or More Every Month
Trim the fat not the fun from your budget
By Bryan Daly
This special report will provide you with 101 ways to save money on everyday items.
Shopping
#1 Shop One Per Week – It is a known fact that grocery stores are set up specifically to entice you into spending more than you intended. Impulse purchases can increase your grocery bill by as much as 35%. Avoid this by shopping only once per week and slash an average 3 off of your food bill.
#2 Shop Online – Better yet, avoid the store all together by purchasing household necessities over the internet. Because of the reduced overhead costs, online retailers are generally able to offer the same products found in a brick and mortar store for considerably less. Add to the fact that you can often eliminate sales taxes and find free shipping deals, you can kiss high shopping bills goodbye. Get free shipping and coupons from http://www.freeshipping.org.
#3 Bottle Water At Home – Americans are obsessed with water, spending over $ X billion dollars a year on bottled water. Save or more per month by investing in a water filtering system and bottling your own water at home. Not only will you keep more of the money you earn but you’ll be doing the environment a favor by cutting down the amount of bottles that find their way into landfills.
#4 Buy In Season Produce – We all know that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables everyday is good for you. But buying produce that is out of season is bad for your wallet. You’ll save between 20-50% simply by going with the flow of nature and eating what’s in season. Visit http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ to find a list of in season fruits and veggies.
#5 Buy Organic Selectively – While healthier for you than conventional fruits and veggies, organic produce can cost up to .00 more than those that come from farms which use conventional farming methods to grow crops. Cut down on the amount of pesticides you ingest while keeping a healthy budget by going to http://www.foodnews.org and learning which produce contains the most pesticides and which ones don’t and shopping accordingly.
#6 Buy Private Label – The private label products of most stores are just as good as, or better than, the brand name versions of the same products. You can save an estimated or more by switching to store brand canned produce, batteries, pain relievers, and basic beauty items such as nail polish remover.
#7 Look for Deals Online – In addition to using paper coupons, go virtual and look for coupons, rebates and deals online. Sites like, CouponMom.com and FreeShipping.org are great places to go to find coupons, free shipping offers and even earn a few dollars.
#8 Get a Virtual Shopping Assistant – If you love to shop but don’t have the time or inclination to scour the internet or offline sale papers for good deals, sign up to ShopItToMe.com. This site lets you sign up to be notified whenever your favorite designers go on sale at popular retailers such as Nordstrom.
#9 Use Loyalty and Reward Points – Take advantage of loyalty and points reward programs. These programs let you accrue points that you can use to purchase travel or merchandise. Most programs also send coupons and notices of special deals for members.
#10 Shop Second Hand – Buying gently used merchandise from second hand boutique stores can net you some brand name goodies at 50-75% off the normal retail price. Going this avenue is great for DIYers with the time and know-how to make an old side table hot again.
#11 Shop With Eyes Only – While it is better to avoid temptation in the first place, if you go to the mall or retail store avoid handling merchandise you have no intention of buying. According to two marketing professors, professors Joann Peck (University of Wisconsin– Madison) and Suzanne Shu (UCLA) touching products increases our sense of ownership of them, making it more difficult to leave it in the store.
#12 Inconvenience Yourself – You are far more likely to overspend if it is easy for you to shop. If you only need a few items, use a hand basket rather than a cart. Only need one or two things, ditch the basket altogether.
Work
#13 Pack a Lunch – The average cost of a fast food meal is .00. Not only does eating at burger and taco chains increase your waist size but they can drain your wallet. When cooking dinner make extra and then take the leftovers to work with you for lunch.
#14 Transportation Reimbursement – Ask your company about a transportation program that lets you put pretax money into a prepaid account for transportation costs such as parking fees and mass transit fees. You can set aside up to 0 per month which will net you a savings of about per month.
#15 Carpool – Not only is carpooling a great way to catch up on office gossip, you can reduce your commute costs dramatically by sharing a ride with an office buddy. Simply ask around the office for people who live close to you who may be interested or visit Erideshare.com for help finding fellow commuters in your area.
#16 Ride a Bike – Cycling to work is not only a money saving alternative to driving, it is also greener and a great way to get your daily dose of exercise. Purchasing a good quality bike at around 0 and riding to work on the days when the weather is nice will net you up to 0 in savings per month.
#17 Start Your Own Home Based Business – Starting a home business is great for both the spirit and the wallet. Since you’ll be working from home, all the money that you have spent on gas, clothing and restaurants will go back into your bank account. It is important, though, to start the right kind of business. see also tax benefits- this site at
Vehicle
#18 Downshift – Do you really need multiple cars? Even though owning two cars may be very convenient, you are paying twice the cost of fuel, insurance and maintenance than a household with only one car. Get a cash boost by selling it. If you can live without a second car, downgrade to a more economical option such as an Escort or Camry.
#19 Drive the Speed Limit – Speed demons pay more in fuel costs. The faster you drive the less miles per gallon you’ll be able to squeeze out of your gas tank. Going the speed limit can save you up to 23% a month.
#20 Maintain Your Tires – Keeping your tires properly inflated reduces drag and improves gas mileage. Check your tires weekly with a pressure gauge to make sure they stay at the manufacturers recommended tire pressure to get a 3% boost in your mileage.
#21 Get the Junk Out of the Trunk – Driving around a hundred pounds of unnecessary items in the trunk of your car can reduce your mileage by as much as 2%. Dump the extra load to increase fuel efficiency.
#22 Be a Safe Driver – Aggressive driving is not only illegal in most states but can cost you big time. Constant accelerating and decelerating wreaks havoc on your gas mileage. In addition to that, aggressive drivers are involved in more accidents which results in higher insurance premiums. Give your wallet a break and drive safe.
Family
#23 Share a Babysitter – Make going out on the town a little less expensive by sharing a babysitter with friends. Since there will be more kids you can pay the sitter a higher rate but one that is less than what you would have paid separately. For example, per hour combined vs. per hour separately.
#24 Swap Babysitting Duties – Better yet, skip the sitter and swap babysitting duties with other couples who have children. The kids will have more fun playing with their friends and you’ll have more money to spend for your night out.
#25 Swap Pet Sitting Duties – Along the same vein, instead of taking Fido to a kennel when you go out of town leave him with a fellow pet owner in exchange for the return of the same favor. Your pet will have a more comfortable place to stay and you’ll have enough money to bring him back a souvenir from your trip.
#26 Make Your Children Less Taxing – There are several tax breaks you may be eligible for as a parent. For example, the Child Tax Credit gives you an additional 00 per child under seventeen in tax credits. A qualified accountant can help ensure you take advantage of all deductions you qualify for.
#27 Take Advantage of Flex Spending – Even though 85% of employers offer Flex Spending accounts, only 6% of eligible workers take advantage of the program. That’s leaving money on the table. A Flex Spending account allows you to put pretax dollars in an account that can be used to pay for child care costs (up to 00) including day camps and health care costs (00-00 depending on the employer.
#28 Just Say No – It is estimated that over a five year period of time, parents will provide around ,000 in financial assistance to adult children. Make children pay their own way by reducing or eliminating the money you give.
College
#29 Circumvent the College Bookstore – Retailers, such as Barnes & Noble, are getting in on the college books market and you can often find the same books
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