Monthly Archives: February 2014

Become Frugal by Adopting These 5 Habits

If you could learn to cut some more corners when it comes to your saving and spending, it could make a big difference to your overall financial picture. By changing just 5 habits, you’ll be on the track to greater wealth.

Get Comfortable Saying No

Whether it comes to people selling their kid’s fundraiser items at work or declining an invitation for a night out on the town when you’d rather stay home anyway, you’ll be able to bank a lot of money just by learning to say no.

While it’s not always possible to squirm your way out of things, your financial picture will improve with every invitation you decline. There is a balancing act with this one – you don’t want to turn into some hermit who never leaves his house because you don’t want to spend money. The next tip will help you with getting out and having fun while you’re still saving money.

Find Free Activities

There are a lot of free activities in every town and city if you pay close enough attention. Whether there are outdoor concerts offered for no charge or there are nice parks with walking paths, if you put on your thinking cap, you’ll be able to find something to do.

You’ll have fun and you’ll be able to pad your bank account as well.

Use Only Cash or Debit

Turns out, your grandparents and great-grandparents were onto something when they used cash to pay for everything. They didn’t have much choice back in the day because there weren’t any credit cards to get into trouble with. But if you channel their spending habits, you’ll be a lot better off.

Try to go on a credit card diet for a couple months and see how much that improves your bottom line. Only buy items if you have the cash for them. It’ll be hard at first, but you’ll soon reap the benefits.

Stop Window Shopping

Window shopping, whether it’s at an actual store or online, is a surefire way to be tempted to spend money on items you don’t need to begin with. It’s easy to find so many purchases you think will make your life easier or better, but in actuality, they might be making it worse.

It’s better to see your bank account build up over time than it is to be swayed into buying things that catch your eye. If you make no window shopping a priority, your purchases will slow down and your savings will ramp up.

Learn to Do Your Own Repairs

Taking a basic class about auto mechanics or watching some YouTube videos about how to do home repairs can save you a ton of money. While you may not be able to replace your transmission in your car if it starts to go, you should be able to do basic things like replacing your spark plugs or batteries.

Learning to become handier will save you a lot of money in the long run, and you’ll feel more confident as well.