30 Ways To Stretch and Maximize Your Dollar

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At Home

1. Insulate your hot water heater, & keep it on the lowest temperature you can get by with.  Also, if you leave for the weekend, turn it on the vacation setting.
2. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat for your A/C or heating, try to keep it off as much as possible. Open your windows in the spring and fall.
3. Get rid of your land line, and go with VOIP, or use your cell phone.
4. Examine your cable subscription, and try to cut any unnecessary packages, channels, etc. Better yet, get rid of your cable or satellite TV.
5. Only wash full loads in your washing machine. Consider using a clothesline to dry. If you use your dryer, set the time for the minimum you think it will take to dry.  If you run your dryer for 10 to 15 minutes longer than you need to, the wasted energy (and cost) will add up over the course of a year.
6. Consider making your own laundry detergent.
7. Plan out your meals weekly, incorporating leftovers to save time and money. Or, batch cook for the whole week on the weekend.

Car

1. Change your own oil.
2. Do your own car maintenance up to a point you feel comfortable. At a minimum, learn to do the things a Quick- Lube place will charge you 3x as much for, such as replacing windshield wipers or your air filter, which are quite simple.
3. Keep up with vehicle’s regular maintenance schedule. Your car will last longer, and you will avoid turning minor things into larger, more expensive problems.
4. Take public transportation, ride a bike, or walk.

Shopping/Spending

1. Use coupons, shop the sale ads, and buy generics for grocery items. By combining all three, you can get the most for your $.
2. Sign up for rewards cards/customer appreciation cards at every place you shop.
3. Sign up for Upromise, Ebates , and Fatcash. Make money when you spend money.
4. Plan ahead for birthdays, anniversaries, and especially Christmas gifts.
5. Search the Internet for deals, sales, and coupons.

Work

1. Bring your lunch to work.
2. Consider carpooling or taking public transportation.
3. While its good to be sociable, don’t feel like you have to go out every week for drinks or other social events with your co-workers.
4. Market yourself at work.

Entertainment

1. Use the library.
2. Take advantage of free events in your town or city.
3. Plan a picnic.
4. For your next vacation, go camping.
5. Cancel your gym membership and start exercising at home or outside (Biking, walking, running, etc.).

Create Cash or Increase Your Income

1.  Hold a garage sale.
2. Sell items your no longer use on Ebay or Craigslist.
3. Work overtime at your job if available. Ask if it is available and volunteer to work overtime.
4. Moonlight/Get a part-time job.
5. Turn a hobby into an income producing skill.

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Tagged as: Frugality, Personal Finance, Saving Money