by Trent Hamm
Available in 24 free installments
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26. Plan your meals around your grocery store's flyer. Instead of just planning your meals based on a cookbook or whatever you can dream up, plan all your meals around what's on sale in your grocery store's flyer [50] , Look at the biggest sales, then plan meals based on those ingredients and what you have on hand, and you'll find yourself with a much smaller food bill than you're used to.
supermarket. Photo by fazen
Everything PF
http://www.thesimpledollar.com
27. Do a price comparison - and find a cheaper grocery store. Most of us get in a routine of shopping at the same grocery store, even though quite often it's not the one that offers the best deals on our most common purchases. Fortunately there's a simple way to find the cheapest store around. Just keep track of the twenty or so things you buy most often, then shop for these items at a variety of stores [51] , Eventually, one store will come out on top for your purchases - just make that one your regular shopping destination and you'll automatically save money.
28. Challenge yourself to try making your own things. Before I tried it myself, I thought homemade breadmaking was complicated and a waste of time and money. I came to find out that it was pretty easy [52J and it was actually much cheaper, healthier, and tastier than buying a loaf from the store. Now, we rarely ever buy bread products at the store - and we save money by making that choice. I've had a similar experience
with many other household staples, like laundry detergent [53] , cleaning supplies [54] , and oatmeal packets [55] , Make it yourself - it's surprisingly fun and it almost always saves you money.
29. Don't spend money just to de-stress. Quite often, I used to spend money just to wind down from a stressful day at work. Instead, I've found that I quite often feel much better by going home and taking some quiet time just to stretch and then meditate. I end up feeling much more together, happy, and ready to face an evening with the kids in the right mindset than I ever would by just blowing some cash after work. Instead of spending to de-stress, try some basic meditation techniques, stretching, or yoga and see how you feel.
30. Talk to your loved ones about what your dreams are. This seems like an odd way to save money, but think about it. If you spend time with the people you love the most and come to some consensus about your dreams, it becomes easy for you all to plan for it. If you're all planning and working together towards this dream, it becomes easier to stay focused on it and reach it. Set a big, audacious goal together and
encourage each other to be financially fit - soon, you'll find you're doing it naturally and your dreams are coming closer than ever.
31. Do a "maintenance run" on your appliances. Check them to make sure there isn't any dust clogging them and that they're fairly clean. Look behind the appliances, and use your vacuum to gently clear away dust. Check all of the vents, especially on refrigerators, dryers, and heating and cooling units. The less dust you have blocking the mechanics of these devices, the more efficiently they'll run (saving you on your energy bill) and the longer they'll last (saving you on replacement costs).
32. Cancel unused club memberships. Are you paying dues at a club that you never use? Like, for instance, a gym membership or a country club membership? Cancel these club memberships, even if you think you might use them again someday - you can always renew the membership at a later date if it turns out that you actually do miss it.
33. When shopping for standard items (clothes, sports equipment, older games, etc.), start by shopping used. Quite often, you can find the exact item you want with a bit of clever shopping at used equipment stores, used game stores, consignment shops, and so on. Just make these shops a part of your normal routine - go there first when looking for potential items and you will save money.
34. Keep your hands clean. This one's simple - just wash your hands thoroughly each time you use the bathroom or handle raw foods [56] , You'll keep yourself from acquiring all kinds of viruses and bacteria, saving you on medical bills and medicine costs and lost productivity. That's not to say you shouldn't explore the world and get your hands dirty sometimes - that's good for you, too - but basic sanitation does help keep the medical bills away.
