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How
to have more money at the end of the month
How
to have more money at the end of the month
By Lori Tate
Even
if you have have plans for every possible freelancing question that
arises, surprises may come up, especially financial emergencies.
This can be scary, as you may not have a reserve cash fund, or indeed
any help at all. So how can you follow your dream, and have some
extra cash at the end of the month?
Use the following tips, and
you just may find that being frugal is more fun than you thought.
Grocery
shopping
· Forget name brands. You pay for packaging and advertising,
and if you compare name brands, like Kraft, with the store brand,
you'll find that the ingredients are very similar, but the store
brand can be as much as $.20 cheaper.
· Buy in bulk.
Obviously, this idea will only work for
non-perishable items, or in a case of a big family, items you know will be
used right away. You can buy in bulk at discount stores, like
Costco, or just buy the biggest package at a regular grocery
store. Costco memberships are about $40 per year, but you can
get great deals, like 30 pounds of cat litter for under $6.
(At a regular grocery store, seven pounds of cat litter go for
about $3.)
· Forget coupons.
Yes, I know this goes against everything
you've ever heard, but in my experience, here's how it goes down. You go
to all the trouble to sort through the ads, and clip coupons, adding 15
minutes to your day. Then you have to remember to take the coupons
to the store, or at least a list of the great deals you are
looking for, if coupons aren't required. Then, after all that
work, what do you save? A couple bucks, at best. And don't forget,
the store may not even have the advertised item in stock, or
you may not be able to find coupons for the items you use.
· Look for the lowest price.
Shop around initally to
find the grocery store that will give you the lowest price overall
on the items you buy, and then stay with that grocery store.
Rushing all around town to save a few bucks is probably not
going to make you feel very good, and the gas you use will make
the savings a wash. You can also do what my family does - we
do most of our grocery shopping at our regular grocery store,
and then do our bulk shopping (toliet paper and cat litter)
at Costco.
Clothes
shopping
· Try discount stores.
I'm not talking Marshall's or Ross
Dress For Less. Although they do have good prices, you can generally
get lower prices at thrift stores, like Goodwill or Salvation Army.
I can hear you saying, "But I don't want to look like a thrift
store reject!" Be assured that thrift stores have come a long
way; most of the ones I've visited are neat, clean and airy, and
I would wear most of their stuff. It's like looking for treasure;
you just have to be willing to do it.
· Hit the sales.
Lots of sales happen over three day weekends,
like Labor Day or Memorial Day or the day after Christmas. You can
get great discounts, especially after Christmas, when items are
marked as much as 75 percent off. Try and stock up on things you'll
need for the future, like sneakers, shorts or flannel sheets.
· Buy neutral colors. If you buy a lot of brown or dark blue
colors, you'll be set, because these colors go with almost everything.
Forget buying white, as it will get dirty fast, and you'll have
to wash it more often, thereby shortening its life span.
· Go with wash-n-wear.
Buy clothes that don't need ironing
or dry cleaning. Not only will this free up time for you, it will
also free up money.
· Ask for clothes.
If people ask you what you want for Christmas
or birthdays, ask them for a gift certificate to your favorite clothing
store.
Major
appliances
· Shop around.
You may say, "But I don't have time for
that. Sears always has the best deals." Really? Would you be
willing to risk $100 on that? Sometimes that can be the difference
in price between stores. Call two or three different stores, like
Home Depot, Sears, and Orchand Supply Hardware. Ask what the range
of prices is for the item you want. Be sure to ask about additional
charges too, like delivery and installation.
· Consider a no-frills appliance.
Think about it. What do
you really need your clothes dryer to do? Dry clothes. Consider
getting a dryer that does just that.
· Talk with store employees about your item.
What do they
think are the best brands and why? What would they prefer to use
themselves? If you don't get straight answers, consider shopping
elsewhere.
· Ask for discounts.
Say you're buying two appliances from
the same store. Ask for the delivery fee to be waived. Say you see
a ding on a table you got. Ask for a discount. For example, my husband
and I recently purchased a kitchen table and chairs, and one of
the tops of the chairs had been broken off. I called the store,
and got a $40 credit on our credit card.
Electricity
· Don't use your clothes dryer.
"What?" I can hear
you yelling. "You're nuts!" Yes, I'm nuts, to the tune of $50. That's how much my husband and I reduced our electric bill by not using our clothes
dryer. Instead, I hang up the clothes on a clothesline in our back
yard. It's under the roof, and only takes me about 15 extra minutes
per washer load. Not bad for the $50 return we see on our bill every
month.
· Turn off the air conditioner and heater.
Depending on how
well insulated your house is, you may be able to get away with only
using your heater at night, and then turning it off in the morning.
If you decide to do this, make sure your heater is really off, or
you'll incur extra expenses. You can keep from using your air conditioner
by opening windows at night, and then closing them in the morning,
thereby trapping all the cool air in the house. Also, close your
window shades, which will also make it cooler in the house. Also,
don't forget to drink your eight glasses of water a day, which will
help you stay cool too. If you really need to use the air conditioner,
try only turning it on for 15 mintues until the house cools down,
then turn it off.
Going
at it alone doesn't have to mean that you give up your financial
freedom. Being frugal can even be considered a compliment, because
you're the one that has extra money at the end of the month. Additionally,
as your business grows, your money will too, and you'll have that
much more money to spare.
LORI
TATE
Lori
Tate has been writing professionally for ten years, and has had
more than 50 articles accepted by Internet companies in the past
three years. She has worked as a professional journalist, a product
reviewer, and an editor. Currently working as a freelance writer
and editor, she also has finished a
fantasy short story (see it here).
See
Lori's other work at
Sagebase;
papa.essortment.com
nm.essortment.com
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LORI
TATE
Lori
Tate has been writing professionally for ten years, and has had
more than 50 articles accepted by Internet companies in the past
three years. She has worked as a professional journalist, a product
reviewer, and an editor. Currently working as a freelance writer
and editor, she also has finished a
fantasy short story (see it here).
See
Lori's other work at
Sagebase;
papa.essortment.com
nm.essortment.com
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