How to save money without really trying

There are hundreds of ideas floating around about the best ways to save money, and while they all have potential to help cut your spending, some are much more difficult to accomplish than others. Companies like Nationwide Debt Reduction Services works to reduce your overall debt. 

A good example of a more onerous tip is cleaning up your credit history, which is tedious and time-consuming but essential if you want to obtain the lowest possible interest rate on a new loan. You can check your credit score for free on sites like Credit Karma or Mint.

Another example would be ending an expensive but addictive habit like tobacco or alcohol, because depending on your level of devotion to either sport, quitting can be very difficult indeed.  One recommended method is to make a nightly ceremony of not buying beer or fags:  calculate the usual cost of your daily ration, then put that amount of cash into the drawer of your bedside table.

That puts an immediate monetary value on your self-control and provides reinforcement supporting the change.  As is true with other goals in life, the payoff for making drastic changes in order to save is proportional to the effort you’ll need to succeed, but take heart:  if you prefer to ease imperceptibly into thrifty habits, here’s a list of simple tips to follow, each one of which will reduce your spending by a least a little.

Effortless savings tips

As you’ll find, these minor alterations in your daily routine are often entertaining as well as thrifty.

Reuse those plastic carrier bags, which even non-savers like to do because they’re so versatile.  You can use them when you clean the litter box or pick up after your dog, you can bag your lunches in them, you can use them as small bin liners, and if you take them with you then you won’t need to pay a carrier bag fee in the shops that charge.

If you enjoy crafts, you can recycle carrier bags in making all kinds of objects.  There are instructions for converting the bags into a thick plastic yarn that can be woven, knitted, or crocheted into baskets, shopping bags, hats, toys, scatter rugs and anything else your imagination suggests.

Recycle your old T-shirts.  The most beloved shirts eventually acquire so many holes and stains they’re no longer wearable, but many people are reluctant to part with old favorites.  Using what’s left of a T-shirt as a dishtowel, cleaning rag, or painting cloth can ease the pain of parting by extending its useful life until it’s unrecognizable.

Don’t pay to park.  If you leave your car farther away from your destination, you can save money while enjoying the exercise of walking a bit before you arrive.  Make sure you allow extra time so you won’t be late for appointments, and take into account the public safety factor.  If you’ll be at risk in walking, or your car won’t be safe left at a distance, then the prudent course is to accept the paid parking, but otherwise you should choose the savings.

Make a shopping list, and remain within its limits no matter how tempted you may be by a glance at an alluringly displayed something you don’t need. Most people do their marketing in a semi-organized fashion, and it’s true there are numerous ways to set a shopping regimen that can help you save money by moving you through the store quickly and setting parameters ahead of time for what constitutes a good deal.

However, the single easiest way to keep your purchases within bounds is to decide what they will be before you set foot in the store.  The trick is adhering to the all-important list, and one recommended method involves planning a four-week period in which you will shop once each week, buying only what’s on your list.  Do not even consider buying any extraneous items, and be prepared to extend that period for a few extra weeks until you’ve succeeded in instilling the list-only habit.

Once it’s second nature to honor the list, you can start evaluating savings offers on the items listed, because if you can find deals on non-perishable goods you already buy there’s no reason to pass those up.  In order to evaluate the offers you find on the spot, you’ll need to include, for each selection, the lowest price you can find at the stores you visit regularly.