3 Practical Money-Saving Tips - Old Reliable vs. New Age

When the recession hit, most people were forced to live out of their normal comfort zone. The average person was living a lifestyle they were not accustomed to, but managed through the difficult times. Now the recession has eased for some and they want to return to their previous lifestyle. The initial fear is a return to a lower class. The question is, what can you do to not fall into similar situations of the past? The answer is incorporating the top 3 practical money-saving tips - whether old reliable or new age.

Practical Money-Saving Tip #1 - Grocery Store

Old Reliable

A constant within any lifestyle is a person's need to eat. When considering practical money-saving tips, think store brand instead of name brand. A consumer may be able to save 5-10% on their monthly grocery bill by choosing the store brand alone. Store cards and clipping or printing off coupons are two additional old reliable practical money-saving tips.

New Age

Many grocery stores now allow shoppers to order groceries online and pick up those groceries at a drive through station. This may not seem like a practical money-saving tip, but shopper who browse stores physically tend to pick up items not on the grocery list thus increasing the overall bill. By shopping online, the shopper is much less likely to add items to the cart if they are not on the list.

Practical Money-Saving Tip #2 - Entertainment

Old Reliable

Everyone loves a good night out or a relaxing evening entertaining with friends. To save money, consider renting a movie. The average movie theater ticket will cost $7, while a movie rental from Redbox is $1. Dropping the local cable company offers another huge impact to the monthly budget. Average cable prices range from $50 to $100 or more per month.

New Age

Netflix and Hulu offer streaming video, movies, cartoons and televisions shows for a huge savings over local cable companies. The one-DVD program with Netflix costs $8.99 per month and allows for unlimited streaming of television shows, movies and cartoons through a compatible device. Devices include Playstation 3, Wii Console, select televisions and select DVD players.

Practical Money-Saving Tip #3 - Travel

Old Reliable

Do you live near your co-workers? Car pooling is a practical money-saving tip worth using on a daily basis. Take turns with your team and the gas expenses will be split. Consider taking public transportation to work instead of using your car. Aside from the cost saving measures, you will be saving the environment. When traveling, seek out destinations which are closer to your home. For example, if you live near the beach, walk instead of driving. The final practical money-saving tip would be to trading down a vehicle which uses gas to a more fuel efficient car.

New Age

Telecommuting is a new age variation on old reliable practical money-saving tips. Many companies are allowing workers to telecommute one or more days a week to cut down on company costs. Telecommuting offers reduced fuel costs for workers and reduced utilities costs for employers. Some employees have no idea the companies they work for every day are open to telecommuting.

Saving money with practical money-saving tips is easier than ever before. Maybe you are more comfortable with the old reliable tactics or want to look into the latest trends in saving money. With old reliable and new age practical money-saving tips - you are bound to save more.