Easy Ways to Save Money Without Spending Money

There are many ways to save more money by first spending it. Many Web sites and articles are dedicated to saving money at the grocery store, saving money on eating out, or other ways to save money, which include spending money in order to save money. However, you don't always have to spend money in order to save money. Here are some ideas for saving money without having to spend money first.

Saving Money without Spending Money: Pay Raise

Receiving a pay raise is often a time for celebration. Even if you only earn $0.25 more an hour it's still more money than you were earning previously. Besides if you take that extra $0.25 and saved it all, considering that you work a full 40 hour week throughout the year, you would end up with $520 in your savings at the end of the year. Not bad for a $0.25 an hour pay raise. Living without your pay raise should be easy since you have already been living without it up to this point. You can either choose to put your entire raise into an online savings account and accrue interest or you can up the amount you allocate to your 401k plan at work. The pay raise ends up as $20 extra dollars every two weeks which could be placed into a 401k plan and forgotten about. In twenty years that $20 every two weeks will turn into $10400 extra for your retirement savings. Saving the money you get from a pay raise is perhaps one of the least painful ways to save more money.

Save Money without Spending Money: Side Job

Many people take on a side job to help pay for the bills. If you do not need a side job to help pay your bills then you can use it to help save you money. There are many opportunities for work that can help you to build up the money in your savings account. Writing articles for online websites such as Associated Content, babysitting neighborhood kids, newspaper route, etc are all great side jobs to earn money to save. Other easy ways to make money to save include: filling out online surveys, joining paid e-mail websites, and joining websites such as Cash Crate. For more information about making money online I suggest you visit this website. While you may not become rich with these side jobs and internet money making websites you can earn some extra cash to help your savings account grow. If you have the free time taking on a second job may help to add even more money to your savings account than a side job would. An added bonus of taking on a side or second job is that you will have less time available for spending money, instead you will be earning money that will become savings.

Save Money without Spending Money: Service Discounts

Another way to save money without spending it is to seek out discount from various service providers such as your local telephone and cable companies. Making a phone call, sending an email, or engaging in an online chat with your service provider's customer service department doesn't cost you a dime and yet it may save you some. When asking for discounts remember to use your manners. Customer service representatives will most likely be more willing to help you out if you treat them with respect and remember your manners, rather than demanding a discount or treating them poorly. If you contact the customer service department using one method and find your answers to be unsatisfactory, try contacting them using another method. You could always contact them again in the same manner as well and talk to another customer service representative instead. I recently contacted my local cable company in search of a discount through their online chat. Everything was going well until I was switched over to the sales department. I was told that I was not eligible for an advertised discount. I could have ended my attempts at receiving a money saving discount, but I didn't. Unsatisfied I called the customer service number and spoke to another customer service representative, think of it like getting a second opinion from a doctor. My phone call yielded me a nice money saving discount that I had previously been told wasn't available. Remember that kindness and persistence can be the key to finding a money saving discount for the services you receive. Now take the money that you have just saved yourself each month and throw it into an online savings account.

Save Money without Spending Money: Online Savings Account

Tucking money into an online savings account makes good sense. For those who have no problems with transferring their money from savings to checking may find this way to save useful. Online savings accounts do not instantly transfer your savings over to your bank account meaning you have to wait. While you can still transfer the money over you won't be able to use it to make impulse purchases. Online savings account transfers typically take between three to five business days depending on your bank's policies. Having to wait this amount of time before purchasing something can really make you think twice about spending your money. Even if you decided to go ahead and transfer the money into your checking account you may change your mind once the money is there and send it right back to your online savings account. Another bonus? Online savings accounts typically give higher interest rates than what your bank may offer. Online banks such as ING Direct will allow you to earn interest on your money without charging you any bank fees. There is no minimum amount you can transfer which means you can transfer the $5 you saved on your favorite brand of disposable diapers and throw it into your online savings account. Many banks offer low interest rates on their savings accounts, say around 2% if lucky, while online savings banks like ING Direct typically offer 4% or more. By saving your money in an online savings account over your traditional bank savings account you can end up with twice as much interest, making an online savings account a great way to save more money without having to spend a dime. Refer a friend and you can find yourself with some free money as well. To find out more you can visit ING Direct's website.

Saving Money without Spending Money: Recycle

Recycling is not only good for the environment, but it is a great way to save money as well. By repurposing items, or recycling them, you save money you would have spent buying something new instead. For instance, I have a kitchen island I bought many years ago. When I moved the island would not fit in my new kitchen. Rather than tossing it out or donating it I repurposed it, or recycled it, into an entertainment stand. It works great as an entertainment stand and I have saved money on buying a new entertainment stand instead. Even the cheapest of entertainment stands can cost $50. That $50 can make a great addition to your savings account. You can recycle many other things as well such as food jars, old jeans, socks, bed sheets, and more. Another way to save money using the idea of recycling is to check out your local Freecycle. You can pick up some handy items for your household for free while you save money. But remember any money saved isn't money saved if you don't save it. Estimate how much money you have saved yourself by recycling and add the total savings into your savings account.

Saving money without spending money can be easy. All of the above ideas are easy enough for everyone to use in order to save more money. Try one of these ideas and see just how much money you can save.