How to Save $1200 a Year the Easy Way

Everyone wishes that they had more money. There are several ways that we can accomplish that goal. The first way is to go out and make more money by working extra hours or finding one of those rare investments that will pay big money some day. Who wants to work more hours? Instead, there is another way to begin having enough left over each year to start a savings account or take a vacation without worry. These five easy changes in your life will show you how to save over $1200 a year and you will barely notice the changes.

1.) Pack a Lunch for Work - Eating lunch out at work is fun and there is no reason to stop doing that completely. However, if you are currently eating lunch out five days a week, you are eating a huge hole in what could be some extra money. Instead, continue to eat out one day a week while packing a lunch the other four days. This could save you a lot of money. Eating lunch out five days a week even at a skimpy $5.00 a day can cost you up to $1250 a year. If you pack a $2.00 lunch at home four days a week, this amount will decrease to about $600 a year. This one simple change can save you and your family $650 a year without deprivation.

2.) Pay Bills Online - The days of envelopes and stamps are coming to an end in many families. Paying your bills online may seem like an insignificant change, but if you continue to pay your bills using the postal service, you are using money that could be saved. If you pay 10 bills a month or 120 bills a year by mail, you are spending $44.00 in postage at the current rate of stamps. Pay those bills using your computer and not only will you save time, but you will have that $44.00 to spend on something else.

3.) Use Coupons - Certainly, you would only use coupons on products that you would normally buy anyway. However, if you use only $4.00 worth of coupons twice a month on products you would buy anyway, your have saved yourself $96.00 with little to no extra effort. This is one of the easiest ways to save each and every month without it changing your life.

4.) Combine Trips - If you spend a lot of time running errands or transporting your children to and from activities, it can get very expensive. Begin to think about how you could combine some of the trips. Filling a 15 gallon gas tank one less time each month can result in big savings. Gas prices are well over $2.50 in most parts of the United States. By figuring out ways to fill the tank one less time each month, you could save a minimum of $450 each year.

5.) Cut Back on Soda - Americans love to drink soda. If your family drinks a lot of soda at home, issue a challenge in your home. Attempt to get your family to drink more water and less soda during the month. Not only is it healthier, but it will cut down on the cost of groceries each month. As a family, if you can commit to drinking one less 12 pack of soda each and every month of the year, you have just saved at least $36.00 a year on groceries, not to mention the dentist bills.

It is important to learn how to save money. If you follow these very simple ideas, you will have managed to save over $1200 a year without changing the quality of your life or depriving your family. Imagine what you can do with $1200 extra dollars each year.