How to Save Money when You Don't Have Much to Begin With

Sometimes it seems you will never save up enough money to buy that new computer or take that dream vacation, but saving money can be easy. I know what you're thinking - you've done all the suggestions the money magazines suggest. You've cut out Starbucks, you've cut out fast food, you've quit smoking or drinking, and yet you still feel as though you aren't saving any money. Many money saving ideas are designed for people who already make a little extra and it's a matter of cutting back on their excess expenses....but what about people who only make enough to get by? What about college students who are forced to live on a budget? What can people do to help save what little money they have?

• Save your daily change in a change jar - You'd be surprised at how quickly that can add up. Someone I know was doing this for a year leading up to a cruise and she managed to save over $200. Of course, you need to make sure you don't touch the jar at all. No grabbing quarters for the meter or the soda machine at work. I occasionally count and roll the coin in my jar, and when it reaches $100, I put it into my savings account.
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• Save dollar bills - My cousin read about this idea in a magazine. Pick a number (in my family, we tend to use our birthday, so 28 for me because my birthday is the 28th, 73 for my mom because her birthday is July 3). Anytime you see those numbers (either next to each other, or both appearing separately) in a dollar bill serial number, save it. You can take it one step farther and look for the number together in the serial number of big bills. If you are in a country that uses coins for the one dollar amount, pick a year and save the coins from that year, or count your dollar coins as part of your daily change.
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• Clip coupons and shop store sales fliers - but only use coupons on items you already use. Don't buy something just because there was a coupon for it. The same with store sales. Many companies also now offer coupons online, saving you from having to purchase a Sunday newspaper. Take it one step further and add the amount you've saved to your coin jar (It's usually listed on the bottom of your receipt).
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• Brown bag/Bento it - Start packing lunches. Think about what you like as a snack, and purchase it in the larger sizes instead of individual and re-package it yourself. You can purchase reusable plastic containers at your local dollar store, or spend a few more dollars on a higher quality item once. Don't forget a water bottle and a drink mix packet for a beverage. Using reusable containers for things like sandwiches and chips not only cut down on waste, but on money in buying plastic bags. Figure out how much you'd spend on lunches out for the week, compare it to what you spend making lunch, and put the difference in your savings.
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• Make your own pizza - Instead of spending $10-15 to get a pizza from a pizzeria, consider purchasing a packet of dough, a can of sauce, and your own toppings. You can get the supplies for two pizzas for under $10.
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• Buy knock-offs and shop sales - Check end of season sales for items you could wear in the current season, or that you could save for the following year. Make sure the items are of good quality so they will last. check Target or Wal-Mart for shoes or purses that look similar to designer styles. No one but you needs to know where you got them! Check the Sunday fliers in the newspaper for good sales - 40% off or more. Check eBay for the designer brands you want, shop at consignment stores, and check thrift stores and goodwill/salvation army type stores.
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• Budget for your shopping trips - Like to shop? Set a budget for when you go to the mall, say, $50. Once you spend $50, you're done. If you have money leftover, put it into your money jar.
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• Shop online, but look for shipping deals - Books and DVDs on Amazon.com are often cheaper than those at a store, and if you spend $25, you get free shipping. If you aren't going to spend $25, instead of shopping around and picking another item for yourself, look for an item you can purchase now to save as a gift for someone, or ask a friend if they want to buy a book so you can share free shipping. If you have an iPod, consider purchasing all your music through iTunes. Most albums on iTunes are only $9.99, and in addition to saving a few dollars, you've eliminated a bit of clutter from the actual CD.
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• Buy bulk whenever possible - Split a membership to a warehouse club with a friend (most places give you two cards. No point giving a card to another member of your household when they can go with you to the store). Purchase items you know you use a lot in bulk - shampoo, body wash, dish detergent, even plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Stay away from items you might not use by the expiration date and any item you wouldn't usually purchase. Sometimes you also can get good deals on electronics if you're shopping around for a new computer. Investing in a large freezer might be a good idea to take advantage of bulk frozen foods.
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• Lower your cell phone bill - Easier said than done, I know. But take a look at your monthly alloted minutes and how much you use. Call your provider and they can help you with this, too. If you have free in-calling and most of your calls are to other people on the same network as you, consider lowering your plan for outside calling. This also can apply to your text messaging plan, as many providers offer free in-texting. Consider switching to the same provider as the people you talk to most often are on.
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• Sell the stuff you don't want - Craig's List is a great place to list heavy or large items for local pick-up. eBay is sometimes a good place to sell things - from used (but functioning) electronics to designer shoes still in good shape. Browse Eba for a few weeks before listing your items to get a good idea of what you might get for an item, but don't forget eBay has listing fees, and if you're accepting paypal, there might be a paypal fee, too. Used DVDs, video games, and CDs can go to a store like Game Stop. Look in the phone book for a used book store in your area that buys old books or list them on half.com. Amazon also offers it's users the ability to offer used books.
  

• Consider a side business - If you live near a college, offer to proofread papers or offer typing services. College students (especially Education majors) make great part-time nannies and babysitters. Offer to walk dogs or pet sit. Mow lawns. Find something you wouldn't mind doing in your spare time that can earn you a few extra bucks. If you're a crafter, consider listing items on Etsy or eBay. I'm publishing this article on a site that pays you for writing. Look around online and offline for ways to earn a little bit of extra cash to save.

I hope these ideas help! If you're afraid you'll wind up spending your savings on other things before the item you're saving up for, consider opening a savings account with an online bank such as ING. An Online only bank means that you will have to go online and schedule a withdrawal (which can take up to three business days), so you're less tempted by an impulse buy. I've successfully used ING to save for a cruise, and now I'm using it to save for another trip. You will need to deposit the money first into your regular checking or savings account and link it to ING, but I also was able to link my ING account to PayPal so I could send payments I've received in PayPal directly to ING. Paypal also offers it's members a money market account that gains interest and if you upgrade to being a business member, you can get a Mastercard attached to your Paypal account that puts back 1% of all your purchases. Another option would be to open the savings account at a bank other than your regular bank, or see if your bank has a "Christmas club" account. club accounts are passbook savings accounts that you deposit money into throughout the year and then receive a cheque for the full amount around Christmastime. You cannot make withdrawals from this account throughout the year, only deposits.