Seeing Saving Money Ideas Through 'Fresh Eyes'

Having worked in the hotel business for a number of years, I recognize the value of being able to approach a situation with "fresh eyes." The manager that brought me aboard at my first hotel was looking for someone new to the business, and who hadn't been tainted by years of seeing the same hotel, same hotel rooms, and same hotel problems. He wanted someone with "fresh eyes" to see the property from a viewpoint other than the supervisors who had been doing that sort of work for years and in some cases decades.

It was an approach I had not heard of before, but thought it was a unique one that had many merits and one that I adopted with some of the employees that I eventually brought on board. Sometimes being able to avoid preconceived notions about the way things can or should be done opens up the world immensely and brings new thoughts and ideas to the table.

So why not try such an approach to saving money? Well, I have, and here are some of the ways in which I've done it.

Exchange Shopping Lists

Exchanging shopping lists with friends, family or colleagues might seem simple -- and it is -- but I'm willing to bet that not many people have done it. You might be wondering how doing this could help you view saving money from fresh eyes. Well, not only is exchanging shopping lists a great way to come up with new food and meal ideas, but seeing what products other people spend their money upon could open some fresh money saving ideas.

I'm always amazed by what my mother comes up with in the way of inventive and often frugal meal ideas. She buys completely different products than my wife and I, and that often opens our eyes to great new money saving meal ideas.

While you're at it, you might also want to ask those you compare lists with where they do their shopping. Finding out where the deals are is another way to save big. My wife had a co-worker who shopped at a grocery store that we had never tried, but after giving it a shot on her recommendation, we found that we saved on almost every product on our list as compared with our previous grocery store.

Stay a While

When my wife and I are on vacation or even on a weekend trip, we sometimes stay with family or friends. I make it a point when doing so to try to pay attention to what these people do around the house, the products they use, and the way in which they conduct their lives.

It's amazing just what you can pick up on by watching other people go about what to them is their regular routine. From the type of car they drive to their home furnishings, appliances and other aspects of daily life, not necessarily copying, but at least paying attention to the lifestyles of others could have you coming up with all kinds of new money saving products and ideas.

Just Mention the Subject of Saving

Talking about money is taboo for many, but you don't necessarily have to bring it up directly by asking people how much their utilities cost them, how much they spend on food each week, what their 401k is worth or similar invasive questions.

Sometimes the mere mention that you are looking for ways to save money is enough to get a great conversation about the subject rolling. I've found that people often love to tell you money saving methods they've discovered. And while these methods might not always work for your particular situation, they may get you on a new train of thought or help you to mold a portion of their methods to your specific needs.

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Disclaimer:

The author is not a licensed financial professional. The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For financial advice, readers should consult a licensed financial advisor. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is solely at the reader's discretion.