Ten Ways to Give Yourself a "Raise"

Did you get a big raise this year? Unless you're a Wall Street executive, the answer is probably "no". In fact, if you are among the gainfully employed in this tough economy, you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones just to have a job.

Many people; however, are finding that their wages have been frozen. Unfortunately, our expenses do not remain static and continue to increase despite the economic situation of most wage earners.

Here are some steps you can take to keep a little more of your hard-earned pay or earn some extra cash this year and, in effect, give yourself a "raise":

1. Sell some of your clutter on eBay. Don't think you have anything to sell? It really is true that one person's trash is another person's treasure. You can sell your old record albums, best-selling paperbacks or hardcover books, used furniture, those gently worn shoes that you don't wear any more or just about anything else you no longer need. Set up an eBay account and a PayPal account through which you can receive payments and make refunds securely.

Maybe the high tech approach doesn't work for you. You can have a rummage sale or place an ad in your local paper to sell your unwanted items. Your potential "earnings" are limited only by the items you have to sell.

2. Do you still have a landline? The next time you receive a bill, take a look at the services you receive. Are caller ID and voice mail services really necessary? Do you even need that landline anymore now that you have a cell phone? Getting rid of extra services saves you money. Getting rid of your landline could save you $600 or more in a year.

3. You probably purchase cable or satellite service. Do you really need all those channels? If you're like most people, you'll find that you normally watch only a handful of channels day in and day out. Decide whether you feel comfortable with a switch to basic cable or a smaller satellite package. Your savings will depend upon the switch you make.

4. Take your lunch to work. If you take leftovers from the previous night's dinner, you could save as much as $150 a month. Even taking your lunch once a week may save you somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 a month for a yearly savings of $360.

5. Plan menus for the week and go to the grocery store only once a week. Don't go to the store when you are hungry, make a list of all needed items...and stick to the list! Although it may be a shock at first to purchase groceries for a full week, you will find in the long run that you are spending less at the grocery store, and you are buying more nutritious foods and less junk!

6. If you don't already carpool to work, now's the time to start. Also consider carpooling to your children's activities and other events you attend in the evenings and on weekends. Your savings will depend upon distances travelled and the current price of gas.

7. Swap babysitting services with your friends who have small children. Babysitting fees can run $20 or more for an evening. If you swap with friends just once a month, you can save $240 or more per year.

8. Eat in, not out. Cut back on just one meal out per month and the average family will save $300-400 per year.

9. Try a consignment shop to purchase clothing for yourself and your family. Take your cast-offs to the consignment shop to sell. If you can't stand the thought of wearing used clothing, wait until the end of season sales to buy clothing on clearance at the mall for the whole family.

10. Consider cancelling your subscriptions for the newspaper and one or more of the monthly magazines you receive. Many periodicals are now available on-line free of charge. Cancelling a daily newspaper and two magazines can save you as much as $150 per year.

These are only a few ideas of ways to add to your bottom line. Perhaps they will inspire some similar changes you can make in your life. Now get to work and earn that "raise"!