Tips for Saving Money - Today and Everyday

In today's economy everyone is looking for ways to save money and get the most out of the money that is spent.

Don't throw away shampoo bottles when they get empty. Instead use smaller bottles and refill them from bigger bottles. Then you can save money by purchasing in bulk but maintain the convenience of the smaller bottles in your shower.

When your spices, salt, lotion, etc start to run low cut the box or bottle in half. Store in a Ziploc baggie to keep it fresh but you can now get every drop of your product out of the packaging.

Store your sugar, flour, coffee, and such that come in bags, in plastic containers. You are less likely to get bugs or weevils, plus you can then open the bags all the way and get every last grain out.

If you find that you leave the ceiling lights on in your home but only use a small space (like a reading space) splurge a little and visit your local ARC Thrift Store or Goodwill and find a lamp. Even without a shade the light is just as bright without the expense of running your 70-watt ceiling light. It is not safe to use a smaller bulb in the ceiling lights, but the energy saving bulbs are a good investment for the long run.

When running your air conditioner or heater turn on the ceiling fan. It helps circulate the air to where you are using it, thus allowing you to feel cooler or warmer without increasing the furnace or A/C's output. The fan should blow down for cold air and up for warm air.

We've all see the commercials about expensive printer ink. Instead of using your own printer go to your local library. They usually have a set number of pages you can print for free each day if you have a library card. This is great for black and white printing (manuals or resumes). If you "feel bad" about using this free service you can make a small yearly donation to your library community - you help get more books (and printer ink) and get a tax write off in the end! Also, if you need to use your own printer for color-etc- be sure to ask your local ink store if there are refill services available. Usually a 10% discount and you don't have to hunt down a recycling center for your old cartridges!

Leftovers are your best friend when food is so expensive. But they aren't worthwhile if no one will eat them! Usually this is because they are only good in your fridge for about a week, your freezer for a month and your family doesn't want to eat the same meal twice in a week. So, when storing your foods for another day try to store it separately. If you cook spaghetti put the noodles separate from the sauce. Then if you have chicken or steak another day you can serve a new meal by tossing chicken and parmesan with the noodles instead of the same tomato sauce. This is a great way to get kids to help cook as well. They don't have to "cook" anything, just mix together and bake - or reheat in the microwave.

If you are tightly strapped for money and you have high speed internet or cable television this would be a good time to re-evaluate your spending. Consider cutting down your cable to the most basic possible for a few months. If you want movies join Netflix or other such "rental" program. You still get your movies and you only spend about $10-$20 per month. For internet you may find cheaper - but not quite as fast - by contacting your local telephone provider. Find a local computer specialty store in the phone book and give them a call. They will know what services are available in your area. It may be frustrating to have slower speed when you are used to super high fast, but you can continue to surf the web without paying and arm and a leg for it. Don't worry, when things get better you can always upgrade again.

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