Five Way's To Save Money During This Recession

Saving money during a recession is easier then you might think. There are a billion ways to save money, and most of them are exactly the same either during a recession or not during a recession, and you should be using these methods no matter what our economy looks like.

1. Coupons are an amazing way to save money. I was watching the local news the other day and this amazing lady had a grocery bill of just over $100. She only spent $1.00! Now, the thing about that newscast was they probably had been planning that shopping trip for some time, so they waited until it was triple coupon day, and the coupons matched up perfectly with what she needed to buy, and she only bought what was counted as triple coupon or free promo items. The point is, it is possible to save roughly 50$ to $75 a week on your grocery bill if you cut coupons and keep your eye on sales. We only shop for two, and our total bill is usually only around $70, but we save on average $30 to $45 a week!

2. Subscribe to the newspaper. I know it seems like spending money on newspaper delivery is wasted cash that you could be saving for something else, but trust me, if you simply receive the newspaper on maybe Wednesdays and Sundays, it will be money well spent. Copons and sales are immeasurable when it comes to saving money.

3. Shop only the sales, and the second-hand stores. I’m not going to lie, finding a deal at the mall where you can get two shirts for $10 is like winning the lottery sometimes. Sometimes it’s worth it to go shopping with a friend and split the cost of buy one, get one free sales. That way it save you both some money. Also, stores like Goodwill are honestly a diamond-in-the-rough sometimes, especially when they have their 50% off sales. This may not be your thing, but if you step into a Goodwill just one time during a 50% off sale, you might change your mind.

4. Carpool or use cash only gas stations. Places like Arco that have cheaper prices for cash only are great resources for saving money, if you have to drive. However, it’s better to plan out your day where you can avoid driving. Carpool as often as you can, and if you must drive, plan out the shortest routes and most efficient way to get around town. Utilize those saving-gas methods like not accelerating excessively and driving the speed limit. It truly will save you money.

5. Last, but definitely not least, do the little things around the house that will save you on your energy bills. Find out what sort of time-of-use plan or discount programs your power company offers. We have a time-of-use-plan that saves us hundreds every year. It might seem inconvenient to constantly be conscious of what time it is and what time you can and cannot do laundry and wash the dishes, or turn up your air, but it’s definitely worth it.

All of these tips to, admittedly, take a bit of effort on your part, but we no longer live in a time when we can afford to pay that extra to have someone else press our clothes or clean the house. We no longer have the luxury of going out to that fancy dinner and getting a babysitter every Friday and Saturday night. But, I, for one, believe that this is all for the better and that we will wake up to realize money doesn’t run our lives, our family and friends should be our number one priority.