Money Saving Ideas from Southeast Area Extension Says

Looking for ways to save money 

Between the weak economy, the drought, and the federal shutdown, many families are apprehensive about the future.  If you’re looking to cut expenses to make your future more secure, here are some suggestions:

1.      Establish and use a spending plan!  Beginning on the first day of a new month, track everything you purchase.  Then, review your list at the end of the month.  It is much easier to make a spending plan once you see where your money is going. 

2.      Continue to track your spending.  Knowing they’ll write those purchases down helps control impulse spending for most people.

3.      Keep your car engine tuned and its tires inflated to their proper pressure to save up to $100 a year in gas.

4.      Avoid overdraft fees by keeping track of your bank balance and your spending.  The $20-40 you save by not bouncing checks or overdrawing your account adds up fast.

5.      Make a list before you grocery shop—and stick to it.  People who food shop with a list, and buy little else, spend much less money than those who decide what to buy when they get to the supermarket.  The annual savings could easily be hundreds of dollars.  Preplanning pays off.

6.      Set aside money from each paycheck as soon as you receive it, rather than waiting to see what is left at the end of the month.  Make savings a top priority in your budget like rent.

7.      Plug your spending leaks.  Add up what you’re spending on “little things” such as snacks, soda, fast food, cigarettes, lottery tickets, magazines, and more.  If you can “find” $5 per day from reduced spending, that adds up to $1,825 per year.

8.      The best investment most borrowers can make is to pay off consumer debt.  For example, if you have a $3,000 credit card balance at 19.8%, and you pay the required minimum balance of 2% of the balance or $15, whichever is greater, it will take 39 years to pay off the loan.  With accumulating interest, you will pay more than $10, 000 in interest charges.  

Extension Agent Kaye Kasza says, “The only sure-fire way to get ahead financially is to spend less than you earn.  Counting on a big inheritance or settlement, a wealthy spouse, a game-changing invention, or winning the lottery is unwise.” 

SOUTHEAST AREA EXTENSION SAYS

Kaye Kasza, CSU Extension Agent

Contact: Kaye.kasza@colostate.edu or 719-456-0764