Money Saving Tips for 2018

Well that came out of nowhere!  I guess it’s good to be busy, but man, 2017 flew by and we are a little over a week away from going into 2018 and I’m not prepared.  As we reflect on the progress or regression of our finances over the past year, we can only hope to strive to do better in the upcoming year, which is why it’s a good idea to start preparing now to have a successful year by saving money in a few areas.

Seek Out Travel Deals

You don’t need to book trips through the endless amount of travel sites that are out there.  The truth is, not only will you be a priority by booking directly on the airline or hotel’s site if there is an issue with your reservation, while some also think insurance can help you, you will also get better deals by booking directly as well.  Sure, it’s important to stay on a budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t budget for a trip, after all, life experience is important to keep you sane and not miss out on a good time.

Sell or Donate Items Collecting Dust

If you are too late to gather items for a charitable donation this year, that doesn’t mean you still can’t clear out clothes and household items that are laying around the house collecting dust that could be better off for those less-fortunate.  Whether you have items you can sell on Craigslist, eBay, or donate all to charity to make it simple and write-off to ease your tax burden, there is nothing wrong with that, and you’re clearing space in your closet and storage area at the same time, probably something you have needed to take care of for years.

Coupons are Still Key

While the days of sitting down with the Sunday paper and clipping coupons may be over with, that doesn’t mean that saving money is dead.  With the number of coupons, I get in the mail, not to mention in my email, there is still no reason to buy anything full price.  For clothes and household items it’s always great to take advantage of the many sales year-round, and for grocery shopping, taking advantage of sales, your store rewards card can help with, no to mention loading digital coupons directly to your card, will also help take off money at the register.

Cut the Cord

While reducing unnecessary purchases is a great way to save money, sometimes you need to take it a step even further and see if you can lower your monthly bills.  Take cable for instance, how much live TV do you really watch, and how many channels?  Probably not worth $100-200 you a paying a month depending on your plan, not counting internet.  If you can cut the cable cord and get a streaming service or two for around $10 each, you can be spending a fraction of what you were paying, while still being able to keep up with all the best shows that are out there.

Comments

  1. I know of no better method than to follow the steps made popular by Dave Ramsey: 1. Get a baby emergency fund while you 2. Sacrifice and pay off all debt except a mortgage, then 3. Save 3-6 months of expenses into an emergency fund. Only then do you 4. Put 15% of your household income into tax-favored retirement plans such as 401ks and IRAs.

    If you start the conversation with, “Put 15% into your 401k” most people balk and say “I can’t afford that!”….because of student loans, credit cards, and car payments. Debt. So get out of debt first, and then you will have freed up your most powerful wealth-building tool, which is your income.

    It takes most people 2 to 2.5 years to get past step 2 and another 6 months or so to get past step 3. You can have the conversation about staying in your 401k up to the match during this time but the point is to free up your income by getting on a budget and paying off debt ASAP.

Speak Your Mind

*