Six easy ways to save money

Virtually everyone can find spare dollars in their budget if they know where to look. These six easy ways to save dollars are among the best money-saving tips you’ll find anywhere. Work one or more of these suggestions into your life and watch your savings account grow.

1. Stay home. Whether you’re eating, entertaining or working out, you simply don’t encounter the same temptations to spend money at home as you do when you go out. Stay away from online shopping sites, and make dinner from scratch. Pour yourself a glass of wine and watch a movie on TV or play a video game instead of going out.
2. Comparison shop. You may be able to get better deals on everything from your car insurance and credit card rates to your cellular phone service. Be sure you’re evaluating apples to apples as you do your research, and give your present provider a chance to match a lower priced deal before you switch. 
3. Give up your car. Gas, insurance, repairs and upkeep — not to mention the car payments — all take a hefty bite out of your wallet. Ride your bike, carpool or take the bus. Look into a car-sharing plan such as a Zipcar or Flexcar for those times when you have to have your own wheels.
4. Rack up the loyalty card points. Earn rewards in as many packages as you possibly can, and use your reward points to get rebates and save money on groceries, travel and more.
5. Save change on your debit card transactions. Many banks have programs that round your debit card purchases up to the nearest dollar and deposit the difference in your savings. The nickels, dimes and quarters add up fast!
6. Repair before you replace. Sew on missing buttons, and repair hems on pants or skirts. Take your broken toaster coffeemaker to a small appliance repair shop instead of immediately replacing it. For  a few dollars, you may extend the useful life of everything you own our appliances’ useful lives by months or years.

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