The new year is almost here, and with that comes many new resolutions. People are always trying to save money and cut back on things. Student loans, car loans, and home mortgages can put a strain on your wallet. However, there are some very simple steps you can take to save a little more money in 2014. Having more financial control will allow you to find more stability in 2014.
Here are some great money saving tips for 2014:
- Need vs. Want– It’s a pretty simple concept, do you really need to purchase a new car, purse, or whatever you seems shiny and new. The answer is probably not, if you are thinking about my something new, try to think about whether the item is truly necessity.
- Turn your thermostat down– Winter is here and we are all tempted to crank the heat up. However, try turning it down a few more degrees at night and during the day to save some money. Also, make sure your hot water heater is not set too high, setting it to 120 degrees will help you save energy. These simple quick fixes will really help keep your energy bill down this winter.
- Start coupon clipping– Not only in the newspaper, but also online websites like www.coupons.com and www.smartsource.com. There are also several smart phone apps that allow you to pull up coupons right from your phone and scan them in-store. Applications such as SnipSnap, Shopkick, Yowza are all very popular coupon apps.
- Use your public library system– Many people have no idea how many movies that they can rent from their public library system. Stop spending money on movie rental subscriptions and start using your free public library system.
- Start collecting change– Collecting extra coins in a jar at the end of each day can really add up. Use this money to treat yourself to a night out.
- Skip the daily Starbucks run– More people really need to start doing this. Spending $3-$5 on a daily coffee fix is simply ridiculous. Making coffee from home is much more affordable and can save you a lot of money in the new year.