It’s a New Year! I don’t know about you but some extra money to help “make ends meet” would really help right now. Does your family need a raise? Here is an article that I updated that I wrote a few years ago on how to create your own raise in 2012!1. Coupons for Groceries: Start couponing. Learn all you can. We gave ourselves an average $500 a month raise. If I can do it, you can do it! I never used a coupon in a grocery store before when I started 2 years ago.
2. Utilities: Cut out excess utilities.
A. Satelite/Cable: We cancelled our satellite which gave us a $80 a month raise. We watched shows online at cbs.com, abc.com, nbc.com and mtv.com.
B. Home Phone: Cancel your home phone and use your cell phone or a voip service like ooma or vonage. Can’t go without a phone use Up to $80 a month raise.
C. Yard: Cancel the yard treatment plan/yard maintenance. $20-80 + a month raise.
D. Negotiate: You will be surprised also with how GENEROUS these companies will start being to keep you as a client. **We just got our satellite back after 3 months with a great package (HD, DVR etc.) for $40 a month for 12 months.
3. Drugstore Game: Learn about the drugstore game. You can get $200 + a month (raise) worth of cosmetics, hair care, over the counter medicine etc. for less than $10 a month.
4. Eating Out:
A. Make yourself a couple of delicious soups or buy ingredients for your favorite sandwich instead of going to a fast food restaurant 3-4 times a week $15-40 raise a month depending on whether you are buying foods for your kids as well.
B. Go out to eat only once a week. $160-300 a month raise.
C. Quit going to get fancy coffee and brew your own. I just started using a cappuccino maker that I got as a wedding present. Instead of going to Starbucks, I started my own home coffee shop, Savebucks around $40 + a month raise.
D. Take your kids to McDonalds or Chick-fil-a AFTER lunch to buy them an ice cream cone or yourself a coffee so that they can have an opportunity to play in the Play Place without buying a Happy Meal. $20-40 a month raise.
5. Salon Discounts: Go to a salon like Bob Steele Salon that has an apprentice program. That can be up to a $60 every month.
6. Preschool/Private School: Struggling financially? Pull Johnny or Janey out of preschool and enroll him in some classes or sports in your community. $180-700 a month raise. Or better yet pull them out of private school and either home school them or enroll them in public school. You will give yourself a $280-$2500 raise per month.
7. Cars: Sell the cars you pay payments on and buy a nice used car that you can pay cash for. $200-1000 + a month raise.
8. Books: Use the library or the local thrift store for your family instead of buying new books. $15-40 a month raise.
9. Sell and Buy: Sell the stuff you don’t use or need and buy used on craigslist and ebay. $20-100 + raise per month.
10. Accountability/Sticking to your budget: $$PRICELESS$$
A. Married: Put together a Cash Flow Budget EVERY MONTH giving every dollar a name until you have spent your last cent WITH YOUR SPOUSE.
B. Single: If you are single, have an accountability partner who will hold you accountable to your cash flow budget and for meeting your financial goals.
Some of this sounds extreme but if you are in a deep hole, you need a big shovel not a teaspoon to get out of the hole. As Dave Ramsey says, “If you live like no one else, later on you can LIVE like no one else. “
Do you have any tips that you can share on how you save money?
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