As we all know everyone is trying to save money, especially because of the economic climate. Many people (including myself and my family) are using programs and taking courses to help them make money, but it’s a lot easier to save money than you might think. Many of you clever people are probably already doing this and have created your own way of saving money, but I know that some people are unaware of how small things can make a big difference.

Here I have created a list of 10 Easy ways to save money:

1. Spend time shopping:

I know I sound like a mad shopaholic. But honestly, if you spend time looking for the best price you can, you can really save a lot of money. Many people try to get the shopping over and done with as soon as possible, but if you spend a little longer just looking for the cheaper products you could find yourself with a lot more change in your pocket! Tip: Buy own branded products not the big names, as they rip you off a lot!

2. Turn off all electrical equipment when not using it:

This may seem like an obvious one, but many people don’t do it. Simply switching off a light when leaving a room (if there is no-one left in the room, you don’t want to leave them in the dark!) could save a lot of energy and money! Or even turning your computer off instead of leaving it on standby. It doesn’t take much to do these small things to save a bit of energy and money!

3. Use concentrate products:

Concentrate products usually are a lot cheaper than the normal ones, but they still do the same job! So why are they cheaper you ask, well my friends, when you’re sitting comfortably I shall begin… (Sorry I just couldn’t resist!) No honestly, they’re cheaper because they use less packaging and if they’re smaller then they use less Lorries to transport them. Simples!

4. Turn off the charger when the battery on your laptop is fully charged:

Many people might think they do this, but in actual fact they’re only doing half the job. You see, switching off the mains to the charger for your laptop, or indeed any electrical equipment, is doing two things.

A. (The obvious one) It is saving energy and money!

B. (The not so obvious one) It is keeping your battery healthy. As weird as it sounds, if you continue to put energy in to a battery that is already full, it can ruin it. This is where we come to the first line in this section where I said that people are only doing half the job. Many people are just pulling out the charger from either the mains or the laptop, but all that does is keeps your battery healthy because the electricity is still running, even if you unplug it from the mains. So there we have it, always turn it off at the mains, not unplug it!

5. Use rechargeable batteries:

Here you are going to read a short Q and A I took from www.pcursor.com.au when I was searching if it really was cheaper to use rechargeable batteries.

Q. Since rechargeable batteries cost so much less in the long run, why bother using non-rechargeable ones at all?
Peter Lee, Singapore,

A. Rechargeable batteries ARE the right choice in many high-drain applications such as digital cameras, kids toys, flashguns and so on. However, they aren’t nearly as useful in low-current or intermittent use applications such as remote controls or emergency torches.

Because NiMH and NiCd and even Li-ion batteries self-discharge at a fairly high rate, they tend to go flat too soon. If you use good-quality alkaline batteries in these devices, you’ll get up to years of life, where a rechargeable may be flat by the time you need it.
Paul Zucker
I thought that was rather useful, wouldn’t you agree?

6. Use energy saving bulbs:

 They may look expensive when you go to buy them, but in the long run they will work out much cheaper.
Here are some facts about energy saving bulbs, thanks to www.thisismoney.co.uk and www.lightbulbs-direct.com:

·     By buying an energy efficient light bulb rather than the normal ones, you can cut energy wastage by over three quarters.

·     That’s a saving of up to £9 a year for a typical 100W bulb, or £100 over the bulb’s lifetime. Energy efficient bulbs last up to 12 times longer than normal ones. 
Energy saving bulbs typically uses around 80% less electricity than normal bulbs.

·     To help give you an idea of how much you could save, visit http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/article/energy-saving/ and use their Energy saving bulb calculator.

7. Only use credit cards if you need to:

 Yes credit cards are a convenient way to pay for the more expensive things but it’s a lot better to use cash, or even a debit card! Let me explain, if you use credit cards you could be using money you don’t have and if you use them regularly, then you probably are!  Because the credit card system is basically a bill after each month, it’s harder to keep track of how much money you have, this can often lead to debt. So basically if you want to buy something use cash, if you want to buy something big use a debit card, if you want to buy something really big think extremely carefully about whether you should use your credit card.

8. Ask yourself: do I really need this?

Imagine the scenario. Its lunchtime and you’ve got an hour to do what you like. You find yourself in a shop and there’s a sale on. You pick up a beautifully arranged set of scented candles. And it’s half price. Now, stop! Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Exactly. Now, put it down and walk away.

9. Use your library:

The local library is heaven for the money saver. You’ll never need to buy another cookbook, guidebook or lifestyle manual again and if you can bear to wait a few weeks in the queue for the latest blockbuster, you never need to buy books again. CDs and videos are great value too.

10. Do you need all those TV channels?

Britain is switching to digital-only television and time is running out for you to choose your new digital TV provider. The choice is already confusing and with telephone, broadband and TV services now launched it’s got even more complicated. Packages range from 100 channels+, including every sports and movie channel costing around £50 a month, down to Freeview, which is free. Choose wisely.

I hope these ways of saving money will help you as they helped me and my family. But before you leave, I have a question for you, Dun dun dun!

What do you do to save money? If you could post comments answering this question, I’m sure you could help a great deal of people!

Thanks for reading, hope to see your replies soon!

The Lizzard

]]> http://lizziedickinson.com/46/10-easy-ways-to-save-money.htm/feed 11 http://lizziedickinson.com/1/things-to-do-on-a-small-budget.htm http://lizziedickinson.com/1/things-to-do-on-a-small-budget.htm#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:40:53 +0000 Lizzie http://lizziedickinson.com/?p=1 1. Go to the Beach:

The Beach is free and it’s a great place to spend time with your family or friends. There many activities that can be done on the beach, such as beach ball, sand castle making (for younger children), Swimming in the sea (depending on how warm it is!), Surfing and Body boarding. At most beaches such as Cornwall or Blackpool there are piers or arcades, these offer a wide range of things to do and they don’t have to cost a fortune. The downside to this is that in the winter the beach is less enjoyable but it doesn’t mean you can’t wrap up warm and go for a walk!

2. The Park:

The Park can be a great place for new families to interact with one another in outdoor games or sports. It is also a place where many people go, meaning that anyone can meet new people and even meet up with friends without knowing it! It is also a place to take pets especially dogs were they can run around with children or other dogs, without getting into trouble. The park is free and often a nice place to have a picnic as it is a very friendly environment.

3. Hotel Pools:

Generally hotel pools are for guests only, however many hotels will let you bring your friends and family so long as you don’t disturb the hotel guests. Many hotel pools can also have full scale amenities such as bars, restaurants, and additional activities for the friends and the family to enjoy.

4. Rent a movie:

Renting movies can be very expensive or cheap, it’s finding the right company to rent from. Blockbuster usually has good deals that aren’t too expensive but really it depends on how much you have to spend. If you find the right company renting movies can be ever so much cheaper than going to the cinema and you can get popcorn for about a pound instead of three! It also means that you can watch it again and again until you have to give it back, and you can pause it if you need the loo! But the best thing is there isn’t half an hour of trailers before the film!

5. Host Get Togethers:

Most people enjoy the intimate atmosphere of a few friends getting together and will bring drinks and other goodies to the get together. It’s a good idea to ask friends to bring their friends with them too, meaning that you can meet new people. It’s a chance to have fun without spending a fortune and it can start and end when you like!

6. Spend Time With Your Family:

Family is perhaps the most important thing in our lives and too many times we take advantage of what we have and do not appreciate it until it is gone. Make a concerted effort just to spend time with your family and inform them what is going on in your life. At any moment a family member can be taken away from you and you will regret not having spent the time with them.

7. Playing board or card games:

Playing board or card games can be great fun, you can play them with your family or friends or even work mates! There a wide variety of games that you can play, from ages 6-7 to 60-70! Many people think of these sorts of games as childish, but really they’re not, because there are so many different games that they haven’t even heard of yet. You can even make up your own!

8. Workout in Your Neighbourhood:

Your neighbourhood will provide you with all the terrain and challenges to get a full and quality workout. From running through the city or countryside to doing push-ups on a park or bus bench, your full body workout can be achieved for free.