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Need a little jump-start on that money-saving resolution?
Here are a few simple ideas that sound small, but will
really help you save big bucks with a minimum of effort.
1. Bring your lunch instead of eating out. If you spend
$5.00 every day on your lunch and you brown bag it only
3 days a week, you will save $15.00 per week. That's
$60.00 per month!
2. Do you take a break every morning and afternoon at
work and pop your change into a soft-drink machine?
Buy your canned drinks at the grocery store and bring
to work. I buy brand name soft drinks on sale at
22 cents each. At work, the machine charges 50 cents.
That's a big savings! If you buy generic soft drinks
the savings would be even greater.
Or you could just drink water--big savings plus
it's good for you!
3. If you love to read, don't run out and buy that new
bestseller, check your local library. If they don't
have it, ask. Most libraries are part of inter-library
loan programs and can get almost any book.
4. Do all your laundry in cold water. Research shows
that clothes will get just as clean. Then air-dry as
many loads as you can. Air-drying means less wear on
your clothing, plus you can save as much as $20 per month
on your electric bill because heat-generating appliances
are the biggest guzzlers of electricity.
5. Make one meat-less meal per week. Replace meat with
lower-costing vegetables, a pasta dish, or maybe an
omelette. This can be a healthful change, also.
6. Pump your own gas, instead of paying a higher price
at a full-service station.
7. And speaking of cars, be sure to maintain correct tire
pressure, to get maximum mileage. And change your oil and
filter every 5,000 miles. Proper maintenance can mean fewer
repair bills and longer lasting cars.
8. Consider changing to fluorescent lighting in your home.
Fluorescent bulbs use less energy last 10 times as long
and produce less heat.
9. At the grocery store, consider buying store brands or
generic products. The savings can be pretty big on items like
shampoo, conditioner, cake mxes, even milk. I have found
the quality to be comparable. If you don't like a particular
store brand you don't have to buy it again. But at least try
it, you might like it!
10. Don't let your faucets drip. A leaky hot-water faucet
can waste up to a whopping 800 gallons of hot water in a year!
There's only corner of the universe you can be certain of
improving, and that's your own self.
--Aldous Huxley
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