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Seven Easy Ways to Save

posted by TrueNorth Financial Strategies on Monday, September 12, 2016

Mondays are rough. After a weekend of fun and relaxation, we know it is often difficult to go back to your desk for five days.  The beauty of Mondays are that they can also serve as a new start, and a compelling reason to take charge and focus on things that need attention and matter most. Here is our attempt to provide you with a little motivation from a financial and money-saving perspective.

We've compiled a list of various small and easy ways to save money this week.  Our hope is that these few tips and tricks will help you save money you can put toward something that helps make your work week a little less strressful and a little more worthwhile: 

1. Credit card bill due? Call them and negotiate a lower interest rate. Simply call up your credit card company and ask for a better rate. If you have an excellent credit score of 720 or higher, you may be able to get a rate of 10 percent or less. If the company refuses to lower your rate, threaten to cancel the card. 
2. Does your car need gas? Use regular instead of premium (unless required by your car's manufacturer). Premium gas is about 8 percent more expensive, and most cars run just as efficiently using regular. 
3. While you're at it, check your tires. It is vital to your car's health to regularly check the tire air pressure - the recommended amount is once a month (or before any long trip.) Tires that are properly inflated may improve fuel economy by as much as 3.3 percent. 
4. Look through the paper for coupons - and use them! Sure, it might be tedious to hung coupons down, but that 50 cents here and there can really add up. Combine that with the fact that some grocers pair with products to have them on sale that same week, and that minor annoyance just saved you double digits! 
5. Trust your instincts - not your impulses. It may be tempting to buy that clearance-priced video or ultra-discounted vacuum cleaner, but before throwing it in the shopping cart, take another walk around the store and ask yourself if you really need it. The same goes with Internet shopping, where whims can be satisfied with a simple click. Save your online basket, get off the computer, and come back online a little while later, after you have had time to think about if you really need it. 
6. Use your tap water. Believe it or not, there was a time when bottled water was not available. At nearly $2 each, this convenience can really put a dent in your wallet. If you are extremely particular about your water, purchase a water filter. You can attach it to your faucet or buy a specially designed pitcher for filtered water. 
7. Comparison shop. When buying anything - but especially something expensive - do your homework. Look online; there are many sites which will do the comparison shopping for you. Remember, too, that depending on the product, you can almost always find a used version that is just as good as new - for significantly cheaper. 

TrueNorth Financial Strategies

For more information and financial guidance, please call TrueNorth at 1-800-798-4080.  Our financial advisors would be happy to schedule a consultation with you and your loved ones to make sure the things that matter most are protected and accounted for.