100 life changing budget busters

Need to save cash but have no idea where to start?

 

These amazing and simple tips are going to blow your mind!

 

1. Pay off all your credit card debt – start off the year fresh and debt-free.
2. Turn everything off when you leave home – leaving on appliances you aren’t using is just wasting money on electricity.
3. Run your appliances at the same time.
4. Plan your meals ahead of time – this will prevent last-minute shopping or ordering take-aways when hungry – which is usually expensive.
5. Compare prices when grocery shopping – if the no-name brand is cheaper and does the same thing, why not save a few Rand?
6. Buy certain things in bulk – this means toilet paper, soaps, long-life milk etc.
7. Know what’s in your cupboard – before spending cash you don’t have, think about what you do have back home.
8. Cancel memberships you aren’t using – paying for gym but not going? Cancel now and train at home. You clearly don’t have time to go to the gym itself.
9. Repair before replacing – if it ain’t broke completely, fix it. It could cost you a few hundred Rand less than getting a new one.
10. Say goodbye to all clothing accounts – if you don’t have money on the spot to pay for that new pair of jeans, don’t buy them on credit.
11. Make gifts for birthdays instead of buying them – this also makes the gift more sentimental, and you can get great ideas online.
12. Turn off the TV – if you’re not watching something, having the TV on in the background is just wasting electricity.
13. Write a list before shopping, and stick to it – this will ensure you stick to a limit too.
14. Ask your credit card company for a rate reduction – by doing this you won’t be able to splurge.
15. Drink more water – save cash on cappuccinos and fizzy drinks. They can add up.
16. Cut back on fast food, microwave meals, convenience foods – they cost a fortune!
17. Cook enough to have leftovers the next day – this will save you spending extra money on lunch at the office. Plus, it’s going to save on calories too, as your home-cooked meal is without a doubt healthier.
18. Don’t spend money to cope with stress – comfort shopping is just as bad as comfort eating. When feeling blue, stay home or meet some friends, but avoid the shops.
19. Hide extra credit cards – if you have them in case of an emergency, just put them away. If they’re in your purse, there’s a chance you’ll use them.
20. Keep your hands clean – by doing this you can avoid contracting any lurking viruses, which in turn means avoiding expensive medical bills.
21. Try buying generic medicines – they’re cheaper and just as effective.
22. Don’t visit shopping centres for entertainment – have friends over or meet at a park for a picnic.
23. Rent out unused space in your house – instead of using your cottage or extra bedrooms as storage units, rent them out, make some extra cash and have some company, too.
24. Get parents, friends and neighbours to babysit – babysitters charge an arm and a leg. Your family and friends are dying to do it for nothing.
25. Air-up your tyres – this will avoid flats or replacements, which can take a lot of money out of your pocket.
26. Look for a cheaper place to live – don’t live beyond your means. Get a home that is affordable.
27. Start a garden and grow some vegetables – a great way to save money and stay healthy.
28. Dye your own hair – hair salons pay high rents, which is why they charge such high prices! Get a box dye and do it yourself. It might even look better!
29. Carpool – chat to the parents of your kids’ friends and start carpooling if you’re in the same area. Petrol is always going up, so saving on a few days a week could do wonders.
30. Don’t speed – this means no fines, and we all know how expensive those can be!
31. Have cheaper hobbies like reading – playing for a soccer club, playing golf or attending Pilates classes can be awesome, but how much do you spend each month? Start reading, gardening and doing things that don’t cost a cent.
32. Eat less meat – it’s expensive, and not very healthy when eaten too often anyway.
33. Cut down on drinking out with friends – a few cocktails could leave you in debt before the end of the month.
34. Don’t buy your friends rounds when out clubbing – yes, you want to be in with the crowd, but if one round is going to set you back, what’s the point? Be honest with them, or don’t go out.
35. Skip a vacation this year, or cut down on vacation spending – go somewhere close by or just relax with the family at home.
36. Exercise more – not only will it take up more of your time (keeping you out of the shopping centres) but will allow you to live a healthier life too.
37. Cut your home phone bill – firstly, don’t phone cellphones from a landline. Secondly, phone only when you need to and don’t stay on the phone for an hour.
38. Cut your cellphone bill – consider a pay-as-you-go package, this way you are in control of what you are spending.
39. Don’t buy designer labels – yes, they’re gorgeous, but they won’t look great hanging up because you have no money to go out.
40. Stop trying to compete with friends and family who have lots of money – if they’re true friends they’ll understand and never expect you to spend money you don’t have.
41. Use your talent to make extra cash – can you sing, dance, even juggle? Get a second job doing what you do best!
42. DIY – before calling out, try fixing the problem yourself. And if you can’t, we’re sure a friend or family member can.
43. Shop around for the cheapest household and car insurance – don’t just settle with what you’ve been paying the last few years. There always cheaper options.
44. Learn to say ‘No’ – no matter how much you want to say ‘Yes’.
45. Ask yourself if you really need it before buying it – most of the time you don’t, so think before spending.
46. Avoid expensive nights out – a simple dinner out as a couple can cost more than you think. Have a romantic night at home with candles and cuddle on the couch watching your favourite show.
47. Buy clothes and presents in sales – you’re getting fabulous items at a discounted rate, so why not?
48. Do you need all those channels – cut your extra television subscriptions.
49. Park in free parking bays at shopping centres – those parking parking tickets add up... And up and up.
50. Pick a bank that gives back – shop around to see what they can offer you.
51. Don’t spend your raise – put it aside every month as if you never had it.
52. Check on your account – be aware of what’s in your account and what you still need for the rest of the month.
53. Use ATMs sparingly – draw money only when needed.
54. Troll exclusive deals – it might take some time, but it will be worth it.
55. Give up expensive habits like smoking – cigarettes cost a fortune these days.
56. Make your own spa day – use cucumbers on your eyes and moisturisers you have at home for the body.
57. Take advantage of free fitness classes – go along with a friend or when you see an offer.
58. Have the girls over and paint each other’s nails or spoil each other with manicures, pedicures and facials.
59. Turn off the water while washing dishes.
60. Choose energy-efficient appliances.
61. Stay cool without the air-con in summer by opening some windows and get some fresh air.
62. Stay warm without heaters in winter by using a hot water bottle or cuddling up with warm blankets.
63. Go to the movies during the day or on nights where tickets are half price.
64. Use a basket instead of a trolley if you only need a few items – having a trolley will allow you to buy more.
65. Keep all change in a jar and then take your change to the bank at the end of each month.
66. Save coupons – you’ll be surprised how you can save on products.
67. Think big – try shopping at other butchers, fruit and vegetable shops, markets and even wholesale stores that sell in large quantities.
68. Ask for tap water at a restaurant instead of mineral.
69. When having people over for lunch/dinner, get a tub of ice cream instead of a variety of small desserts, which cost double.
70. Get a pot plant for your home instead of buying fresh flowers every few days.
71. Distract yourself when in the queue at the grocery store – sweets, chocolates and unhealthy snacks can add up.
72. Make your kids a healthy lunch instead of giving them money for the tuck shop.
73. Have people over for dinner rather than going out, and ask everyone to bring a plate of food.
74. Snack on apples – they’re cheap and healthy.
75. Bake biscuits or a cake for the family – bought pastries are always more expensive.
76. Avoid muffins, croissants and scones for breakfast – they go fast and cost a fortune. Stick to cereals and fruits.
77. Have your domestic worker come once or twice a week – do some of the housework yourself every other day.
78. Get the kids to help with chores instead of paying someone to do them.
79. Pass clothes down to your smaller kids (if the same sex) or swap with family and friends who have kids the same age. Babies and toddlers grow too fast anyway.
80. Avoid buying a new outfit for every weekend out – learn to mix and match.
81. Buy your favourite magazine like people – and then swap with friends to see what the others featured this month.
82. Buy your kids cheap toys they can throw around – no point wasting money on things that cost a fortune and will break.
83. Pay yourself first.
84. Avoid new debt after paying off all your old debt.
85. Set reasonable saving goals and put your savings in a different account so you don’t use it.
86. Keep a journal with a written budget and follow it each month – if you are left with money, lucky you! But expenses first!
87. Buy Valentine’s gifts, Christmas gifts and Easter eggs months before the actual holiday – prices go up the closer it gets to that special day.
88. Wrap gifts instead of buying carriers – they cost much more and will be chucked away in seconds.
89. Make stock market investments cautiously.
90. Use contraception – if you can’t afford four children, don’t have them.
91. Choose a school you can afford – while you want the best for your kids, you need to make sure you can ‘keep up with the Joneses’ at the school.
92. Remove all luxuries from your budget – you will survive without them.
93. Use cheaper forms of transportation – taxis cost too much? Try the bus!
94. Save for an emergency fund by putting 10 percent of your earnings aside each month. You will be glad when the time comes.
95. Make cheap meals – hotdogs, burgers, sandwiches.
96. Stock up on condiments for those cheap meals.
97. Eat a meal or snack before you go to the supermarket – when you are not hungry, you tend to buy less food.
98. Put grocery money in an envelope and leave your purse at home – you won’t be able to spend more than you have.
99. Save on water – have shorter showers and wash clothes with cold water.
100. Borrow books, CDs and DVDs from the library, a friend or colleague. You can still enjoy it all without spending a cent.

(Via www.peoplemagazine.co.za)

 

 

According to TCB listeners, this is what they do to loosen the grip around their wallets:

"Buy" your kids stationery from your employer...

 

For the non-traditional, celebrate Christmas on the 25th of January because all the gifts, food, decorations, etc can be bought on sale prices.

 

Consider purchasing rump steak instead of the pricey fillet.

 

When at the Wimpy, grab a few extra sugar sachets to take home with you.

 

If you're with FNB, save those ebucks for a year and use them to get through January.

 

One gentleman suggests keeping the credit card away from the missus... 

 

Make sure you have something to eat before doing the grocery shopping - a full tummy will prevent you from making unnecessary purchases. 

 

Quite a few people suggested doing the big food shopping in the middle of the month, seems to be cheaper.

 

Yolandi said that she buys a pack of 24 viennas, separates them into bags of 6 and freezes them to avoid the whole pack being eaten at once. 

 

Thys plans his meals for the week so that overspending at the store and take-outs are not an option.

 

Jeremy suggests that road users drive slower, it's safer and far more economical. 

 

What do you do in your household to save a few extra rands?