by o5com via Flickr
Those 3 posts contained 7 great ways of getting out of debt. Here are 3 more:
8. Plan your shopping before you leave home. Studies have shown that people that go out to buy exactly what they want spend less money because they’re less susceptible to impulse buying. It’s also one of the reasons why it’s always recommended that you eat before you go out to the grocery store.
This can work wonders for your budget, especially if you also plan where you’re going based on your knowledge of how much things cost and how far you have to go. I tend to have a running list that’s kept in the kitchen and twice a week know exactly where to go to maximize my dollars.
9. Create a money jar for spare change and dollars. This sounds crazy on the surface but it works wonders. Almost every personal finance book or program you come across will tell you to not only pay yourself before paying anyone or anything else, but to put 10% away. The reality is that not everyone has the means to pop 10% of their income away all the time; it’s just not realistic.
What is realistic, though, is taking your change and tossing it into a jar or some other kind of container that you won’t be compelled to dip into all the time. I keep three containers on hand. One I put half the change I bring home into; one I put half of the quarters remaining into; and one where I put the remainder of my change. You’ll be amazed at how fast the container you don’t touch all that often will accumulate money, and it often comes in handy when you most need some additional funds, or if you want to use it for a fun night out here and there.
10. Buy consumables in bulk. Every area has some kind of major discount store; in my area we have two. There are things we’re all going to use consistently, such as toilet paper, soap, paper cups, etc. If you have a place to store items like this you can save big money by buying things like this in bulk. I have saved as much as 50% off the cost of these types of products, and that’s without using coupons, which they accept. Also, these stores sell gasoline, usually at a reduction of between 5 and 10 cents off the cost of gas everywhere else, so it can be an economical trip in more ways than one.