2 yrs old boy and a house. how can we save money to get ahead we are still living paycheck to paycheck. i pack our lunches, we do smoke and we are in the process of qutiing.any ideas?
2006-06-27 08:41:12 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
pay yourself first. decide how much you want to save and pay youself in savings first then pay your bills and have whatever is left over to spend.
2006-06-27 12:04:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Examine everyday services you use. For instance:
Do you pay for cable or satellite television? 30 years ago, everybody got free TV. Do you have an antenna on your house or building that you can use? Can you put up an antenna?
Examine your phone bill. Are you getting lots of unnecessary services like call waiting or caller ID? Are you signed up for an expensive long distance plan? Get rid of those extra services and go with a small long distance company like Americom that charges 3.9 cents per minute with no monthly fees or minimum usage requirements.
Have you shopped around for cheaper auto insurance. Last year I shopped around at 6 different places. Only 1 gave me a better rate than I already had, but it was $500 per year better. That was Costco! If you are a member, go to their web site and look under services like auto insurance that you could save money on. I hate shopping at Costco, because it's always a zoo. But I stay a member to save a ton on services.
Do you pay more than just a few dollars in monthly banking fees? Again, shop around. See if there is a nearby credit union you could qualify for. Or find a bank that offers free checking.
Are you on an expensive monthly cell plan, but don't actually use more than 200 minutes a month. Ditch it for a prepaid plan that will end up being much cheaper. Right now T-Mobile offers 10 cents a minute if you prepay $100 for a year. I used only about 60 a month, so my plan is $6 per month by prepaying.
Look at every one of your monthly bills and ask yourself do you really need that service, at that level of service or with those options? Could I get this service cheaper somewhere else? And don't do this just once. Make it a point to look at alternatives to every service at least once a year.
2006-06-27 16:15:18 · answer #2 · answered by Uncle Pennybags 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prepare a budget. List how much you make, how much you spend. Track your actual spending for several months (I use Quicken). Look for expenses that you can eliminate or reduce. Stop buying anything you don't have to, delay purchases if possible, shop for the best price, substitute cheaper/free products, shop garage sales for kid's stuff (we buy $100 toys for $20, use them a few years and sell them for $20).
Put your savings on autopilot (payroll deduction, etc.).
If you have high-interest debt consolidate that at a lower fixed rate.
Good luck to you.
2006-06-27 15:50:19 · answer #3 · answered by frugernity 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well considering gas is double what it was a couple yrs ago that could be the issue!
Gas price rises = so does everything else!
We used to live comfortable until Bush got in office!
Join the club, I feel for you :)
2006-06-27 15:46:00 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
cut down your expenses, buy generic brands instead of named brands on everything, shop once a week for food. don't buy clothes every season. keep track of every purchase and at the end of the month, look at things you bought that you didn't need but wanted and don't buy those things anymore
2006-06-27 15:51:20 · answer #5 · answered by jean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you went to College?
2006-06-27 16:13:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out http://emoney.ztweb.biz/
2006-06-27 15:44:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋