4 Ways to Save Money in 2013

Are you suffering from the holiday spending hangover?  Or maybe your budget went off track last summer and you haven’t quite gotten it back under control yet.  You’re not alone – many people are looking for ways to save money.  Here are 4 ways you can save money in 2013:

1.  Gasoline

Unfortunately, gas isn’t something you can just cut out of your budget all together if you have to drive anywhere.  You need to put gas in your vehicle to keep it going, but you can save a few bucks by keeping your tires inflated to the right pressure.  It’s estimated that maintaining your tire pressure and keeping the engine tuned will save you about $100 a year on gas since it improves your gasoline efficiency.

2.  Credit Cards

You can save a lot of money if you avoid credit cards all together, but if you already have credit card debt, get in the habit of sending your payment in about two weeks before it’s due to avoid the dreaded late fees.  Even better, set it up to pay automatically from your savings or checking account and eliminate the risk of forgetting to send your payment.  You can call and try to negotiate the interest rate which will save you money over time and help you pay the debt off faster.

3.  Groceries

Eating is another thing we can’t eliminate from our lives in an effort to save money – but there are several ways to save money on your food expenses.  Watch for the Coupon Lady’s articles on our blog, and print her shopping list to maximize your coupon savings.  Avoid shopping from small convenient stores as their prices are higher.

4.  Heating

You can reduce what you pay for your heat simply by turning the temperature down a little.  For each degree you turn your thermostat down over the course of eight hours, you’ll save approximately 1% of your heating bill annually.  You can turn it down manually when you leave the house for work or go to bed, or you can invest in a programmable thermostat to make sure you aren’t wasting energy when you forget to change the temperature.

Would you start adhering to any one of these?  Let me know!  Just trying to help you avoid your own fiscal cliff!