We've all heard the cliches - "A penny saved is a penny earned," "Every little bit adds up" etc etc. But is it really true? Can pinching pennies save you enough money to be worth your time? The answer, as you probably already guessed, is YES. But what kinds of things can you do to pinch those pennies, and how much is it actually worth? Here's a breakdown of some easy, quick ways to save some cash, and how much it could save you per month.
-Eat at home at least 6 nights a week, even if
you're just eating a frozen dinner. If you ate at home rather than eating out 6 nights a week for a month you'd save about $100.
-Put all of your spare change into a jar as soon as you get home every day. If you saved all of your spare change in one spot rather than just leaving it in your pockets/purse/on the floor/in your car, you'd save about $10 a month.
-Learn to cook something that you eat frequently (for example, if you eat a Sausage Biscuit every morning for breakfast, buy sausages and biscuits at the grocery store and make your own! Savings per week? $5.80!) If you replaced something you eat frequently with a home-made version, you'd save about $25 a month.
-Collect condiments and sugar/creamer packets from coffee shops and cafeterias so you don't have to buy entire bottles of ketchup or Splenda. If you stopped buying condiments, sugar and creamer, you'd save $10 a month.
-Collect napkins from fast food resteraunts, cafeterias and coffee shops, and use them instead of paper towels or tissues. If you stopped buying paper towels and tissues, you'd save $6 a month.
-Use plastic bags from the grocery store as trash bags. They're free, and that totally counts as recycling. If you stopped buying trash bags, you'd save $3 a month.
-Apply foundation and concealer with clean fingers, not makeup sponges. Sponges absorb most of the makeup rather than applying it on your skin, AND grow bacteria, needing to be replaced every week. What a waste! If you stopped buying makeup sponges and didn't need to buy makeup as often you'd save about $5 a month..
-Print things out at the library or in a computer lab, instead of on your own printer. The money you save on ink and paper will be about $10 a month.
-Pick up condoms at your campus' health center or local Planned Parenthood for free. If you used free condoms instead of buying them, you'd save about $6/month.
-Take the bus, carpool, bike or walk instead of driving your car. If you avoided using your car as much as possible, you could save about $30 on gas each month.
Total Monthly Savings: $205
Total Annual Savings: $2460
So you see, it's easy to save big by doing very little! Do you have any additional penny-pinching tips not mentioned here? Let me know in the comments or on my facebook wall!
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