The little things that add up to a big total

mcdamas — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:09:32 +0000

It’s easy to see all the big ticket items and make sacrifices but, more often than not, it’s all the little things that add up to take us over our budgets. So everyone sees the car sitting out front and decides not to trade in or downsize to something cheaper to run. Days may be spent searching round the local dealerships to find just the right set of wheels to last through the next year or more. Yet is the same time devoted to finding the best value auto insurance to go with it? Sadly, the majority spend only a few minutes to renew a policy with the current insurance company or use one of the online search engines to find a “cheap” policy. Shopping around to find the best value insurance is guaranteed to save money. Even if you do nothing more than raise the deductible, this has started the process. Now you should be looking at maximizing the discounts and bundling several policies together with the same company. Savings start around 10% when you place both auto and home cover with the same insurer.

Similarly, it’s easy to say that food on the table meets a need and you spend what it takes to keep the family from starvation. Except, of course, that’s an exaggeration. The majority of us eat a lot, and eating smaller portions is not only saving dollars, it’s also avoiding diabetes and heart disease. So the first question is where do we shop? Habit can take us to the same store every time. This can be costing us a lot of extra dollars. Shopping at local stores can save on gas but how do the prices compare? Look for stores where the grocery bill is always going to be cheaper overall. Then plan so that you can buy in quantity. If you prefer national brands, look for clip-out coupons or buy store brands or generics which are always cheaper. Never buy sale items unless you can store them or use them quickly.

It’s the same with clothes. It’s no longer cost-effective to work on a throwaway basis. Give up following fashion. Buy clothes of sufficient quality that will last and mix-and-match. You want a versatile wardrobe that makes a little go a long way. The other given is to avoid “false economies”. Often, you can buy something cheap only to find it falls to pieces after a week or so of everyday use. Buying quality is the best money saving tip for clothes. Now apply this general rule across the board. Plan ahead so you can always make the best value-for-money buy. That means spending a little time on the internet, searching out which brands give the biggest bang for the buck. Whatever you need to buy, there’s usually something of reasonable quality at a good price at a store near you. If you have to buy sight-unseen over the internet, always check the terms and conditions to make sure you can return the goods if they prove defective. Money saving through comparison shopping is the answer to budget control.

mcdamas

An ordinary man pursuing extraordinary goal best describes who I am all about. I do my best, God does the rest.

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[BF] buck$freak » false economies

The little things that add up to a big total

mcdamas