Save Money On Gas!

Wow, what a subject!  Like our last post on how to save money on groceries, there are hundreds of ways to accomplish the objective of reducing your grocery bill.

The same question holds true with, “How can I save money on gas?”
We’re sure you’ve read other blogs and articles; heard tips on TV; spoke with your neighbor, friend or buddy who’s a mechanic about things you can do to save money on gas.
Obviously, we have NO control over gas prices.  They sure have spiked in the past month and, at least in the Milwaukee, WI area, seem to be leveling off and coming down a bit.
We do, however, have control over our habits. While some of the tips you’ve read about, seen or heard may appear to be redundant, they’re worth looking over.  REMEMBER, the goal here at Save Money, Save Money is that we make concerted efforts to save money where we spend money AND save the money you save on your spending.
Unlike our post on save money on groceries, your efforts to save money on gas involve a conscious awareness of our driving habits.  Here’s the contrast:
1.    To save money on groceries, we are focused on the single task of grocery shopping.  We can take time to look at prices and compare products.  We can take pause, scan, put a finger to our chin, weigh our buying options, decide, pick-up the item, read the label, and finally, put the best item in the shopping cart.
2.    Driving styles are the result of habit!  If you live in a metropolitan area, for example, you’ve got a lot of other drivers around you and guess what?  You have no control over how they drive!  We have to be defensive.  If you’re driving on the freeways in some metropolitan areas, you have to “keep-up with traffic” at the risk of becoming a victim of some “road-rage idiot”.  If traffic is moving at 70MPH and you choose to drive 55MPH, you’re going to get honking horns, people riding on your rear bumper, giving you the “finger”, cursing at you, or having a gun pointed at you!  The point is the driving part of this subject involves habits, split-second decision making and maneuvers, and no control over those with whom you share the roadway.

Save Money On Gas – 2 Major Factors:  FRICTION and RESISTANCE.

Keep these 2 things in mind as you read our tips and comments on how to save money on gas.  You’ll see exactly what we’re talking about.
So, we’re all smart people – relatively speaking (snicker, snicker).  What do you do?  You drive in a way that is practical and you exercise good driving habits regularly and with precision.  For example, we live in a metro area; traffic can be horrendous both on the freeways and city streets.  To drive to the freeway, we must drive a popular and busy city street to gain access to the freeway on-ramp.  This street has 7 traffic signals on the 2 mile stretch of road we drive to reach the freeway.  It kills us to watch people stomp on the accelerator after the light turns green only to slam on the brakes 4 blocks further to stop at the next light (Friction).  It’s like watching an over-caffeinated drag racer.  We don’t get it!  I think that this lack of common sense is why people complain that they cannot save money on gas.  Why not gradually accelerate (reduce resistance) and if you know the lights turn red (which they do on this road – hit one red, you’ll hit them all red), coast after you reach the posted speed limit.
So, to save money on gas, SLOW DOWN!  Air resistance goes up as the square of velocity. The power needed and gas consumed to overcome air resistance increases as the cube of the velocity. Rolling resistance is the dominant force below about 40 mph. Above that, every mph costs you mileage. Go as slow as traffic and your schedule will allow. Drive under 60-65 since air resistance grows exponentially more dense, in the aerodynamic sense, the faster we drive. The most efficient speed is your vehicle’s minimum speed in its highest gear, since this provides the best “speed per RPM” ratio. This is usually about 45 to 55 miles per hour.  Every MPH faster yields you less fuel economy.  Driving 10MPH is a big difference over 5MPH; it’s twice as fast, but, there is very little difference between 55MPH and 60MPH, unless you are on a very long trip. Many people mindlessly speed wherever drive, and gain absolutely nothing but a heftier fuel bill. Assuming everything goes perfectly (and when does that happen?) going 5MPH, even 15MPH faster on a highway for a short distance will yield nothing but aggravation as you keep catching up to slower traffic.  It’s virtually impossible to save money on gas.  When practical simply slow down and reduce fuel consumption 10% to 20%!  Changing habits will save money on gas!

Do You Have A GPS?  Save Money On Gas And Use It!

We have a Garmin “NUVI” GPS.  I received it as a birthday gift 3 years ago.  I thought, “What the heck do I need this for?  I know where I’m going!”  I thought it a waste of money – it was something that I would never buy for the two of us.  I was wrong!  Using a GPS navigation system, generally, allows you the opportunity to select a “driving mode”.  The driving modes on the Garmin Nuvi are:  Fastest Route (least amount of time), Less Fuel Route, Shortest Distance Route, and Off-Road.  Obviously in these times, we use the “Less Fuel” Option.  Doing our own testing over several tanks of gas, we save almost 3 gallons of gasoline per tankful using the “Less Fuel” option.  The less fuel route per tank of gasoline increased our travel time (in total) an average of 18 minutes.  Based on a price of $4.00/gallon, the save money on gas result with our van is a savings of $12.00.  The extra 18 minutes of travel time was worth $12.00 in savings.
What do we do with the $12.00?  We save money by putting $12.00 into our savings account.  That’s $600/year saved!  When we save money on gas, we’re able to save the money we save.
Let’s take the GPS thing one step further.  The Garmin NUVI also has an “Eco Challenge” setting.  Somehow the darn thing measures your acceleration and braking.  We select where we want to go and, then, select, the Eco Challenge.  After we arrive at the destination, we can look at our “score”.  The higher the score, the more we save money on gas.

Save Money On Gas With Simple Vehicle Maintenance

When driving a vehicle, the worse enemy for fuel consumption is FRICTION.  This includes tire friction, engine component friction, brakes, aerodynamics and a host of others.  Our driving habits, specifically acceleration and braking habits is huge in terms of how much fuel your vehicle consumes.  Change your driving habits – save money on gas!
Maintenance habits have an enormous impact on fuel consumption and your ability to save money on gas.  If you are driving a newly purchased vehicle, your dealership, usually, keeps a great record of vehicle(s)’ maintenance schedule.  Their Service Department and Service Advisors routinely mail, email or phone you with notifications that your vehicle is due for maintenance.  If you lease a vehicle, we believe that in many cases, you are required to adhere to a strict maintenance schedule.  If you’re like us, we own our vehicles and we alone are responsible for keeping track of maintenance.
So there’s scheduled maintenance.  What are simple things you can do before the typical and routine maintenance?

Check air tire pressure!  We know, we know . . . it’s like we’re going to do this every day, right?  Well, take a look at your tires every day, BUT, check the actual tire pressure once a week to ensure you save money on gas.  You gas consumption is affected up to 3.3 percent for every 1 p.s.i. drop in tire pressure on all 4 tires.  So when you’re off work, or washing your vehicle, be sure to take the 2 minutes it takes to check your tire pressure.  If you have an air compressor at home, or a small emergency travel compressor, there should be no excuse.  We know that the number of gas stations that provides free air is dwindling, but keep your tires’ pressure at or a few pounds above the vehicle’s recommendation.  Not doing this will increase gas consumption and result in premature tire wear.  If you find that you need to add air weekly, you may have a slow leak around the rim or valve stem.

Save Money On Gas – Drive Less When Possible

Carpool!  I remember the days when we’d carpool to work.  We recognize that this is a different time and schedules are all over the calendar, BUT, you cut your fuel usage “to-and-from” work by at least one-half.  That can translate into you being able to save money on gas big time!  Remember, to save the money you save!  If you’re saving $10, $20, or more a week carpooling, save money by sticking that savings into a savings account.  Your Save Money estimate is $400 to $1000/year just from carpooling!
Take the 1st available parking spot at the shopping center.  Don’t spend 3-4 minutes driving through the parking lot looking for the spot closest to the door.  Unless you are handicapped or injured, most of us can use the exercise – that alone is worth the extra minute it takes to walk to the door from further away.

Save Money On Gas – Shop Within Reason For Cheap Gas

Find cheap gas in your area within reason.  Don’t go driving 5 miles out-of-your way to save a penny on a gallon of gas.  If you have a Smartphone, you can download the GasBuddy app from the iTunes and Android Stores to get a snapshot of cheap gas in your area.  If you live in a metropolitan area, one or more of the local TV stations have cheap gas listings on their station’s website.  The same holds true with local radio stations posting cheap gas listings on their stations’ website.
Fill-up in the morning, especially if you live in warm weather areas.  A common tip is to buy gasoline in the morning, when the air is cool, rather than in the heat of the day. The theory is that the cooler gasoline will be denser, so you will get more for your money. But the temperature of the gasoline coming out of the fuel nozzle changes very little, if at all, during any 24-hour stretch. The point for filling up in the morning is not the gas coming from the pump; it’s the evaporative vapors of gas in your vehicle’s gas tank.  Mornings, generally, are cooler than other points in the day.  Chances are that you are displacing less evaporative vapors in your vehicle’s tank in the morning because the tank and your vehicle are cooler.  Also, fill the tank the tank full.  Adding $10 of gas here or there will be wasted each time you travel to the station and wait for a pump. Instead, do it all at once to save money and save time.

Is your fuel tank half-full?  Fill it up!  If you live in a cold weather area (like we do in Milwaukee, WI), you run an increased risk of fuel tank and system condensation.  There are varying thoughts on this subject, but allowing your tank to reach the ¼ full or less mark can shorten the life of the electric fuel pump on your vehicle.  Fuel pump replacements nowadays are not cheap!
Avoid idling your vehicle for more than 90 seconds. Your vehicle gets exactly 0 mile per gallon when idling.  Starting your vehicle uses as gas as letting your vehicle idle for approximately 6 seconds.  Some advice:  Park your vehicle and go into the bank or restaurant rather than idling your way through the drive-through.  Is this a little more inconvenient than going through the drive-thru?  Probably, but we believe we’ve gotten soft with all these “conveniences” and there’s a cost to convenience.  You’re not reading this blog post unless your wallet and savings are also “soft”.  So, what may seem like a trade-off of time for nickels and dimes is, in reality, a trade-off of time for a potential of thousands of dollars.
Use your vehicle’s cruise control if you can.  Maintaining a constant speed will save money on gas.  Logically, maintaining a steady speed, especially on freeways, keeps traffic (theoretically) moving at a constant speed.  Everyone could, then, save money on gas.

Change your oil as recommended!  Use the recommended viscosity of oil!  Dirty oil increases friction in the internal engine components and affects the wear of all moving parts within the lubrication system.  Again, the more friction, the more gas used.
When practical, turn-off the air conditioning when driving short trips.  If your climate allows, keep the windows closed and use your vehicle’s ventilation system.  If necessary, open the windows instead of using the AC.  This really is practical only for city driving and short trips.  The air conditioning compressor requires a lot of energy.  The stopping and starting we experience in city driving really puts a load on the energy needed to power the AC compressor.  You will use more gas using your AC while driving short distances or driving on city streets.  For distance driving, the air conditioner is more efficient than driving with the windows open.  Driving at higher speeds with the windows open creates turbulence and resistance that will affect gas mileage.  Your AC will run much more efficiently at higher and longer speeds.  You can clearly see that there is always a trade-off.

Park in the shade when possible.  Gasoline can evaporate and build a vapor pressure within your vehicles fuel and emissions system.  Make sure that you have an airtight gas fill cap.  Parking in the shade keeps your vehicle cooler, requiring less AC to cool off your vehicle when you are set to drive.
Let your vehicle “warm-up” if it’s not been used for a couple of hours, especially in colder climates.  This allows for oil pressure to equalize itself within the entire lubrication system, thus, reducing friction.  Also, cold weather can make the oil thicken or become less viscous.  Your engine does not perform to its fullest economical potential until the oil returns to its proper viscosity (liquidity).
We’re quite sure that you have many other great ideas on we all can save money on gas.  Drive a hybrid, a motorcycle, ride a bicycle, take the bus . . . many, many other great tips.  We would LOVE to hear them.  Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and post your comment.  We’re all here to help each other save money on gas and save the money that we save.

How To Save Money On Groceries

When the discussion begins on how and where we can save money, most of the talk (talk shows, TV news broadcasts, etc.) surrounds or begins with the high ticket items:  save money on your mortgage payment or rent payment, save money on your insurance premiums, save money on your vehicle payments, utility payments, etc.)

We’re going to discuss a real source of money “bleeding” – how to save money on grocery bills.
Local & national grocery stores have been providing store coupons for years to help shoppers save money.  Many of us have used them religiously or, perhaps, only occasionally.  Nonetheless, store/grocery coupons have been available to us for years, right?  Do you use them?  If so, how?  Please comment at the end of this post.
Looking for ways to save money is more important today than at any time in U.S. history – not to mention our international visitors.  Gasoline prices in Milwaukee, WI, at the time of this writing, are around $4.20/gallon.  We know that gasoline prices outside the U.S. have always been substantially higher, but, those of us in the U.S. are appalled at these current gasoline price levels.  We need to look for even the smallest of opportunities to save money.
So what does this have to do with how to save money on grocery bills?  A couple of things: 1) Fuel prices drive-up food prices, especially meat; 2) driving 5 miles out of your way to save money at a store witha “meat sale” to save $.10/lb. on 3 pounds of ground round, when your normal store – a mile from home – does not have a meat sales is not wise.  Factor in your gasoline and time into your decision when you decide to save money on groceries.  It’s just an exercise in common sense.

Tips on How to Save Money on Groceries

•    Go shopping alone – leave the kids at home
•    Have a budget and stick to it
•    Make fewer, larger trips – stopping for milk and eggs usually adds up to more than milk and eggs
•    Don’t shop hungry – impulse buying increases when you shop hungry
•    Plan your meals in advance – if possible; busy, ever-changing schedules can make this difficult, but try to stick to a plan
•    Scan your cupboards, pantry, and fridge before leaving – jot down pantry items on your list; throw away expired items.
•    Keep a running list of items you need on your fridge – train your family to write down items that are consumed or close to the “gone” point.
•    Break your list down by store and plan your outing accordingly – shampoos, shaving stuff, deodorants, baby needs (diapers, etc.) can be picked-up at Wal-Mart.  Usually, you will pay more for these items at a grocery store.
•    Plan your trip through the store to minimize wandering the aisles – casual browsing leads to impulse buying
•    Don’t forget your list when you head to the store, but…
•    … Be willing to deviate from your list for great deals IF necessary
•    Don’t be afraid of store brands – store brands can be less expensive than name brands EVEN if you have coupons
•    Buy the Sunday paper if you clip coupons; also, many grocery stores put their sales flyers in the Sunday paper, which leads to …
•    … Keep an eye on the weekly store circular
•    Clip (and use!) coupons for name brand items – be careful, brand names can still be more expensive than store brands
•    Check the store’s website for printable coupons – especially if you don’t subscribe to the local paper
•    Be on the lookout for “double coupon” days – these are usually listed on the weekly circular
•    Keep a price list/book so you know a deal when you see one – it doesn’t hurt to know what you paid on your previous trip
•    Learn your store’s sale cycle (sales are often cyclical) – chicken on sale the 1st week of the month; beef the 2nd week, etc.
•    Stock up (within reason) when things are on sale – especially canned goods and staples
•    Get rain checks when sale items are out of stock – this is great for those big sales items
•    Learn to look at the price hangers to determine cost per pound, cost per ounce, etc.  We do THIS all-the-time
•    Joins the store’s buyer’s program and use your card
•    Buy a chest freezer; great for those huge meat sales.  Better yet, buy a ½ cow from a farmer and freeze it.
•    Bring a calculator (unless you’re a math whiz) – keep a running total to stay within your budget
•    Be on the lookout for “shrinkage” (e.g., 1.5 quarts vs. half gallon)
•    Cook large batches and freeze for later – especially for the busy family.
•    Don’t waste leftovers – one of the biggest grocery budget bombs is throwing leftovers in the garbage.
•    Eat less – seriously, many people eat way more than necessary
•    Eat slowly – it takes time for the body to send the signal to the brain that you’ve had enough to eat
•    Cook from scratch, avoid processed foods – HUGE!  Processed foods are full of preservatives, such as MSG, yeast extracts, high levels of sodium chloride, etc.  Most frozen, processed foods are garbage for you and belong in the garbage can
•    Avoid frozen/prepared entrees – same as above
•    Eat in season fruits/vegetables – they are less expensive “in season”
•    Plant a garden if you can – don’t use chemical fertilizers!  They’re poison!
•    Hit the local farmers’ markets in season
•    Drink more water, fewer costly beverages – Avoid bottled water, but absolutely make sure that it’s filtered (Brita, etc.)  BUT, bottled spring water is cheaper than soda.
•    Be on the lookout for pricing errors at the register – scan your receipts; computers aren’t perfect
•    Be sure they scan instant coupons that are attached to some items – the “get $1.00 off now” coupons.
•    Always fill out and send your rebates – takes time, but when you get the rebate check, you can put that into your savings account

Additional Save Money On Groceries Considerations

Finally, in your effort to save money, consider the value of your time. While minimizing your expenditures is always a good idea, it doesn’t always make sense to spend tons of extra time in hopes of saving a few cents off your grocery bill.
We’ve also heard this idea on how to save money – getting together with neighbors and buying in bulk is a good thing, IF you get along with your neighbors.  Coordinating schedules and your mutual grocery needs might be well worth the effort.
We read this recently, go to Craigslist!  Why Craigslist?  This is wild.  Perhaps you’ve heard about the show, “Extreme Couponing”.  There are people who take this seriously.  They buy $100s in groceries and pay pennies on the dollar because of an extreme coupon plan.  These people have 100 boxes of Cheerios and whatever else that they buy primarily with coupons.  What happens is that no single family will eat 100 boxes of Cheerios!  They put ads on Craigslist to sell this for extreme discounts.  I guess you’d have to be careful, but I just saw such an ad on Craigslist (double-checking my source).  Craigslist also is a good place to look for plants for your garden!

How Do You Save Money on Groceries?

Now it’s your turn. While the list above is a good start, I’ve undoubtedly missed a number of things. So… If you have any suggestions as to how to save money on groceries, please share them in the comments.

Save Money On Cable, Internet, and Home Phone

In this post, we are going to discuss how you can save money on cable, Internet., and phone service. This really is one of the most sensitive areas of cost control especially when you have a family addicted to cable television and all other technical marvels that can be used within the home or that are integrated into our everyday lives.  Our research suggests that this is a “sensitive” area to discuss ways to save money.

Let me tell you about my mother in law. She lives alone.  Save Money does not exist in her vocabulary.  “Mom” has basic cable, high-speed Internet, and a land line telephone that are packaged by the local cable provider as a “bundle”. Her monthly cost for these services, even though they are considered a cost savings bundled package, is approximately $167 per month.  Fact:  She’s been without a job for 23 months.  She has double house payments; leases a vehicle; has $1000’s in credit card debt; she must pay her utilities; she has numerous magazine subscriptions; numerous prescription medications, and, she pays $4.00/gallon for gasoline so she can drive her leased SUV (she lives alone and drives a big SUV!); she’s got food expenses; she gets her hair colored every 3 weeks and probably another equally long list of expenses of which we are not aware.  Are you getting the idea that the words Save Money mean anything to her?

Save Money On Cable

Mom’s bundled cable, internet, and phone package for $167/month is what we’ll talk about.  So how can she save money on cable, internet, and phone?  Drop cable!  This accounts for $80 of her $150 bill.  Living in a metropolitan area, rabbit ears work fine.  Save Money on cable = $960/year.  OR, she could spend $79.00 on a Roku 2 XD Streaming Player.

Roku 2

She can enjoy the best movies and TV shows, live sports, music, games and more—all instantly on her TV, whenever she wants it.  A $7.99/month subscription to NetFlix will fill ensure she can watch most of the programs she is currently watching on cable.  It’s more than a good way to save money; in her case it’s a necessity to save money.  Another route to consider is an Internet-Ready Blue Ray Disc Smart Player from Sony.  They sell for around $80.00.  This Sony model features:  internet streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus and more, front USB slot, Full HD 1080p, high definition audio support, IP Noise Reduction for improved internet video playback.  Save money on cable savings estimate is still $784/year!

Save Money On Home Phone

She can save money on telephone service as well.  Her phone service is approximately $420/year.  This isn’t too bad, but, given her financial circumstances, she should consider replacing her bundled phone package with Vonage.  She’ll save $120/year!  Currently Vonage is offering the first 6 months of service for $9.99/month.  If she signed-up tomorrow, she’d save $216/year.  We use Magic Jack to save money.  Upfront you pay about $70.  This includes your 1^st year of MagicJack service.  After the 1^st year, you pay $19.95/year.  If the mother-in-law chose the MagicJack route, she’d save $350 the first year and $400 every year after that.  If she had a cell phone, she could eliminate her landline phone completely.  Landlines are quickly being replaced with cell phones.  The one thing to be careful with is minutes used during peak times; and roaming and long distance charges.  Review your mobile plan and keep track of your peak usage.  Mobile carriers, generally, take your first-born when overage charges hit.  We use our cell phone, MagicJack and Skype for our communications.

Save Money On Internet

My mother-in-law also can save money on internet service.  She’s currently paying $35/month for high speed cable internet service.  Her service delivers up to 15Mbps.  She does nothing on the internet except to send or read email and an occasional Google search.  She doesn’t need all that horsepower.  She can save money and reduce her monthly bill by signing up for her provider’s “Lite” package for $19.99/month.  That service delivers up to 768 Kps – more than enough speed for her usage needs.  She’ll save an additional $180/year.  High-speed Internet service (cable and DSL) can be the hub product that drives the communications (telephone and fax) and media (TV, etc.) within your home (and business).

• IF you decide to dump cable TV, satellite TV, standard home phone service, you could apply the savings in these areas to high-speed Internet service if you haven’t already.  You would need enough internet “juice” to drive your Roku and other communications without skips, disruptions, and “freezing” of audio and video streams.
• IF you decide to dump the above mentioned, PLEASE check your current provider(s) service contracts.  Most satellite TV subscribers sign a 1 to 2 year contract.  You don’t want to pay huge penalties unless the savings warrant it.  The same applies to landline telephone service.

In Summary to this Save Money post on:  “Save Money On Cable, Internet, and Phone, Save Money estimates that the mother-in-law could save $1314/year!  This may not seem like much to some of us especially if you are laden with $1000s of debt; it may be a proverbial “drop-in-the-bucket” amount of money.  For the Save Money mom-in-law, $1314 translates into 3 vehicle payments; it is a one month mortgage payment; it is 4 months of utility bill payments!

Our question to her is, “Do you want to save money to pay down some of what you rightfully owe your creditors, or do you want to lie in bed and watch episode-after-episode of the Golden Girls and Frazier?”  What’s really mind-boggling when trying to discuss ways to save money, is that we get that “deer-in-the-headlights” stare back at us, combined with pursed lips and a shrug of the shoulders.

How Does This Apply To YOU?”  Are You Prepared To Save Money?

We want your comments and feedback.  Want to submit an article and share your story, let us know here.

A Final Thought From Save Money

A final thought for you – it’s tough to break old habits – even in the face of bankruptcy!  Call it denial or fear, the fact is that some people just don’t want to change!  I know my mother-in-law.  She will lose her SUV – they’ll repossess it; she’ll go into foreclosure; her electricity will be cut-off; the “Golden Girls” and “Frazier” will go bye-bye; and, she’ll blame everyone else for allowing it to happen.  She will bear no responsibility and her life will become a living hell.

Is this you?  Do you know someone like this?

We’ve helped her out financially for years, even when she was making $90K+ a year as a Registered Nurse.  Of course, we never knew she earned that level of annual income – it was a well-hidden “secret”.  We care about her well-being and never really understood her critical level of debt.  Quite frankly, however, we only enabled her reckless spending.  Yes, it’s true; we were deceived and lied to.  We’ll get over that.  We will move forward.  The sad fact is that mom-in-law is lying to herself and, quite frankly, her inability to “decide” to move forward may very well lead to her demise.

The Poor Person Mindset – The Inherent Inability To Save Money

This brings us to another topic – one which will be addressed in a future post – but, one we’ll quickly touch on now, is the poor person mindset! If you dwell on the problem, you keep getting the problem!  The universe will match what you are thinking.  For us, it’s logical, “It’s time to put the shovel down and climb out of the hole!”  It’s a matter of letting go of “ego”.  Ego is what separates us from the abundance of the universe.  It separates us from God’s help – help that can come in the form of logical, useful advice from others, the phone call of concern, whatever it may be.  Ego separates us from an awareness of people and events that appear in our lives daily – people and events that can provide us with words or a course of action that can bring abundance and success into our lives.  It’s not enough to simply save money; it’s not enough to expect better; it’s only our universal right to expect the best – massive abundance and success!

The Top New Year’s Resolution:  Save Money!

I like to watch all of the news networks to gain various perspectives on the state of the economy, state of the nation and the current political climate.  Face it, it is difficult to save money these days!  During the holidays and before the New Year, however, there were various surveys done regarding the “Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions”.  ALL surveys revealed that the Number 1 New Year’s resolution was to “Save Money”!  The usual “Lose Weight”, “Get In Shape”, “Quit Smoking” finished DISTANT second, third, etc.

Hmmm interesting, yes?  Personal financial health and the desire to save money is a top concern.  “I want to save money”, people say.  Physical health, spiritual well-being, and nurtured, happy relationships also are needed to maintain a well-rounded existence; however, ALL of these are affected by money – more importantly – how you save money.  Let’s face it, EVERYTHING is about money.  Money determines what you buy and how you buy.  We’ll continue in the future to show you how to save money on what and how you buy.  Money or, more accurately, money worries and concerns affect your mental and spiritual well-being.  We’ll continue in the future to show you how to save money so that it won’t affect your well-being.  Money is the number 1 reason for divorce and break-ups.  If couples work to save money together, there will be less stress on relationships.  Money may not bring happiness, but, lack of money sure can bring unhappiness, insecurity, depressed thinking, depression, and yes, even crime.  We at Save Money, Save Money experienced all (except crime) of the previously mentioned.  If we knew the value of the dollar back in those dark days and did what we do now to save money, then, save the money we saved, we would have accelerated our financial good health.  Today is what matters!  We have learned how to save money, then, save money!

Carry Cash & Save Money!

Many of us don’t carry cash anymore.  We use our debit and credit cards for most purchases.  We’ve been conditioned to believe that carrying cash is dangerous.  How can you save money if you carry cash and get robbed?  If you live or work in a high crime area, carrying cash could be dangerous.  We’ve got one word for this movement – MARKETING!  Banks and credit card companies have used fear-based marketing tactics to keep your money in their bank (debit cards), or use their money (credit cards) for purchases because everything is SAFE.  There is a degree of truth behind these statements – we’ll save that for another Save Money, Save Money post.  They’re not really interested in helping you save money.  They are interested in how they can save money and make money.  A quick fact about debit cards – your bank encourages you to carry your checkbook register so that you can enter your debit card transaction into the register, thus always knowing the balance status of your checking account at all times.  How many of you do that?!?  I don’t!  I’ve disciplined myself to go online every morning and evening to check my account balance, but, I don’t carry my checkbook register and enter transactions in the register every time I swipe my debit card.  Credit cards – well – for most us, they’re financial cocaine.  No cash?  Whip out the Capitol One card – no problem – until – you get your monthly statement.  Again, we’ll save the detail on how to save money with debit cards and and how to save money with credit cards for another post.  Unless you have, or until you develop a strict spending and financial discipline, credit cards are a direct path to financial suicide.  Out of control?  No wonder you’re unable to save money!

How To Save Money, Save Money Carrying Cash

This subject is not meant to insult anyone’s intelligence and should not be over-simplified but it does help you save money.  Using this technique ourselves, we have saved $1,131 over the past year – a small, fun effort to save money.  The savings were deposited into a high yield saving account – we save money, then we save money!  We also will discuss savings accounts at a later date.  $1,131 can be a house payment (for some), a rent payment, etc.  Some of you may already be doing this.  If you are using this to save money, then save money, please share your comments with us.

How did we do this?  Carry and make your everyday purchases with cash.  I carry $300 cash/week.  That’s my spending budget for gas, our food, our pet’s food, and other miscellaneous everyday type purchases.  The key to saving is to “KEEP YOUR CHANGE!”  Don’t spend your change, unless you need it for toll booths, buses, subways, whatever.  We guarantee that this is a fun way to save money!

EXAMPLE 1:  You buy chicken, eggs, and bread at the store and the purchase price equals $11.15.  Be sure to keep the $.85 in your pocket or change purse.  We save money!

EXAMPLE 2:  You leave the grocery store and stop at the gas station.  Your gas purchase is $40.50.  You hand the cashier $41.00.  You do not give the cashier two $20.00 bills and $.50 in change from your pocket or coin purse.  You pay with $41.00 cash and receive $.50 change – put that $.50 change in your pocket or coin purse (along with the $.85 you received from the grocery store).  You’ve already got $1.35 in two normal run-of-the-mill transactions.  We save money!

Example 3:  You have lunch at Subway (it’s healthier than most fast food joints).  You spend $6.63.  You hand the cashier $7.00; the cashier gives you $.37 in change.  We save money!

I’m sure you’re getting the picture.

Save Money and Have Fun!

At the end of the day, take all of your change and throw it into a coffee can or a sealable container.  You save money!  At the end of the month, take your coffee can to your bank and have that money deposited into a savings account.  You save money, then, save the money you saved.  My wife and I average around $70.00/month or $840/year in hard savings.  Now, since Lisa and I work together, usually there’s only one of us that carries the cash.  With many couples working separately, and if both individuals do this simple method, you could average much higher savings.

Back in the day when we had our painting and drywall business and when we were doing well, we would even throw in a dollar bill or two.  This adds an additional average of $30/month or $360/year!  Add this to an average of $840/year in coin change save, you’re looking at $1200/year!  This is perhaps a house or rent payment; 6 months of cell phone payments, etc.!  You save money!

This is a fun and easy way to start to save money.  Lisa and I always have a “just-for-fun” bet to see who guesses closest to the actual amount of change counted and deposited at the bank.  The loser cooks dinner!

The most difficult challenge with this simple method is convincing yourself NOT to use your credit or debit cards!  This is not an argument to use or to not use your cards, this is to provide you with a fun (and challenging) way to START saving money.  So begin today!  Save Money, then, Save the money you save!

Save Money Save Money

We hear, see and talk about it everyday – Save Money, Save Money!  TV, newspaper and radio ads are filled with sales, techniques and services that shout, “Save Money, Save Money!  The internet has plenty of blog and websites that show us how to save money.  We see plenty of new stories reflecting the current state of our economy and the world’s economies and its current and future effects on our lives.  Infomercials tell you how to make money by simply buying and promoting pre-made websites or the more elaborate approach of investing in real estate. Telemarketing is still very much alive with calls and texts on how to reduce credit card debt and mortgage interest rates.  It all shouts, “Save Money, Save Money!”  Our job – here – is to provide you with information and to have you look at yourself – your thoughts, habits, and choices and give you all the tools to save money, save money.

What Does Save Money Save Money Mean?

Save Money Save Money is more than just how to save big dollars and cents – though this is an important part of what we all should and can do. We are about helping you save money – AND – giving you tips and advice on saving what you save!  Realistically, if we’re able to save money at the grocery store, we’re likely to spend that saved money from grocery purchases on something else, right?  We hope that, here at Save Money Save Money, we can give you direction and tips on taking the money you save and using that savings to build a financial nest egg.  Save Money Save Money realizes that in today’s economy you may have to take the money you save and allocate that money for an immediate purpose – bills, house payment, rent, etc.  There are financial urgencies and emergencies – been there, done that. It’s okay.  If you’re strapped for cash, Save Money Save Money can provide you with tips on reducing where you are spending your money.

Let’s take another honest look at this subject.  Generally speaking, look at our own pay increases over the past two, five, ten, and fifteen years. Instead of maintaining our lifestyle and spending habits we had based on our income two, five, ten, or fifteen years ago, we’ve increased our spending habits to accommodate our new income!  For example, we bought that new car or added a second or third car or truck to our vehicle arsenal.  We’ve upgraded to a newer and/or bigger house.  We bought one or more flat screen televisions perhaps a 3-D television; we shop at more exclusive stores; we bought the latest and greatest smart phone.  The list goes on and on!  Maybe we rationalized that we could save money, but we did not, in fact, save money.  We’re not saying any of these things are bad or even wrong and we don’t want to offend you or anyone else by implying that you have made a bad or unwise financial decision.  Fifteen years ago you may have not had children to raise in the small one bedroom apartment or 2 bedroom house.  That would have had a negative effect on family life, and so, you bought the bigger house. Five years ago, your vehicle was “nickeling and diming” you to financial ruin, so you bought a new vehicle.  Two years ago, you used the standard flip cell phone strictly for emergencies.  Today, you’re career is more mobile and you need to be in contact with your clients via email, etc., so, you bought an I-Phone or Android.  What we are saying is that if you’re not socking away at least 30% of your income in a financial vehicle where the money is allowed grow; then, we need to ask ourselves some serious questions about where our hard earned money went.  Save Money Save Money believes that, starting NOW, we all have a tremendous opportunity to save money; then, we must save (or invest) the money we save.

What To Expect From Save Money Save Money

You can expect brutal honesty.  You can expect new ways and mindset approaches on “How To” Save Money, Save Money.  You can expect to see redundant tips and ideas that may appear in other sites and that are in print.  media.  Why old stuff?  Easy answer, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it!” These are proven tips.  You can expect positive objectivity.  Your experiences and knowledge are encouraged to be included in our posts and we invite them.  Comments at the end of the post are reviewed before they are posted.  Comments in opposition to Save Money, Save Money’s opinion are not discouraged provided they offer positive alternatives.  There will be product, book, and services recommendations that we encourage for purchase.  We don’t require it; we just feel that, if you can afford it, you will receive value from these products, books, and/or services.  We also will provide a plethora of free resources.

Save Money, Save Money Mindset

Robert Kiyosaki states in his #1 best seller, Rich Dad, Poor Dad that “rich people don’t think  differently than those who are not rich, they think oppositely.”  For so many of us , we have a limited mindset.  Due to our upbringing, education, religion, etc. we have been programmed to believe that we are capable of “earning” and “saving” only x number of dollars.  Quite frankly this is the “Poor Dad” mindset.  Save Money, Save Money has studied the mindset of both the wealthy and the un-wealthy for over 12 years.  Save Money, Save Money and our friends and partners will spend a great deal of time on this subject of “mindset”.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.  The road to wealth, also, is paved with good intentions.  Thinking about doing something is far different than actually doing something.  We like this riddle – There were 3 birds sitting on a fence.  2 of the birds decided to fly away.  How many birds are left sitting on the fence?  The answer is 3.  Just because you decide to do some thinking means nothing until you do it.  The same applies to us in our efforts to save money and grow wealth.  Our minds are our greatest asset OR our greatest liability.  It takes a different type of personal mindset and life habits to control our financial health and growth of wealth than looking for ways to save money on purchases, fixed cost items and services, and assets.

Save Money, Save Money Welcomes You Aboard

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