The New Year is here and if you're struggling to make ends meet or if you want to set a goal to take a vacation in 2012 you may need to consider doing to frugal living in order for it to happen.
Setting frugal goals is a wonderful way to spend less and have more and the New Year is the perfect time to make that happen. There are a number of things you can do to make it happen, but it's best to start now so you'll know exactly what to do to make it happen. Here are a few suggestions to help you set the frugal goals for 2012.
I would say the area you'll see the most savings when it comes to living frugally has to be at the grocery store. An easy way to save at the store is to purchase generic items whenever possible. Now you make find that's not always possible or you may not like the generic item and if that's the case you'll need to purchase name brand, but if you can't taste the difference, you should do it. For example, we don't like generic cheese, but we don't have a problem with generic soup when it's used in a meal and not a stand alone item.
Another way to save money at the store is to use coupons. Now you must be careful on this because there may be times when you have a coupon for the name brand product, but if the price isn't lower with the coupon and you don't mind a generic, you need to go that route. You'll need to pay close attention to the prices and quantities or you'll end up spending more than what is necessary.
One last technique that will help you save money at the store is to use price matching. If your store offers this, you should take the time to write down the price of items you need at other stores and then ask the cashier to match it if it's higher at the store you're at. This is a practice that not all stores follow, so it's important to check before you take the time to do it.
Another way to save money in the New Year comes with the things you do daily. An example of this would be if you work outside the home. If you work outside the home you can save money in two ways. The first way is with your meals. If you don't have the time or the ability to go home, you need to bring your lunch with you instead of going out or purchasing lunch from the convenience store or vending machine. It costs less to bring food from home than it does to go out.
Another way to save money if you work outside the home is to stay at work for lunch instead of wasting the gas to go home. You'd be amazed at the gas you'll save if you don't go home five days a week. Depending on the vehicle you drive you may save enough to purchase a weeks worth of groceries or pay double on a bill you have.
Setting frugal goals for the New Year is a good way to save money and prevent yourself from living pay check to pay check or having more bills than income during the month. These two steps are just the beginning when it comes to saving money. Take a little time and think about all the things you spend money on in a month and then see what you can remove to add more money to your wallet.
Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business. She has learned to set frugal goals to help save her family money. If you're looking for ways to save money, click here to purchase her "Taking it to the Extreme: A Guide to Couponing" ebook. She'll show you how to save money at the grocery store when you use coupons & price matching.
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