No matter how tight things are financially for you; no matter how
bleak things look, if you are earning a paycheck then there's
extra money hiding in it. You just need to know where to look.
Here are 10 more ways to bring that money out into the open.
1. Pay some of your bills tax free
Many employers offer a "Flexible Spending Account" (FSA) which
is a way for you to use payroll deduction to reimburse yourself
for family medical expenses like co-payments, eyeglass
prescriptions, parking and gas for medically necessary trips
and other authorized medically-related expenses that insurance
doesn't cover. You can put aside up to $3,000 pre-tax per year.
2. Enroll in discount programs if you're under-insured
If you have inadequate health insurance coverage or no coverage
at all, there are plenty of discount medical plans available
which provide quality medical attention at group rates. A Google
search under "medical discount plans" will get you started.
Beware of scams and check a plan out thoroughly before you join.
3. Buy One Get One Free
When the grocery store offers "Buy one get one free" on something
that you use regularly, buy as many as the rules and your wallet
allow. Store the extras in your pantry or freezer until you need
them. Even better, split the cost with a friend. That way you
each get an item for half the price.
4. Keep an eye on your cell phone plan
Know the expiration date of your plan and start looking for new
deals at least 30 days before the plan expires. It's likely that
you can get more minutes, fewer roaming charges and no long
distance charges by simply looking around. If you let your plan's
anniversary date roll by then you may be stuck for another year
paying more than you should.
5. Watch your home telephone bills
Today there is a lot of competition for delivering dial tone and
even cable TV companies are offering telephone service. Some
of these new services are VoIP (Voice Over IP) or "Internet
telephone" while others are real PTSN (Public Switched Telephone
Network). Most plans offer unlimited long distance anywhere in
the USA while others extend the plan to include Canada as well.
You can save hundreds per year my switching to one of these
carriers.
6. Lock in the rewards but ONLY if you've got the discipline
As competition heats up among credit card issuers, more and more
card issuers are offering cash back and other "buyer rewards".
Some of these programs can add up to real savings over a year.
If you've got the discipline, pick a card that offers the best
rewards program and then pay as many of your usual bills as you
can by credit card instead of check. Then, at the end of the
month, PAY THE CREDIT CARD IN FULL so you get the rewards but not
the interest. Even a 2% cash back deal adds up to a lot of money
in the bank if you pay as much as possible through the card.
7. Get your daily news online
If you're paying as little as .50 every weekday and $1.50 on
Sundays for the newspaper then you're paying $208 for what you
can get for free if you're on the 'net. Most major newspapers
have a web edition and all of the major comics are online as
well. If you can't live without the Sunday paper then just
cancel the weekday edition.
8. Make sure your money works harder for you
Open a savings account at http://www.OrangeAccount.com . They
pay the highest interest rate of any online bank, and there are
no fees and no minimum balance required to open an account.
Stuff your weekly savings into your account and let the power
of compound interest help make you rich.
9. Refurbish, Recycle and Resist
Garage sale items can look good as new if you give them some
tender love and care. Charity stores, the Salvation Army,
consignment stores and tag sales are all great places to save
a lot of cash. Resist buying new when gently used will do the
trick.
10. Think frugally
Make money have to fight in order to leave your pocket. Before
you spend a penny on anything always stop and think: "How can I
get this for less?". Even better, start thinking: "How can I get
this for free?".
Don't think of each of these tips as 'only a few bucks'. Think of
every dollar that you save as a 'money tree'. Plant it where it
will do you the most good -- in your pocket instead of someone
else's. That's thinking smart!
