Money Saving Tips, How To Start Saving Cash Today.

A penny saved is a penny earned. The fundamentals of finance. Well that's obvious isn't it? Apparently not. Saving money makes sense. The concept is simple "if you save a penny you haven't then got to go out and earn it." OK things you can do right now. I'm not going to give you 89 money saving tips. Just things you can do right now. Go on, get straight into it.

At Home

Turn off all electrical goods when not in use. Even on standby they use a third as much electricity as when on. That includes any phone chargers. Disconnect the phone from the charger as some chargers actually drain the battery on a cell phone if they are left attached. Only charge devices until they are full then disconnect them. Smart phones, laptops, power tools, electric razors. The fridge will have to stay on of course but what temperature is it set at? most food will keep fresh at between 3 - 5 degrees Celsius

(to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit take the Celsius 5 X 2 = 10 + 32 = 42 Fahrenheit.

If your fridge is any colder it is wasting energy. No smart remarks from our Alaskan cousins thank you. We all know you live in a natural fridge. Insulate as much as you can. If you have some old towels or any heavy cloth really, throw them at the base of exterior doors. Many people don't realise that there is a tiny gap at the bottom of the door and this can let in cold air. If you have an electrically heated boiler turn it off or put it on a timer. You need hot water when? so put it on an hour before you need it.

Running a boiler of this type is like permanently boiling a huge kettle all day every day. It will usually have a thermostat which will turn it off when it reaches the set temperature. But this means it is turning on and off all day long 24/7. Just to keep the water at a constant temperature. If you are out all day at work. What is the point. Find out how to use the timer system to regulate when the boiler fires up. If there is no timer, fit one. This alone will saves you $100's per year. This one act can cut your electricity bills by between 30 and 60 percent.

Go Solar

In money terms if your bill was $1000 per year you would save potentially $600, that's $600 you haven't got to earn. Sell some things you no longer need or use and buy a solar charger for your small electrical goods. And some solar panels for free water heating.

More simple money saving tips

Disposable razors. I have a disposable razor that I have been using for over a year and it's still working fine. How many razors have you thrown thinking "well it's disposable think I better throw it?"

Tooth paste. how much toothpaste do you throw in the trash-bin because you couldn't get anymore out of it? No house slippers wear socks. When making tea or coffee boil just enough water for your needs. One cup of tea requires one cup of water to be boiled. Why boil a whole kettle full? If you live in a country that has invested, billions of $'s or £'s in potable drinking water delivered to your home virtually for free, why are you buying bottled water? That's just dumb.

Bottled Water. Why

Drink tap water there is nothing wrong with it. If you really must; pour it into a mineral water bottle if it makes you feel better. No one will know. Cut car journeys to essential trips only. How many cars have you got? how many do you really need? Get rid of any excess transport as you are also getting rid of the costs associated with it. Taxes, fuel, insurance, maintenance tyres/tires need I go on. Rationalize your transport

Here's a novel idea walk to the shops if possible or go shopping once a month rather than every week. If you have children walk them to school again if possible and if you have the time. I can assure you that not only will you save a fortune the side benefit is you will lose weight and get fit for free. And you will feel great as your helping the planet. Many parents drive their children to school and yet live within a 5 - 15 minute walk of the school?

Cancel your Gym membership. 95% of people who have gym membership never go. This is how gyms make their money. Psychologically you feel OK as you have a gym membership but you never go. It's delusional. Get rid of it.

Buy In Bulk

Join a food wholesalers and buy canned goods by the slab 24 cans of beans, tomatoes and big bags of rice and pasta. Cook at home. It is often quicker to cook something from fresh at home than it is to order something and wait for it to be delivered. So no more take out Burgers, Pizza, Chinese, Indian rather cook at home more. Don’t buy expensive junk food when out and about. Don't buy peanuts from the guy in the video.

Make your own sandwiches or whatever it’s cheaper to prepare and cook your own food. When you do cook, cook in batches. A big vat of soup can be used and the excess frozen. Think of it in terms of; you only had to cook it once so go big and freeze the rest. If you can't cook , then get a recipe book from the library or find recipes online. Stand sauce bottles on their head to get all of the sauce out. Simple changes can make big savings.

Ok so you don’t need me to tell you that things are getting a bit tight out there. I hope I have shown you some ways to save money by doing some simple things which can help you now and for the long term. It's amazing how many people say "well that's just common sense" if it so common sense why didn't they do it before? like many things in like

"Common sense is only common sense, once it's pointed out.

Finally whenever the economy tanks like this and it does on a regular basis people seem to react to it as if it has never happened before. I suppose for younger people this may be the first time they have experienced such a poor economic outlook.

So for those of you that don't already know. This roller-coaster ride of boom followed by bust is the natural order of the economic cycle and system that we live in. Capitalism. So unless you can come up with a better idea you are going to have to get used to it. Last tip today. In winter wear more clothes around the house and turn the heating down.

There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing.

Only buy new items with money you have earned from selling off your old stuff. This has the benefit of de-cluttering your house/garage/shed and giving you cash on hand. If you then see something you want, you can maybe buy it without drawing money from other areas. Remember that a want is not a need. Needs are essentials shelter, food, clothing things we need to survive.

Wants And Needs

Wants are non essentials, the latest phone, shoes, handbags you can live without. When thinking of spending money on something, think first. Do I really need it? if the answer is no, don't buy it. I hope these simply tips will help you to start saving money today and make a plan for the future. The other side of this equation is of course to make more money. See my other hubs on ways to really make money online in these difficult times.