In When you make those New Year's resolutions, you're thinking about fresh starts and the year ahead. What you might not realize is that they also could save money. Here are 10 popular resolutions and just how much you could save if you resolve them in 2013.
1. Quit Smoking
Smokers are using the high cost of the habit as one reason to quit. Smoking won't just kill you; it'll drain your bank account. You can save money by stopping a pack-a-day habit, which can cost between Rs.19,345 and Rs.38,690 per year. Then there's the extra cost of buying mints, mouth fresheners, dry cleaning to rid your clothes of the smell, dental bleaching or caps for yellowed teeth and Botox to iron out smoking-induced wrinkles.
2. Eat Healthier and Exercise
A healthy eating plan can be asor moreeconomical than fast food. It's a total myth that eating healthy is expensive. For example, a 100 gm of potato chips is RS. 10. For the same money, you could buy 1 kg of potatoes, which contain vitamins and fiber.
3. Build Up Emergency Fund
Somethingbe it a car repair, an emergency root canal, or a job layoffalways comes up to throw you off your monthly budget. To keep these incidents from running you into debt, you need to have an emergency stash in an easily accessible account, preferably a money market account.
4. Shred Your ATM Card
We're always making impulse purchases. How can you stop your bank account from hemorrhaging? Take a page from the old-timers and shred your ATM card. Head on over to the bank teller's window, and get your walking-around money for the week. With a finite amount of cash, you'll start to think twice before those spur-of-the-moment spending sprees.
5. Shop Smart
Avoid impulse purchases and always check at least three stores to make sure you've got the best price. Of course, look for coupons and sales too. When you're shopping online, make sure you get a free shipping deal. Never, ever pay full price. Try to buy everything on clearance. Also, don't buy when the stores want you to buy. When those shorts and t-shirts show up in store displays this May, hold off until July to get the biggest deals.
6. Be Armed with a Coupon
I don't remember the last time I bought something without a coupon. Even if it's just snagging free shipping for an item online to save you a trip to the store (and using more of that precious gas in your fuel tank), coupons and coupon codes are easy. One easy way to monitor all the deals and accessing latest coupons is CupoNation: http://www.cuponation.in/
7. Stick to a Budget
Figure out what you spend on all your regular items in a month, try to buy them in as few shopping visits as possible (better still, order them online with free delivery to cut down on your bills at the gas pump), and write down what you spend.
8. Preventative Spending
Sometimes spending money now can save you big bucks in the future. Things like regular doctor and dentist visits, home upgrades and taking your car in for its regular service can be pricey, but the money you'll save by avoiding larger problems justifies all those expenses.
9. Never Eat at a Restaurant Paying Full Price
There's still a great way to support are phenomenal local restaurants while still cutting our wallet a break. Always look for your dine out coupons and use them whenever you go out for dinner.
10. Get Organized
Fresh year, fresh start? If you want to save this yearget organized. The most important thing in making any resolution, especially in getting organized, is you have to be extremely explicit. Believe you me, you save money from late fees, missed payment fees, mail expediting costs and being overcharged or charged for items that aren't yours. You'll learn about any changes to your accounts. Plus, you save the time previously lost to disorganization.
Add new comment