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8 Tips for Budget Savings by Suzanne Beck
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8 Tips for Budget Savings |
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Family & Parenting
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Although I no longer have children at home I remember how tough it can be when making ends meet. There always seemed to be a bill due, always some expense that couldn’t wait. Even now as a single person I would rather practice restraint than waste money, preferring to focus on spending my hard earned cash on things I enjoy like reading and travel. Shop at Independent Fruit Markets Instead of supermarkets, try the local fruit and vegetable store. Often you'll find these on street fronts or inside larger shopping centre's but they're individual site of their own. Products from here aren’t necessarily perfect, mostly their seconds, they don’t make the grade for a big supermarket chain but are just as flavoursome as premium products. You may need to be a bit choosy when selecting your pieces as they often have imperfections on the skin or lumps and bumps, but other than that they taste great and save you money. As an example when supermarkets sell Royal Gala for $4.99 kg, I pay $1.99. If you shop at weekly or monthly markets, don’t buy from the first stall you come across. Often the stall at the back has the cheapest produce as he attempts to compete with the front stall holders. Don’t Waste Vegetables by Peeling I vary rarely peel vege, preferring to use the whole vegetable, creating as little waste and possible. Carrots, just wash and cut. Potatoes when buying, I either buy washed or scrub them myself. Potatoes, if you prefer, are easily peeled by boiling then peeling the skin off before eating. Parsley, hold the leaves in one hand, chopping through stems and all. I use the leaf and stem until I get down the thickest part of the stem where the leaves are no longer growing. Cauliflower and broccoli use the stems as well when cooking, beans just chop off the ends, apples eat the skin. If your child finds it difficult to eat the skin, use a peeler not a knife. These ideas might seem trivial but next time you cook look at how much you throw into the bin as discarded waste. Water – Drinking Water the Budget Way I personally can’t understand the expense of water no matter how I try! Does expensive water taste better that budget water? Or is it just the labelling? One day someone might like to enlighten me….. I can't justify paying $3-$4 a bottle when you can buy a 1.25 litre at supermarkets for around .90 cents. If you prefer not to drink tap water, I do 2 things. Every time I boil water for coffee, the excess, I put into a jug for drinking, ready to fill my bottle to take wherever I going. Second, I buy a 10 liter container at Woolworths at around $5 and fill my bottle for taking with me wherever I go. I rarely buy water at servo’s or shops unless I’ve forgotten mine or desperate. Take Lunch with You This seems like such an easy task, but many people don't do it. I see people paying $10 every day for lunch and at least 2 coffee’s @ $8 a day. 5 days a week equals $90. 52 weeks a year equals $4680. Enormous amount of money you can save on the weekly budget. Everyday I’m travelling with work, going from location to location. No matter where work is, most lunch rooms or offices’ have a microwave so why not take your lunch with you. It may be a simple 2 pieces of bread or a roll with filling or if you’re like me and don’t eat sandwiches, why not take soup. Buy yourself a snap lock container, take a roll and you have a meal your fellow workers will envy. I’ve attached the link to my recipe for homemade soup which I made last night, showing you how simple and cheap it is to cook. Cauli’s are in season at the moment for only $1.50 each and Leeks 2 for $2.50, so by adding a bit of garlic, chicken stock, salt and pepper, this equals 5 meals to take for the week costing you around .70 cents a day. Mind you, you don’t have to eat that every day of the week, alternating if you wish, but every day you take your lunch is a saving for the budget. Think of it this way….. you go to work at the same job every day, most people eat the same sandwich every day, so it’s not really that difficult to eat the same soup every day. Save on Internet Bills If you or your children need to use the internet and keep going over your limit, why not go to the library. Uploading can be expensive and use all of your plan’s quota. Most libraries have either computers to use or you can log into their Wifi making it possible to sit there for hours not worrying about how much usage is left. Why not take the kids and get out of the house for a while, letting them read and play as you Google until your heart’s content. Close those Doors! With winter coming on, turn the heater on but close doors. Buy those long fabric sausages to place at the base of the door, stopping drafts entering the warm room. If you want to heat the house before going to bed, open the doors long enough to let the whole house heat, but don’t waste energy through the day when no-one will benefit. Wash your Own Car I can’t tell you how much it costs to have a car washed at a car wash site because I've never used them but at a guess after seeing the signs, washing your own car could potentially save you $30-$50 each time. That’s a big saving. And think of the exercise you’ll be doing! Conserve Energy This is achieved by not using a dryer all the time. For garments not needed immediately, buy a $10 clothes dryer and use that to hang washing on. Either put outside under shelter or in the warm room once you’ve gone to bed. Suzanne Beck fashion style for men with everyday tips solo travel and everyday help budget fashion online
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