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Money Tips for the Rest of Us

The internet is littered with money tips. Just type it into Google and you will see that everyone has an opinion. Some are absolute rubbish, others are great, and some only apply to those who have a substantial income already. For the rest of us, however, we need some tips on how to save money doing the things that we are already doing. We don’t want to spend 3 hours making our own toilet paper in an effort to save a dollar, but we do want to trim the fat off the areas where we are wasting money. Your Billings, MT payroll services expert lays out 5 ways that you can cut costs without drastically changing your lifestyle.

Make Meal Plans

SONY DSC

SONY DSC

For some reason planning meals is hard. We all fall guilty to this, so there are a few ways that we can save a lot of time, and a lot of money, with a little planning ahead.

Making a meal plan is the easiest way to make sure that you stick to your shopping list. Each week buy only what is on your meal plan list, and avoid those impulse buys. This will help you spend less, have less food waste, and streamline your day.

Sometimes that’s a little too much, you are a busy professional after-all. You can sign up for a service, like that provided by emeals.com, for just a few dollars per month. It will give you the recipes, the shopping list, and help make life simpler.

Cut Your Utility Bill

You’re not going to become rich slashing your utility bill. But you will feel better with extra money in your bank account, and you will be helping the environment.

The easiest way to cut your bills is to upgrade your appliances. But that can be expensive. So start smaller. Upgrade your old incandescent light bulbs to CFL’s. Many people saw an immediate savings of $10 to $20 per month when they upgraded. If you already use CFL’s, make the switch to LED’s. They’re a bit pricey still, at about $5-$10 per bulb. But they last longer, use even less electricity, and have more functionality than a CFL.

Use Your Calendar

If you work for yourself, then you know the need to maximize your time. If you follow our blog, then you may remember some posts on the subject (like Eliminate, Delegate, Simplify).

The truth is that many people seem to neglect their calendar. They have a basic idea of what they need to get done during the day, but they tend to just haphazardly prioritize. Instead, fill that calendar up. Mark down that for the first hour of the day you will respond to emails. Then close your email system until the last hour of the day when you follow up. Set a specific time limit for each task, and when the time is up, you move on. Doing so will help you get more done, and ultimately make more money.

 Trip Planning

Planning out your trip in advance, especially for a longer vacation, can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars. It will allow you to negotiate rates, find the best deals, and take advantage of freebies going on.

But trip planning doesn’t have to be a big ordeal. In fact, it can be as simple as maximizing your time while running errands. You will save gas, have more free time, be less likely to make impulse buys, and let you relax more. Schedule your errands on your calendar, and make a route so you hit each store in succession.

 

Practical Taxes

Here at Practical Taxes, we know that you want to save the most money. Follow these money tips, and when tax season comes around next year, you can save money by letting us prepare your taxes for you. No need to spend a ton of money at a seasonal preparer when you can have a professional that is available all year round helps you with your taxes. Give us a call at 406-894-2050 to learn how we can help you.

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