10 Easy Ways to Save Money In the Next Five Minutes

One of the biggest mistakes many of us make in our lives is ignoring our checkbook. I can tell you with certainty that I am guilty, guilty, guilty of doing this. I just balanced my checkbook after nearly three weeks. Four pages and an hour later, I was frustrated and annoyed and kicking myself for not doing it sooner. If I set aside five minutes every single day to add entries into this book, perhaps I wouldn’t have to spend an hour and a half doing it every few weeks only to realize that I’m still missing something. I’m a procrastinator, and I know it. I cause myself far more time than I can afford on my book and I know I have to have better habits.

On that note, I’m sitting here thinking that I did that last week and it’s been almost five day since I swore I’d put aside five minutes to balance my book every day. Failure; I know. However, if we spend five minutes every single day doing something useful, we can save a lot of money. On that note, let me spend a few moments being a complete hypocrite (with amazing intentions) by telling you some easy ways to save money in the next five minutes time.

Balance your Checkbook

I know that I’m fortunate I can go weeks without balancing my account and not worry about overdrafts – I get it. On that note, my husband is my banker so if we were to dip below our available balance, he’d know in an instant and have time to transfer funds from another account to cover it on the same day to avoid fees. I also know that many people do not have that luxury, and that’s why balancing your book is a good idea. The more you do it, the more on top of it you are. It helps you to avoid things like overdraft fees that can really add up. This also keeps you on top of your budget.

Sign up for Money Saving Blogs

These are simple to follow. You get online, sign up to receive an email and spend the mornings drinking your coffee and reading about amazing money-saving tips that will change your life for the better. It’s easy, and it’s something anyone can do in less than a few minutes and without any cost to you.

Sign up for Coupon Blogs

Coupon blogs are helpful, especially if they are local to you. These are women and men who go through the coupons, the sales and everything that you need to know to make sure you get the best deal. They tell you how to coupon, what to use and where to go to make your life as simple and easy as possible.

Cut that One Expense

You know you have one; a cable bill that’s too high. A cell phone bill that’s too high. Cut them. It’s time to move on from these and get yourself in check. You can save a lot of money by getting rid of services you no longer use, and it’s more than just small savings.

Call your Mom

The next time you need something, call your mom – or a friend or someone else. You might find that you need a sander or a saw for some project around the house, and it makes no sense to go out and buy something like that when you can just get one from a friend or your mother for a few days and return it when you are done. Borrow what you can and forget about what you don’t need.

Create a Budget

If you are not already working with a budget, do this. It’s going to save you tremendously, and you will be forever grateful for what you can save with a budget. Make one for everything, including your spending and saving and even your day-to-day items so that you can get your budget in good working order for the future.

Make a List

It’s the simplest way to save money, yet it’s the most often overlooked. Make a meal list for the week and then make a grocery list so you know what you need to make dinner all week, what you already have so you don’t end up with more. This is going to eliminate trips to the store you have to make to get your groceries. You’ll be very appreciative of how much money this saves you.

Unplug your Stuff

Hair dryers and coffee pots and everything in between; unplug them. Unless you use them all the time (like the fridge) go ahead and unplug it. This simple act saves you a few dollars a month on your utility bill, which is a good concept since it adds up at the end of the year more than you might imagine.

Shut the Blinds

It takes just a few moments to close the blinds in the afternoon when the sun is shining right in them during the hottest part of the day. This is going to keep your house a bit cooler and your utility bill down. Your air doesn’t have to work so hard to cool your house off when the blinds are not open and allowing the bright sun to make its way inside on a regular basis. The same is true during the winter, when you want to open your blinds so that the sun can shine inside and warm you up when it’s cold outside.

Check your Tire Pressure

Do you know that even if your tires are just a few pounds per square inch under the recommended level that you are wasting money? If you pump those tires up to where they need to be, your entire car works more efficiently, which saves significantly. There is nothing worse than needing more gas and repairs on your car all because you chose to ignore the fact that your tires needed a bit of air to keep them in check.

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