What are some realistic money saving tips for someone on a tight budget?
I actually made myself a spreadsheet (like in Excel) of all my basic bills: -rent -utilities (elec, gas, sewer, water) -car -insurance -fuel -telephone -cable -internet -credit cards -food and basic necessities (groceries, doctor visit, etc) Once I did that, I got my base living expenses. If I had some left over, I put that into my “entertainment” category. One thing I discovered is that I saved a TON of money when I stopped eating out at much. For one month I tracked how much I spent eating out and I was astonished. (And surprisingly I lost some weight and felt a little better when I started eating at home more.) I was able to save the most money by really taking my time at the grocery store and shopping around the different brands. I was able to cut my grocery bill by about $50 just by watching for sales, using coupons, and buying generic. Buying day old meat on sale in bulk and freezing it in sections was a huge saver. Decide what “luxury” items you would be willing to live without.
