Tag Post: Be Money Smart

With the present condition of our economy and the worst still to come it's time we tightened our belts and looked into cutting costs and saving money.

Listed below are a few tips I try to implement while I'm out and about. Would love to hear more from my blog readers.

Grocery:

1. Look for generic or store brands.
2. Plain shapes of pasta (spaghetti and macaroni) cost less than pasta in fancy shapes
3. Frozen vegetables in larger bags cost less per serving than vegetables in small packages.
4. In-Season produce is less expensive. Buy fruits and vegetables from your green grocer, it’s often fresher and cheaper than supermarkets.
5. Buy only as much fresh produce as you’ll use within a week.
6. Eat before going for grocery shopping. This will limit impulse buying.
7. Shop on Fridays – it’s been proven to be the cheapest day of the week for everyday items.
8. Go to the store with a list. You can save up to 40% on your grocery bill.

General:

1. Need versus want – always ask yourself “Do I really need it?” and nine times out of ten the answer is usually no.
2. Avoid take-away food, but if you do have to eat out go to a food court and take your drinks. Avoid dine-in as they usually cost more.
3. Buy items only when on sale. Never pay retail. Stock up during end of summer/winter sales, stock take sales and boxing day sales.
4. Whenever possible, buy items in bulk and when on special.
5. Fill the family car up with petrol on Wednesdays, the cheapest day to buy petrol.

Energy Saving Tips:

1. Turn the tap off when you can – don’t use running water to wash you’re hands, clean your teeth, wash vegetables, etc.
2. Take shorter showers – no longer than 5 minutes.
3. Always run appliances (washing machines, dishwashers etc) with full loads and try to do fewer cycles per week.
4. 8-10% of total electricity used in your home is due to appliances left on standby. Some appliances use 25% of their normal power in standby mode.
5. Unplug chargers when not in use.
6. Run appliances such as washing machine, dishwasher etc at night when the electricity is on off peak.
7. Fridges and freezers need space at the top, back and sides to shed excess heat. For appliances with exposed rear coils, vacuum or wipe off dust. Ensure door seals are kept clean and seal well. Locate fridges and freezers in cool spots, away from direct sun and other heat sources such as stoves. The recommended operating temperature for a fridge is 3 to 5°C. Below this it costs more to run and can frost up. For freezers, the recommended range is -15 to -18°C. Regularly remove any frost build-up.
8. Turn off lights in any room not being used.
9. Leaving your computer switched on all day eats up a lot of electricity. Schedule a time for internet surfing and try to turn on the computer only when needed.
10. Re-use water from baby bath for flushing or washing toilets.

In no particular order I tag: UmmIbrahim, UmmTravis & Shama.