1. Smash Your Toilet Paper Roll. This one sounds insane, but it can actually save you a lot of money over time. Doing this is simple: just flatten the toilet paper roll so that the cardboard center bends. The point of this? Flattening the roll makes the toilet paper stop in segments instead of racing off the roll, meaning your toilet paper purchase will last longer. Better for your wallet, AND for the environment.
2. Review your cellphone bill. This is a true story. After being a Cingular customer for two years, I called up and asked them to review my bill. Based on a quick analysis of my usage, they recommended a much less expensive calling plan, and now (I am not kidding) my bill is 50% of what it used to be.
3. Rent, don’t buy. If you love designer bags but know that you get tired of them quickly, Bag, Borrow, or Steal (http://www.bagborroworsteal.com) is a great service that offers designer handbag “rentals” to subscribers.
4. Gyms/ yoga passes. If you live in Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago, take advantage of the YogaPassbook or Fitness Passbook offered by the American Health and Fitness Alliance. For $70 - $80 per passbook, you get passes to hundreds of gyms and yoga studios—attend four yoga classes, and you’ve already gotten your money’s worth! http://www.health-fitness.org/.
5. Just say “Americano.” If you MUST keep going to Starbucks, here’s how to cut the cost of your trip down by 50%. Instead of getting your usual $3.50 latte, next time, ask for an Americano. This is basically just regular coffee and milk, tastes mostly the same, and costs about half the price of a latte. Give it a try!
6. Free Land. There are still ways to get land for free, if you’re willing to move. http://www.kansasfreeland.com/ outlines several counties in Kansas that will give free land to individuals and families willing to move to Kansas. Some counties in Nebraska are also doing this—more information on this at http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/nsf/FAQ/freeland.html. Cheap land is also available; for instance, Chugwater, Wyoming is selling lots for $100 through their Housing Incentive Program. http://www.chugwater.com/chip.htm
7. Turn Your Loose Change Into Coffee or Books. Ever see those Coinstar machines in your grocery store (http://www.coinstar.com)? Now, for NO FEE, you can trade in all your loose change for gift cards from everything from Starbucks to Borders to amazon.com. Who knows? You might have enough spare change in your couch to pay for a new book, a week’s worth of Starbucks, or something else you want!
8. Switch to stronger booze. Again, this one is a little unconventional, but go with me. For $5, you could get one (max two) light beers that are going to be gone in an hour, or you could get a glass of Wild Turkey that you could sip on all evening. The higher the proof, the longer it’s going to take you to finish (and the more money you’re going to save). You'll also have to make less trips to the bar.
9. Get a part time job. Go with me on this. If you have a little extra time, and you find that you’re always in Pottery Barn anyway, why not get a one or two day a week part time gig after your regular job? This way, you’ll get to see the new stuff before everyone else, be eligible for discounts, AND get paid to hang out in the store and talk to people like yourself, who ALSO like to hang out there? This also applies to Starbucks, which is one of the ONLY companies that offers health benefits to part-time employees, as well as other options such as stock discounts and free coffee. Wow!
10. Keep a money journal. This is one of the best things you can do for yourself, when you’re just getting used to saving and trying to figure out where all your money goes every month. Get a small notebook, and write down every cent you spend for an entire week. At the end of the week, go over your spending to look for areas you could comfortably cut or replace. You have the power!
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