Unusual Tips to Save Money

Thinking back on the last few weeks (and then looking back even further) I've come to the realization of some interesting, and a few unusual, tips on ways to save money. So here goes, you may have read or heard some of these before, but I'll list them anyway.

1. Don't Buy Groceries When You Are Hungry

   True, this is a common one that everyone says, but it is true. There have been times when we go to the grocery store when we are hungry, and come out with an extra $20 or $30 worth of food that we hadn't planned on getting. Even when we shop with a list and coupons! So, if you are hungry, make sure your shopping trip is to pick up one or two things and don't wander through the whole store. Get what you need and get out!

2. Don't Let Your Dishes Pile Up

   This may seem like a confusing one, or a silly one. But, if you keep up with your dishes, there's less chance you'll grab the phone to order some pizza or grab the keys to run out to the fast food restaurant. Try to keep your pots and pans clean and you are more likely to cook food - and probably have a much healthier meal.

3. Don't Over Multi-Task

   Okay, this one is definitely not one you'd expect to read. While multi-tasking is good, over multi-tasking is not. If you over multi-task, you run the risk of forgetting something you are doing. For example, you are cleaning and cooking and trying to check your email, all at the same time. While noble, if you are like me, you'll end up spending most of the time staring at the computer while you let the water run in the sink, wasting money, or the food on the stove, burning it and wasting the money to run the stove, and all the while, running all the electricity to your computer. So over multi-tasking can suck away your money without you realizing it.

4. Take a Little Extra Time to Go Through Things

   Take a few minutes each week to go through things. Make a list and check off each one. Things like running through your bills and receipts to make sure everything is matching up correctly, going through any "extra" services and deciding whether you really need them (like magazine or website subscriptions), going through your books, music, or movies and picking out what to or not to keep. Anything that might save you a little money in the end is worth a few minutes of your time each week.

Take a little bit of time and think about these tips, and I believe you'll realize they make sense. I hope that these tips will help you save a little bit of money.