5 More Things I forgot to add

This goes along with my previous list of 20 ways I save money.

1. If you are good with credit cards then find one with no annual fee that gives you rewards. I love my Discover card for the 1% cash back we get. I use it to pay for Christmas presents and to get gift cards. I use it for almost everything and we pay ours off every month. There are a variety of other credit card companies that have perks like this.


2. Use a Credit Union instead of a bank. We've found that we get better interest rates on CD's and savings accounts by going through a credit union. Make sure yours lets you have a no checking fee account and try to get free checks too.

3. Try to combine store coupons with manufacturers coupons. Look up by the expiration date and it will say Manufacturer coupon or the name of the store the coupon is for. I always try to combine my Wal-Greens and Target coupons with a manufacturer coupon to double my savings.

4. Combine shopping trips to save on gas money. I plan my routes when I run my errands. This lets me stay home for whole days at a time rather than having to run across town multiple times a week. I have a route for recycling newspapers, library book drop off, gym class and Wal-Mart/Target. I can do all of these things faster if I go in the corresponding order of location which is a big help when you've got two little children in tow. Planning my errands also gives me time to get shopping lists and coupons together. Stick your coupons in an old envelope and write the store name on the outside.

5. Scale back. In the last two years we've went from having the full benefits of three rentals at a time month from Netflix (15.00) to only getting one rental at a time for 10.00. We're considering dropping that altogether once we've watched our must see movies. We've scaled back on our direct tv/tivo package to save 20.00 a month.

But, what it really all boils down to is changing your perception of what is acceptable to you on how you spend your money. Don't be afraid to try new ideas out to see if they work.
Speaking as someone who went from having a combined debt with my husband of $25,000 in our early twenties and paid it off in four years, you -can- change your thinking. Once you get used to always thinking of how to save money and how to do more with less it becomes second nature.
There's a beauty and a rhythm to graceful (not stingy) frugality that will come naturally as you practice it.