The Economic Meltdown! -- What should we do? (Part 2)

Under this current economy, my husband and I try to find a way to tighten our belts and save money as much as we can in case of a financial emergency, so we will have money at our expense. I’ve tried to come up with the list of things that we do in order to help us save money on bills. Here are some tips that I would like to share with you.

• Get rid of your bad spending habits. Create a budget so you know where your money goes each month.

• Don’t eat out. Cook all your meals at home. Bring lunch to work. No coffee from Starbucks. :)

• Shop carefully and always have a shopping list when you go grocery shopping. Stick with the list. Don’t buy products that you don’t really need because they are on sale. It’s a good idea to shop at bulk discount stores like Sam's Club and Costco to get the best deals.

• Instead of going out to a movie, get Blockbuster or Netflix online membership. You can get movies delivered to your mailbox with low price.

• Don’t spend a lot of money going on a trip. Consider a staycation instead.

• Know how much money you have in your bank account. Make sure you don’t have a returned check (it costs $25-30 per check) and pay your bills on time to avoid paying a late fee.

• Get rid of your landline phone if you have one. It is unnecessary expense and a waste of your money. Cell phones offer better rates and your can have a special deal by calling your family for free.

• You might be able to get some kind of discount on your monthly bills if you have the payment deducted directly from your checking account electronically. Check with your providers.

• Remove your credit card from your wallet, keep it in a safe place and DON'T use it. Try to pay everything in cash. When you see your cash fly out of your wallet, you will tend to spend less.
  
  • REMEMBER: Although you don't use your credit card, you need to keep it. DON'T CANCEL IT!! Closing down the credit card will hurt your credit score (FICO score). America is a credit based economy. You need to have the credit (i.e. the credit card) in order to get a home mortgage, a car loan, rent an apartment, rent a car, apply for a job (for some jobs), get an insurance, etc. Good credit history will make your life easier financially.
    

• Don’t borrow any money for anything. No home equity loan. No new kitchen. No new appliances unless it’s absolutely necessary.

• Get out of debt ASAP. If you have credit card debt, pay it off ASAP. Focus on an interest rate and pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. This is very important if you want to pay down your debt quickly.

• If you are a homeowner, make sure your interest rate is fixed and don’t fall behind on your mortgage payment.

• Try to increase your cash flow. Make sure you have at least 6 months in the bank in case you lose your job (We are still working on it...it’s really hard!) Also, make sure your bank is FDIC insured because if your bank goes under, your money will be saved. Due to FDIC rules, it’s $100,000 for an individual account and $200,000 for a joint account.

What else do you do to save money? Share your thoughts!