Life is full of ups and downs, and unfortunately, there’s no road map that identifies when these difficult financial times will occur. It’s for this very reason that you need to learn to live within your means and stretch your money to make every dollar count.

 

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to save money each day.

 

sunbritetv veranda series

 

Learn How To Stretch Your Money By Paying Attention To How You Spend It

Buying A Large-Ticket Item 

 

When it’s time to purchase something that requires a loan, it’s important to do your research to make sure that you are getting the lowest price available.

 

That includes getting it at the lowest interest rate too, which may require a larger down payment or larger monthly payments in order to pay off the loan in a shorter period of time. 

 

For example, you need a new car. Instead of going to one dealership, make stops at several to see the selection they have and what discounts are available.

 

Holidays and during the fall, after the new inventory arrives, are generally better times for finding the best deals.

 

If you’re uncomfortable interacting with sales associates or you just want to avoid the need for doing all the leg work, you can take it one step further and use apps such as CoPilot car finder to help you narrow it down to the make and model you want at the lowest possible price. 

 

CameraZOOM 20130423084119804
Christa in the coffee shop circa 2013!

 

Reduce Wasteful Spending 

 

Most people are creatures of habit. They develop routines without necessarily thinking about them. Maybe they stop each morning on the way to work and purchase their coffee. Then, when lunchtime arrives, they head out to the local deli and spend more money.

 

A couple of dollars here, and a couple of dollars there might not seem like very much at the time, but if you add up the cost of just these two daily stops, you’re spending hundreds of dollars a month. That’s thousands of dollars a year! The good news is that this is an easy fix.

 

Of course, you know giving up these daily indulgences is the easiest way to fix this spending habit, but it’s a habit. And you like it. So, reduce your cost by treating yourself to a coffee and lunch out once a week instead of every day.

 

This lets you have your “cake” and keep your hard-earned money in your wallet.