By: Jennifer Brown Banks
When most people think about ways to have more money, they immediately think of cutting back expenses or adding an additional income source. True?
While these strategic measures will produce good results when used properly, there are other ways to build your bank account that don’t require a great investment of time or sacrifice.
These small efforts won’t take away from your quality of life or your sanity either.
As one man once wisely stated, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
With this in mind, here are a few ways to have more money with less effort!
•Don’t get “squeezed” by fees—Whether they’re the result of library fines for late items, credit card fees for late payments, or nuisance fees charged by banks for convenient ATM withdrawals, keep them to an absolute minimum. Little things add up quickly. For example, a while back ago I slipped up on the date to return some “free movies” that I lucked up on at my local library by just one day! Twenty-four hours later translated into paying $12.00 in fines. Ouch. You can bet that won’t happen again soon. I could have bought the movies for less!
•Be attentive to scanner errors and oversights—Most people mistakenly assume that computerized processes can never be wrong. Not true. Even though the nature of the error may be of “human origin” like data input mistakes, they still happen. How does this affect you as a consumer? Scanner errors at the grocery store are more frequent than one might imagine. In fact, I have been able to reap the benefits of these mishaps many times. For example, Jewel Food Store has a price scan guarantee. Did you know that? If an item scans incorrectly you get it free. (This does not apply to alcohol or tobacco products.) The next time you’re out shopping, make sure that your items are being charged to you correctly. In today’s economy, every little bit helps.
•Comparison Shop—Even when items are on sale, chances are, you might be able to get them somewhere cheaper. Of course you’ll never know if you don’t do your homework. Here’s something I discovered recently. It used to be that Aldi’s had the lowest prices across the board, as far as supermarkets were concerned. Not anymore. Items like catsup and cereal can be bought cheaper at your local Dollar Bills Store. Always make sure to look for online deals and also the various “brick and mortar” sales advertised in Sunday’s edition of your local paper. Become an educated consumer to get the most bang for your buck! Remember, “Haste makes waste.”
Follow these timely tips and you’ll discover that there are little (almost effortless) things that you can do that will add up to BIG savings for you and your family.
Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, columnist and professional blogger.
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