Tips for Saving Money While Renting

It seems like the recent economic recession has reminded us all on the importance of saving money. With credit drying up and becoming more expensive to use, it was a harsh reminder that we should all be diligent to have not only save for rainy days, but to also ensure that we are contributing toward our retirement. In addition, the low mortgage rates and saturated housing market has made this a great time to purchase a home. However, without some savings, it is nearly impossible to afford to purchase your first home. If you have recently moved into the Duncanville area, or any other city, you are probably looking for a few ways to cut back. Here are a few helpful hints to get you started working toward your savings goals.

Eliminate the extras

We all have some habits that are costing us dearly whether we recognize it or not. One of these habits could be smoking or drinking coffee. A pack of cigarettes can easily cost you around $8. If you smoke a half pack per day, this could be costing you anywhere from $25 to $30 per week. Likewise, if you buy a daily cup of coffee from Starbucks, you are probably spending approximately $5 per day on coffee. This totals $150 per month. It would be very difficult for the typical renter to find this amount of savings by simply cutting back on electricity or water usage. It’s amazing how cutting back on seemingly unimportant purchases can make a big difference to your bottom line. If instead of a daily cup of coffee for $5, you saved that $150 per month and earned 10 percent on it over 40 years, you’d have $948,611 waiting for you. The difference seems absurd but these are the types of practical changes that can make a large impact not only in your immediate budget, but also your future.

There are, of course, different areas that you can explore in order to trim costs. Are you using your cell phone plan enough to warrant the costs? Are you paying for cable television and channels that you aren’t watching? Are you eating out too much? Think of other little expenses that you could trim, like song downloads or movie rentals (what’s on cable tonight?), lunches and dinners out. By simply making these purchases less often, you could significantly cut your monthly expenses.

Make a meal plan

One of the biggest wastes of money happens at the grocery store. It’s easy to get carried away at the grocery store – especially if you’re hungry when you get there. To avoid wasting money on unnecessary items, you should prepare a menu or a meal plan. Not only will this save you time throughout the week by helping you organize, it will also assist you in creating a grocery list so that you do not buy items that are unnecessary. Your list should be created only after taking inventory of what you currently have available in your refrigerator and pantry. This will keep you from spending unneeded money on items that you already have.

Shop around for utility prices

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is making the assumption that utility prices aren’t negotiable. All renters living in Duncanville are provided services by utility companies; electricity, gas, telephone, and cable, which are hungry for your service and typically offer some pretty great incentives to switch. Make sure you trim the extras – don’t pay for a bundled cable, internet, and home phone service when you will use your cell phone all the time. But check often to be sure that your current provider is giving you the best plan for your money.

Don’t let your monthly spending get the better of you. Trim the extras, plan ahead and avoid impulse purchases to keep your money in your pocket and in the bank, working for your future. For more helpful tips on apartment living or to check out a review, visit UMoveFree.com