Source: Mixmike / Getty
It always interests me to see how others spend money. When I go on a girls’ trip with friends, it quickly becomes clear that everyone has their little habits. I try to travel with friends who are at least on a similar budget to my own, so nobody feels pressured to overspend, and nobody feels like they’re having to deprive themselves for the group. Honestly, that’s one money-saving tip right there: if you’re going to go out, do so with friends on a similar budget as your own. I’ll still pick up on these things my friends do though. I’ll learn from them. I’ll also have, “Oh my I would never spend like that moments.” Money is a funny thing. You can make tons of it, but if you’re bad with it, somehow wind up with little of it. Or you can make little, but if you’re great with money, save and save. When we were applying for our mortgage and learning about the importance of debt-to-income-ratio, our broker told us just how many people come to her who make way more than I do, but qualify for a much smaller mortgage, because they just spend so damn much every month. When all was said and done, they put aside less than me each month, because of their lavish spending habits. Isn’t that wild? It’s all about those little things. On that note, here are small spending changes that can result in huge money saving.
Source: zhihao / Getty
Coordinate spending with card rewards
Before you’re going to buy anything – anything at all, from tools for a DIY project to a blow dryer to camping gear to a gift card to a restaurant – check the current cashback offers on your various cards. You may find that a vendor in the category you were about to shop is offering anywhere from five to 15 percent cash back when you use that card right now. So if you go spend, say, $100 at that particular outdoor gear store with that card, you could get $15 back.
