Frugal Friday! How to Save Money through Simple Changes

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Like simplicity? How about saving money?

How to Save Money through Simple Changes

It may be trite, it may be a cliché, and it may have been repeated through the ages, but there’s no doubting the fact that “A penny saved is a penny earned”. In today’s economic climate, it’s becoming harder than ever before to make enough money, and with expenses and costs soaring on the other side, the balance is skewed and tilting dangerously into the hole of debt. We’re often reluctant to save money because it’s an effort that is hard to sustain – we save one day, yet blow away much more the next thus nullifying all the good that has been done. For thriftiness to work, it must become a habit and not a one-off thing that you practice whenever the mood strikes. So if you’re looking for easy and sustainable ways to save money, read on:

•Take a jog in the park: Forget and forgo those expensive memberships at swanky and upscale gyms; instead, take to walking or jogging around your local park. Gym memberships are a waste of money, especially when you’re not regular and when you’re charged for services you never use (like a personal trainer or special equipment). A jog in the fresh outside air perks up your spirits, boosts your health, and keeps you fit and strong; and the best part is, it’s also easy on your wallet. Stay indoors during inclement weather and do some stretches, a few squats, lunges, and other simple weight training exercises that work all the muscles in your body and boost your metabolism. At the most, you’ll have to shell out to buy a small pair of dumbbells and a workout mat.

•Eat at home: It’s not only healthy for your body, but also for your bank balance when you eat home-cooked meals. You get the best nutrition, you avoid all the unhealthy aspects of restaurant food (high fat content, preservatives, reused oil and trans-fat), and you save money every month. If you can’t cook every day, make batches during the weekend and freeze them to use during the rest of the week.

•Look after your health: With health insurance costs soaring by the day, it pays to adopt preventive measures to safeguard your health and that of your family. Simple things like regular exercise (even a short walk a day will do), healthy food (less fats and more of fresh fruits and vegetables), avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, less time in front of the television and the computer and more time doing something physical (like household chores, gardening, or even just playing with your kids), and regular screenings to catch disease in the early stages go a long way in keeping your money where it belongs, in your bank account.

•Eliminate what’s unnecessary: We live in a world where there’s plenty of everything, so much so that it’s a chore to choose among all the options available. However, if you think in terms of only what’s necessary, it’s not only easy to make a choice, it’s also easier on your wallet.

Trying to save money on a regular basis may not seem easy at first, but when you strive through the initial days, it soon becomes second nature and not such a difficult task after all.