Tips to Control Your Spending

Where did all my money go?” is a common question we ask ourselves every day. It seems that money vanishes out of thin air, never to be seen again, lost forever in some void that we can’t seem to find. Most likely, what has actually happened is that we’ve overspent and don’t remember much of what we bought.

If you find yourself frequently spending too much, or if you are just trying to spend less, here are 15 short, quick tips to help control your spending.

• Get a cookbook and eat more meals at home. Get the cookbook from the library.

• Make a grocery list and stick to it. Impulse buying will wreck your budget.

• Lower your cable spending. Opting for less services can cut your bill by $100 or more.

• Rent a movie instead of going to one. You will also save money on refreshments at home.

• Cancel the gym. If you are in the military, there are free ones on base. Use those.

• Carpool to save money on gas. You’ll save wear and tear on your vehicle too.

• Walk or ride a bike instead of driving if you can. It’s good exercise, as well.

• Sell the second or third car. You’ll save on insurance, taxes, fuel, and maintenance.

• Sell the RV, boat, golf cart etc. These are luxury items, and they can cost you big money.

• Rent the RV, boat, or camping equipment instead. MWR can help you with this.

• Delay your purchase. Wait a week or two and see if you really need that item you’ve been wanting.

• Pay cash for gas instead of using your credit card. Some gas stations will offer a discount to those paying cash.

• Buy the store brand. Do a blind taste-test next time you visit the grocery and see if you can pick the name brand against the store brand.

• Quit using tobacco of all sorts. Your friends, family, and wallet will thank you.

• Tell your family to come visit you. If you don’t have room for guests, ask them to get a hotel room instead or take advantage of military accommodations.