Are you a smoker?

If you answered yes, I should be lecturing you to give up as it's better for your personal health and the health of your wallet. I'm not going to do that because I'm a smoker too and I know just how hard it is to give up.

Instead, I'm going to suggest that instead of buying ready made cigarettes which are expensive, buy roll your own tobacco. It is much cheaper to buy tobacco, papers and filters for the week than it is to buy ready made cigarettes. If you don't know how to roll cigarettes properly, there are plenty of different kind of rolling machines you can buy from your local tobacconist starting from as low as a few dollars which will help you to roll them. You can also buy plastic cigarette containers for a low cost too so you can pre-roll your cigarettes and not have to worry about rolling them on the go.

You will be surprised at just how much money you can save in the long term by doing this if you're not ready to give up smoking for good. You could put that extra money in the bank account I suggested you open in a previous post just to see how much money you save.

School uniforms costing too much?

If this is the case, have a look at your schools uniform shop, a lot of the time, they will have second hand uniforms in great condition for a fraction of he cost of the brand new uniform.

Also check with your local buy sell swap pages and groups on Facebook, people will often list their child's old uniforms for heap too. I have also seen them hanging in charity shops so that could be an option in your area as well.

If you are good with a sewing machine, you could very well make your child's school dress or shirt and save money that way too.

Use your car less often

When possible and for shorter trips, swap your car for walking or riding a bicycle.

This will not only improve your health and fitness because you are exercising but you will start feeling better within yourself too.

By doing this, you will save on fuel and wear and tear by not using your car. It's also better for the environment as you're not creating any emissions by walking or riding.

Less take aways

Buy take away good less often as this often leaves you out of pocket more so than grocery shopping. Home cooked meals are cheaper in the long run and you can make more in the meal for less than take away. Just as taking your lunch to work instead of buying it will save you an easy $10-20 a day. 

If you don't like to make sandwiches, why not make extra for dinner the night before and pack it up for lunch the next day? Most work places including construction sites have a smoko shed/room where you can refrigerate your lunch and even reheat it. 

Don't get me wrong, you can still buy your lunch or take away dinner but limit it to once or twice a week. You will be amazed at just how much money you will save.

Are you crafty?

If you answered yes, why not start making a few more items and book yourself a stall at your local Sunday markets? Depending on your area, these could very well be every Sunday morning. 

You don't have to sell solely your craft items (unless it's a craft fair) but you can take some of your unwanted items that you no longer need and sell them too. Handmade items are very popular at the markets and everyone is always looking for a bargain but make sure you have priced your items competitively and not leaving yourself out of pocket.

If you cannot attend your local markets as a stall holder for any reason, why not approach local business owners in your area? Some business owners are happy to sell your items in their store for a percentage of your price. The bonus with this is you can make your own price tags and get your name recognized in your community.

If you are unsuccessful with that, why not create your own Facebook page or group to sell your items? Selling on Facebook is free unless you pay for ads.

If that doesn't appeal to you, you can sell on established sites like eBay or craft specific sites like etsy.com or madeit.com.au but just remember with these established sites, there are fees to be paid for listing and selling your items.

Recycle your old items into new items

Do you have towels and tea towels that have seen better days? Do you have a sewing machine? Turn your old towels into foot mats by folding them in half and sewing the edges together. Turn your old tea towels into washable dish cloths by cutting them in half then folding them in half and sewing the edges together. This will give your old items new life that will last a little longer before they head for the rag bag or rubbish bin.

Do you have old sheets that are almost thread bare? Why not cut them into 2 inch strips and crochet them into a mat if you know how to crochet? If the sheets are flannelette, why not cut them into squares, sew an edge on them and turn them into new face washers? Your old worn out face washers can also turn into your new dish cloths for extra life.

By doing this, you can save yourself money buyin these items and only replace the bigger items you have recycled like sheets and towels.

Discounts

Every time you find coupons, keep them. Use your coupons and loyalty rewards cards whenever you can, this will definitely save you money in the long term. Here in Australia, we don't get coupons like those in the USA but we still get them in the form of shop-a-dockets, junk mail, etc. Keep all your coupons and only throw them out once they have expired, you just never know when you will use them.

If you like to keep track of how much you have saved, buy a little exercise book to keep note. If you have a high interest savings account, you could always put the money in there that you have saved - this could go towards that holiday or big purchase you've been wanting.

It's amazing just how much money you can save by using your coupons.