Christian Family inspired Articles
"Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can."
John Wesley, the great 18th-century theologian and founder of Methodism, summarized his perspective of money management in one simple statement: "Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." He taught this as a biblical, God-honoring principle--one that should be observed by all believers. Out of the three components, perhaps the one people struggle with most is saving. A person cannot give what he or she cannot save.
Particularly when it comes to shopping, it can be easy to spend more than you plan without even knowing it. You work hard for your money, though, so when you go shopping, you should be absolutely certain that you're getting the very best deal for what you're purchasing, whether it's groceries, electronics, clothing, or any other necessity. (A few wants aren't bad, but if you truly want to save, learn to say "no" to impulse purchases and extravagances.)
If you feel that you need to start saving more of your money and not spending as much of it when you go out shopping, read through the tips and suggestions below. The sooner you start implementing these tricks for saving extra cash each week, the more money you will be able to save, whether you choose to keep your money under the mattress or in an interest-earning savings account.
Don't Be Ashamed to Use Coupons and Take Advantage of Sales
Extreme couponing has become quite popular, especially due to the recent TV shows that have come on the air, all showing how much money people can save by purchasing items when they're on sale, using coupons to double up on those savings at the same time. This strategy works whether you're shopping for clothing at a department store, especially if you have a store credit card and regularly receive promotional offers with discounts on purchases, or if you're doing your weekly grocery shopping. Just be sure to look through websites, newspapers, and catalogues so that you can find the most coupons for the specific items that you purchase. Then use the coupons in conjunction with a sale, if that's possible.
Buying items in bulk or ahead of time when you can save money due to the use of coupons or special promotions will also allow you to save more money in the long run, so don't hesitate to purchase something for your cupboard even if you already have some of it on hand at home.
Use Shopping Apps to Compare Prices As You Shop
Put your smartphone to good use by downloading one of the many apps available that allow you to do comparison shopping while you're in the store of your choice. For example, the Amazon app allows you to scan the item you are thinking about purchasing so that it can pull up its own list of offerings, including those from third party sellers. From there, you can compare what you would pay for the item in the store versus what you would pay if you purchased directly from Amazon or from one of its many independent sellers. Just be sure to factor in shipping costs and taxes, wherever applicable, to be sure you are making your buying decision based upon the correct numbers.
Visit More Than One Store
Avoid doing all of your shopping at one store only. For example, when it comes to groceries, pick more than one local major grocery store, along with local farmer's markets, that you can trust for great products. Shop around to determine which location offers the best savings on produce, cleaning products, and more each week and then shop around to get everything you need at the lowest possible rate.