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Saving money in an ISA or other account has become increasingly important during uncertain economic times, but has also become increasingly more difficult to do. If you find yourself always short of cash when it comes time to add to your ISA, it may be time to consider a few unusual money saving tips. These tips can also help even the very frugal who may already be using a lot of good money saving techniques.
Focus on Hygiene
One of the best money saving tips to keep in mind is to make sure you keep yourself clean and in good health, without going overboard. By maintaining good hygiene habits and especially brushing your teeth and staying fit, you can avoid developing problems that will necessitate an expensive visit to the doctor or the dentist. You should not, however, go too far with your grooming needs. You don’t need highlights in your hair or a new haircut every six weeks and you don’t necessarily need a lot of makeup or expensive grooming products.
Refresh Your Home Cheaply
A new coat of paint and some accessories picked up at garage sales or thrift stores can help make your home a more inviting place to be without you having to spend a lot to achieve a new look. This can help you to avoid larger and more costly remodels and may even encourage you to stay at home more since you enjoy being there. Having a quiet evening in the comfort of your own home is going to cost less than a night on the town in every case and you can save the difference in an ISA.
Use Silk Flowers
While you are refreshing your home or trying to brighten up your living space, you may be tempted to opt for fresh flowers. Unfortunately, these can get expensive very quickly and have a short shelf life. To get the same benefit of a fresh bouquet but for a far lower long-term cost, consider investing in a high quality silk arrangement.
Cut Your Entertainment Costs
In today’s day and age, there is no reason to have 200 cable channels and the full satellite package, even if you are trying to make your home an inviting place where you want to be. Instead, consider cutting your cable to the minimum. You can always pay for subscriptions to shows on many different online sites and, in most cases, buying a show or two here and there will allow you to spend a lot less than paying for all of the channels in the cable line-up. Again, you can put the difference in your ISA.
Play Money Games with Yourself
Another great way to save money is to play money games with yourself or to trick yourself into saving for that ISA. There is a whole host of ways to do this. One option is to round up in your checkbook registrar every time you make a purchase. For instance, if you buy something for $10.50, write down that you spent $11.00. The extra .50 will seem as if it is “gone” from your checking account, but in reality, it is really being saved in there. Some banks even have programs that allow you to round up like this automatically when you use your card and transfer the cash to savings. If yours doesn’t or if you prefer to do it manually, simply keep track of the rounding up and transfer the extra cash to an ISA to enjoy added savings.
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1 comment
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Invest It Wisely says:
February 4, 2012 at 9:52 am (UTC -4 )
Haha, these might be unusual, but on health… nothing beats prevention! Very true on those expensive visits for health.
Best of Weekend Reading: MLK Jr Edition » Financial Success for Young Adults says:
January 15, 2012 at 11:16 am (UTC -4 )
[...] 2) Some Unusual Savings Tips [...]
Friday grapevine: best of the blogs - TotallyMoney says:
January 20, 2012 at 11:44 am (UTC -4 )
[...] Financial Success for Young Adults recommends some unusual saving tips. [...]
» Carnival Of Financial Camaraderie #18 » My University Money says:
January 28, 2012 at 1:51 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] tutoring, qualifications needed, and how much money you could expect to make.LaTisha presents Some Unusual Savings Tips posted at Financial Success for Young Adults, saying, If you find yourself short of cash when it [...]
Carnival Of Financial Camaraderie #18 - My University Money says:
May 6, 2012 at 2:11 pm (UTC -4 )
[...] tutoring, qualifications needed, and how much money you could expect to make.LaTisha presents Some Unusual Savings Tips posted at Financial Success for Young Adults, saying, If you find yourself short of cash when it [...]