Continuing on the topic of saving money...here are my last 5 favorite tips.
#6: Ask about discounts (and pay in cash). You never know until you ask. We are getting Ben braces and when we met with the orthodontist, there was a discount for paying in full. It would save us $125. But then as I read the fine print, there was an additional savings for paying in actual cash. This will save us a total of $418! If you belong to AAA or other services, many companies also offer discounts. Always ask!
#7: Take advantage of your retirement savings plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) match and you’re not taking advantage of it, you’re missing out on free money. You do want to be debt free before investing, but make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.
#8: Lower your cell phone bill. This is another item that you should price check annually. There are many different competitive deals with different companies. So don’t allow your loyalty to cost you each month as you pay your phone bill. Shop around or join a family plan with your extended family...we have many people on our plan and it makes it more affordable for everyone.
#9: The library is your friend. Whether you like hard copies of books or digital, the library is perfect. Once you have a library card you can check out digital and hard copies of books from your local library. Bonus, when you’re in the middle of a series, you can digitally check out the next one at midnight...like I did with Harry Potter!
#10: Sell everything (that doesn’t bring you joy). Nathan and I are in the process of doing this currently. It is great to not only get rid of stuff you don’t use anymore, but to get money for it to put towards savings is an awesome bonus. If there are things that have been passed down to you but you don’t care about, sell it! Your junk is another’s treasure.