Best Family Finance

The economy is tightening and it is important to start planning for that eventual squeeze right now so that it won’t get too tight. Following a few simple tips to save more money is the best way to protect your family from the trying times ahead.

1. Always shop around. The internet has made this much easier to do, but you may still want to visit some of the top stores as well. You may be able to get a discount because the same product is available somewhere else for less. The sales associates in one store may be more knowledgeable or helpful in one store. Or you may find that some stores will offer better delivery or warranty options.
2. Pay with cash. Using credit is the easiest way to get into financial trouble. Choosing to purchase with cash means you will only spend what you actually have in your wallet. It also means that you will have to save up for what you want to buy giving you more time to think about the purchase.
3. Make do with what you have by repurposing. It may not be exactly what you want but it can get you through until you can save up to buy what you want (or until you don’t have that need any more). The key to repurposing is finding a way to make what you want out of what you already have.
a. Use the brackets from an old ceiling fan to create curtain holders (to pin back your curtains).

b. Make a candle holder a pen holder for your office – it displays the gift you got for your birthday and helps you keep your working pens together.

c. Worn out furniture indoors can become temporary outdoor furniture. If there are cushions then you may want to remove them during rain or bad weather. The furniture may not last long in the elements, but if you were going to toss it anyway then you get a little more use and it gets a second life.

d. Old windows can become part of a playhouse for the kids or even a green house for the gardener in your family. They can also make great hot boxes for starting plants and seeds earlier in the season.

4. Plan ahead for purchases. You know well before the stove, frig or washer goes out that the end is near. Start planning for your purchases now and even the unexpected will be expected (and easier to pay for).

Saving money does always have to be about the big things or even about difficult choices. By doing the little things you can end up saving big bucks that can help balance your budget during these tough economic times.