by Karen Billington

Created on: January 17, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

There are many ways to save money, and the key is to do it mentally and spiritually. Buying impulsively is a matter of want, not need, and many of us feel guilty after making that expensive purchase. More and more women are making the big mistake of buying now and paying later, but paying later is what we are doing. Think about what you are buying and ask yourself these three questions.

1) Do I really need it?

2) Will I ever use it or will it just stay in the cupboard?

3) Can I afford to spend money, when I could be saving for a very special purchase such as new car or holiday?

If you do this you will save money, by not by adding to your credit cards and getting into debt.

There are lots of ways of saving money and here are my tips on how to do it. Firstly, get yourself a money box or mini savings tin. Every time you see a coin on the pavement or behind the couch, add it to the box. When you spend some paper money, every bit of small change below $1.00 can be added towards the box. Before long all of the small change will mount up. Also, search through your old handbags and coat pockets for loose change and check under the seats in the car. You will be surprised at what you will find.

Next is use the Internet. This is a great tool for making and saving money. Sell all of your unwanted items onto one of the Internet auction sites to raise extra cash. Also, check out the freebie websites. You can receive free samples of everything from Shampoo, beauty samples, household detergents,
confectionery and drink supplies as well as personal things such as sanitary products or condoms.

Register with survey companies and get paid for doing short surveys. You get emailed new ones daily and you can do them easily in your lunch break. After you have reached your payment target you will get paid. This is usually done by PayPal. If you buy a lot of things on the internet, why not register yourself with a cash back website. This is easy to do, and all you need to remember to do is to log onto the cash back website before making your purchase. This will give you lots of cash back on items that you would have purchased anyway.

Do you have any old mobile phones lying about unused? Check out the Internet again for companies that pay for recycling the phone. Plus, you will know that the phones will be disposed of safely, keeping yourself and the environment safe.

Open a savings account. There are many banks offering high interest rates on savings accounts. Aim to save at least $10 a month. That way you will not immediately notice the difference in your cash, then you can increase your savings to a higher amount once your finances start to get into order.

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