by Mark Dykeman

Created on: February 15, 2010   Last Updated: February 23, 2010

We’re all looking for simple ways to save money and to get the most out of our discretionary income.  There are many ways to save money but if something is too complicated or too hard for us to do, we tend not to do it.  We thrive on ease and simplicity to start new habits.  With this in mind, here is a list of simple ways to save money.  It’s a bit long, but we’ve tried to pack it with lots of value for you!

USE THE INTERNET TO COMPARE PRICES

In this example, assume that you need to buy an item that costs more than $40.00 (although this can work for cheaper items).  There is a lot of variation in the prices of these items depending on where you buy them from.  It pays to check several websites, including Amazon.com, eBay, and various price comparison websites (Google those three words and add any additional useful search terms (e.g. your country, business, area of interest) to make your search results smaller and more specific to your needs)).  You might be surprised at home much money you can save.

USE THE INTERNET TO LOOK AT USER REVIEWS AND FEEDBACK BEFORE BUYING

One way to save money is to avoid wasting money.  This tip is to prevent you from wasting money on an item that’s not what you want or that doesn’t do what you need it to do.  Are you thinking of buying that new bestselling book, DVD, or household gadget?  Check the reviews first!  Amazon.com, epinions.com, and virtually every retail website in the universe have user reviews.  Check out a cross-section of reviews from several websites to make sure that the item you want to purchase is worth buying.

USE FREE SOFTWARE INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR COMMERCIAL VERSIONS

This tip is not about software piracy – it’s about using free (and legal) software to do the things that you need to do.  Instead of buying the Home or Business versions of Microsoft Office, try OpenOffice.org, which provides free desktop software that’s highly compatible with Microsoft’s programs.  Another option is to use Google Documents, which provides free online versions of popular word processing and spreadsheet software, among other things.  Google Documents doesn’t have to be installed on your computer, although you do need an Internet connection to use it if you haven’t installed it on your computer.

USE THE LIBRARY TO ENTERTAIN YOURSELF

Stop buying books, magazines, DVDs and more – use

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