Saving Money Tips-18 Money Saving Tips In Time For Christmas Savings

If you have credit debt and don't have the will power to leave your card behind or cut it up, freeze it. Yes, freeze it-Literally.

To freeze your credit card what you do is take the credit card that is causing you the most financial grief, put it in a cup, put water in the cup, stick it in your freezer, and then freeze the water covering your credit card in your freezer.

The brilliance of this is that if you're going out to make an impulse purchase, you have to wait for your credit card to unfreeze, which gives you time to slow down and evaluate.

Note before you freeze - Heating the water to make it melt faster, for instance putting the cup in the microwave, will only ruin the magnetic strip of the card. There is only one way to make the ice melt fast without ruining the magnetic strip and I'm not telling you what that is.

One thing you might find helpful is to tally the purchases you didn't make because of this method and document what you saved. You will see (as I did) that you quickly accumulate a hefty pocket of cash. Your savings may even be enough to make an extra a house payment or take a vacation, or buy a freezer for storing winter staples.

Besides this one way to save you money. I have seventeen more. The credit card freezing method was bonus.

17 Ways to save money and cut costs:

1 - Clipping coupons saves tons. Not only can you save on basic necessities, but you can also save in other ways on other things too - especially if you take a moment to go online to www.wow-coupons.com.

2 - When you eat out, go for the bar men versus the full meals. You'll get twice the food for half the price and you won't have any less fun doing it!

3 - Set gift buying limits for friends and family. Charging a gift for someone won't make you feel good about yourself if you overspend. Gift appreciation won't be ANY more for a $10 item versus a monthly credit card bill.

4 - Paying a monthly gym membership whether you go or not doesn't make good sense. Staying in shape is important so check into joining a walking or running club. You can find them for free in several areas and saving $50.00 or more a month adds up fast!

5 - Dry cleaning is great, but do you really need to take everything? By hand washing and using specialized products for cleaning those special material items in your own washer and dryer you can save as much as $6.00 or more per item.

6 - I love a manicure and pedicure - you may too, so next time you go, pick out lighter colors so that your manicure or pedicure lasts longer. Then stretch it out t o once every 2-3 weeks instead of weekly.

7- If you rent movies, go for the online movie rental instead of store rental. The cost can easily equal half of what you normally spend.

8 - Running late or short on time and you want a snack? Grab some small sandwich bags and fill them at home with nuts and/or chips or dried fruit and take a couple snack bags in your purse with you.

9 - Gasoline for your car doesn't have to break the bank. Go online and punch in gasbuddy.com to find the least costly gas station close to your area. Price variations can be over $0.50 a gallon-Just punch your zip code in to see for yourself!

10 - STOP using the IRS as a savings account. If you get money back at the end of the year, go to your human resources department and change your withholding allowances. Increase them. Too many people look forward to that end of the year refund from Uncle Sam. Well, that just makes you a poor investor. Providing the government with an interest free loan every year is not smart money planning.

The reason is because you are GIVING the government your money in an interest free loan. You could be putting that money aside - YOURSELF - in an interest bearing account and at the end of the year, not only will you have earned interest on money you were previously giving away, but you are miles ahead with your credit rating.

I have owned a bookkeeping company since 1999, working in both the USA and Canada and see this waste daily. Get as much of your paycheck as you can up front. Stick it in the bank. Earn interest. Get the payoff at the end of the year instead of the skewer. No excuses for not taking care of yourself.

11 - Wedding party participation requests are exciting and expensive. Reserve this invitation from friends and acquaintances by declining and save it for your best friend/s-Only.

12 - Take your banking to a convenient branch location that doesn't charge you ATM fees. Either that or get cash back at the grocery store when you go in for groceries and whip out your debit card.

13 - Are you moving into a new place and need goodies and gadgets to make you feel more at home? Hit your local thrift store and learn a new decorating technique. It's called Eclectic Style. Save the fancy choices for when you hit the lottery jackpot.

14 - Hook up with your friends before you go out for an informal glass (or two) of wine to begin your evening. We often do this and end up having so much fun that we stay right where we are, but on those days (nights) when do go out, we save the heavy costs of a bar tab hitting us when we leave. Another trick is to have a glass of water between every drink you order. Added Bonus - No hangover!

15 - Split memberships costs with friends, when you can, to wholesale warehouses. Go together 2-4 times a month and split items in too large a quantity for just yourself or your family.

16 - Look online for sales on big ticket items - Television sets for instance (especially if you have a favorite brand - ours is Sony). Print out the best offer online and take it with you to compare prices. It's a fabulous bartering tool - Just try it for yourself and see!

17 - You think going out to dinner is sexy - Try lunch dates! You'll cut costs in half and if you catch a matinee you can still have the rest of the afternoon and evening to enjoy each other! BONUS!

And one last thing - ALWAYS ask for a bonus, a discount, or a price reduction on any service or product you are interested in.  

Total savings potential from these great Christmas saving money tips could = $12,658.00 + Per year.

So, however you say it -

Merry Christmas Savings Will have You Singing - Fa la la la la, la la la la!