Have you read the gloomy news lately? We are on our way to a serious recession. Recession is defined by most economists as an economy that shrinks for 2 consecutive quarters. I expect that to happen in this quarter and the next. So how do you cope with rising prices and less cash in your bank account?

Here are some money saving tips on how to stop those currency notes leaving your wallet unnecessarily:

Credit Card Money Saving Tips

You have probably heard it before but here it is again – pay off your credit card debts every month. You can’t afford the 18 to 24 percent interest per year on the balance you keep on it. Also pay off the entire amount of the last month on the due date because even if you pay one dollar less, you will still be charged interest on the whole amount.

Home Money Saving Tips

Adjust your heating so that it turns on at 6 in the morning and 7 in the evening for a period of 3 hours at both times. You don’t need the heating when you are in bed and at your job.

Get energy efficient bulbs – they give you more light for the electricity consumed and last for thousands of hours. The prices of these bulbs have also gone down considerably since they were first introduced. So what if they are ugly? The cash saved can buy you new lamp shades, to conceal them, in due course.

How about cutting down on your weekly groceries? Plan your shopping for the food that you need for the next week. Most families throw away tons of date expired food because they overbuy at the supermarket. Visit the web sites of all the super markets in your area and favour one with your custom after comparing prices of products on your list and the estimated total bill. It will be an hour well spent. Stock up on any long dated products on special deals, which you consume quite regularly. Buy only what you have on your list. Supermarkets spend huge amounts on research on how to make people like us buy more than what we need.

Forget designer clothes, fragrances and other stuff with brand names. Brand names just add cost to what can be purchased for far less with a store’s own brand.

Other Money Saving Tips

Do you really need a monthly pay plan cell phone? Why not get a pay as you go phone? With a pay as you go, you would think twice before you call for every little thing that comes up.

Stop thinking of your car as an extended part of your body. You don’t have to jump in to it for going to a place 2 blocks away. Walk, its good for you and saves you gas. Use a bike for places further away.

Forget your weekly eating out. Get food from your favourite take away and a bottle of wine and celebrate at home.

Don’t buy anything because of an irrepressible urge. Wait for a day or two and you will find that you don’t need it at all. Especially that new car.

Never buy a brand new car. Most cars lose 50% of their value in the first 3 years. Some lose 70%. So why would you want to pay for a new car when you can get a good quality one for half the price? Besides, you don’t have to worry about some one scratching it or vandalising it when you have parked it on a lonely street. It isn’t new, remember?

Shop on the internet for all your insurances and other services. It is a known fact that most businesses spend more on getting new customers than keeping their existing ones. Loyalty to any company is not viable if it is going to cost you more.

If you are a smoker, quit right now. Smoking is a pay now, pay later plan. You pay now for your cigarettes and pay later when you are hospitalised. You would probably save hundreds, if not thousands, every year if you kicked the habit. You also pay more for your life and health insurance if you are a smoker. So do the right thing and quit.

Keep a diary of your daily expenses – you will be surprised at how much unnecessary expense you incur in your daily life.

Finally, there are hundreds of ways you are leaking money. You would probably have to take a magnifying glass to your expenses to really cut them with out sacrificing your quality of life. You could spend a couple of hours every week end with a detailed break down of your previous week’s expenses and try to figure out where all your cash went and why. And then perhaps, you might get the beast under control.

I hope you have found this article on money saving tips useful. If you have any personal money saving tips or ideas on conserving cash, please share them with all of us and thanks for visiting my blog.