Ways to Save Money

Flickr CC via mentelblu61

Ken Lear is a leadership and business expert, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

We’re already a month into 2014, and this is primetime for people to fall back on their New Year’s Resolutions. One common resolution that doesn’t have to fall to the wayside is saving money. Embrace positive habits may not help you shed pounds or learn a new skill, but they will keep some extra cash inside your wallet.

Track Spending & Budget Better

It’s easy to just swipe your debit card whenever you need to buy something, but do you really know what you’re spending your hard-earned bucks on? By keeping track of what you spend your money on, you will be able to see what spending needs to be cut down. There are countless mobile apps to help you jot down your transactions, also a few that do it for you. There is no excuse to being more accountable with your spending.

Re-Work Monthly Bills

You have no idea how much money you could save by re-examining the bills you pay monthly. Sometimes things change, and so can the services you need or don’t need. Anything from cellphone plans, cable television, insurance, or health care should be re-evaluated. Cancel anything that isn’t useful to you, and prioritize what is needed. Sometime you’ll be surprised at how much you can save by putting a stop to stuff that isn’t necessary.

Try a Side Business

Taking on more work never sounds fun, but if you can turn something you love doing into a moneymaker, it won’t be too difficult. Focus on your skillset and see what jobs would be available that could work with your current career. Is writing your forte? Pick up writing articles for a blog or work on writing your own book. Your side business can be done on your own schedule if you pick something that doesn’t require you being hired.

Improve Your Health

People love to make losing weight a yearly goal, but it’s not something that comes along easily. There are small steps you can take however to get your health in check. If you’re a smoker, strive to quite. You will be saving a ton of money while also cutting down on your risk of developing cancer and life threatening diseases. Cutting down on eating out will help too. Typically, eating out means ordering foods that are not usually healthy. Pack a healthy lunch the majority of the week to save dollars and also help to be in control of what you’re putting into your body.

Sell Stuff You Don’t Want

Everyone always has too much stuff that we don’t even use. Consider selling some of your junk either on eBay/Craigslist or hold a yard sale. This is a great way to make money off of stuff that you’re not even using. The birth of the Internet has allowed anyone be able to sell their things, so take advantage if you can.