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Fifteen Ways to Start 2015 Off on a Frugal Foot

Written by Kelly Tenny  |  29. December 2014

Just days from now marks the beginning of a New Year, and with a New Year, comes reflection and change. If you are one of the many people around the world thinking up resolutions for the upcoming New Year, and considering changes you want to make in your life, then one of those changes may very well be to become more financially savvy in 2015. Who doesn’t want to save money! Check out these fifteen different ways you can start changing your life in the New Year and how to jumpstart it off on a frugal foot.

Sign Up For Mint.com. Mint.com is a great online and mobile resource that you can use to track your spending, create budgets for yourself, ensure that there is no strange activity on your accounts, and more! Accounts are free too!

Switch To Fluorescent Or LED Lights. Fluorescent and LED lights convert more input power to visible light, last 10 to 20 times longer and give off less heat than incandescent bulbs, reducing size, cost, and energy consumption.

Check Your Tire Pressure. Make sure you check your tire pressure periodically. Having your tires properly inflated to the car’s standards will save you money on gas.

Shop Around & Online. Before you decide to buy, shop around and compare prices instead of going for the first price you see. With the internet so convenient and right at our fingertips 24/7 shopping around for prices has never been easier.

Regulate Your House Temperature. Don’t just leave the heat or air conditioning running 24/7, set timers so the heat and A/C only come on when you’re home, or set it to come on an hour before you come home so that the house is nice and comfortable by the time you’re walking in the door.

Invest In Rewards Cards. Rewards cards are free and even though it is a slight inconvenience signing up for them initially, the savings that comes with it afterwards is well worth those couple minutes.

Track Your Credit Score. CreditKarma.com and CreditSesame.com are awesome tools for tracking your credit score, loans and credit cards.

Plan Meals At Home. Going grocery shopping and making food at home can save you a lot of money versus going out to eat. Plan your meals so when you go out to the grocery store you know exactly what you need. Then when you get home you can pre-make your meals so they are ready to go for the rest of the week.

Unplug Your Devices. Even if you’ve turned off a device that doesn’t mean it isn’t still consuming energy. Pull the plug and there will be no doubt that your electric bill isn’t increasing even when you’re not using your devices.

Be Picky With Your Credit Cards. Pick a credit card that has rewards and promotions that work best for you and your lifestyle. If you have a long commute go for a credit card that gives good cash back on gas purchases. If you do the majority of your shopping on Amazon.com consider getting the card that is affiliated with them, that way you receive a lot of cash back and rewards from them with your frequent buys.

Earn Money From Multiple Sources. Who wouldn’t enjoy making more money than they currently make? If you have the time, go get a part-time, start an online endeavor, create an Etsy.com account to sell handmade gifts, etc.

Quit Smoking. Smoking is not only an extremely unhealthy habit, it is an extremely expensive one. Kick the habit and start putting that money you would have been spending on cigarettes away in a jar. Once the jar is filled up, go buy yourself something!

Sign Up For Ebates.com & FatWallet.com. Save some money with coupons, promo codes, discounts and cash back from Ebates.com and Fatwallet.com!

Research Which Banks You Use. If your bank isn’t giving you enough bang for your buck, don’t be afraid to switch to another one. Check for banks that offer checking accounts with no fees, like ATM fees, and savings accounts with high interest rates.

Set A Sleep Timer On Your Television. If you are infamous for falling asleep with the TV on it’s time to start setting a sleep timer so that if you do forget, the TV can turn itself off and not waste energy all night long.

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