I am frugal, not cheap. I like to save money. I also like to spend money but my desire to not be broke usually outweighs my desire to blow my pay check. Being frugal is not always fun. It means you pack a bag lunch more often, make your own coffee/tea at home, and buy less clothes among other things. Saving money is a big part of it but it can be difficult to save on a tight budget. The key is to find little ways to save every day. Most people have some sort of change jar or piggy bank. We roll our change once a year and then use it for something fun, like a night out, etc.

Recently, I signed up for a program through my bank that rounds up each debit purchase to the nearest dollar and deposits the difference into my savings account. Spend $5.75 at Starbucks and .25 goes into your savings account. The best part about this is that the bank matches some of it and you don’t even notice the money. That is to say, you don’t miss it, but you do notice your savings account increasing. A totally effortless way to save a little money every week.

I believe I mentioned discount cards in my recent coupons post. Discount cards kick as$! I only sign up for the free ones and only if they are at stores that I actually go too. Signing up for stuff you will never use won’t save you money, it will just clutter your desk drawer.

Don’t forget to keep your receipts for charitable donations. Did you know that when you drop off items at the Salvation Army they will provide you with a receipt upon request? You can claim up to a certain amount of charitable donations each year without having to provide original receipts for it. After a certain point you need quite a bit of documentation though. So always hold on to receipts and be aware of what purchases might be tax deductable.

And of course, recycling and reusing products will help you conserve, possibly save money and help the environment.

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