Small Savings Make a Big Fortune: 1069 ideas you can use to save money NOW!
By Lesley Voth
()
About this ebook
"1069 ideas you can use to save money NOW!" challenges readers to change their lifestyle to one that is affordable yet still offers the benefit of financial freedom. Lesley Voth uses clear, concise language to outline 1069 tips and strategies for reducing spending and directing the surplus toward debt reduction. But this is no stern treatise on self-deprivation. Rather, Lesley offers up realistic strategies with immediate and long-term benefits, enjoying life while spending less money. Readers hungry for still more information will be happy to find many, many links to helpful websites to execute their plans. "1069 ideas you can use to save money NOW!" is a valuable guide to financial responsibility for all ages.
Related to Small Savings Make a Big Fortune
Related ebooks
12 Months of Practical Modern Living: A Frugal Resource Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrugal Living: How to Save Money and Live On a Budget Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Living on a Restricted Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Frugal Life: Leaving The Rat Race for Good Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLiving On A Shoestring (Common Sense Ways to Save Money) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Happy Frugal Families Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSmart Budgets for Busy People, The Frugal Way Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cheapskate Master's 100 Ways To Save Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Frugal Living: How to Save Money and Live More with Less Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Be Financially Savvy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings365 Ways to Live Cheap: Your Everyday Guide to Saving Money Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frugal Living: Your Guide to Save Money, Spend Less and Live Better: Budgeting Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being Frugal and Saving Money: Saving is a kind of Earning Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSave Yourself: Your Guide to Saving for Retirement and Building Financial Security Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrugal Living: 25 Simple Tips on How to Spend Less, Save More and Enjoy Life on a Budget Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5REDEEM YOURSELF: An Uncomplicated Guide to Coupon Shopping Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLiving a Beautiful Life on Less: The Blissful and Domestic Guide to Food, Fun, and Finances Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFabulously Frugal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfessions of a Cheapskate Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Food for the Soul: Over 80 Delicious Recipes to Help You Fall Back in Love with Cooking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Live Green On a Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Ted Klontz, Rick Kahler & Brad Klontz's The Financial Wisdom of Ebeneezer Scrooge Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLive Your Life for Half the Price Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Ultimate Keto Desserts Handbook: fitness, #7 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFood Is Medicine Nutritious and Delicious Recipes from my home shared with you Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOMG I Would Die Without Chocolate - or - How I Quit Sugar and Didn't Kill Anyone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Personal Finance For You
Set for Life: An All-Out Approach to Early Financial Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Principles: Life and Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Millionaire Next Door Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Same as Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rich Dad Poor Dad Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of R. Nelson Nash's Becoming Your Own Banker Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Black Girl's Guide to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth, Retire Early, and Live the Life of Your Dreams Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Investing For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Get the Hell Out of Debt: The Proven 3-Phase Method That Will Radically Shift Your Relationship to Money Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lower Your Taxes - BIG TIME! 2023-2024: Small Business Wealth Building and Tax Reduction Secrets from an IRS Insider Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinancial Feminist: Overcome the Patriarchy's Bullsh*t to Master Your Money and Build a Life You Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Intelligent Investor, Rev. Ed: The Definitive Book on Value Investing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Money Hacks: 275+ Ways to Decrease Spending, Increase Savings, and Make Your Money Work for You! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat: The BRRRR Rental Property Investment Strategy Made Simple Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Win In Court Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Get What's Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Your Social Security Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legal Loopholes: Credit Repair Tactics Exposed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Small Savings Make a Big Fortune
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Small Savings Make a Big Fortune - Lesley Voth
Fortune
Introduction
In today’s volatile economy, you really have only two choices.
1. Save money any way and however you can, or
2. Watch it pour through your wallet like water through a sieve.
It is your choice.
This book is for the average person or family looking to spend less. The objective is to do this of course without too much pain. Or maybe you are already in financial pain and are looking for a way out.
A way out of debt
A way out of becoming a foreclosure victim
A way out of having to worry each week for the rent money
A way out of being evicted.
A way out of having your car repossessed
Whatever the reason, the fact that you are even looking at this book means you probably need to make some significant changes to your lifestyle.
This book is only a guide to simple and easy ways to save money, downsize and keep your head above water, and to eventually reach your goal of financial security. You are not required to move into a pup tent in the middle of the wilderness and eat berries and grub worms to save money. You just must change how you save, spend and consume.
I personally have been through hard times and am proof that these strategies do work.
To be honest—
I have never had my power cut off but have scrambled just enough money to get it paid on time to save myself the shame and embarrassment.
I have had times when I did not have enough money to put fuel in my car and know that I never want to be in that position again.
I have however felt the accomplishment of having no debt. To sleep well at night because of it.
If you are serious about saving then this book can save you thousands of dollars with each page. Practice some in each category and you will be surprised that you have more money at the end of the month. In a year, you will be astonished at how much you have been able to save.
We all have different reasons why we want to save.
We want to reach our goals for our lifestyle and future.
We are desperate to be out of debt.
We want the comfortable position of no money worries.
We want to hold our heads up high.
Whatever it is, you must have a goal. Otherwise, your saving objectives are doomed to fail. They may last a week or a month, but if you have no goals then you have no reason to be committed.
So what are your goals?
To pay off your credit card?
To pay cash for a car?
To travel?
To have a debt free degree?
To own your own home?
To put the kids through college?
To retire?
You need to make your objectives exciting and not a burden. Financial burdens can be overwhelming. But once you make a start to changing your lifestyle and feeling the control of your finances, you will feel optimistic and excited about your future and your demeanor will at once become pleasant. You will discover that wonderful things will come your way and life will be a pleasure.
For example, to be financially free of worry can often put you in a place of opportunity. You have heard the saying, being in the right place at the right time
. Because you will not have your head buried in work or money worries, you will able to see opportunities much easier when they come your way. And they will.
But remember this. It is not always possible to have everything that you want, but you can have everything that you need. There is a wise proverb that states the contented man is the one who wants what he needs and not needs what he wants.
Be ferocious about saving, pursue your goals, and remain conscious to always practice how to live more on less
. Living with less does not have to be miserable and odious. It can be fun and you know the future will be bright if you make the right choices.
Starting with this book will be one of your better choices in life. It’s designed as an easy reference guide you can refer to again and again. Pretty soon, these money saving tips will become like second nature. So will your quickly swelling wallet.
Sincerely,
Lesley Voth
Saving in Your Home
ELECTRICITY
1) Turn off the lights – When you are not in the room. The last person to bed makes sure all the lights are off. It is a myth that lights use extra electricity to start up. You will save electricity every time you turn the light switch off no matter how short a time. This goes for fluorescent and regular lights.
2) Go to bed 30 minutes earlier – Sounds extreme, but if money is the issue it will save you at least $10 a month.
3) Use Candle light – Watch TV with the lights off.
4) If your child needs a light for comfort – Or to see their way to the bathroom, plug in a small night-light. They use very little power and produce enough light to show them the way or give them comfort. An ordinary night-light takes about 5 watts and an LED night-light takes about 1 watt.
5) A romantic money saver – Two or three nights a week, eat your meal by candlelight. It’s very cozy and if there are only two of you, it can be very romantic. This is also fun for children, as they like to set up the candles and light them (under supervision of course). My granddaughter, Mika, takes great pleasure lighting up the room with candles.
6) Use a standing lamp – If you are watching TV, just leave one standing lamp on. Good ambiance as well.
7) Install skylights – Where possible. Using natural light is a great way of reducing your electric bill.
8) Install motion sensors – For outside lighting (Price approximately $25). This way you’ll have all the light you need when you’re walking outside, and you won’t be wasting any power when they’re not needed. They’re also great for home security.
9) Buy motion sensing switches – They will automatically turn lights on and off throughout the house ($10 at a home improvement store).
10) CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) – They save an enormous amount of energy. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting provides bright, warm light and the U.S. Department of Energy says they use about 75% less energy than standard lights, produce 75% less heat, and last up to 10 times longer. A compact fluorescent takes only 18-watts to generate the same light as a 75-watt incandescent bulb. Due to its inefficiency, the incandescent light bulb has now outlawed in Australia. Conventional light bulbs are very inefficient they use only about 6% of the electricity they consume to make light. The rest of this power turns into heat, as one finds out quickly when touching a lighted bulb.
11) Replace fluorescent magnetic ballasts with electronic ones – The long tube fluorescent (as opposed to screw in compact fluorescents) may use 100-watt to power two 40-watt tubes, while electronic ballast might use only 60-watts. The electronic fluorescent generates less heat, which saves additional money on air conditioning. Also the electronic light eliminates the flickering and usually the hum.
12) Holiday lights – Use LED’s instead of conventional lights. General Electric introduced the first LEDs in 1962. Then the materials used were inefficient, but today they use 80-90% less electricity than standard lights. Also the LED lights generate much less heat, which is a lot safer also for lighting a Christmas tree. Another great thing about LED lights is that they last a long time, up to 200,000 hours.
13) Dimmers – On your light switch can reduce your utility bill. You can save approximately 30% by using dimmers. The modern dimmers are much more effective and efficient than the old rheostat models which generated dangerous heat and did not save electricity.
Dr. Ian Rowbottom of Lutron Electronics in a white paper published March 11, 2009 regarding the economics of dimming, concluded the following: Using assumptions outlined in the text… a residential dimmer can save $7.36 (or more) in electricity costs per year, and can pay for itself in about two years. A commercial dimmer can save $85 (or more) in electricity costs per year, and pay for itself in about one year. Higher dimming use will result in shorter payback periods.
(Sources: California Energy Study and U.S. Department of Energy.)
14) Compare and Save – go to Whitefence.com–http://whitefence.com/ if you live in a major city to compare utility company rates.
HEATING AND COOLING
Money saving strategies.
15) Use the power of the sun to heat your home – Open the blinds, shades, and curtains on the sunny side of the house during the day in winter. Reduce your heating cost by letting the sunshine in. Warms a chilly room. It’s simple and it’s free.
16) Leave the dryer door and laundry door open – In the winter after drying your clothes, use the residual heat from the clothes dryer to warm the other areas of your house or apartment. You already paid for the heat so enjoy it.
17) Heating system is flexible – Heat only the parts of your home that you are using. Don’t close registers in the unused rooms though, because you can damage your ducts or even the furnace itself. Instead, use area heaters or other forms of heat in the rooms that you actually use.
18) Ceiling fans can reduce your energy bill – By as much as 15% both in the winter and the summer. In the winter, the fan will push down the hot air that has risen to the ceiling, heating the room more efficiently. In the summer, the ceiling fans can make you feel cooler. A ceiling fan won’t lower a room’s temperature or remove humidity, but you can save energy by turning off the air conditioning when it isn’t absolutely necessary and letting the fan do the rest. Remember that ceiling and portable fans cool YOU, not the room, so turn them off when you aren’t there.
19) Put some rugs on a bare floor – It will make your feet feel warmer.
20) Draw curtains – In the evenings on cold days, draw the curtains. This helps to insulate the windows keeps the warm air in. In summer, drawn curtains can keep the scorching heat out.
21) Replace your air conditioning filter – It will make the air-conditioning unit run more efficiently.
22) Insulate your home – This is great for warm and cold climates. Use good quality insulation. It will pay off in the long run. According to a study conducted by CNN Money, the approximate price to insulate your attic it is about $500 to $1,000. The saving payback is $500 to $1,000 a year. That’s great value.
23) Turn the thermostat down. – Wear warmer clothes in the winter that will definitely save on power.
24) Cool nights, turn your thermostat down – You will be under the blankets and will not need to set the temperature higher in the night. You’ll sleep better too!
25) Generally lower the thermostat – For each degree that you drop, you cut your heating bill by 3% (AARP)
26) Don’t use air-conditioning. – We have become soft so let’s toughen up. In the summer, do what people that live in the tropics do this. At night they turn the air-conditioning off and sleep with no blankets or clothes.
27) When you leave the house – Turn off the air-conditioning or turn it to a more moderate temperature. There is no point cooling the house if no one is home. Better yet, get a time-controlled thermostat. Program the air-conditioning to switch on, say 15 minutes before you are due to arrive home.
28) Cold air coming in – Feeling a draught coming in the surround of the outside doors, then you need to install weather stripping as you are losing a lot of heat. This goes for the windows as well.
29) Older home – Check unused ducts and holes in the roof or around the