Trim Your Budget Without The Sacrifice

With a tight economy that isn’t getting any better, it’s more important now than ever to watch every dollar you have. A family budget can certainly help save you some real money and you can be proud of doing something that the federal government can’t do. You don’t even have to sacrifice much with a budget, you just have to be smart.

You can do things like eating out one less time per week, be a smart shopper, change your thermostat one degree and even look at your auto and health insurance for better rates. Cheap insurance doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to sacrifice coverage either. There are plenty of companies ready to compete to give a better rate than your current insurance, but with better coverage. These are just a few things you can do to tighten your belt without feeling the pain.

Let’s expand on some of these money saving tips:

– Shop the sales. Wait for holidays or a change in seasonal inventories to save some real money on clothes.

– Maintain your vehicles for better gas mileage. Consider trading in your gas guzzler for a more economical car. You could possibly make the car payments with the money you are saving in gas.

– Do shop around and compare your current insurance rates. Whether it’s health or auto, these monthly expenses can really be trimmed and you won’t have to sacrifice the quality of your service or coverage.

– Eat out one or two less times per week or month, depending on what you do now. With an average dining bill of around $60-$75 for a family of four, you can save some real money and you won’t notice the sacrifice.

– Check your thermostat. If you are away from home all day, then set your thermostat up one or two degrees. You can even start cooling it down right before you get home. Your home won’t notice the difference, but your energy bill will.

These are just a few things within all family budgets that have some flexibility. Be smart and shop around for better prices, especially with your car insurance. Don’t be fooled by some that claim that cheaper insurance is always bad. Simply compare coverage and audit your own lifestyle to see if you have any unnecessary types of coverage you don’t need. Having the cheapest car insurance isn’t all bad as long as it covers all the things that you need.  A little bit of research and effort on your part can go a long way to saving you some real money on your family budget without even noticing.