5 Steps to Cutting Your Shopping Bills by 50%

I am not even sure this post requires any introduction. Saving money is the topic everyone is eager to research. It is hard to earn money (especially now!) and no one wants to waste it. How to buy more and spend less – this is what the post is going to be about.

1. Take Advantage of Coupon Codes Directories and Communities

There are plenty of sites aggregating hundreds of online and printed coupon codes. All you need is to choose one (or several) of them and learn how to follow it effectively.

Here are just a few recommended tips and resources:

Search for web 2.0 features: many sites not only collect online coupons throughout the Internet but also offer their members share their opinion and experience about each one. Thus, you will be sure to make the best choice. Example: Buxr.com displays votes, reviews ratings for each deal they publish on their site. The site is fairly new but very well organized and clutter-free:

2. Get Organized: Plan Your Shopping

The first and most commonly used tool to use here is ordinary notebook where you write down your planned purchases.

There are online more advanced tools for that: web-based to-do and shopping lists. The most obvious advantage of using them is that you can access it from any computer and easily share them with your friends.

If you are a Facebook user, you can try using its application and manage your purchases from there (example: What I Want):

3. Calculate Your Spendings: Use a Calculator

Do you know that most sellers trick people into buying something based on the fact that most Americans are bad at math?

If you don’t take time calculating how much in total you are going to spend, you risk being manipulated into paying twice and thus losing much money.

4. Pay in Cash – Leave Credit Card at Home

Paying in cash makes you think twice before spending money:

• It triggers the feeling of guilt: you don’t want to waste it any more;
• It makes you think about what you are doing: it is believed that paying with cash removes the shopping momentum when you feel the need to buy more.

5. Use Price-Tracking Sites

BeatThat! and PriceGrabber are good tools that allow you to set a desired price for any product and get notified when its price equals or drops below the set amount.

Here is a good guide on how to use these and more services.

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