Wednesday, March 18, 2015

How to save money - my to 10 effective ways


My top 10 effective saving tips


Time flies so fast.  We are now in the second quarter of the year.  I am sure most of us have listed “savings” as one of our new year’s resolutions.  As for me, every last month of the first quarter, I sit down and check how I have been doing with my new year’s resolution, especially on saving money.  It is a good thing that every year shows an improvement in my finances.  Frugality is my best friend when it comes to savings. 

The following are my top 10 most effective ways of saving, and hopefully help in beating my financial giant.

  1. List system.  When grocery shopping, I list down all the things that I need to buy. If I stick to my list, there is a great chance that I will not overspend or buy something that will end up unused or kept in the cabinet.
  2. Delayed gratification.  I used to be an impulsive buyer.  Whenever I want things or whenever there are new mobile models, I would surely have it the next day.  This gave a big impact on my finances, especially on the use of credit cards.  I have learned that delaying my gratification also delays my spending, thereby saving me money.  This not only helps in my savings but also in practicing the virtue of discipline.
  3. Give more.  If you give something, it comes right back to you.  Have you heard of good karma and do unto others as you would want others do unto you?  Giving is like an echo.  Whatever you give, it bounces back to you.  So, better share your financial blessings than curses to others.
  4. Shop online.  When shopping online, I get not only the promos and free deliveries but it also saves my time commuting and going through traffics of Dubai – saving not only money but also my energy.
  5. The”happy meal” eat outs.  As much as possible, I do not dine out.  In case my friends and I decide to eat out, our index in buying a meal is the McDonald’s happy meal.  We only eat meals with the same price as the happy meal or less.  
  6. It depends upon the face.  I do not always buy branded clothes.  Now a days, it does not matter anymore what brand you wear because China can always imitate the expensive brands. J What matters most is character.  If you carry happy thoughts, it will radiate and show on your face, thereby no need for costly clothes or makeup.  Beauty depends upon the face and not on the brand of the clothes you wear.
  7. Be creative.  In this high technology world, people tend to forget the importance of hallmark cards.  For me, it is more personal when I make my own gift.  Making my own card, creating accessories, molding clays or even baking bring back the personal touch on gift giving, and is cheaper than buying from expensive malls.
  8. Bring lunch at work.  Instead of buying or ordering daily from restaurants, cook your own meal and bring it at work.  Aside from the assurance that you know where your food came from, this will lessen your monthly food budget compared to buying from outside daily.
  9. Sell your unwanted gifts and unused items at home.  One day, I checked my cabinet and found out that there were things I have bought and have not been using for a long time.  Some were unopened gifts.  I took a picture and sold the items online.  It gave me additional 200 AED or more.
  10. Good ol’ coin bank.  I have two coin banks, one personal and one for my chosen charity, ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) ministry.  Every day, I push myself to put a one dirham coin in each coin bank.  If I forget, I will make it up the next day or the next week, depending on how many days I missed.  With this practice, at the end of the year, I have 365 AED or 100 USD that goes to my stock or mutual fund investments and to the scholars of ANCOP.  Do not underestimate the power of 1 AED, you may never know how far your 1 AED can go.

These are just my top 10 effective ways.  There are a lot more things we can do to pay off our debts, finish our family projects quickly, and eventually retire early back to our home country while we can still enjoy the fruits of our labor.


                                           My coin bank for the scholars of ANCOP

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