As a nation, we waste billions of dollars annually on uneaten food,

unused, expensive clothing, unnecessary items, uncompetitive savings

account fees and excessive credit card interest. american consumers

throw money away like never before and credit card bills roll in

with his history of excessive Christmas spending. This makes January

a perfect time to start putting your personal savings finances in

organize.

I know I find something liberating, almost liberating in

spend money on candy for me. It can be something like

cheap as a notepad with an elegant design that costs

$5, or as expensive as staying in a hotel room instead of driving two

hours at home after a conference. However, there is no reason why people

who save their money should accept low or sky-high interest rates

high interest charges on credit cards.

Spending a few minutes now to find a better deal will leave you

best for December 31. Leave things as you left them

in the past it is like setting fire to your own money. doing a few

changes to improve your accumulation versus your spending will

so that the occasional taxi home, the chicken to go or the spontaneous

buying clothes will not have a dramatically negative effect on

your bank balance or credit card debt.

Here are 10 easy ways to save money in 2005 and every year after.

1 SAVE ON FOOD

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. making your sandwiches

at home and taking them to work can cost you $3 a day if you really

Go all out on the side dishes and drink. Buy a sandwich, a drink and

chips at Subway or McDonalds and have lost $5 – $9 more eaten

more calories, fat, and condoms than is healthy for you. If you

cut $2 a day from your expenses, and put it weekly or monthly

money in a special account at your bank or freezer, you’ll have

$10 per week, $40 per month, $500 per year. Maybe that’s your Christmas

current background?

Slash grocery bills by making a shopping list and sticking to

it’s. Avoid picking up the expensive “bargain” extras placed on the

end of aliases where they can tempt you. (Hint: Leave the children in

home when you go to the supermarket). Try the store’s own brand, their

value ranges can cost a third of the price of name-brand items and

They contain the same nutrition. Buy fruits and vegetables from local farmers

seasonal markets – prices are competitive, you know the people who

grow the food and you can be outside to get some fresh air.

Make your meals at home and freeze portions for future meals. Frequently

Sometimes home cooked food is lower in fat, sugar and salt than prepared food

eat meals and have the food in the freezer, ready to defrost

reduce the temptation to buy overpriced takeout.

2 SAVE ON DAILY SPENDING

Take a good look at what you actually use. Do you have a gym?

membership that only visits occasionally but seems to renew every

year? Do you take the bus or the taxi to go to work? Save a few bucks and get

in for a little free exercise by leaving a couple of blocks early.

Leave the ATM card at home, and when you use it, take it with you

less money than you normally make. It’s harder to waste money

if you don’t have it in your pocket. Join the local library – you can

spend less time in bookstores. Going shopping can also save

money: Many major stores offer a price promise that matches any

advertised price

3 MORTGAGE SAVINGS

Seeing Penny will save a small fortune over the years, but taking

the problem of finding the lowest total cost mortgage available can

also save a small fortune. If you can recover your costs through a

Lowest interest rate in less than 2 years, go ahead and refinance,

In the long run, that lower interest rate can save you some real money.

exchange.

2003 provided the lowest interest rates in 50 years, yet many

homeowners did not switch to a cheaper mortgage rate. 2004 was also

a year of decent interest rates, but many homeowners are still paying

too much interest Instead of just writing a check next month, it seems

in the possibility of refinancing.

4 REDUCE HOME INSURANCE COSTS

Cutting home insurance is also easy. Identify the level of coverage.

you need, and then shop around to find the lowest premiums based on

that coverage. If you are willing to insure yourself more than

$500 standard deductible, that is, you pay the first $1,000 or $2,000 of a

Loss: You’ll find a significant savings on the annual rate. Single

beware, that a lot of the little things like broken windows, some

the insurer will not pay for the shingles on your roof because

cost below that $1,000 deductible.

Some companies also offer lower premiums to members of a

neighborhood watch or people with extra security. Good quality

locks, alarms and security systems prevent break-ins and some insurers

discount for that. Don’t forget your dependencies when searching

insurance coverage. Many of the items in your garden shed are

expensive to replace if they go missing.

5 REDUCE CAR COSTS

Your car can be expensive to operate. fuel, maintenance and

insurance may cost more per mile than the current IRS 37.5 cents

says that a vehicle costs to operate. Depreciation can add up to almost 60% of

a cost of new cars in the first 2 years. Maintain your tires properly

inflated, clean filters and start and stop at a

minimum will increase your mileage and decrease expenses.

Using the Internet will help you reduce your insurance costs

dramatically if you go online to shop for a better insurance rate.

Another thing that will help with your insurance rate is keeping your

driving record free of moving vehicle tickets – do not speed.

6 SAVE ON UTILITY BILLS

Depending on where you live, the liberalization of gas and electricity

means that providers have competition now and offers are available if you

fetch Consumers can save almost a third of their gas bill

if they live in areas with competition and are willing to shop around

and ask for savings.

You can save even more with energy-saving measures like drawing the

curtains at dusk, turning off the TV instead of using standby mode,

buy energy-saving light bulbs and lower the thermostat

just one degree, at night or during the day while you are away.

When you go to renew your cell phone, compare prices. The act of

Congress requiring the option to carry your phone number with you has

tried many cheaper rates and more incentives to get you to switch

from one carrier to another.

7. LIFE INSURANCE

Life insurance rates have fallen in recent years, especially for

term rates. At a minimum, buy enough insurance for your spouse

be able to live without a job until the children are old enough to

go to school. Go online and look for the best rate

I can find. You won’t even have to deal with an insurance salesperson.

8 SAVE ON CREDIT AND BANKING

Credit is a way of life today, and many of us are paying through

nose for trillions in unsecured personal loans on credit cards.

APRs can reach nearly 25 percent for store credit, and many

struggle to pay the interest, adding punitive years to the loan

finished.

Look for a low-cost debt consolidation loan or new credit instead

card with a zero percent introductory rate on purchases and

balance transfers. You can even change your loan from a card

to another as the free introductory rate expires. The key is to hold on

your level of payments, even when the required minimum falls. Doing this

will reduce most payment times by 20 years.

Competition means better banking deals, though you may need to

find a small bank for the best interest rates or lowest cost

by services Always pay attention to what your level of service is

will it cost you, how much does a box of duplicate checks cost, and if

accidentally bounces a check what is the overdraft fee and how

how much you will be charged for receiving a copy of your paper checks.

9 INVESTMENTS

Always make sure you get the interest rate you deserve by

the savings you have. The rate will depend on your level of

comfort when dealing with the Internet, telephone banking or if you need a

living person to treat. Online banks offer a higher interest rate

because they have less overhead than a traditional bank

cared for by living humans.

Check rates regularly – banks tend to be slower to raise your rates

payment rate than when the cost of borrowing rises. don’t forget about

maximize your IRA, 401k or whatever savings vehicle you have that is

tax deferred or tax free.

10 REDUCE TRAVEL EXPENSES

Using a website like http://www.travelocity.com can mean you save a lot

money when buying a package. The savings can be really huge if

is willing to shop online at the last minute. Compare prices

reasonably priced travel insurance – an annual insurance policy can

be cheap if you make several trips a year. Try to fly an airline that

is not in bankruptcy trouble, so you can be sure they will

you are probably still in business when you need to travel