Spend Less and Save More

I met Ellie Kay, billed as “America’s Family Financial Expert”®, when I interviewed her years ago for The Christian Examiner. I found her insightful, discerning and fun.  I asked her to share some simple financial tips with UPGRADE readers.

Ellie writes:

How would you like to pay off your credit card, put your kids through college with minimal student loan debt, pay cash for your vacations and fund a retirement?

I believe that every family can upgrade their finances by unlocking the secrets of how to spend less and save more.

1. Develop a Plan

Go to my website tool section and find an easy-to-use interactive budget tool at elliekay.com.  

Consider making yourself accountable to another person (or couple) to stick on the budget. They will check in with you monthly and ask how it’s going, what your challenges are and what you are going to do to stick to your plan.

Then, when you go to a store or visit a website, ask yourself, “Does this purchase fit into my plan and can it help me upgrade my finances?” Knowing that you are accountable will help you stick to your plan.

2. Don’t Buy Without a Discount

In a post-recession economy, consumers demand discounts and retailers are responding. Go to RetailMeNot.com, couponcabin.com, or BradsDeals.com to get codes that can help you save even more. Or you can go to mysimon.com or bing.com to compare prices on the Internet for the best price.

Then, try to get a rebate check on items you have to buy anyway by going to ebates.com or slickdeals.net.

3. Don’t Use Credit

One of the things our family has done for years is to take out the budgeted amount for food, gas, entertainment and gifts, and put them in a cash envelope marked accordingly. When we see the cash dwindling, we’ll know we need to stop spending.

Debit cards are similar, if you are sure to keep up with how much case you have left in your checking account so you do not overspend. The point is that you do not buy on credit.

Which of these tips is your favorite for spending less and saving more?

Ellie Kay is a regular expert on national television with ABC NEWS NOW’s Money Matters and Good Money shows. She is also a national radio commentator, a frequent media guest on Fox News, and CNBC, a popular international speaker, and the best-selling author of fourteen books including her  newest release, The Little Book of Big Savings (Waterbrook, 2009).

For money savings links or to view Ellie’s blog, go to elliekay.com.