5 big bills you can cut fast |
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Pump up your tires. Tires lose about a pound of pressure a month, and if you drive with tires that are 3 pounds
underinflated, your vehicle's fuel economy drops by 1 percent, according to the ACEEE.
Clean your car. If your car resembles a junk yard on wheels, clean it out. If you're hauling around 100 extra pounds, for
example, you're lowering fuel efficiency by up to 2 percent, according to the ACEEE.
You can find more gas-saving tips in the Bankrate feature "15 ways to save
money on gas."
Food and groceries
The average American household spends an average of $6,111 per year on food, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Expenditure Survey. But with prices
rising quickly, food is taking an increasingly bigger bite out of our budgets.
How can you save on something so fundamental? It's actually not difficult. A family of four can slash $240 from its monthly
food budget by switching from pricey meals to lower-cost options, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The key is to embrace culinary change rather than fearing it.
"We can't be doing the same thing the same old way," says Sheryl Garrett, author of the "Personal Finance Workbook for Dummies."
Store shelves are crammed with relatively expensive prepackaged convenience foods designed to save time, Garrett says.
"But what we need to do is try to remember two simple words: whole foods," she says. "Instead of buying prepared, frozen,
twice-baked potatoes, buy a real live whole potato. It costs a fraction of the price, pennies per pound. And it probably even tastes better."
Here are some ideas for saving at the supermarket:
Buy food less frequently. If you're running to the market before dinner each night, it's time to quit. Instead, think about
what you want to eat for the next few days, and buy groceries at once. You'll save money, time and gas.
Use a shopping list. A full two-thirds of purchases at grocery stores are impulse buys, according to Paco Underhill, CEO and
founder of Envirosell, a market research and consulting company. To reduce that temptation, make a shopping list and stick to it.
Pay with cash. You'll be more likely to stick to your shopping list.
Stick to the perimeters of the supermarket. That's where you'll find all the unprocessed basics you need -- dairy products,
meats, bread -- while avoiding inner aisles brimming with tempting, processed foods that drain budgets.
Buy in season. Craving strawberries in January? You'll
pay top dollar. With that in mind, make it a habit to eat what is
in season locally. Guard against cravings by canning or freezing
fresh items so you can enjoy those berries any time of year.
Cook cheaper meals. Instead of serving huge portions of meat, use it to supplement larger portions of rice or pasta in
affordable casseroles. For other low-cost ideas, check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
"Recipes and Tips for Healthy,
Thrifty Meals."
For more tips on cutting your grocery bill, check out the Bankrate feature
"32 ways to save on groceries."
Banking and credit
Individuals pay banks, brokerages, credit card companies and other
vendors a slew of extra fees, charges, interest and penalties.
One recent study by the Government Accountability Office and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., or FDIC, found
that Americans spend $36 billion annually on bank fees alone. That's up from $24.4 billion in 2000.
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