There are some people around us that seem to be great savers with large bank balances even though they earn the same money and seemingly have the same outgoings. So how is it that some people are great savers and some people live from week to week? I’m going to tell you how to save money without changing your lifestyle too dramatically.

The first thing to you need to do is get yourself a little diary so you can take it around with you and write down everything you buy during the day. Of coarse, if there is anyway you can acquire this diary through a stationery order at work, then you’re off to a good start. Before we consider how to save money we’re going to need to look at exactly what you’re spending it on. You need to look at how much you are spending on short lived enjoyment like coffee’s and chewing gum. Make sure you write down absolutely everything, and at the end of the week add up all the things you really didn’t need to buy and see how to save money simply by cutting out the little things.

This includes chocolate anything that is not on your shopping list. If you want to save money, everything must be on a list the day before you buy it. If you see something you want to buy when you’re out shopping, put in on your list and come back tomorrow. You’ll be surprised how many things don’t end up surviving. This will save you a lot of money at the supermarket, and from your diary you’ll find a lot of your purchases were last minute decisions.

If you want to know how to save money you need to unlearn purchase habits that lead you to shop fro particular brands or at particular stores. If you’re buying bread and milk everyday, then you should know where is the cheapest place to buy them and do that every day. Never purchase these items from convenience stores, and take advantage of price wars between the big supermarkets.

They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Clothes is an indulgence that many of us like to spend extra cash on, but if you shop around the second hand shops you’ll find a whole new world of really cool clothes. Vinnie’s isn’t just a paradigm of how to save money, it is also a place to buy unique and unusual items which are often rare and intriguing. Even the coolest of dressers shop in op shops to find the unique.

At the supermarkets, you can buy fresh bread cheap after 7pm. Take the bread home and stick it in the freezer. I’m not suggesting you go so far as to buy your Easter eggs in May, but a bit of forward thinking can save you a lot of money. Petrol is cheaper on Tuesdays, so only fill up then. If you pay attention to price cycles, you will instinctively learn how to save money without consciously trying.

Don’t shout people drinks at the bar when you know you’re not going to get one in return. There’s no point learning how to save money for six days of the week and then blowing it on a Friday. You don’t have to become a miser, but just be careful with the way you throw your money around. The easiest way to hold onto money is to not give it away, so bear this in mind especially when you’re entertaining.
So there you have some introductory insights on how to save save money without really changing your lifestyle much at all. It’s amazing how much you can save by taking notice of when you put your hand in your pocket and second guessing the need to actually make purchases.