More Ways to Save Discretionary Income

Here are a few more ways you can investigate to save money in your monthly household budget:

When is the last time that you looked at your insurance policies?  Insurance companies "spread their risk" by use of a deductible.  Deductibles are the portion of the contract that the insured becomes responsible for in the event of a claim.  Suppose you had a small kitchen fire.  Unfortunate for sure! But then you call the insurance company to make a claim.  The insurance claims adjuster will walk you through the necessary process to get things repaired.  However, once the repairs are completed, he will issue a check for the repairs less the deductible.  If you have a $100.00 deductible, the cost for insurance is higher because the insurance company is assuming the majority of the risk.  If, however,  you have a $500.00 deductible, the monthly premiums would be less expensive. Your risk is higher because in the event of a claim, you would have to pay more of the repair costs.  With that in mind, how many kitchen fires do you have on an annual basis?  It is the old risk vs. reward scenario.  The higher the deductible, the less the premiums because you are assuming some of the risk alsongside the insurance carrier.  Feasibility for this savings must be determined on a case by case situation. 

Another great way to save money in addition to the coupon plan that was discussed yesterday, is to buy generic.  There are some things that you will absolutely want to buy as brand names.  This varies on an individual basis.  However, some products are the same, regardless of name brand.  You can compare labels to decide what you are willing to sacrifice.  When I first started comparing labels, I was surprised how many products were "packaged for" store brands.  This basicly means that some of the items that you will buy are made by the name brand manufacturers for the stores to sell under their own branding.  Just make sure that if you are buying generic over-the-counter medications, that they are actually the same as the brand names that you are used to purchasing. 

Last for today, consider selling some of your unwanted items.  There are many consignement shops that take unwanted apparel.  There are also many "gold-buyers" around to take your unwanted jewelry.  Do not sacrifice sentimental items.  There are also charites that will take unwanted items in turn for a tax write off that can save you big at tax time.

If you have any ideas for cutting costs, contact us at savingsenseinc@gmail.com.  We look forward to hearing from you. 

More cost cutting advice tomorrow.  See you then.

Multiple ways to cut household expenses

There are many ways to cut your monthly household expenses.  When you consider these expenses, it is easy to make the necessary cuts to your expenses and allow for more discretionary income every month.  This will be an ongoing archive that we will explore continuously.  Visit often for new ideas that you can implement.

Here are some of the ways that we will investigate with this posting:

Monthly phone bill
Cell phone plan
Gym Memberships
Pay-per-view
Lunching out everyday
Coupons

Have you considered you monthly home telephone bill?  Many people now make and receive all their phone calls by iphone or a mobile cell phone number.  This leaves little necessity for the landline telephone that was once so important in the home.  How much money could you save if you deleted this option from your monthly budget?  Fifty dollars per month equates to $600.00 per year. 

What about that monthly cell phone account.  Have you opted for too many minutes or perhaps not enough.  Cell phone companies charge for plans based on the number of lines included on the plans as well as the total time alloted to each phone for incoming and outgoing calls.  Sometimes, these minutes can be bundled or combined with other phones on the plan so that the minutes are "shared".  This allows for times when one member of the plan may have heavier call volume than normal.  The "leftover" minutes from the other numbers on the plans can be consumed by the heavier usage and not charge a difference in the spending plan.  Without these "bundles" the additional minutes can add numerous and heavy charges to your account.  Because so much texting takes place now, some of the companies offer unlimted texting and offer families the opportunity to significantly decrease the amount of "on phone air time".  This can save the members of the plan a considerable amount of money, especially if texting is how the phone is most used.

Gym memberships can be very costly.   Purchasing exercise videos and taking long walks in the neighborhood can offer repeated exercise opportunities without the high cost of gym membership.  There may also be the opportunity to play ball with your children and even garner neighborhood support by assembling neighborhood games and opportunities to involve others.

Another form of family entertainment that can add much unwanted household expense is the "pay-per-view" movie channel.  Because it is convenient, it is sometimes easy to spend more dollars on this type entertainment than you really intend.  Also consider any premium channels or eliminate cable altogether.  Many of the shows that people like are now available on websites, ipads, and droid applications.

What about the lunch that you "eat out" everyday for convenience.  A brown bag or old time lunch box works great to offer an inexpensive alternative.  Many businesses now have break rooms equipped with full kitchens.  These refrigerators and microwaves work as well in the break room at work as they do in your own kitchen.  Making a little extra when you cook the family meal, works wonders for the next day's lunch.  

One of the most effective ways, also one that we promote on this blog, is the use of coupons.  Manufacturers and businesses have come to a clear understanding that a portion of their advertising dollars are well spent by "giving back" to loyal consumers.  This is sometimes done through a store card or loyalty program, but it is also done by printing and distribution of coupons through a network source.

Consider some of these options and see if they will make a difference in your annual resources.  Visit this site often and tell your friends about it.  We will continue to offer sound advise as to how you can accomplish all your savings goals by following simple guidelines that offer practical tips for cost cutting.  

More tomorrow........Until next time, Improve your Saving Sense!

News Headline Story | equities.com

News Headline Story | equities.com

Community Success While Supporting Local Commerce

This publication is a new venture in Warner Robins to support local commerce and agriculture. We are excited to launch this publication in the Houston County area to bring added success to local merchants while saving consumers money. This is a monthly publication that not only advertises for local businesses, but will also spotlight local business. The intent of Saving Sense is to form a consortium with local entrepreneurs and to draw attention away from the "big box" stores. This publication will educate consumers on the landscape of the local business community. It will also demonstrate the face of our community if support is not garnered by the local and independently owned business.

Now is the time for each consumer to take responsibility for the face of our community in light of increased online sales and the media push towards "big box" America. All consumers in the local area must work together to provide strong support to the independent business or that sector of our economy will face extinction.

Is it hard to believe that the state of our National economy can somehow be the result of our pursuit for the biggest and best at the least expensive price? Is the least expensive cost always the best value? Is it not true that all consumers have experienced the lack of service commonplace in "big box" America?

How is the economic consequence of "big box" America really measured? What is the actual cost to the local store owner, taxpayer and local consumer? Is it possible that the local consumer is trading the cost of less expensive retail products for more in tax revenue at the loss of local business?

These are questions that will be addressed with articles each month. This newsletter will educate consumers on the relevance of supporting local business and thereby furl free enterprise. Every year that passes with the advent of "newer, bigger and better big box stores" is one more nail in the proverbial coffin of free enterprise.

Drive down the main streets in your local community and see how many commercial businesses are gone. Granted, these economic times are unprecedented nation wide. However, think about every discretionary dollar that you may have spent this year and where it was spent. Was it spent in light of supporting your local community and the economic landscape there?

Working together as a community of excellence, we can make a solid difference on the impact we have on locally owned and operated businesses. In support of this coalition, the local businesses will include special offers in their advertising to encourage consumers to once again enjoy the benefits of "Buy-Local".

Welcome

Welcome to Saving Sense.  We are an independent marketing company in Warner Robins, GA.  We are happy that you chose to visit here and hope that you find the information here useful when planning to shop at home.  Our newsletter will offer tips and coupons for savings at local independent businesses in the area.  This blog will post feature articles on local businesses and direct you to the hottest and best buys in the area.  Visit often as the deals will change weekly.  Thank you again for visiting and let us know if there is a particular business that you would like to see featured here.

About

Saving Sense, Inc. was founded in 2011 as a promotion company in support of independently owned businesses in the Middle Georgia Area.  Saving Sense is a newsletter publication and promotion company that promotes the local independent business rather than the big box stores.  We believe that driving traffic into local independent businesses and the contemporary buy-local movement are imperative to the survival and success of the modern American economy.  As more consumers continue to shop online and shop the big box stores, the local independent business owner is dying on the vine.  It is our mission to deliver the message to each consumer that it is important that we continue to use the local independent business owner for goods and services so that our community can continue to thrive.  Otherwise, the local independent business owner is indeed in jeopardy of extinction.