A common complaint amongst people who try to save money is that it takes a long time before any results can be seen. It does not have to be this way at all. In fact, there are several things you can do to help save money now. The following are a few suggestions to get you started.

1. Differentiate your expenses.
Understand that there is a difference between essential and non-essential expenses. Simply put, an essential expense is one that you cannot live without. A non-essential expense is often considered a luxury item. For instance, rent and electricity are essential expenses. However, new books, cable network subscriptions and gym memberships may be considered non-essential expenses.

Make a list of everything that you spend money on each month and decide which ones are essential and non-essential items. Then, eliminate as many non-essential items from your list. With reference to the examples made earlier, you can borrow the latest books, for free, from your local library. Cancel, or downgrade, your cable network subscription since you’re at work all day, anyway. For exercise, take a walk in the park. Or, if you work in a high-rise building, take the stairs to your office.

2. Prioritise your essential expenses.
Go through your list of essential expenses and try to trim some of them. For example, if you have both a landline and mobile phone, but are rarely at home, why not get rid of the landline altogether? Before you step out of your home each day, take a moment to ensure that you’ve switched off all the lights and electrical appliances.

3. Become a smart shopper.
Change your habits when your go to shop for food or clothing. Curtail the frequency of when you dine at restaurants. Instead, learn to cook simple and nutritious meals each day. Shop for clothes during sales and do not underestimate the quality of clothes you can find at charity shops like ‘Oxfam’ and ‘The Salvation Army’. Sometimes, the flaw in a good quality garment sold in a charity shop may be superficial. If so, you will be able to buy the same garment for a fraction of its normal retail price.

Owning a device like iPhone or iPad can easily be turned into a pocket secretary and financial advisor. You can keep track of your bills, purchases and get alerts when you have to be careful with your spendings.

You can also consult a online discussion forum and read blogs about how to save money fast. Many people who is going to save money because of financial problems are often concerned about what their friends are going to say or think if they have to stop spending money, buying gifts and eating at restaurants in the weekends, but a good friend will understand the situation. Tell him or her and be open about it. The worries are only in your head. Don’t let them get stuck there!

Like most habits, saving money does take time and effort. However, by following the suggestions made above, you will soon see that what little effort you make now will reap huge benefits in no time at all.

Author Bio: Bruno is a Internet marketing consultant and author making money online by learning other marketers how to make money online with SEO, social media marketing and how to make money blogging from home.

Category: Finances
Keywords: finances,money,advice,