Some Ways to Save Money and Be Able to Buy a Little Something

If you're like the average consumer, you're not spending sleepless nights trying to figure out ways to save money so you'll be able to buy a little something. No, you want it when you see it, not after you have saved to afford it. Because as we all know...

It's so much easier to spend money than to save it, and it's a helluva lot more fun too. But with the current economic crunch, a lot of people - at least those with a little less change then others, are trying not to spend so much while in wait of the seriously delayed economic turn-around.

It's true retailers aren't seeing as many people hanging out in the malls as in the lean days of excessive-expenditures, when even middle-classers (now the new poor) were splurging on the latest over-priced fashion item. However, if you're fortunate enough to still be able to spend a dollar without taking out a pay-day loan. Congrats! For all others wanting to know what they can do...

Here's a short list of ways to save money and still be able to splurge on that little sumtin sumting or something (whatever the case might be) every now and then.

• Lower your food bill. First, try eating at home more often instead of going out. Yeah, yeah, some people don’t want to cook, don't know how to cook (that clearly escapes me) or are too lazy to cook. But if you don’t cook, how do you expect to eat? You can save more money buying groceries than eating in a restaurant. Maybe not a whole heck of a lot, considering the costs of groceries these days, sure we've had some weather issues that may have had an effect on the crops, but ... "Ooops, I digressed."

You can cut cost by doing it yourself, but don’t deprive yourself from having some fun. You can still go out to a restaurant but instead of ordering as much, try to get something else off the menu that isn't as expensive - and try, I said try, to limited yourself to one cocktail, two at the most.

• Save on utilities, by simply turning off the TV when no one is watching, you can save. If you want to lessen your electric bill, do the laundry and ironing once a week. This will mean that the laundry may pile up slightly but hey, you wanted to buy new clothes anyway!

• Lessen your trips, gas prices are ridiculously out of control, and consume a lot of your money. The best way to ease this burden, is to be the owner of Exxon, and if that were the case, you wouldn't be reading this post - now would you? Barring being independently wealthy with no concept of the costs of living; another way pass this hurdle is to schedule your trips to coincide with those that are necessary, or consider car pooling.

• Recycle, here's a novel and obvious way to save money for that dress or whatever the must-have item of the moment may be, just don't buy it. Especially, if it's for a one night event, shoot if possible, borrow it from one of your friends. If that doesn't sit well with you, wearing someone else's' clothing is not everyone's forte, grab something out of your own closet that you can recycle with the right accessories to turn the outfit into a glorious eye-popper. Or consider checking out the thrift stores for unworn pieces.

No one wants to be so concerned about pinching pennies that even Abe Lincoln himself starts to scream, but if you consider some of the above ways to save and be able to buy a little something, you just may very well be able to buy even more than you think.