I think all of our parents told us ”A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned”. That simple little saying has served me well throughout my lifetime.
I am certainly not rich.. but I do make a decent living and manage my money well. As a result.. I live much better than most other people in my income bracket.
Live Better on Less .. A Few Simple Tips:
The number one biggest mistake I see most people make is that they don’t take care of things.. and are therefore wasting money replacing things over and over again.
When you make a purchase.. whether it be furniture, clothing, or whatever.. spend a little extra money and buy something of quality. If you buy something of quality and take care of it properly.. it will last you for years to come.. avoiding recurring replacement costs.
When you are ready to make a large purchase.. like a new sofa, refrigerator, or big screen TV.. look for a 0% interest credit card promotion offering a 0% introductory rate on purchases. Apply for the credit card and go make your purchase.. confident in knowing you will have a year or more to pay it off.. without wasting a lot of your hard earned money on interest.
Don’t buy into fad purchases. Fads come and fads go.. things become outdated very quickly.. meaning you have to spend more money replacing things more often.
Don’t let your ego cost you money! Every time a new gadget comes out.. I have a friend who always thinks she has to be the first person on the planet to have one. That high is short lived.. before long everyone else has one as well.. and who cares who got theirs first?
People spent 4 hours in line to get an iPhone.. and paid twice as much as I paid for mine. I waited until the initial rush was over.. walked in and got mine in 4 minutes instead of 4 hours.. and paid half as much as all the ego maniacs.
Keep your credit rating in check! Staying on top of your credit is crucial. When you need to purchase something on credit you don’t want to be paying astronomical amounts of interest.. whether it is on your home loan.. your auto loan.. or on your credit cards. Interest is money wasted.. you will never get that money back. That is money you could have used to buy something else 
Always put 10% of your earnings into a savings account.. and leave it there! Ten percent is not a lot of money. Once you get accustomed to doing without it you will never miss it.. and one day when you are ready to retire.. you will be sooo glad you followed this advice.
Save money at the supermarket by utilizing all of the great coupons available online and in weekly newspaper inserts. I came across a show on TLC the other evening about “Extreme Couponing”. I am certainly not advocating becoming as obsessed as some of these people.. but a few savvy shoppers who actually use some common sense are able to feed a family of 7 for a month for less than $100. If you have a large family that may be something worth learning more about.
There are several reward credit cards available which will give you savings on grocery store purchases. However, if you use one of these credit cards to purchase groceries.. be sure to pay off your grocery purchases immediately. Paying interest over time on items which have already been consumed is certainly not wise money management!
My favorite card.. the American Express Premier Rewards Gold Card. I love American Express Cards because their Membership Rewards can be redeemed for just about anything you could ever possibly want. With this card you earn points on all of your purchases.. and earn double points on gas and groceries. I usually rack up enough points during the year to pay for a nice vacation in the fall.
Article Courtesy of Credit Card Approval Center
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