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Saving Superstars: 10 Tips for Saving a Buck
Nicole Elovitz calls herself "the greatest saver that she knows."
She and her husband, Mitch, have already saved thousands of dollars for their daughter's college education, and Maude is only 11 years old.
The Elovitz's (pictured above: Nicole, Mitch and Maude) save about 35 percent of their paychecks each month. The money goes to a separate savings account. And the family keeps close tabs on what they call their "buckets" - long term financial goals like the college education fund, a vacation account, and money for entertainment.
On this weekend's Marketplace Money show, Nicole joins us to talk about what it takes to become a savings superstar.
For example, she sticks closely to a budget and she and her husband talk about money - a lot: how they spend it, how they save it, and what to invest in. In fact, Nicole and Mitch say they always check with each other before making any purchases over $30.
10 Tips for Saving a Buck
Are you a savings superstar? Help us build a list of money-saving tips. We asked some Marketplace staffers to help seed the list, and you can add yours by posting a comment or becoming our Fan on Facebook.
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Avoid high-fee ATMS. Go out of your way to get money from your own bank to avoid the double-charge.
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Go to the high-end designer clothing store. Find something you like. Take a picture of it. And then go to a less-expensive clothing retailer (H&M, Gap, etc.) You'll find something similar at a much lower price.
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Stop paying for premium cable TV. You can get free, digital broadcast TV with a cable box for a fraction of the price. Sorry, no Dexter, but you can watch a lot of shows online for free.
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If you have a limited number of cell phone minutes, here's how to conserve them: Use your cell phone to page people, but tell them not to pick up. The ringing indicates you have arrived, you're ready to pick them up, or that you should call a work number.
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Bring your lunch to work and never take any cash with you. If you do go out to eat, skip the expensive beverage.
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Patch and repair your shoes and clothes instead of buying new replacements.
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Hand-wash instead of dry clean.
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For those of you with kids (or a sweet tooth), make your own popsicles and other treats. You most likely have all the ingredients in your house already.
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Have a drink before you go out to a bar.
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And forget expensive gourmet coffee shops; brew your own coffee at home or drink what's at the office.
My friends marvel at my ability to save money. It's become second nature to me - split entrees, shopping at resale boutiques and thrift stores, using coupons but those will only get you so far. I've found that automatic payroll debits work the best. I save $900 a week from my paycheck that goes toward my daughter's college account, my retirement account and an emergency fund. I've been the sole income provider for our family for the past 18 years. During that time I've managed to buy 3 cars, 2 homes and to take about 7 vacations - so saving money doesn't mean you have to suffer. I like having money in the bank. When I am tempted to make an impulse purchase I visualize the bank account balance diminishing that will usually nip that impulse in the bud!
After my mother was incredibly generous last year with a financial gift, I solved my savings situation: I added up everything that I knew that I had to save for, home insurance, car insurance, quarterly estimated taxes, excise tax and, as an incentive, garden needs (mulch and plants) which I divided by twelve (months) and used that number, $800.00, to set an automatic transfer from my checking account to my savings account. Because I started this at a point when everything had been paid for the year except the estimated taxes, my savings are always enough to meet what I save for. Since most of my estimated tax payments are refunded in April and since the bank also escrows for the home insurance, I also have funds for the unexpected built in.
