Pay Attention

Probably the quickest change you can make to pinch pennies out of your budget is to pay attention to everything related to your money. When you are aware, you will easily see places that you lose money due to lack of attention. Think about it, the whole idea of saving money suggests that you are losing it somewhere.

Here are some places to start:

Pay attention to the price of gas at all the stations you pass during your daily commute, as well as the weekly and monthly trips you make routinely. Every Sunday I drive my son to breakfast at bagel shop two towns away and on the way we drive past the lowest gas price I will see all week. I wouldn't drive that far out of my way during the week to gas up, but I plan my purchases so I can save on gas once a week. When preparing to visit my mother 75 miles away, I never put more than four gallons in the tank. I know that gas is always less expensive in her town than mine and I like to fill my tank there before I come back home.

Pay attention to your monthly bills - know what they are for and what parts are optional. Know that you are paying for kilowatt hours on your electric bill and then pay attention to how you use them. Know what you spend on your cable bill for your level of service and pay attention to whether anything you pay for is not actually used. Know when you cellphone contract expires and then pay attention to what other companies are offering before you recommit.

Pay attention to the prices that ring up at the register. How often are the signs in a store wrong or simply misunderstood? Trust me, often enough that it pays to be alert. If you are paying attention you can have the cashier correct the price or remove the item before you purchase it at a price you were not expecting.

Pay attention to change you are given at the register. Which reminds me, my son read Accept Change and teased me about changing pennies into silver. An hour later we were in the grocery store; the total was $11.07. I was digging in my purse to give seven pennies to the clerk instead of a dime, and after four pennies I had to set my purse down on the counter for leverage. When I looked down I saw a dime sitting there on the counter. So not only did I spend seven pennies and keep a dime I already had, but I also gained another dime for my efforts. I was pleased my son was there to share the laugh with me.

Keep pinching pennies, it's worth it.