Five Stupidly Simple Things you can do to Save Money!

Saving money isn’t difficult these days. It’s our conditioning within society that makes it seem difficult. All we have to do is resist the pull of the commercial we end up inundated with every day. Avoid humming along to that all-too-catchy jingle that seems to play on loop every time there’s a break between songs on the radio while you’re driving home. Oh, and you also have to try to avoid those supermarket sales that seem just too darn good to be true. We’ll go over that in just a second, so hold tight, because these five stupid things to save money are just too obvious not to start right away!

1. Keep a coffee french press at work. Do you catch yourself going out for coffee at lunch just about every day? Here’s a thought - brew your own at work without having to drag a Mr. Coffee in every day or deal with the expense of one of those single-serving cup coffee makers. A french press is actually one of the preferred ways of brewing great coffee that has been time tested since it was patented in 1929! In this fashion, you can save money not just on that daily coffee fix, but also on the gas you’d otherwise spend to get yourself to a coffee shop!
2. Dump the gym membership. Are you using it? Research indicates that upwards of 75% of fitness center members seldom ever go, and even fewer go regularly enough to make a healthy difference in their lives. You know it’s true. Don’t deny it. How about taking up walking after dinner or cutting out the excess calories that you know you don’t need? Try playing a game of football with some friends instead of watching your home team lose again. 
3. Plan your work routine with carpooling. Since gas is one of the biggest expenses that we have to deal with these days, it only makes sense to try as much as possible to refrain from using too much of it. Consider ride sharing with your significant other, for example. Even if you end up having to wait a few minutes before or after work to make it work out, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars every month! All you really need to work out, then, is what radio station to listen to.
4. Put major purchases on hold for a minimum of two weeks. When it comes to making major purchases, you want them to be anything but spur of the moment. With proper planning, you can save money on just about any purchase, but this goes for cars, televisions, and even shoes. If you give it two weeks, and the urge to pick those items up passes, if you find the glossy beauty of that new car no match for the nice inexpensive (and possibly paid off) ride you’re currently enjoying, then you probably didn’t need that purchase in the first place, did you?
5. Don’t fall for supermarket gimmicks. They can be bad, and they’re designed to take advantage of you. Sure, with a stack of coupons and a buy one get one sale, you can really rake in the savings, but grocery stores live on impulse purchases. When you must go to the store, eat first, have a meal plan for the week, and don’t let yourself fall to temptation when you see those things you didn’t really even know you needed (and really don’t need, do you?) With a plan in place, you’ll be better able to stick to a budget and avoid spending money you don’t have to!