Tips for Saving
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. Once you adopt a thriftier frame of mind, you’re likely to come up with your own ideas for saving money.
- Always pay bills on time to avoid penalties and late fees.
- Keep your money in a Community Bank Checking or Savings Account. There is no minimum required balance or service fees.
- Avoid transaction fees by using Community Bank ATMs.
- Entertain at home, rather than going out.
- Switch to a cell phone plan with less minutes, use email, and talk less, if necessary.
- Drop premium channels from your pay TV package or drop pay TV altogether. Consider reading a good book, instead.
- Watch free movies from your base’s lending library, instead of renting them.
- Read newspapers, books, and magazines for free from your base’s lending library or online, instead of buying them.
- Don’t spend a lot of money entertaining children. Younger ones, especially, can be entertained with simple activities.
- Don’t use shopping as entertainment. You can avoid the urge to make unnecessary purchases by staying away from temptation.
- Consider free activities that are available at municipal and base facilities.
- Consider buying items used, instead of new.
- Buy generic brands. They are cheaper and often identical to name brands.
- Be sure that you take advantage of all benefits that you are entitled to as a service member, such as housing and living allowances.
- Shop with a list and resist items that aren’t on it.
- Estimate what your grocery bill will be, based on your list, then leave checks and cards at home and take just enough money to cover it.
- Plan your menus around your grocery store’s weekly specials.
- Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach.
- If possible, leave the kids at home when you shop for food. It will be easier to resist unnecessary items without your kids asking you to buy them.
- Use coupons. Check local papers. Also check manufacturers’ websites and those devoted to coupons.
