5 Easy Ways To Shave $1K Off Your Budget By Using The Internet
STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Want to save some cash? Regina Novickis will show you how!
Novickis visited the KCAL9 studios Wednesday to show viewers can shave $1,000 off their budget by using the Internet.
Creating and adhering to a budget is a key step to keeping your financial house in order. For those who have already started bringing a brown bag lunch to work and stopped buying expensive lattes, where else can cuts be made?
1. SITUATION: BILL PAYMENT
SOLUTION: According to a recent report by the Internet Innovation Alliance, the average consumer saves about $47 per year by paying bills online. Utilize your online banking services to pay your monthly bills. This eliminates the cost of postage, check reorder fees and/or additional charges for paying by phone.
AVERAGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $47 per year
2. SITUATION: TRAVEL
SOLUTION: Comparison shopping on travel websites for transportation and accommodations can immediately save hundreds of dollars on just one trip. For example, a recent search for a flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on multiple airlines showed a difference in price of $260 from one airline to another. Take your travel savings even further by comparing rates for hotels and rental cars; then applying promotional codes for additional savings. When you get to the checkout page of a travel site, don't skip over the little box that says enter a promotional code. If you do, you are leaving money on the table. Go to coupon sites like www.PromotionalCodes.com or www.PromoCodes.com to find codes to really maximize your savings.
AVERAGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $300 per trip
3. SITUATION: DAILY COFFEE
SOLUTION: Some people simply can't give up getting a coffee drink out every day as opposed to making it at home. The reality is you're more likely to overspend by eliminating this cost entirely from your budget, as opposed to simply admitting to the habit and finding ways to save. Purchase discounted gift cards for coffee shop favorites from sites such as eBay.com, PlasticJungle.com or ABCGiftCards.com. Average savings are around 8%, although sometimes you can get even higher savings.
AVERAGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $81 per year
4. SITUATION: SHIPPING FEES
SOLUTION: When purchasing gifts, having the items sent directly to the recipient eliminates the hassle of standing in line at the post office, needing to buy shipping materials and so forth. By finding free shipping on coupon sites like CouponWinner.com, with just one online purchase per month, you can save $90 annually on shipping; and an average of $150 in gas from reduced visits to the mall and post office.
AVERAGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $90 - $240 per year
5. SITUATION: GOING TO THE MOVIES
SOLUTION: The national average for consumer visits to the movies is eight times per year. A night at the movies for a family of four can cost around $60. By utilizing the high-speed Internet you already pay for to rent movies at a lower cost, families can save approximately $480 annually. You can save further by finding codes for services such as Netflix on coupon websites.
AVERAGE POTENTIAL SAVINGS: $480 per year
For more money saving ideas, visit Regina online.
