Cut Costs During Unemployment

Unemployment benefit seeker levels have reached their highest total in 25 years at 3.8 million. Only 491,000 of those seekers have actually been claimed. Many people I know, including myself, are in that demographic or have not filed for benefits yet. We are now forced to sell our possessions and cut our spending in every possible way. This past weekend I sold most of my CD collection and many of my favorite DVDs. In order to mitigate the financial problems most of us face, I am listing a few ways to help you cut back on expenses.

1. Apply for a Gas Card.
A gas card with a decent cash back bonus can cut back on your fuel expenses between 60 cents to a dollar per tank depending on the size of your fuel tank. Be sure to use it just for gas though, and be sure to pay it off every month.

2. Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk is one of the best ways to save money on stuff you would normally use whether it would be daily, weekly, or monthly. When you see a great sale on something like toothpaste, shampoo, or even a non-perishable food item consider buying several of them. When beef or chicken is on sale, don't be afraid to buy a lot of that either. You can always freeze it to cook later. It's better to have it already at a low price than having to go out when you need it when it's more expensive.

3. Don't Buy Garbage Bags
When you go shopping, what do the groceries and miscellaneous things that you purchase get put in for you to carry them home easier? A plastic or paper bag! You're getting a bag to put your garbage in for free! Now that might not be a whole lot of savings, but you'll probably look at the garbage bags and laugh at why you buy them now.

4. Cook for the Rest of the Week
After you go to the store to buy groceries, cook enough food for the rest of the week or at least the next couple of days. Not only will this save you money, but it will also save you time from cooking during the rest of the week. If you're cooking on the stove, it will save you money on your gas bill if you cook one time with a bunch of food then a couple of times with little amounts of food.

5. Monitor your electric and water meters by making a spreadsheet with the values of each in a list. You'd be surprised to see how much electricity and water you use in a day, even when you're not awake. This can help you find potential breaks in your water line which can cost you a lot of money! There are also many appliances and devices that use electricity when you think they are shut off.

These are just a few ways to save money. There are many more ways out there, and I would be glad to list more in the future with your help. I will be turning this into my own website in the very near future, so there will be feedback options and a forum to post your thoughts. Until next time!