The 10% Tip to Saving Money and Reducing Debt
Simple Household Money Saving Tips that Work Invisibly for You
Feb 24, 2009
As budgets become increasingly tighter, every penny saved is cash in the bank. Here is a simple but extremely effective idea that can save your money in endless ways every day, freeing up cash to reduce debts.
Household Money Saving Tips: The Power of Ten Percent
The idea is simple. Just cut back ten percent on the quantity of things you use everyday. The difference will hardly be noticeable. But you will be saving your money everyday.
Think about it. If you used ten percent less toothpaste on your brush, would it make a difference to the effectiveness of your brushing? Not really. But would the tube of paste last longer? Certainly. And that is how the power of the Ten Percent Approach works. In small quantities that add up. Every day, all day.
Saving Your Money on Personal Toiletries
Make a list of all the items you can work the ten percent on. Toothpaste. Apply the technique on your favourite shampoo – the lather might be a little less luxurious, but think how many more washes you will get. Go down the list; moisturizer, perfume – cut back a little wherever you can.
Saving Your Money on Food Items
With some thought, the same principle can be made to work with food as well. You may not be able to cut down on the quantity of bread you put on the table without the family protesting, but a ten percent smaller serving of meat or vegetable is not likely to raise eyebrows. Don’t fill up that glass to the brim with juice or milk, ten percent less will not affect nutrition, especially as a temporary measure. Balance it out with additional quantities of less expensive but healthy food.
Saving Your Money on Household Cleaning and Laundry
One place where you can really shave off on usage would be on toilet cleaners and disinfectants. A little less soap in the wash, maybe a little less fabric softener, won’t really affect the quality of your laundry. Take stock of all cleaners, polishes, repellants in use, and do the ten percent cut. Your savings will grow significantly.
Adopt the idea, and expand or modify it to suit your household. You might want to do the same with electricity, cutting down just a bit on usage. Or with gas for your vehicle, filling up ten percent less, and planning trips so that several errands are done on one trip.
Once you consistently remember to do the cut back, the benefits become obvious, and the possibilities grow. As will your savings, steadily and surely. It might even help pay off a small part of that debt.
