ADVICE: 10 ways to save money this month

Saving to renovate your dream home? Wish you had a little extra to spend on yourself? Or how about aiming to chip away at your credit card debt? Hopefully these 10 ways to save money this month can help you out. Start now and let me know what difference it has made for you!

1. Make a budget
If you don't know where your money is going you won't know where it has gone. Make a budget. Keep it short and simple. I like to break mine down into fixed expenses (insurance, phone contracts, services, bank fees, rates, dstv, medical aid, rent/bond, and if you are a Christ follower like me then tithes will also come in here) and budgeted expenses (gifts, food, entertainment, allowances). Stick it every where you may need it. In your wallet, in your car, on your PC desktop - whatever works for you. Get to know it and keep it in mind when doing your shopping. Watch out for a special article on budgetting coming soon!

2. Stick to your budget
Seems obvious, doesn't it? Now that you know your budget back to front, left to right, keep another budget of your actual expenses. Different ways work for different people, do whatever works for you. Whether you keep track online or in a journal, just make sure you are constantly updating it, where and when you spend. Use this to modify your budget for the month ahead.

3. Revise your budget
Decide what are your needs and wants. For example, not everyone needs to have ADSL and DSTV. My husband and I choose to and therefore know that means we will have that amount less each month to put towards our home. This is definitely a want but something we decided to keep as it adds value to our life. These days everything is available on DVD, do you really need to watch your favourite series week by week on the series channel? Instead of paying hundreds of rands each month you could hire it or borrow the boxset from a friend. Another way to save money is to revise your policies. Email your insurance broker to tell them that you'd like to do some revision to save some money every month. We did this and found out we were paying for jewellery at an all risk price that was never being worn outside of the house. Removing this and keeping it under our household policy saved us a lot of money and every month this adds up! Make sure though that you are not underinsured. This could be disastrous in a robbery. Do you need a landline? Phone your telephone company and ask them to suggest the best package for your needs.

4. Re-energise
Use energy wisely! Switch off lights, don't use the tumble dryer unless absolutely necessary, put your geyser off if you go away. In winter it gets cold - deal with it, your home should not be 30 degrees in August! Sounds so simple yet can make a huge difference to your pocket and the planet.

5. Drive sensibly
Do you really need to drive to the shops? Why not take a walk with your kids, friends or husband to the shops for a coffee before you do your shopping? Or organise a lift club. Cutting down on fuel can make a HUGE impact on your budget. Being sensible when you drive by sticking to the speed limits, taking off and stopping slowly saves fuel. Think about switching to a diesel car. It is cheaper and you can get many, many more km's off your tank.

6. Use your savings wisely
You can always make more money. Occasionally, instead of putting money into your savings account, why not pay off a debt? This will cut down on your monthly repayments and save you money in the long run.

7. Make a weekly meal plan
This is where I get really excited as this combines three of my favourite things. Shopping, cooking and planning. Plus you get to make a list! Obviously it may change (and be open to that, after all thats why you have a freezer!) but try plan your week in advance. Go to the shop for what you need for those meals and those meals only. When you buy things you haven't planned for, you end up wasting food or eating just because it's in your pantry cupboard calling your name.

8. Shop in bulk and buy your fresh produce regularly
Shops like Makro and Hyperama are great for bulk buying. Toiletries and cleaning products are expensive! When you buy in bulk you save and because these things don't expire, as long as you have space, buy as much as you can! If you don't have the space why not go in with a friend? After all we all need toilet paper and good old Omo washing powder. Go to Woolies, Spar, Pick 'n Pay or your local market for your fresh things regularly and again only when you need them to avoid waste.

9. Cook for left overs
I cook for two and for some reason I find this very difficult. Most food packages are aimed for a family of four and until I realised what to do I was wasting a lot of food. Cook the whole lot and freeze half straight away. I say straight away because if you don't you will leave it in the fridge and your darling better half will enjoy it for lunch the next day instead of their cheese and tomato sandwiches. Trust me, I know from experience... Not only will you be saving money but you know that locked away in your freezer is a quick yet delicious meal for when you need a night off to watch Desperate Housewives.

10. Keep the grocery shopping to a minimum
Only buy groceries when you need them. I am addicted to Salt and Vinegar rice cakes, specifically the Pick 'n Pay branded ones. If I buy them, unless we need them for entertaining or watching the rugby (ok, my husband watches, I read and snack on the rice cakes), they will be eaten by the very next day! Make a little balsamic vinegar and avocado dip with them and you will be ready to go... See what I mean? I'm addicted!

Hope you have found this useful, please let me know if you have any tips you would like to share!