Recently RetailMeNot and All You Magazine, {two of my favorites resources), conducted a consumer survey and asked about savings habits and attitudes toward shopping and saving money in today’s economy. I thought some of the results were interesting and encouraging for a frugal blogger like me!
– According to the survey, more than 4 in 5 consumers (84%) say that even if they had an abundance of money they would still use savings tactics when they shop, including shopping for clearance items (60%), using coupons in-store (56%) and using coupon codes online (42%). Females are more likely than males (90% vs. 79%) to say they would still use savings tactics if money was not a concern.
– When asked what consumers would be willing to give up in exchange for an extra $5,000, close to half (46%) of those surveyed said they would be willing to give up anything they enjoy. Some of the activities people would trade for the money are watching television (79%), sex (83%), caffeine (85%) and email (85%).
– We know we should be saving, so why aren’t we? Half of consumers surveyed (50%) said they find it hard to save because they do not have enough disposable income to put into savings, and 12% of respondents admit that they just don’t know the best way to go about saving.
Here are a few tried and true, practical strategies that you can try today, courtesy of All You Magazine:
- The Little Luxuries Plan: We all indulge in little luxuries, like weekly manicures, monthly car washes, eating out, coffee from a favorite barista, etc. Commit to regularly cutting back on one or two of these and for every one you forgo, tuck that savings away in a piggy bank or savings account.
- The Spending Moratorium Plan: Do you have a bad spending habit? Makeup? iTunes downloads? Sneakers? Designer Jeans? Ask yourself, “Did I really need those last three pairs of jeans I treated myself to?” If the answer is no, establish a spending moratorium on that item for a while. If the jeans you bought are $100 a pop, you could have already saved $300!
- The Coupon Plan: Make it a new rule to look for a coupon prior to buying anything, using RetailMeNot.com or the RetailMeNot Coupons App. Anytime you save, even if it’s 50 cents, sock it away in your piggy bank or transfer it from one account to another at the bank. If you use a smartphone, you can even do this from your bank’s app on your phone!
If you are also finding it hard to save money, I invite you to join my community of savvy savers. We share new ideas for saving money, reader tested tricks and tips, and practical strategies from thrifty, money-saving experts!
Join us on our money saving journey when you sign up to get our free newsletters, become a friend on Facebook, tweet with us, share your favorite Pins with us, and leave helpful comments so that we can learn your money saving tips too!
Making new connections is what keeps me motivated each day. I would love to connect with you!
Do you have clever tricks that you use to save? I’d love to hear about them.
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