What are some ways I can save more money for retirement?

56 Ways to save money for retirement

1. GET A MAGIC JACK http://www.magicjack.com/1/index.asp This is a USB jack you plug your home phone into. You can make any local or long distance calls in the US or Canada. You will no longer need a home phone line. Save $20.00 or more a month on local and long distance calls.
2. START USING COUPONS THE RIGHT WAY When you save a dollar from a coupon, save the dollar. Take it home and put it in your piggy bank for the month. At the end of the month, take that money and put it into your investments.
3. SHOP OFF SEASON for clothes, Christmas ornaments, gardening tools, etc.
4. RIGHT-SIZE YOUR COOKING When using the stovetop, match the size of the pot to the burner size. Doing so will keep heat from escaping into the atmosphere, boosting your energy expense. Put a lid on it. Covering a pot brings the water to a boil more quickly, also saving energy.
5. STOP SPENDING COINS Only spend bills, save the coins.
6. BUY A HAPPENINGS BOOK AND CLIP COUPONS Let the Happenings book determine where you will eat out. Why buy two dinners when you can buy one and get one free.
7. GO TO THE LIBRARY BEFORE BUYING A BOOK
8. DON’T GET YOUR WATER PIPING HOT Set your hot-water heater thermostat at 120 F (or “low”). That’s hot enough for most needs-including dishwashers, which generally have booster heaters. If your hot-water heater feels warm to the touch, wrap it in an insulating blanket to limit energy loss. Use warm or cold-water settings for the laundry, and wash only when you have full loads.
9. USE GENERIC PRESCRIPTIONS On average save 10% – 15%
10. GET A CALLING CARD Costco 2-3 cents a minute or a magic jack (idea number 1)
11. REMOVE LINEBACKER FROM PHONE
12. DON’T USE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE
13. IDLING DOESN’T PAY After starting the car in the morning, begin driving immediately rather that letting the car warm up. An engine warms up faster while it’s operating. Zero miles per gallon is what you get when you park with the engine on. Still, a car runs least efficiently when the engine is cold. So avoid making lots of short, separate trips and cold starts by combining all your errands into one trip.
14. DON’T BUY EXTENDED WARRANTIES
15. TAKE YOUR LUNCH TO WORK
16. LIMIT MAGAZINE & NEWSPAPER SUBSCRIPTIONS Don’t buy a paper every morning. Find one that someone is done reading.
17. DON’T BUY FROM TELEMARKETERS OR T.V.
18. BUY CARS AT LEAST 2 YEARS OLD
19. CHECK WEATHER REPORT BEFORE WASHING CAR
20. INCREASE YOUR AUTO INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLES AND SHOP YOUR AUTO INSURANCE Shop at least once a year and pay annually.
21. HAVE INSURANCE WITH SAME COMPANY Home and Auto. Shop your life insurance your will find it cheaper through a third party provider.
22. DO NOT INSURE THE LAND YOUR HOUSE IS ON Check home owners insurance to make sure your agent did not insure your land with the house.
23. GET HOUSE APPRAISED TO REMOVE PMI
24. DON’T DOUBLE UP ON LIFE BENEFITS AT WORK
25. DRIVE SMOOTHLY Hard acceleration and braking wastes fuel. According to the EPA, such herby-jerky driving can lower your mileage by 33% on the highway and 5% around town.
26. PAY CAR INSURANCE ONCE A YEAR Don’t pay monthly you get a discount for paying annually.
27. LOWER THE THERMOSTAT Wear a sweater
28. SET UP AUTOMATIC BILL PAYING Why spend money on stamps and envelopes?
29. SET UP CHECKING ACCOUNTS WITH NO CHARGES
30. RETURN VIDEOS ON TIME
31. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE USE OF ATM & FEE CHARGING CREDIT CARDS.
32. USE CREDIT CARDS THAT PAY YOU SOMETHING Free flights or pay you back $$$.
33. CONSOLIDATE DEBT TO LOWER INTEREST RATES
34. PAY OFF CREDIT CARDS EACH MONTH Remember what Albert Einstein said, “people who understand interest collect it and those who don’t pay it.”
35. BUY MAKEUP AT DRUG STORE INSTEAD OF DEPT. STORE
36. PAY BILLS ON TIME Don’t make bills more than they should be with late charges.
37. JOIN SAMS CLUB OR COSTCO Buy in bulk frequently used items.
38. ALWAYS SHOP WITH A LIST AND GO AFTER EATING Avoid over-buying.
39. DON’T GO TO THE MALL UNLESS YOU NEED SOMETHING Avoid compulsive spending.
40. BUY LESS SODA & JUNK FOOD Buy soda & junk food in bulk.
41. DON’T OVERPAY TAXES EACH MONTH Raise exemptions on taxes. You collect the interest instead of the IRS. If you are getting a tax refund at the end of the year that means you overpaid your taxes and you need to adjust.
42. DON’T MAX OUT 401K Only contribute up to your employer match. Take the rest and put it someplace else like a Roth IRA.
43. IF YOU HAVE A MORTGAGE, ITEMIZE INSTEAD OF USING STANDARD DEDUCTION
44. DON’T PRE-PAY YOUR MORTGAGE Use a 30 year over a 15 year. Invest the difference.
45. USE www.infotube.net TO LIST HOME ON MLS You can pay info tube to list your home on the MLS and still sell your home “for sell by owner.” You save 3% commission to a broker.
46. DON’T RINSE YOUR DISHES BEFORE PLACING THEM IN THE DISHWASHER
47. MANUAL CAR WASHES
48. BE HANDY WITH SCISSORS Give your kids a hair cut.
49. KICK ONE BAD HABBIT who knows how much you could save.
50. NEVER BUY FOOD FROM A MINI MART
51. GET STORE BRANDS INSTEAD OF NAME BRANDS
52. GO TO DOLLAR THEATERS
53. CARPOOL TO WORK
54. CANCEL YOUR CABLE T.V. OR SATELITE T.V.
55. REDUCE MINUTES ON CELL PHONE
56. CANCEL GYM MEMBERSHIP AND EXERCISE AT HOME

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