Save Money with these 7 Super Simple Ideas

You can save money without making sacrifices. Here are seven super simple ways you can save money.

#1 - Instead of going out for dinner, just go out for dessert. Going out to dinner can get expensive but it's not fun to eat at home every night. Try eating dinner at home and just going out for dessert. To reduce the temptation to go out and save yourself time, prepare large batches of food and freeze it in individual serving containers. Then you can heat up a homemade gourmet meal in minutes and after wards go out for a fabulous dessert.

#2 -- Borrow instead of Buy. Need a tent for the weekend or maybe a specific tool? Go to NeighBorrow.com and find someone near you to happily lend you one, free of charge.

#3 -- Get your haircut and colored at a school. It will save you a bundle (especially on color services). The student is monitored closely by an instructor.

#4 -- Host a Clothing Swap! Invite your friends to clean out their closets' and bring over a bag of clothing and accessories along with a dish to pass. Put out everyone's items. Eat, mingle and shop for FREE! Most likely you'll leave with at least a couple of new pieces of clothing or accessories to add to your wardrobe, and you'll have a fun and free night out with your friends. Consider donating all of the left over items to charity.

#5 - Cut your electric bill in half by unplugging electronics and appliances that you are not using. Even when off, they pull electric current. If you are forgetting to unplug your items, invest in a Smart Strip (different than a standard power strip). It does not allow your items to pull any current when switched off.

#6 -- Don't run your water continuously when washing dishes or brushing your teeth. Wash all your clothes in cold. It's better on your clothes and they typically come out just as clean. Use a little pre-spot if needed. If you are replacing any of your appliances, purchase energy and water efficient models.

#7 -- Before paying full retail price or even sale price for anything, check Craigslist, Ebay or HandMeDowns. Extra bonus: When we re-distribute items instead of tossing them out, we do not need to re-manufacture as many new items. We save space in our landfills and save energy and resources by reducing our manufacturing needs.

Cheers to saving money while saving our planet!