Free savings calculator and tips for saving money by cutting expenses.
Free savings calculator to estimate interest earned.
Are you saving money? Read our tips on ways to save money and use our free money savings calculator.
Special
Offer(s)...
FREE Money
Management Software
* Log and Itemize Expenses by Category
* Track Bill Payments and History
* Easy to use, like an Electronic Checkbook Register Certified
to have No Viruses, No AdWare, No SpyWare
Our
savings calculator shows how much interest you can earn over time
How to use our savings calculator: In the first box, enter the amount of money you expect to deposit into a savings account each month. In the years/months box, input the number of years (or months) in the first block, then select whether it is "Months" or "Years" you expect to continue depositing money into the savings account. In the interest rate box, type in the percentage rate your bank pays. Finally, click the "Calculate Savings" button to see the amount you'll earn.
FREE
Money Management Software!
* Log and Itemize Expenses by Category
* Track Bill Payments and History
* Easy to use, like an Electronic Checkbook Register Certified
to have No Viruses, No AdWare, No SpyWare
Drop the daily newspaper. Use Sunday editions for coupons.
Drop cable movie channels, or drop cable bills completely.
Don't shop blindly. Watch sales and clip coupons. See if you can get friends to buy high commodity items in bulk with you.
Reduce electric bills: Replace lamp bulbs with lower wattages, hang clothes outside to dry instead of running the dryer, hand washed dishes, and use a microwave oven as often as possible. Cut back on your heating by wearing sweaters or thick robes around the house. Reduce cooling costs by wearing light clothing and using fans. Turn off all appliances when not in use, or use timers. These are especially handy if you come home after dark and want your porch light on without having to leave it on during daylight.
Think before you drive. Make sure you optimize the journey by taking care of any other necessary stops along the way to save trips.
Pack your lunch. Try a thermos of soup and a sandwich.
Wash full loads of clothes, using minimum hot water.
Dump unnecessary telecommunications. Do you need a cell phone, pager, and extra features / charges on your home phone bills?
Keep a spending journal of every dollar you spend over a period of a few months. Include not just utility bills, credit card bills, and mortgages, but money you spend on going to the movies, on buying clothes and toys, and on nights out on the town. Then sit down and go over your list. Do you have any regrets? Probably. Do you wish you hadn’t bought that treadmill? Next time, think about what you might regret BEFORE you spend the money. A little forethought goes a long way.
Choose the right credit cards. You might get a lot of credit card offers in the mail, but only choose and use the ones that are right for you. You don’t want a lot of extra charges and high interest rates. Lots of cards offer special deals where you get a reward for every dollar you spend. Maybe your card gives you airline miles, but if you never fly anywhere, what good are they? Switch to a card that gives you something you can use, like money towards gas, or towards your children’s college fund.
Shop in season. Did you know that if you wait and buy your swimsuit in June, you’ll get it on sale? Clothes that are actually in season are considered by retailers to be past season--they push their products a few months ahead of time. So even though sweaters start showing up on the racks in September, wait until November and you can get current styles at past-season prices.
Engage in the classic art of haggling. It may seem unusual or rude, but in all actuality, many retailers have the ability to give you discounts you didn’t even know were there. But you have to ask for them.
Don’t turn up your nose at store brands. Many of them are the exact same quality as the name brands, but for a much better price. Especially when it comes to over-the-counter drugs. Compare the active ingredients and you will find that the drugstore brand of ibuprofen has the same pain relieving power as the name brand, but for a lot less.
Buying used does not always mean buying trash. Lately,
recycled clothing stores have popped up in the hippest parts of town, with designer label clothing, like-new, for much less. Just concentrate on buying items that are of good quality, and you will be getting an excellent deal.
Pay with cash. Paying in cash makes it feel real, unlike credit cards. You’ll spend less when you have to physically fork over the greenbacks.
Complain. If you receive bad service at a restaurant, don’t sit and stew about it, speak up. You may receive a free meal or at least a discount. If you find a small spot of makeup on a shirt at the store, point it out. You may get a percentage off, and you can wash the spot out when you get home. If you have bad reception on your cable for a day, ask your service provider to deduct that day’s worth from your bill. Speaking up can get you discounts on everything from food to utilities to rent.
Deposit money each month into a savings account. Use our free savings calculator above to calculate how much money you could save and earn in interest with a savings
account.
Need more information? Read our financial and credit articles related to calculator, and join our online financial newsletter.
Credit Card Offers
Search our free credit help resources and apply for financial services. The credit crisis may have prompted stricter credit card company and loan lender approval standards, but poor credit people can still find bad credit financing.
