Article written by Sherin Dev; Follow me in Twitter or be a fan in Facebook!
It is not known how many of us aware about the new Google community named Google Tip Jar. This community has tones of valuable and priceless money saving tips on almost everything in the world. Anyone who have a Google account can contribute ideas to this community or rate ideas submitted by 18+ thousands of community members from around the world. Google Tip Jar grown as a best reference place to get fantastic money saving tips both highly practical for all.
Google Tip Jar community members submitting tips which available under different categories. Some of these categories and tips are below:
Tips At Home
1. “Get your books from the library. It’s hard to beat free.”2. “Turn off the lights in the rooms of your house that you are not occupying. Make it a habit to flip the switch each time you leave a room. Save electricity and save on your bill.”3. “Install CFL (or, even better, LED) bulbs wherever it makes sense. These bulbs might cost more initially, but they both have a longer life than normal incandescent bulbs and they both eat far less electricity.”4. “Turn off the TV! Did you know that leaving the television on is the number one electricity waster in the world? When everyone is finished watching television, especially before going to sleep, turn it off.”5. “When leaving on long trips, create a checklist for yourself of items to turn off. For example, the water heater will use energy while you’re gone to keep your water hot. No need to do that.”
Tips At Work1. “Bring your lunch to work once or twice a week instead of buying it.”2. “Turn off your work computer/monitor when you go home. You’d be surprised how much energy it costs your company. Plus, it is great for the environment!”3. “Keep an idea notebook in your pocket. Instead of relying on my memory, I keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas and things I need to remember, then I check it regularly throughout the day.”4. “Get up and Take a Walk. Exercise improves concentration.”5. “Keep a reusable bottle of water at your desk throughout the day. Drinking water can help you avoid spending on soda/coffee, etc. and the reusable bottle will replace single-use bottles, cans, and cups.”
Tips on Finance
1. “Utilize online bill pay with your bank. It keeps you in much closer contact with your money, as you can keep a very close eye on your balance and be in much less danger of overdrafting. It saves you money on stamps and paper checks.”2. “Record every purchase. A few years ago I decided to do this for one month, but I saved so much money that I stuck with it. No more impulse gum, coffee or magazine purchases, and it allowed me to both create and stick to an annual budget.”3. “Make your monthly credit card payment on time. The $30-35 you save by not being charged a late fee each month on one card would save you most of the money you need for $500 in emergency savings”4. “Get organized and avoid missed payments. Get organized and avoid those late payment penalties. If you do miss a payment, call your creditor and ask to have the penalty removed. They’ll usually accommodate the request, at least the first time.”5. “Give up expensive habits, like cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Those habits cause money to flow away from you with nothing in return.”
Tips on Kids and Family
1. “Take advantage of free entertainment in your community – parks, museums, exhibits, etc. Go to free park concerts and other community activities.”2. “Give a gift of a service instead of an item. For new parents, give an evening of babysitting as a gift. If you know pet owners, offer to take care of their pets when they travel. Offer up some lawn care as a gift to a new homeowner.”3. “Celebrate saving: Discuss with your kids an appropriate and safe place to keep their money (e.g., piggy bank, plastic container, wallet, etc.). Put a picture of the item for which they are saving on the “bank” to reinforce visually.”4. “Develop a budget and stick to it: Write a list of everyone on your gift list and determine how much you want to spend on each person.”5. “Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store. You can make food mixes, candles, bread, cookies, soap, and all kinds of other things at home quite easily and inexpensively.”
Tips on Shopping
1. “Go to the grocery store with your belly full. You won’t buy too many things because you just ain’t hungry.”2. “Write a list before you go shopping – and stick to it. One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there.”3. “Master the thirty day rule. Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item.”4. “Master the ten second rule. Whenever you pick up an item in order to add it to your cart or to take it to the checkout, stop for ten seconds and ask yourself why you’re buying it and whether you actually need it or not.”5. “Don’t go to the grocery store more than once a week. You always spend more than you need there. When you do go, make a list and *stick to it*. True, this is not always painless. But the extra money in your account is worth it.”
Tips on Foods
1. “Eat breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast fills you up with energy for the day and also decreases your desire to eat a big lunch in the middle of the day. Not only that, breakfast can be very healthy, quick, and inexpensive.”2. “If you’ve a local farmer’s market, get your fruit & veg (maybe even dairy & eggs) there instead of at the grocery store. Your food will be fresher and less expensive. Plus, the money goes directly to the producer – not to a corporate middleman.”3. “Buy a flask and carry your coffee/tea to work with you. Coffee and tea only costs pennies to make yourself, but costs $1 or more elsewhere.”4. “Shop for food with a list and stick to it. People who do food shopping with a list, and buy little else, spend much less money than those who decide what to buy when they get to the food market.”5. “Eat less meat. For the nutritional value, meat is very expensive, especially as compared to vegetables and fruits. Simply change around your regular meal proportions to include more fruits and vegetables and less meats.”
Tips of Cars and Transit
1. “Keep your car engine tuned and its tires inflated to their proper pressure. Doing both can save you up to $100 a year in gas.”2. “When you decide to purchase a new car, do have a look at 1-2 year old cars with reasonably low miles. Do not buy ‘certified’ cars, instead go for the extended warranty. You can save upto 30% on the price of a brand new car.”3. “Carpool. Is there anyone that lives near you who works at the same place (or near the same place) that you do? Why not ride together, alternating drivers each day?”4. “Walk or bike when possible: More and more people are riding their bike to mass transit or to work. Evening biking to work one or two days a week will save a substantial amount of gas.”5. “If you have a bicycle, attach a rack and pannier bags or a basket and do your shopping by bike. Parking is easier and you might be suprised at how much you can carry on a bike. Get more exercise and save money by driving less.”
Tips on Travel
1. “Use public transportation. Subways, buses, trains, etc., are all part of the travel experience. Make it fun. And avoid unnecessary transportation costs all together, and save time too, by grouping your activities by geographical area.”2. “Eat cheap. Of course you’ll want to try good restaurants. But for many meals, you can save money by picking up food at the grocery store. We stocked up on our first day, and were able to eat light-and-easy meals throughout our trip.”3. “Look for discounted admission coupons. They’re everywhere! Travel magazines, online, from your hotel, in travel guidebooks, in travel literature kiosks, and from AAA. Saving a couple dollars here and there adds up!”4. “Ask for a refrigerator in your room. Some hotels provide this free of charge, others have a small surcharge. If you take medication that requires refrigeration, be sure to specify that when making your request. Most hotels waive the charge then.”5. “Be flexible. While it’s nice to have a list of “must-do” things, don’t get so stuck to a list that you forget to enjoy the simple things. A beautiful sunset or sunrise, a neighborhood festival, a walk on the beach — these things are all free.”
These are 5 tips each, from some of the major categories in Google Tip Jar. You can dig into more and find more wonderful tips. You can prepare a set of tips from each categories to practice and thus save lots of money!