Money Magazine’s September issue focused on taking a page from the millionaires out there to reach your own financial goals. So how do you save money for the future when making ends meet today seems impossible?
Per Money.com magazine, to free up money to save you should concentrate on your big spends – Home, Food, and Car.
Car
Buy a pre-owned car. Statistics indicate you can save 20% when you buy a vehicle that is two or three year old rather than a new car off the lot.
Keep your car for a long time. Pay off the loan on the vehicle. Take care of it. Regular oil changes and maintenance will keep vehicle costs down. And drive gently. Don’t brake forcefully or accelerate fast. Drive your vehicle for at least 120k to 150k miles (even longer, if possible).
Make sure you are not paying too much for insurance. Shop around for better premiums. Get quotes for at least 4 different companies. You will be surprised at just how much the quotes differ. Check out complaints on your insurance company too. Who needs a company that won’t back you up when you need it? Go to naic.org.
If your car is more than 10 years old or is worth less than 10 times your annual premium (use kbb.com to check values) then you can scale back on insurance by ditching collision coverage and keeping only injury and property damage coverage.
See Money.com magazine, September 2016.