The Holidays will be here before you know it. If you start now, you can make a few changes and save money.

  1. Downgrade your cable bill
    Look into a skinny cable package, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Roku, Apple TV, Sling TV and antennas. Do a little research and see how much money you can save.
  2. Pack your own lunch
    If you spend $10 a day to eat out, you’re wasting $50 a week or $400 for two months that you can use for holiday gifts. Take the cheaper route and pack a healthy lunch for yourself. 
  3. Unplug it
    Just having a power cord plugged into the wall uses up energy – so you are charged for electricity that you aren’t even using.  Unplug your laptop charger, phone charger, toaster and coffee maker. Plug your bigger items like the TV and sound system into a power strip so it’s easier to turn off. 
  4. Drop the subscriptions
    Makeup boxes, clothing subscriptions, meal kit delivery services, Audible. We aren’t saying to cancel them – just put them on hold until after the holidays so you can save up some extra money. After the holidays, you can resume delivery. 
  5. Change your cell phone plan
    Do some research – see what the smaller carriers are offering. Or, if you don’t want to go with another carrier, see if you can change your current plan to save a few dollars. 
  6. Skip the weekly Starbucks run.
    Make your coffee at home! If you don’t spend $5 a day at Starbucks for eight weeks, you’d end up saving $200 right there.

If you need help creating a realistic working budget, one of our certified financial coaches can work with you. The Credit Counseling Center is a non-profit organization that offers FREE financial coaching. Call 215-348-8003 or visit www.ccc-credit.com.