13
Compare the full cost of the car
The purchase price is only one line. Insurance, fuel, parking, and the loan rate belong in the same sum.
Tip library
Every tip, by topic
Short, practical changes for how to save money. Start with the area where the most money leaves.
14
Combine trips
Fewer cold starts and fewer one-item errands stretch a tank and a transit pass.
15
Check the fare before you tap
A ride booked on impulse is priced for convenience. A ten-second check shows whether transit or a walk is close.
16
Give a want a waiting period
A short pause separates things you need from things that only looked urgent in the moment.
17
Make checkout slightly harder
Saved cards and one-tap checkout remove the pause. Putting a step back restores it.
18
Stock the staples on a good price
Buying household staples when the price dips beats running out and paying the nearest price.
19
Look secondhand first
Furniture, kids' gear, tools, and party clothes are often cheaper used, if you compare the real price.
20
Attack the balance that costs the most
High-interest debt usually drains more than a low savings rate can replace.
21
Automate the minimum, then add more
On-time minimums protect you from late fees. Extra payments are what shorten the debt.
22
Read the credit report you can get
Errors and old accounts can raise the price of borrowing. In many places you can request the report for free.
23
Take the full employer match
If your workplace adds money when you contribute to a retirement plan, contribute at least enough to receive all of it.
24
Assign part of a raise before you spend it
If lifestyle costs rise as fast as pay, the raise never becomes savings.