Easy Savings resolutions for 2012

Jan. 11, 2012

But she knows knows a lot of us don't know where to start.

So, she's sharing some quick, easy money-saving tips that you can start right away and that'll yield instant impact.

"I am all about saving time while saving money and finding ways to save money doing what you already do," Ehret explains.

Her first tip: Plan your meals.

"Looking ahed to see what's on sale that week and what you have coupons for, and planning your meals around what's on sale, is an excellent way to save money." she says.

If that's too complicated, she recommends subscribing to E-Mealz. It costs $5 a month, but does the deal and coupon-matching work and generates a shopping list for you.

Next, she suggests using Swagbucks.

"Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you for searching online. You can earn rewards like Amazon gift cards," she says.

You use it just like you would Google, but as you search, you'll automatically earn Swagbucks, which can be traded in for gift cards and merchandise.

And if you shop online, Kaley suggests shopping through a Cashback site like Ebates or ShopAtHome.

"You sign up for an account, and then you shop through that site, to get your money back," Ehret says.

"And over time, as the money adds up, you'll get checks in the mail from shopping online."

Another tip: Look for grocery and household items on Amazon. And take advantage of the Subscribe and Save feature, which will give you a 15% discount and free shipping. If you don't want to get the product at regular intervals, simply cancel the subscription, once your first order ships.

And finally, Ehret says, take advantage of coupons.

Sites like her Cha-Ching On A Shoesting lay out the deals for you by matching up coupons and sales at local supermarkets and drug stores.

Ehret adds that you don't have to try all these tips at once, but if you add one new practice into your routine every couple of months during 2012, you WILL see savings at the end of the year.

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