4 simple ways to save money

Saving money and being frugal is most folks’ minds these days. Learning how to stretch those dollars just as far as we can is important. It’s why we make our own laundry detergent, menu plan, use hand-me-downs, and so much more. There are many ways to save money, and we try here at Successful Homemakers to give you ideas, tips, and encouragement to do so.

One easy way to save money is be sure your bills are paid on time. This will help you to avoid unnecessary fees, and the stress that comes with those fees. Setting up automatic payments is the easiest way to ensure your bills are paid when due. With the holidays in full swing, it would be easy to overlook due dates. Time seems to be moving at break-neck speed and the days all roll into one, it seems.

I have found an easy way for you to save money, and earn a $100 bonus while you’re at it! Capital One 360 is currently offering their annual Black Friday sale. By simply opening a checking or savings account (meeting the minimum deposit requirements), you will be rewarded with a $100 bonus! How’s that for a great deal?

To make banking simple, Capital One 360 is available online and via their mobile app. They also offer remote deposit capture with CheckMate tool and make savings a snap with the Automatic Savings Plan. We live 20 miles from our bank, which is in the opposite direction of most of our traveling. Being able to deposit checks remotely would be a huge time-saver!

Another way to save is to find a bank that offers free banking. My son recently found out about the ridiculously high charges that some banks charge for simply having a checking account. When he lost his job, he also lost his direct deposit. This triggered fees that were, in my opinion, ridiculous. A fee for not having direct deposit and a fee for being below a minimum balance amount added up to an expensive lesson. In calling around to our local banks, we found that these fees were quite common. Free checking and savings accounts seem to be going by the wayside. Doing some research, we found that Capital One 360 was his best choice. Once he meets the requirements, he will earn that $100 bonus. That’s a great benefit for a 19 year old!

Utilizing an automatic savings plan is a great way to increase savings. If you don’t see the money in your checking account, you don’t generally miss it. By setting up automatic transfers to your savings account, you can slowly (or not so slowly, depending upon how much you determine to transfer) build up a savings account. You could earmark that account for a large purchase, a trip, or even towards retirement.

Earning interest on your savings and checking accounts is another simple way to save. It’s “bonus” money. Does your bank offer this bonus money?

Since we’ve discovered Capital One 360 accounts, I am in the process of changing over to these accounts for my husband and me. It only makes sense to do so. I’d like to share with you the deals we found.

Deals:

Product	Offer	Details
ShareBuilder	Up to $1,250 bonus (tiered offer)	Must be a new ShareBuilder customer
Home Loans	$1,250 off closing costs	Must sign up for the loan during the sale period
360 Checking	$100 bonus	Must make a $500 minimum initial deposit and make five transactions Must be new to 360 Checking
360 Savings	$100 bonus	Must make a $1,000 minimum initial deposit Must be new to 360 Savings
Refer a Friend	$40 bonus per successful referral	For someone to receive the referral bonus, they must be a current customer Their friend must meet the minimum initial deposit requirements Applies to all accounts

I hope these tips have helped you to think of new ways to save money. If you have any tips to share, I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.