There are many ways to save money on a day to day basis, but to consistently save money over time there are some steps that you can take. At the end of the year, these steps can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars depending on your spending habits and your current debt situation.

Here are five steps to help you save money:

1. Create a budget

By creating a budget you designate where your money is going to be spent before you actually spend it. Your budget should include necessary items such as rent or mortgage, utilities, car payments and insurance, credit card bills, food expenses, amount to be put into a savings account or retirement fund, and a miscellaneous amount for entertainment, clothing expense and any unforeseen expense that might come up in the course of month. You should stick to your budget. As for the miscellaneous amount, if you don’t end up spending it, put it into your savings.

2. Limit Credit Card spending

Credit card spending puts you into more debt and actually has the opposite effect of saving money because of the amount of interest you pay in the long run. You should adopt the attitude that if you are unable to pay cash, then you cannot afford it. Only in real emergencies should credit cards be used. Additionally, you should limit the number of credit cards you have.

3. Keep Your Receipts

You should keep all of your receipts and look at what you are spending your money on. You might be surprised at all of the little unnecessary items you spend your money on. Just how much are you spending on those double tall lattes on a monthly basis? By identifying those items you spend your money without need and eliminating them, you can save a significant amount of money.

4. Consolidate Debt

By consolidating your debt you can end up saving money on the amount of interest paid. Consolidating debt can also reduce the amount of money you have to pay out monthly and allows you to limit the number of outgoing payments each month. In the long run, consolidating debt will help you track how much you are actually spending on a monthly basis.

5. Get your Credit Score

Your credit score determines how much interest you will end up paying on any loan. By knowing your credit score and understanding how you can raise it and taking the steps to raise your credit score, you can effectively lower the amount of interest you will pay on loans you take out in the future.

Taking these five steps will help you save money not just today, but also in the future. You’ll be amazed at how much your savings will add up over time.

By: Robert Livingston