Some easy ways to save a few bob...

I was thinking about ways I could reduce the amount of money I spend each month, and the more I thought about it, the more I realised some obvious ways in which I could easily save a few ZAR each and every day... (for those readers outside of South Africa, ZAR = South African Rands) :)

...collect enough of these and it all soon adds up...

- Take that call:
This one is not immediately obvious as a money saver. Ever had your cellphone ring at exactly the wrong moment? Maybe you just aren't in the mood to speak to that person right now...?
Trouble is, if you let the call go to voicemail, you will most likely have to return that same call at some point - at your own cost of course.
So unless you are driving, or otherwise engaged in an activity which makes it totally unreasonable to answer the phone, rather take the call as it rings, and save yourself a few rand in the process.
Take it - they pay.
Leave it - you pay.

- Chill out on the roads:
Most people spend a fair amount of time in their car, driving to and from work and all over the place.
Unfortunately driving on the road nowadays can be misunderstood to mean "treat it like a racetrack" or "licence to act like a toolkit"... you get the idea.
Often when stressed out or late for an appointment, people also tend to drive in a far more urgent manner than they normally would - which translates directly into higher fuel consumption and more wear and tear on the vehicle.
So next time you feel the urge to put your foot flat on the road (for no good reason other than to go fast), just take a second to translate that brief moment of speed, into hard cash... coming out of your own pocket.

Hey you might even get a few less speeding fines!

- Suppliers should come to you... wherever possible:
Do you run your own business?
Do you use suppliers of services and / or stock?
This is great one to use on a daily basis - a supplier, by definition is somebody who supplies something. This can be goods, a service, anything that you need for your business to work.
Being a supplier, then means that they should be more than happy to deliver their product or service directly to you.
The costs involved in always collecting from suppliers can quickly add up for a small business, and getting them to come to you will help to reduce this unnecessary expense big time.

- Make it a habit to switch off anything you don't need right now:
Eskom recently dropped a bomb on the average Joe in the street, with crazy hikes in the price of electricity in the months of June and July.
Truth is, most of us act in a very wasteful manner when dealing with electricity.
So, starting today, right now in fact, take note of any electronics around you that can be switched off if they are not being used.
This includes lights, hifi's, laptops, printers, geysers (if not being used for a day or more), radios (often left on more out of habit than for enjoyment), and even cellphone chargers (which, although not much, do consume electricity just by being plugged in).
Do it a few times and soon it will become a habit - something that you just do without thinking about it.

In addition to being more "green", you will be saving yourself a few bob each month as well.
You just can't lose! :)

I will continue to update this post as I conjur up more easy ways to save those sought-after rands and cents...
Got a decent money-saving tip? Feel free to share it by posting a comment.