Top Five Money-Saving Tips Anyone Can Handle

There are a million articles on how to save more money, but how many of them contain advice you can actually use? We distilled the best advice we’ve ever gotten into five simple and universal truths.

1. The best way to save money is not to spend it. Even if you’re getting something on sale or at a great price, you’re still spending money. So when shopping for anything — from groceries to a house — make sure you really need it before you pull the trigger.
2. Learn how to comparison shop. For airfare and hotels, check multiple airlines at once using aggregate data from sites like Kayak.com. Check what interest rates different banks are charging on mortgages and credit cards on Bankrate.com. And before filling up your tank, find the cheapest gas in your zip code on GasBuddy.com.
3. Knock out impulse purchases. If “I just want to treat myself” is in your vernacular, add up how much $6 nail polish, a $5 latte, or a $4 magazine costs you on a monthly basis. That may be enough to make you speak a different language soon.
4. Know when to buy used. Certain things — like mattresses and medicine — should always be purchased new. (Just whispering the words “bed bugs” in New York will cause many people to run screaming from you.) But there are plenty of normally pricey items — from jewelry to musical instruments to home decor — that can save you a bundle on great-quality stuff when bought used. Know what they are and get friendly with Craigslist.
5. Ignore the Joneses. Keeping up appearances when you can’t afford to puts you on the fast track to debt and financial insolvency. That may mean limiting your contact with people who live a faster lifestyle than you do, but a friendship with a competitive undercurrent is not a friendship you will miss.