- Cost control with a budget book
- How to keep more of your net income
- Hairdresser, nail salon & cosmetics
- Saving in the supermarket
- Saving on sport
- Save on clothes and fashion
- Save on contracts
- Save on travel
- Save at home
- Save online
- 5 ideas to save on taxes
1. cost control with a budget book
A budget book makes your own expenses transparent and helps you to find new savings potential. If you keep a daily record of your expenses, you can save up to 20 percent of your net salary in the medium term. The budget book is therefore one of the most important savings tips in the household all year round. A tip that is at least as simple, but also effective, is to avoid paying by debit or credit card. Using cash makes you more aware of how much you are spending - you are no longer tempted to spend more than is planned and necessary.
2 How to keep more of the net
If you keep a close eye on offers from supermarkets, clothes stores and the like, you can save a lot. Of course, "sale" promotions are always on your radar - when new collections hit the stores, you can save a lot. Technology devices are often cheaper after Christmas. But not everything that says "offer" is always cheaper. As often thought, multi-packs are not always cheaper, and the "gift" VAT is often added to the price. Even if you want to save money: Beware of cheap purchases. The saying "buying cheap is buying twice" is no coincidence. Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to get more out of a product. So don't confuse bargains with cheap purchases! Not everyone likes to do it, but you can get hefty discounts: haggling is the magic word! Especially with large purchases such as furniture or cars, this is part of the deal. If you don't try it, it's your own fault. It often works for smaller purchases too. But: Think about whether you want to start a discussion over 1.50 euros. Whether hairdresser or supermarket: We give you more tips for saving money in everyday life:
3. hairdresser, nail salon & cosmetics
Many trainees are looking for hair or nail models for their exams. As a customer, you can get the cut or nail styling very cheaply, sometimes even for free. And don't worry: the trainees do their best to shine with their results.
Thanks to drugstores, you can get great cosmetic products for little money. It's a different story in perfumeries. Most bargains can be found just before and after public holidays, sometimes with introductory prices. If you really want to have an expensive product, have a sample filled before you buy it. Especially with very expensive cosmetics, the perfumery ladies are often accommodating. If you like the product, the only thing you can do is save money or get the product as a gift.
Become a product tester - various manufacturers are always calling for this. You test the beauty products and then tell us how you liked them. You get the products for free. For the sake of your skin, however, you should not test a whole range of products - make sure that the products suit you, otherwise it is better to keep your hands off them.
You can also make somecosmeticsyourself and save money in everyday life. A hair treatment for dry hair is very simple: 1 avocado, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. Simply mix everything into a homogeneous mass and apply to the ends of your hair. Then wash out with warm water or shampoo. You can mix crumbled eye shadow with clear nail polish to make your own nail polish.
4. save money in the supermarket
Look for products on the bottom shelf: expensive brand-name products are usually at eye level, cheaper own brands or other cheap products are usually at the bottom.
Be flexible when cooking and buy the products that are on offer: Leerdam cheese is available for under 1 euro/100 g? Buy a really big piece depending on the size of your household. You can also freeze many types of hard cheese - ask the lady at the cheese stand!
Sausage ends instead of freshly sliced sausages When sausages are sliced, there are always ends or pieces left over that are not visually suitable for the display. Some supermarkets pack the sausage ends in bags that you can buy for little money. Just ask at your sausage counter. If it makes you uncomfortable (which it needn't!), tell them it's for your dog or cat.
Many supermarkets have special stands with products whose best-before date is about to expire or has just expired. There are also seasonal products such as Easter bunnies or Santa Clauses that have to go out after the holidays. These goods are often reduced by half or even more. You can get really great bargains here!
Bananas have brown spots? Ask if you can get products that are not in perfect condition for less. But take a close look: Mould spores quickly form on mushy berries, for example, making them inedible. Even if you only have to pay 50 cents for a bowl, that would be money thrown away. If you don't like haggling in the supermarket, don't do it!
You can print out coupons for various products online, for example at www.couponplatz.de. When shopping, always look at the bottom rows of shelves, where the best deals are usually to be found. Fresh vegetables are often cheaper on Saturdays: no leftovers should be left over on Sundays.
5. save on sport
A gym membership is usually quite expensive. Alternatively, you can take advantage of preventive offers from health insurance companies: The costs are often reimbursed up to 80 percent, and some courses are even free of charge. Ask your health insurance provider what they offer.
Some physiotherapists work in sports or health studios. If you are prescribed physiotherapy by a doctor, you can often use the entire range of studio services for a year or a certain number of hours for a low price.
Basically: Before you commit yourself, try out different studios. On the one hand, these are free, and on the other hand, a studio and its offer should really suit you.
6 Save on clothing and fashion
You can really save a lot of money on clothes, as department stores offer sales all year round. Take advantage of them!
If you discover a defect or stain on an item of clothing, you can usually bargain well. Depending on the damage, ten percent or more is often common. Even if the item of clothing is reduced, it's worth asking. After all, if clothing only has to make way for a new collection, you are of course entitled to flawless goods.
Invest in basics - whether it's a sweater, skirt, shoes or bag: items of clothing and accessories that are part of our basic wardrobe are called basics. These should be of good quality because they are used frequently and should fit well for a long time. Basics are purchased in basic colors so that they can always be combined well with other items of clothing. Shoes or bags in particular should never look cheap, as your counterpart will notice this immediately. It's better to have two pairs of good leather shoes and bags than ten plastic ones. On the other hand, seasonal fashions can be cheap, as they won't be worn for long. The trick is to combine and think about what to invest in and what not to invest in. This way you really save money and are always well dressed!
If you love new trends, you should consider joining a shopping club. Here you can find branded goods that can be up to 75 percent cheaper for members. An overview of all providers can be found at www.shopping-club.com
7. saving on contracts
Whether cell phone, Internet, car or electricity insurance: Check your contract partners at regular intervals, as this can save you a few euros a year. Unfortunately, regular customers are not rewarded with loyalty discounts, but most companies focus on acquiring new customers - they entice them with attractive offers! But: switching always means a certain amount of stress, because it often doesn't work as smoothly as promised. There are also normal price fluctuations (e.g. for electricity, gas or oil), which balance each other out in the end. So keep a sense of proportion as to whether all the stress of switching is worth it because of the current 5 euros. However, if the price-performance differences are really significant, you should threaten to cancel - the contractual partners often react accordingly. If not, cancel and switch.
In combined packages, you often pay for things you already have or don't need. Does the supplementary dental insurance include normal international travel insurance that you have already taken out elsewhere? Can all family members use the media package on all platforms for free, even though you are single? Do you really need a high-performance router for the Internet that costs extra every month, or would the standard model be just as good for free? Always ask yourself again calmly after a sales pitch and before signing a contract: "Do I really need this?" After all, it is the salesperson's job to create needs and sell!
Always read contracts carefully: There are often costs or conditions in the small print that you would have been better off knowing beforehand. Therefore, never allow yourself to be pressured into signing a contract. Take contracts home with you so that you can read them at your leisure. Ask the salesperson a fifth time if you have not understood something.
Ask the consumer advice center or an independent advisor to help you find the most suitable and cheapest policies.
8. save on the road
Especially when a family travels together, things can quickly become expensive. However, you can also make smart savings here with simple money tips.
Petrol: Petrol prices fluctuate several times a day. According to Finanztip, filling up is cheapest in the late afternoon and in the evening. Then you can save up to 20 cents per liter. There is a Germany-wide price comparison at www.clever-tanken.de.
Where to stay: Some hotels near trade fairs or larger companies offer extra weekend discounts, as they are usually only occupied by business travelers during the week. At www.airbnb.de you can find very inexpensive places to sleep in private accommodation worldwide.
Vacation: If you can, book in the low season - this is always cheaper than the high season. You can also save a lot of money on off-season city trips, for example in January. Major cities in winter can be very magical and there is less hustle and bustle. Incidentally, catalog prices are not set in stone: always ask for discounts. There are hardly any last-minute bargains like there used to be - nowadays you save the most if you book early and take advantage of the discounts. Package tours are often cheaper because they are easier to calculate. If you book all-inclusive, for example, there are no extra costs for drinks etc. within the hotel complex - these can quickly add up. Even if online bookings are the trend: A trusted travel agency is worth real money - and booking through one costs nothing extra? The staff often know the destinations and can give valuable tips on prices etc. locally.
Rail: It's worth booking well in advance: You can get real bargains with saver fare tickets from 19 euros. From time to time, tickets are also offered by discount stores. Or on the Internet at www.ltur.com/de/bahn/urlaub
9. save money in the household
Whether in the kitchen, bathroom or study - there is still potential for you to make savings in your everyday life.
Toaster: If you use this instead of the oven to bake bread rolls, you can save up to 100 euros in electricity costs in a year.
Stove: A pressure cooker saves up to 30 percent energy compared to normal pots. Turn off the hotplates 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time and use residual heat (does not work with induction). Also include the residual heat from the oven in the cooking time!
Dishwasher: Washing dirty dishes by hand actually uses 80 percent more water and 50 percent more energy than the dishwasher.
Washing machine: Pre-washing is usually not necessary. Always load the machine fully and use the so-called ECO program. If possible, dry laundry without a dryer.
Bathroom: Special energy-saving showers cost only 20 euros, but use up to 50 percent less water than standard shower heads. You can install a button with a flush-stop function in the toilet cistern.
Televisions: LED sets are much more economical than plasma televisions. If you turn down the brightness, you will also save energy.
Stand-by: Use a power strip with a switch and switch it off when you don't need the connected appliances - this is the only way to disconnect them completely from the power supply.
Heating: Regularly ventilate, do not block or overheat: one degree less room temperature saves 6 percent energy.
Cleaning: You can do without expensive special cleaners. An inexpensive all-purpose cleaner with citric acid and scouring milk will do the trick.
Refrigerator: It is responsible for a fifth of electricity consumption, so it is worth buying a new one with energy efficiency class A +++.
Media devices (TVs, music systems, PCs, etc.): Switch off appliances after use - standby is convenient, but can cost several hundred euros a year depending on the number of appliances.
Budget book: If you note down your income and expenditure, you will always have an overview of your finances. It's easy with the free "MoneyControl" app.
10. save online
There are numerous bargains and discounts online - but there are also cost traps lurking.
Offers: Portals such as www.idealo.de or www.billiger.de can help you find the best price for a product. You can also activate a price alarm there: If you enter the desired price, you will be informed as soon as the product is available for it.
End device: Studies show that online purchases on a PC are usually cheaper than on a cell phone or tablet: retailers assume that cell phone shoppers are in a hurry and don't have time to compare prices. Incidentally, Windows users often pay less than Apple owners.
Choice of day: Prices on the Internet fluctuate, but the general rule is that online purchases at the weekend are often more expensive than on weekdays. Electrical goods are cheapest on Wednesdays, shoes on Thursdays and beauty products on Fridays.
Cookies: Consumer protection experts have discovered that products become more expensive the more often you click on them online. To prevent this, regularly delete all cookies that store your user behavior in your Internet browser.
Subscription trap: To prevent cell phone scams, you can set up a third-party provider block with your mobile phone operator. Otherwise, you may quickly fall into a nasty subscription trap by tapping on an advertisement.
Cashback: If you buy online via a cashback portal rather than directly from the retailer, you save a lot of money: the cashback provider receives a commission from the retailer after the purchase and passes part of it on to you. Information on www.cashback-vergleich.com
Tariffs: At www.check24.de you can enter your consumption values and the data volume you need to find the best network tariff for you. Telefónica Deutschland (O2/E-Plus) offers free, ad-financed tariffs at www.netzclub.net.
11. 5 ideas to save on taxes
Healthcare costs: You can deduct the costs of privately paid medical treatment - if you exceed a minimum limit based on your salary. This limit can be calculated quickly and easily at www.steuertipps.de.
Services: If you hire companies or self-employed people to do work around your home, house and garden, 20 percent of the costs incurred are deductible. It is important that you have paid the amount by bank transfer and submit the invoice.
Childcare: Two thirds of the costs for babysitters and daycare are tax-deductible as special expenses, up to a maximum of 4,000 euros per child.
Communication: If you also use the telephone and internet for business purposes, you can have 20 percent of the invoice amount recognized. The maximum limit is 20 euros per month.
Renovation : You can also get something out of this: 20 percent of the costs can be deducted, up to a maximum of 6,000 euros. More tax tips to save money!