Ways to Stretch

Two rules for a better life: don't go to bed angry and don't shop hungry. When you hit the grocery store on an empty stomach, you're much more likely to make impulse purchases that can really ad up. In fact, researchers at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management found that individuals who fasted for four hours before taking a survey requested 70 percent more products than those who had just eaten cake before the study.

Instead of spending your next lunch hour waiting at the pharmacy for your prescription to be ready, sign up for a prescription refill service that sends your prescription to you instead. Prescription refill services not only mean you get your prescription on time—every time—they also mean you're not wasting money driving to and from the pharmacy; cutting out a monthly trip back and forth can save you lots of money over the course of a year.

Your coffee maker is a veritable fountain of wealth. Opting for a coffee that you brew in the comfort of your own home instead of heading to your local coffee shop can mean your paychecks last significantly longer than you anticipated. Swapping just one takeout coffee at an average price of $4 a pop for $.50 worth of the home-brewed stuff can save you $1277.50 over the course of a year.

While vision-boarding your way to a higher income bracket may be little more than a waste of your time and crafts supplies, writing down your financial goals can mean you're making major headway toward a more stable financial future in no time. In fact, research from Dominican University of California reveals that individuals who wrote down their goals were significantly more likely to achieve them than those who didn't commit them to paper.

Before you make a big-ticket purchase, whether that means spending $100 dollars or $10,000, give yourself a 30-day waiting period. Chances are that burning desire to buy you initially felt will have dissipated; if not, go ahead and give in if your budget allows. Buying stuff is a short-lived high; and make every day a more meaningful one by incorporating the 25 Ways to Get Happier Now into your routine!

Want to enjoy the feeling of a fatter wallet? Try giving up meat once a week. Opting for a veggie fajitas, a chickpea curry, or a grilled cheese sans bacon can save you between $5 and $10 every week. Over a year, this can add up to more than $500 in savings, enough to start a little nest egg for the future.

In fact, a study conducted by the New York Department of Consumer Affairs found that, across 35 product categories, women's products cost more 42 percent of the time. Odds are, switching out the pink persimmon-scented shaving cream for the men's version—Artic Blade, Dire Wolf, or what have you—won't interfere with the quality of your shave, anyway.

Sticking to your shopping list can mean making huge headway on your savings goals in a short amount of time. When you're heading to the grocery store with a few recipes in mind, but without a list in hand, it can be tempting to grab some extra shampoo or stock up on essentials that are on sale.

Brown-bagging it isn't exactly glamorous, but it can mean major savings over the course of a year. If you bring your lunch to work five days a week, shelling out approximately $2 per lunch instead of spending $14 bucks on a sandwich, fruit, and drink, you'll pocket $12 per day. That may seem like chump change at first, but by the end of the week, you'll be $60 richer.

You may know, at least in a general sense, how much you're spending on a monthly basis, but when you actually have your financial info written down on paper, that number may surprise you. Spend a few weeks keeping all of your receipts, track your spending on credit cards, and make a point to put all the info together at the end of the month. When you take into account those small purchases—like a latte here or pack of gum there—you're not likely to forget that everything you're doing can really add up. And for more ways to put your savings on hyperdrive, start living the life you dream about by discovering The Best Way to Earn $500,000 in Your Spare Time!