Standard Chartered
MAKE YOUR OWN DIY HOME CLEANERS
To make an all purpose cleaning solution that can be used to clean counter or table tops and windows, mix half part white vinegar and half part water and put in a squeeze bottle. Vinegar is cheap and best of all is environmentally friendly and a natural anti-bacterial solution compared to harsh chemicals.
PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR MEALS
Planning ahead of what you are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Planning ahead helps you to use up what you already have in your refrigerator or pantry cupboard and you can avoid eating out which would cost more. With meal planning you can also control what kind of food you are eating and make adjustments to have a healthier meal where possible. Instead of spending BND3 on fried meehoon for breakfast, buying a loaf of bread and some jams or bread spreads would work out cheaper and give you more breakfasts for the same amount spent on meehoon. The same goes for bringing lunch to work with you where most importantly you can control the quality of food you are eating. Planning ahead for dinner will help you to avoid eating out on the spur of the moment and hence help you save money.
CUT DOWN YOUR SERVICE BILLS
Review your mobile phone service plan. Are you paying too much for a plan that you are not taking full advantage of? Or will it make better sense to upgrade it instead? Changing your mobile phone plans can help you save some money on your mobile phone bills. Reviewing your Internet service plans can also help you reduce how much you pay per month for this service. If you do not use your Internet all the time, switch to a prepaid type plan instead. If you do not watch all the channels on your TV subscription, switch to a cheaper programme plan that has the channels you actually do watch. It is highly likely you have 100 channels but are really watching only three or four of the channels regularly. Do you need to pay for rubbish collection or can you actually bring your rubbish to a public rubbish disposal area?
DRINK WATER
Water is cheaper than any other soda, juice, coffee, tea, etc. It’s even cheaper too when you actually boil and bring your own water from home thereby avoiding the need to buy bottled water and also being more environmentally friendly by not disposing of the used plastic bottle after consuming.
SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS AND AIR CONDITIONING
Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint and be more environmentally friendly, you will save on electricity. Use fans at night or on rainy days when it is cooler. Increase the temperature on your air con by one or two degrees. The temperature change will be unnoticeable yet your electricity consumption will reduce. Change your lights to energy efficient ones. They last longer and use up very little energy.
GO CASH ONLY
Leave your credit cards at home for emergencies only and use cash to pay for all your regular spending including shopping. Having a credit card handy makes it easier to buy something you don’t really need and you end up facing the bill later only to realise that maybe you couldn’t really afford it.
BORROW AND RETURN
Borrow a DVD or a book from a friend. This saves you from actually having to buy it. Just remember good manners and return the items you borrowed.
TRAVEL CHEAPER
If your holiday schedule means you will be out of the hotel for almost the whole day either for sightseeing or for shopping, consider booking a cheaper hotel. After all you are only returning to the hotel to shower and to sleep. Rooms at youth hostels can be considerably cheaper than at a hotel and will still provide you with all the needs of a hotel room. Take buses or subways instead of taxis. While taking public transport instead of taxis may mean having to walk a bit more of a distance, you will see a lot of interesting things this way and also get a little more exercise in your holiday on top of saving money. Its money you could use for a holiday purchase instead. If you know the specific areas you want to go for sightseeing, planning ahead and doing a little bit of research will help save money. For example, taking a public bus to the location instead of following a tour package will save you money and also save you time since tours usually bring you for detour stops too.
