I’m always on the lookout for some great tips to help us save money. And these tips are some of the best ones I have seen around.

Keep a Budget

Whether you are shopping for groceries, clothing or anything, always have a budget in mind before you start shopping. And having a budget will stop you from all the impulse buys that tend to add up quickly. If it’s not at the top of your priority list you likely will not want to spend your budgeted money on it.

Track Your Spending

If you do not keep track of what you are spending your money on, you may never fully understand where your money goes. If you track how much you spend on Starbucks each month or pay attention to how much you spend at the grocery store, you may find areas you can cut back on to save money and keep your budget in check.

Have Goals for Saving

Without a plan for how much you want to save each week, each month, or how much you want to save in a year, how will you know if you are saving anything? Set goals for how much you can realistically save out of each paycheck and start adding that to your savings each time. Or you can have saving goals to buy something specific like that new car, mattress, flat screen, or whatever you have on your list. If you set savings goals you can buy what you need without adding more debt.

Incentive and Discount Programs

If you have stores you shop at often, ask if they have any incentive or discount programs that you can sign up for. Most allow you to sign up for free and in most cases you will earn rewards to be used like cash once you meet certain spending goals. This is a great way to save at places you shop often.

Save Loose Change

Don’t dismiss all the loose change that tends to show up everywhere. Find a jar or somewhere to start saving it up and you’ll be surprised at home much you will save in a year. Use it to treat yourself to something you might normally not buy for yourself. Or save all year and add it to your holiday budget!