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Amy Lewis
Strategy Communications
Phone: 619-713-0622
Email: Amy@scpublicrelations.com

EASY WAYS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY
Without Digging Through Your Couch Cushions!

SAN DIEGO, September 26, 2007 – Living the “American dream” is becoming increasingly harder, if not impossible, for the average American. A recent study found that over 40 percent of all Americans save less than five percent of their annual household earnings, and 52 percent of people in the workforce live paycheck to paycheck. What was once considered normal and “affordable”- owning a house, luxury cars and the latest trends, is now an extravagance, and unattainable to most. Additionally, with the housing market in developed cities, such as San Diego, increasingly on the rise, it is nearly impossible to afford such a convenience on one income.

Debt-Free America is dedicated to assisting in finding easy ways to make extra money and provides FREE credit counseling and personal financial literacy education services to help financially distressed individuals and families effectively manage their personal finances. Their goal is to serve as an authority on using credit wisely, eliminating personal debt and saving for economic success. Mentioned below are a list of easy ways to make money.

Be a savvy shopper
Going grocery shopping on a whim or without a plan can be a disastrous mistake for your bank account. Many people buy in excess without thinking about what they really need. Shoppers who go with a plan could save as much as 50 percent more than others -meaning more money left over to put into a savings account.

Here are a few other shopping tips to help you save - if you plan in advance:

• Take some time at the beginning of your week to write out household and food items that will be needed in the upcoming days. This will avoid costly last minute trips to the store for forgotten items.
• Go through the Sunday newspaper to clip coupons for your shopping trip. Many sites offer online coupons as an option. Newspapers’ virtual coupon organizer and stores savings lists can provide more easy savings options.
• If you are sticking to a name brand out of habit rather than quality or taste purposes, look for cheaper alternatives. If you must have a particular brand item, watch for it to go on sale and stock up, so you will not have to pay more later.

Revamp your daily routine and find easier ways to make money
The unnoticed habits in your every day life could be costing you big money in the long run. Spending just $3 a day on coffee adds up to $21 a week and $1,092 for the entire year. Try writing down everything you spend for one week to access exactly where your money is going. Then make small changes that will not sacrifice your comfort or your hard earned paycheck.

• If Starbucks is a wake-up necessity, try switching to a cheaper alternative at a gas station convenience store. Many offer a variety of options and flavors. Or buy a coffee maker and make coffee at home and treat yourself to a gourmet drink once a week.
• Instead of running to the nearest vending machine on your afternoon break, plan ahead. Keep snacks, bottled water and gum in bulk to avoid marked up single versions.
• Restaurants are great for meetings or catching up with friends, but going out regularly can definitely make a dent in your wallet. Make it a goal to bring a lunch and suggest doing other things.

Energy proof your house
Utility bills are one payment that will never go away, but they can be greatly reduced by making small changes in household energy use. Leaving lights on, running the thermostat and forgetting to turn off water are small things that add up over time. Setting aside time to check your house for energy waste will add up to long term savings.

• Take a Saturday to renew weather stripping, fix leaky faucets and replace energy hogging light bulbs.
• Set up a family meeting to discuss simple ways to conserve energy. Turn off lights when no one is in the room. Shut off the computer at the power strip to avoid using energy even when it is in off mode. Wash clothes only when you have a full lode and on the cold setting. Your local utility supplier can offer many more energy saving suggestions on their website.
• Although we all have good intentions, busy schedules make it easy to forget to turn of f running water and air conditioning. Set the thermostat on automatic to avoid turning it too high and low, and put sprinklers on a system so that hoses don’t accidentally run all day!

Rethink that gas guzzler
Owning a car is a necessity to most people, but cutting down on commutes, speeding and not forgoing your vehicles regular tune-up could cut down on gas expenses and repairs.

• Making sure your vehicle is in its best condition will ensure premier performance as well as save money on gas. A vehicle that does not receive regular oil changes and other necessities can use 25 percent more gas.
• Reckless driving can sacrifice your gas as well as your safety. Practice accelerating slowly, coast up to traffic jams and drive at a steady pace on the free-way. Driving at 70mph takes 20%-30% more gas than at 50mph.
• On your commute to work car-pool with employees to conserve on gas. Plus you’ll get to forgo traffic by taking advantage of the carpool lane.

Debt-Free America is a 501(c)3 non-profit, community service organization offering confidential and professional credit counseling, debt management programs, and financial education to consumers nationwide. Debt-Free America is dedicated to providing FREE services to help financially distressed families and individuals effectively manage their personal finances. The Board members and operations staff have a long-term commitment to helping anyone in debt crisis, and even those not in a debt crisis. Debt-Free America has been in the business since 1997 and is now serving over 17,500 clients nationwide.

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