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Spend a Little Now to Save a Lot Later

It sounds conterintuitive: spending more to ultimately save. But sometimes it works, such as in these scenarios.

Bulk Buying

It's perhaps the most classic example of this phenomenon. When you buy items you use regularly in bulk, you'll almost always save money. Think non-perishable items like toilet paper, tissue or paper towels that can be bought in bulk and stored.

[See: 7 Products to Never Buy in Bulk.]

If you have a big family, then getting a membership at a wholesale shopping store like Costco or BJ's can be worth the membership fee.

On the flip side, if you are on your own, you can still bulk-buy those paper products and any other non-perishables you rely on, even if it takes you a while to go through them; as long as you have storage space, you'll still save money in the long run.

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You can also use this method in regular grocery stores to save money -- buy the largest quantity you can store of items you use regularly and you'll almost always save over buying the smaller-quantity options. If you eat a lot of yogurt, buy the cases of 30 (check the expiration date first) instead of getting a case of six every week.

Annual Versus Monthly Payments

Some monthly bills can be paid annually to save some money. A great example of this is most auto insurance. If you can pay for the entire year in a lump sum, you can save anywhere from $20 to 100.

In some cases, you may just save a service charge off each bill, but saving $3 a month for the next 11 months still adds up to an extra $33 in your pocket -- that's six Starbucks lattes. Or your portion of a dinner out with friends.

Rewards Cards

If you know you have a big trip coming up, you can easily knock off a few hundred dollars if you have good credit and can use your cards responsibly (if not, this trick is not for you). The thing is that some of the highest-reward cards require spends like $3,000 to 4,000 in three months. For some people, that's no big deal to hit, for others, that might be a stretch.

[See: The Best Cash-Back Credit Cards.]

If it's a stretch, consider making up the difference by buying gift cards for services you use regularly -- like for your gas station or grocery store. While you'll need to spend the extra money to buy those cards during the three-month time frame, you can then save on those budget areas in the upcoming months, since you'll have essentially prepaid them.

Discount Gift Cards

Similarly, if you know you love to hit up Starbucks or you've got a bad Panera habit, buying gift cards from discount outlets in advance can really add up to savings. It's not impossible to find a $100 Starbucks card for 10 to15 percent off at Raise.com. If you wait for an extra sale weekend, you can get an additional 5 percent off. That's nearly a $20 savings. The catch? You have to be able to spend about $80 in one go to achieve that.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

Preventive Care

One of the easiest ways, in theory, to save money on medical care is to get regular preventive care. Annual physicals and dental exams do cost a little, but they cost a lot less than letting any issues go unchecked. Even if no issues are immediately apparent, those annual checkups can catch problems before they become great, big, expensive (and painful) problems.

Analyzing some of your spending habits and doling out a little more initially on things you buy often or need anyway can add up to significant savings. If you're struggling to get a small emergency nest egg started, trying even one of these tricks could create a domino effect. Taken together, these tricks can add up to a tidy sum throughout an entire year!

Mel Bondar blogs at brokeGIRLrich, where she explores topics including how not to totally panic over adulthood, working in the arts and retirement strategies that don't involve living in a cardboard box under an overpass.