25 Easy Ways to Save More Money
Are you living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to pay your bills?
Are you desperate to find ways to keep more money in your pocket so you’ll have less stress and more money to enjoy life? If so, I got you covered.
25 Easy Ways to Save More Money
1. Start taking lunch every day. By packing a bag lunch, you’ll resist the temptation to go out to eat. If you spend $10 a day for lunch, you can save around $200 a month.
2. Cook more at home. Not only can you save money by eating in, you can prepare healthier meals at home. You’re the chef, so you can control the ingredients (and calories) in your food.
Related: How to Save Money on Groceries and Still Eat Well Each Month
3. Cut the cable cord. I used to spend hundreds of dollars a month for cable. I had every premium channel but barely watched television. I now have subscriptions to Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Netflix and can watch my favorite shows on demand. Amazon video is included in a Prime membership and Hulu and Netflix cost around $8/month each.
Related:
How to Cut The Cable Cord Without Feeling Like You’re Missing Out
21 Places to Watch TV Online for Free
4. Cancel Your Gym Membership. Gyms know you’re going to purchase your membership in January only to abandon your fitness program by March. I once purchased a gym membership online and never set foot in the building for an entire year. I finally canceled my membership and purchased workout DVDs
Related: Get Paid to Lose Weight with Healthy Wage and 12 of the Best Apps that Help You to Lose Weight
5. Use Coupons. Cutting coupons may be a chore, but if you combine them with store sales, you can cut your grocery bill by a lot. I like to use coupons in combination with sales and a cash back app such as Ibotta. Sign up with my link and make $10.
Related: Here’s How I Save and Make Money with Ibotta
6. Move. If you are spending more than 32% of your income on housing, it’s time to move. In fact, I encourage you to move somewhere that costs a bit less than you can afford. Not willing to relocate to a new town? You are sure to find cheaper alternatives if you’re willing to downsize or move further outside the city.
7. Sign Up and Use Ebates. This is a great way to purchase items you were planning to purchase anyway since Ebates gives you a percentage of your purchases back to you.
8. Eat Less Meat. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but meat is pretty expensive. Start planning dishes that do not include meat. My family knows what to expect on Meatless Mondays. You can find recipes to many tasty vegetable dishes online. If you or your family feel you might miss meat, try meatless substitutions such as veggie crumbles.
Related: Save Money on Groceries and Still Eat Well Each Month
9. Forget Starbucks and Make Your Coffee at Home. Yes, a Caramel Macchiato may sound great in the morning, but if you make your own coffee at home you’ll not only save money but time and calories as well. I have a Keurig, but if you think that buying the K-cups is expensive, try this refill to use with your favorite ground coffee.
If you can’t stay away from Starbucks, check out How to Save Money at Starbucks
10. Cut Out Sodas. Not only are sodas bad for you, but they’re expensive as well. Start replacing sodas with water and you’ll stay hydrated. You can save more money by using a water filtration pitcher like a Brita Filter instead of bottled water.
11. Host a Potluck. Instead of going out to eat, invite friends over with a dish to share with everyone.
12. Stick to Cash. Using credit for purchases can bring the cost up on an item because of interest. Try not to purchase anything you can’t afford to pay with cash. If you can’t afford it without charging it, you may want to reevaluate if you need the item at all.
13. Look for Cheap or Free Things to Do. Instead of draining your entertainment budget every weekend, seek free or cheap alternatives around your city.
Related: Fun and Cheap Date Night Ideas
14. Switch Banks. My son had a checking account with one bank that charged him $12 a month to use it. I told him to switch to another bank and now he doesn’t have a monthly fee as long as he has an active direct deposit. The monthly bank charge goes up to $5.95 without direct deposit, but it’s still much cheaper. Sign up for Simple if you want to forgo the bank altogether.
15. Sign up for Customer Rewards. Most stores have a rewards program that gives you points to apply towards future purchases or member only pricing when you shop. I’ve signed up for Plenti which gives me points to use towards gift cards and free gas.
16. Check Out Books and Rent Movies from the Library. Your library card is your key to more than just books. Most libraries have DVDs you can rent for free. I used to frequent the library at least once a week during the summer. My library either didn’t have a book limit or the limit was pretty high because I would leave out of there with at least 10 books.
Related: 15 Personal Finance Books to Check Out
17. Join a Wholesale Club and Buy in Bulk. Purchasing a Costco or BJ’s membership will help tremendously because often they’re able to offer wholesale pricing. If you are single and have no use for bulk items grab a friend and split up the packages. Also, most clubs offer an additional card for a household member, so you can split up the membership cost with a friend.
I save a lot each month with my Amazon Prime membership. Check it out yourself and try a free trial.
18. Go Through Your Bills. Check all of your bills, including your cell phone, cable and credit cards. You may find that you are paying for services you don’t need or use. Call and cancel these services.
19. Purchase a Used Car. If you need a car, consider purchasing a used one. As long as the previous owner took care of their car, you should be able to find a reliable used one. By buying used, you’re going to save not only a car payment but on insurance as well.
20. Ride Public Transportation. If possible, forgo a car altogether. If you live in an area where you can get around on public transportation, you may find that you’ll save thousands of dollars a year. No longer will you have to worry about maintenance, insurance or gas. If you need a car, you can rent a Zipcar or a Car2go. Heck, you might just want to just call for an Uber or Lyft.
21. Switch to Generic. I know you may have your favorite brands, but consider switching some of them to a cheaper generic. Many products you purchase tend to have a store or generic brand that is just as good as the better-known brand. Check the labels and you’ll be surprised to find that they contain the exact ingredients as your favorite brand.
22. Sleep on Big Purchases. Before making an impulse buy, consider waiting 24 hours before making a purchase. If after 24 hours you still find that you want to purchase the item, then by all means, go ahead and do so. I’ll bet however, you’ll find you don’t need it right now.
Related: How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
23. Compare Prices. I always compare prices of an item I want to purchase. First, I usually check to see if it is available cheaper on Amazon and next I check to see if it’s on sale at my local stores.
24. Cancel Checking Auto-Debits. This has gotten me in a lot of trouble and caused me a lot of overdraft fees. Be leery of places that ask for your checking account information to make auto debits. Gyms are famous for this because they know that more likely than not the bank will pay them. Banks will then charge you an overdraft fee.
What’s worse, if there’s no money in your account to cover it, they won’t pay it and charge you a returned check fee. Try to use your check card or credit card, because they will decline them instead of charging you fees (or at the very least make sure there’s money in your account beforehand).
25. Create a Budget and Stick to It. A lot of time, we spend mindlessly throughout the week and become shocked when we’re broke 5 days before payday. When you are not able to account for where your money is going, you won’t have a grasp on your money. Create a budget and stick to it. You’ll find that your dollar will stretch a little further. Try these budget forms to download to get your finances together or sign up for Every Dollar for free.
I hope these 25 easy ways to save more money were helpful.
Have a money saving tip not on this list? Please comment below and share with the rest of us.
