お金の節約には 2 つの部分からなる方程式があります。だからこそ、私がこれから紹介する 250 のお金節約のヒントはそれぞれ、次の 2 つのカテゴリのいずれかに当てはまることがわかるでしょう。
<オル>これら 2 つはまったく異なるものです。最後の食料品レシートの底に 16.02 ドルを「節約」したと記載されているからといって、普通預金口座の残高が自動的に増えるわけではありません。
それを増やすには、実際にその 16.02 ドル (そしてそれ以上) を普通預金口座に入金する必要があります。
ここでは、買い物から多額のお金を節約することと、普通預金口座にさらに多くのお金を入れることの両方を達成するのに役立つ方法について説明します。
そうですね…あちこちをクリックして、しばらくお待ちください!
これらの多くのお金を節約するためのヒントを同時に実際に実行するだけでなく、私の Bank It を使えば、すぐにたくさんのお金を貯めることもできます。メソッド。
バンクイットとは何ですか！メソッド?
レシートの最後に自分が節約したお金が表示されたら、食料品店、CVS、またはその他のクーポンや割引の節約額が表示される場所で、実際にその金額を貯蓄に回してください (銀行に預けましょう!)。
これは、これらの「貯蓄」を実際の貯蓄としてアカウントに表示することがなかった代わりに、すぐに多くのお金を節約するのに役立ちます。これにより、予算内に収まり、その予算の支出カテゴリからお金を普通預金口座に絞り出すことができるため、現在よりもはるかに早くお金を貯めることができます。
これらはお金を節約するための一度限りのヒントではありません。これらのヒントを参考にすると、毎月、お金を節約できます (多くの場合、一度行動するだけで、継続的な節約が得られます!)。
これで貯金箱を増やす楽しい方法ができました。
住宅所有者保険を安くするために私が個人的に使った 9 つの戦略があります (1 つ) チップだけで 1600 ドル節約できました!)。
追記:より安価な住宅所有者向け保険プランを探して買い物を始める方法は次のとおりです。
17 種類の保存食のアイデアに関する記事を書きました。保存食のデザート、ディナー、サイドディッシュが見つかります。
規制緩和されたエネルギー市場に属していますか?電力会社を切り替えることで、かなりの小銭を節約できます。さらに良いことに、無料で探し回って、自分の使用パターンに基づいてどのプランが最も安いかを教えてくれるエネルギー検索エンジンがあります。素敵ですね！
昨年、私は時間をかけて調査し、0.75% というわずかな利息しか得られない口座から 1.4% の利息が得られる口座に預金を切り替えました (つまり、毎月の利息収入はほぼ 2 倍になります)。
そして1年後？その率は現在 2.35% です (数年後は 4.40% になります)。
つまり、私が追加の作業をすることなく、毎月の利息収入が 3 倍になったことを意味します (元の口座の金利はまだ 1% しかありません)。 #勝ち
電子機器が接続されている場合でも、エネルギーは消費されます。使用していないときは、電化製品などのプラグを抜くとよいでしょう (これを行う簡単な方法は、エンターテイメント センターを 1 つの電源タップに差し込み、就寝前に 1 回だけプラグを抜くことです)。
これは、アパートの電気代を下げる方法と、古い電化製品を売ってお金を得る方法に関する私の最良のヒントの 1 つです。
キャッシュバックを小切手として引き換えて、普通預金口座に預け入れます。
ヒント:クレジット カードを使用すると、実際にはもっとお金を使う可能性があります。したがって、私たちと同じように、クレジット カードを使用するハイブリッド アプローチを実行して、特典を最大化し、 余分な出費を最小限に抑えることができます。
注文のサイズを大きくするのはやめて、その代わりに注文のサイズを小さくしてください（これが難しいのです。ファストフード レストランでは自動的に中サイズが必要だと思われることがわかったので、代わりに「小」と言わなければなりません）。
無料トライアルに登録したのを忘れてしまい、毎月料金が請求されることになりませんか?望ましくない定期的な料金がないかアカウントを確認してください。
ヒント:Trim アプリはこれらを自動的に見つけて削除します。
毎月支払うものなので、健康保険料を節約する方法をぜひ検討してください。
夫はスピード違反の切符を切られ、罰金全額を支払う代わりに防衛運転コースを受けることにしました。はい、自動車保険会社はコースを受講したことで引き続き月々の割引をしてくれました!
ここでは、自動車保険の費用を節約するトップ 10 の方法を紹介します。
100円ショップでの買い物について話しましょう。必ずしも良い取引とは限りません。しかし、お得に節約する方法がわかれば、それを貯蓄戦略に加えるべきです。
個人的には、1 回、2 回、場合によっては 3 回しか使用しないものが必要な場合は、100 円ショップに行きます。そこで安く購入した製品は、それだけ長持ちする可能性が非常に高いです。
何度も何度も使用するものが必要な場合はどうすればよいですか?私はより高い品質を求めており、前払いの数ドルを無駄にしません。
保険代理店に電話して、請求書を毎月支払うことに対して月々の追加料金/手数料が請求されているかどうかを確認してください。その場合は、代わりに、一度に 6 か月または 1 年分（月額料金の支払いを停止するために必要な金額）を支払い、保険費用を節約してください。
実際にケーブル料金を完全になくす準備はできていますか?心配しないでください。現在、素晴らしい代替手段がいくつかあります。最初の数か月間で得られるプレミアム割引を使用して、お気に入りの番組をストリーミングするために Roku などを購入します。また、この HDTV アンテナは安価で、非常に高い受信能力を備えています (信号ブーストが付属しています)。
以前は Verizon を月額約 83 ドルで利用していました。その後、Virgin Mobile に切り替えました。携帯料金は今、月額わずか 39.99 ドル (税引後) です。それだけでなく、Verizon では利用できなかったすべてのものを無制限に利用できます。とにかく、請求額を大幅に削減して、最終的にはより良い関係になるなんて素晴らしい方法でしょう。
車の支払いを終えたらすぐにそれを維持してください。基本的に毎月数百ドルをポケットに戻すことになります。 。さらに良いアイデアはありますか?そのお金を今後数年間自動車基金貯蓄口座に入れて、次の車の購入費を現金で支払えるようにします。
車のローンの利息を支払うのはもうやめましょう！
私のビーターカーの詳細については、こちらをご覧ください。
私があなたに提供したこの膨大なアイデアのリストに基づいて、毎月 1 時間を費やして行動を起こすだけで、お金を節約する能力が驚くほど進歩していることがわかります。そうすれば、今後 1 年間の貯蓄能力がさらに高まるでしょう!
今月やりたいことややりたいことが何であれ、Google (個人的には、報酬ポイントを獲得して Paypal で現金化できるので、Swagbucks 検索エンジンを使用しています。ただし、それは私です) と「無料」という単語を組み合わせて検索してください。文字通り、何が見つかるかわかりません。
私たちは現金とクレジットカードの両方を組み合わせたハイブリッド戦略を使ってお金を管理していると前に述べました。
また、言及しておきたいのは、現在使用しているクレジット カードから、さらに多くのキャッシュバックを獲得できる追加特典が定期的に提供されることです (たとえば、今から来月末までは、通常の 3 倍の特典ポイントを獲得できる可能性があります)。必ず登録してください。無料です。
あなた自身またはあなたの子供のために新しい服が欲しい、または必要ですか?まずクローゼットや引き出しを調べて、転売できる可能性のある服をすべて取り出します。地元の委託販売店である Plato’s Closet などの場所に持っていくと、現金を受け取ってもらえます (一部は売れた後)。次に、その現金を新しいワードローブの資金として使用し、いずれにせよ費やす予定だったお金を節約します。 Thred-Up もチェックしてみてください。
おまけのヒント:これから季節が変わる前にこれを実行し、暖かい季節用の服や寒い季節用の服をたくさん着込んでください。
世の中には、突然流行する本当に素晴らしい栄養素がたくさんあり、それらを手に入れるためには特定の製品を購入する必要があると考えています。他の人が話題にしているのと同じ栄養素 (オメガ 3、オメガ 6、完全アミノ酸など) を、別の安価な供給源から得ることができることがわかりました。
ヒント:これらの食材の一部は Dollar Tree で購入することもできます。私の Dollar Tree の食事プラン、Dollar Tree Charcuterie Board のアイデア、Dollar Tree のランチのアイデアをご覧ください。
Groupon.com、LivingSocial.com などを検索できます。
おそらく絶望的な瞬間に、自動預金引き出しをオフにすることは、オンに戻すよりもはるかに簡単です。
したがって、それを行うことを考えるときは注意してください。代わりに、予算を達成する別の方法を見つけるようにしてください。
子どもたちに新しいおもちゃを買う代わりに、近所の人、友達、家族のお母さんたちとおもちゃの交換をしましょう。誰もが店に行かなくても、数か月ごとに新しいおもちゃを持って帰るでしょう。
私のホリデー予算計画の一環として、自宅にギフト専用の戸棚を設け、そこに一年中見つけたお買い得品を詰め込むことです。ホリデーシーズンに一年中ショッピングをすると、お金が節約できるだけでなく、お金も節約できます。ホリデーシーズンのストレスが本当に解消されます。
同じ人に重複して買わないように定期的にすべてをチェックし、秋になったら、まだ購入する必要があるプレゼントのリストを作成します（ヒント:買いすぎた場合は、一年を通じて誕生日、父の日、母の日にプレゼントを使用できます） .
それぞれのデートの夜に外でデートするのではなく、IN でのデートを 1 つ選択します。心配しないでください。夫婦のためのおうちデートにぴったりの、とても楽しいリソースをいくつか用意しています（テレビは含まれません）。
ヒント:外出したい場合は?これらの 1 ドル ストア デートのアイデアのいずれかを試してください。
年に一度、数年連続で、私たちの家族（夫の兄弟/姉妹全員とその子供たち）は、大きくて美しいビーチハウスを借りました。 3、4 日くらいは海で大丈夫でしたし、かかった費用は 1 家族あたりわずか数百ドルでした (これには食費も含まれています。私たちはそれぞれ交代でキッチンで食事を作りました)。
これは、週末に自分たちのビーチハウスを買うよりも大幅に節約でき、お金を出し合って休暇を過ごす素晴らしい方法でした。
追記:ステイケーションを検討することもできます。素晴らしいステイケーションを計画する方法は次のとおりです。 、プラス、家族での冬季滞在のアイデア 11 件。
あなたや子供たちに休日や誕生日に何をプレゼントするかと聞かれたときは、戦略的に考えてください。毎月お金を節約できるもの、またはいずれにしても購入する必要があるのでお金を節約できるものを依頼してください。
たとえば、義理の妹が、うちの小さな息子にクリスマスに何を買ったらよいか尋ねました。私は彼女に、とにかく購入する予定の 2 つの提案をしました。それは、今後数か月以内に必要な靴のサイズ、またはサイズ 4T のパンツです。 (ヒント:もちろん、質問された場合にのみ提案してください!) .
限られた予算でお金を節約する良い方法はない、と過去に考えたことはありませんか?
次の給料にほとんど間に合わないとき、ましてや自分用のお金を普通預金口座に貯めておくなんてことは、そう感じるかもしれません。
しかし、自信と経験を持って言えますが、たとえ給料から次の給料までを生きていて、来月の新しい子供の費用がどこから来るのかわからない場合でも、お金を節約する方法はたくさんあります。
以下に、これらの戦略のうち 25 個を紹介します。
はい、大家とアパートの両方と家賃の交渉ができます。ここでは、家賃交渉の方法に関する私の 9 つの (テスト済み) 戦略を紹介します。
追記:提案されている 6% の利上げから 2% 引き下げの交渉に成功しました。ふぅ！
作業費を自腹で支払い、払い戻しを提出する必要がある場合は、支払いを待つ必要があります。
つまり、このお金を必要とせずに、その給与サイクルの請求書またはその月の請求書を処理したことを意味します（すでにお金を使っており、時間が経過しているため）。
したがって、お金が入ってきたら、そのまま普通預金口座に送金してください。
はい、正しく聞いていただけました。次の手術（緊急ではありません。私はヘルニアの手術費用で行いました）については、価格を比較して、財布を痛めない方法で手術を受けられるところを確認する必要があります。
これは、ほんの少しの時間で数百ドルを獲得する非常に簡単な方法です (新しい口座を開設し、所有している別の普通預金口座から資金を入金します。お金を移動するだけです)。
私はこれを使って、新婚旅行の貯蓄を始めるために 250 ドルのボーナス付きの口座を開設したときのように、貯蓄の目標を達成するために利用しました。ボーナスを受け取るには、銀行が指定した期間 (90 日、3 か月、6 か月など)、この新しい普通預金口座にお金を保管しておく必要があります。
銀行開設ボーナスに価値があるかどうかを判断する方法については、さらに詳しく説明します。
18 歳以上で米国国民で、普通預金口座を持ち、オンライン バンキングを使用し、有効なメール アドレスを持っている場合は、SaverLife.org を利用する資格があります。
これは、自分の普通預金口座に入金した金額に対してポイントを付与することで、お金の節約を奨励する非営利団体です (新しい銀行口座にサインアップする必要はありません。追跡目的で自分の銀行口座を SaverLife のプラットフォームにリンクするだけです)。
ポイントを賞品と引き換えたり、現金を獲得するチャンスがあります。得点してください！
追記:これが私の SaverLife レビューの全文です。
医師の診察室に電話して、現在持っている薬（高額な自己負担金を支払っている薬）の代わりに服用できるジェネリック医薬品があるかどうか尋ねることで、処方箋にかかる費用を節約できます。
あなたが私と同じなら、15 人ほどの子供たちにクリスマス プレゼントを買ってあげる必要があるでしょう (言うまでもなく、誕生日プレゼントは一年中あります)。
家族に近づき、今度のホリデーシーズンに名前を決めたいかどうか尋ねてください。これは、休日の予算を立てるのに役立ちます。
何かを作るのが上手になって、次の休日にたくさんの人に作ってもらいましょう。例えば、私の友人は手作り化粧水・手作りデオドラント・手作りリップクリームなどを作り、数人にプレゼントしました。
それらは素晴らしく、完全に化学物質が含まれていませんでした。ある年、私はワインチャームを何セットか作り、プレゼントとして配りました。これにより、休暇が簡素化されるだけでなく、費用も節約できる可能性があります。
リベートが得られる商品を購入する場合は、予算内に収まるようにしてください。そして、リベート小切手が郵便で届いたら、それを普通預金に預けます。
これは、与えられた予算内で必要な製品を購入し、そのお金を「For Keeps」アカウントに注ぎ込むことができるため、限られた予算からより多くの節約を絞り出す方法です。
小銭はすべて 1 か所にまとめてください (子供たちに定期的にソファーや車の座席の下を覗かせます)。半年から 1 年ごとに銀行に預けてください。
新しいレシピを試してみるのが大好きです。しかし、食料品の買い出しサイクルごとに 3 ～ 5 つの新しいレシピを試すと、それらのレシピにのみ必要な「一回限りの」材料を購入することになり、請求額がはるかに高くなることがわかりました。
今では、食料品の買い出しサイクルごとに新しいレシピを 1 ～ 2 つだけ試すことに制限しています (食料品の買い出しは隔週です)。
店内にいる回数が増えれば増えるほど、買うべきものに触れる機会が増え、誘惑に負けてしまうことになります。それだけでなく、隔週で食料品の買い物をするため、食事計画を立てる必要があります (これもお金を節約するための素晴らしい方法です)。
昨年、私たちが普通預金口座に登録している素晴らしい銀行 (PurePoint Financial) が、紹介リンクを含む電子メールを送信してくれました。私たちが紹介した人で口座を開設した人ごとに、彼らは私たちの普通預金口座に 200 ドルを寄付し、その人は 200 ドルを受け取ることになります。それはどれほど素晴らしいことでしょうか？
最大6名様までご紹介させていただきました。自分の銀行で、友人や家族を紹介することで自分の貯蓄のためにお金を稼ぐこのような機会を探してください (Oportun.com には紹介プログラムもあります。口座開設者を紹介するたびに、普通預金口座に 5 ドル追加されます)。
図書館相互貸付を利用すると、Netflix を通じて必要な DVD のほとんどを入手できることをご存知ですか (Netflix のサブスクリプションを無効にして、代わりにそのお金を銀行に預けます)。他に無料で代用できるものは何でしょうか?
私は家族の出費を節約する方法として、この車に真剣に取り組んでいます。夫と私は、1 年以上 1 台の車を運転しています (ハリケーン ハービーと 3 週間後の鉄砲水で両方の車が浸水しました)。私は毎日彼を車で仕事に送り、夜に迎えに行き、毎日彼と一緒に過ごす時間をさらに2時間与えます。
また、私たちは以前、所有していたビーター車が故障したとき、一度に数か月間、車 1 台の家族だったことがあります (当時は 2 つの異なる仕事をしていましたが)。それを実行すれば、保険、ガソリン代、オイル交換費用の一部を節約でき、これらすべてを普通預金口座に充てることができます。
Swagbucks.com にサインアップして、そこからインターネットを検索できます。定期的に Swagbucks を獲得し、実際の現金 (PayPal で) と引き換えることができます。 5,000 ポイントごとに、PayPal 現金で 50 ドルを獲得できます。また、2,500 ポイントまたは 10,000 ポイントで現金化することもできます。このお金を普通預金口座に預けてください!
MoneySavingMom.com のようなサイトは、高品質の製品や、とにかく必要なアイテムやアイテムを、非常に手頃な価格で、一日中素晴らしいセールを公開しています。
必要なものを安く、または無料で手に入れるために、頻繁にこれらの場所に行きたいと思います。
実際、彼女のサイトには景品と景品のみを掲載するセクションがあるので、しばらくはそこに留まっても問題ありません!
雑誌の定期購読を共有したり（いつも読んでいる雑誌をプレゼントしています！）、同じ学校や保育園に相乗りしたりすることができます。
次の誕生日に向けて、誕生日の景品に登録しましょう (お好みのスターバックスの無料ドリンクや、バスキン ロビンスのアイスクリームの無料スクープなど。私は一度、宝石店で真珠のイヤリングのセットを無料でもらったこともあります!)。そして、自分に何かを買う代わりに、それらのおやつを誕生日プレゼントに使いましょう。
私は過去に、オンラインのヤードセールである程度の成功を収めました。つまり、基本的に商品を調べ、Facebook 販売グループ向けに写真を撮り、価格を設定するという作業でした。一定期間、一度に行いました。貯蓄を和らげる良いスタートダッシュになるかもしれません。
貯蓄資金はどこかから調達する必要があります。周囲を見回して、定期的に消費しているもののリストを作成してください。
次に、リストを 1 つずつ下に移動して、価格の買い物をします。 For example, start by price shopping your pet food/medications/needs, then price shop your prescriptions (yes, different pharmacies charge different prices! Also, check out what the heck gag clauses are – it could save you money), then price shop oil changes, then price shop whatever is next on your list.
Three places to check are the cost of buying it online (check out these 19 online shopping tricks and hacks), buying it in bulk (like at a membership store), and buying it at a competitor’s store. Small changes, over time, will add up to big savings!
There are some awesome no-spend challenges out there, whether you want to do a no-spend weekend, no-spend week, or even a no-spend year!
You should involve your kids in the money-saving process. Not only will it help get everyone onboard, but they need to learn about how to stretch money from somewhere, right?
Might as well let them help you save it by doing things like scanning in your receipts to cash-back apps (I used to use CoinOut, but now I LOVE iBotta and Fetch), have them hang up laundry on the laundry line (here are way more tips on how to save money on laundry), give them a small bonus each time they don’t leave the lights on (or charge them $0.25 every time you find a light left on), etc.
My husband and I made a weekly date night a priority in our marriage after our little guy was born, and it’s been a game-changer. We don’t go out often (probably just 1-2 date nights out a month) – most are at-home date nights.
However, couples from our church group let us know that they used to do a childcare ring for date nights, where each couple took a turn watching another couple’s kids so that everyone got to go on date night without paying $30+ to a babysitter. Nice!
If you could get rid of two unhealthy things from your diet, while simultaneously saving money, would you do it?
How about you nix two of any of the following completely from your home – soda, chips, ice cream, frozen meals, crackers, etc.?
The stats are in, and it’s well known now that if you use credit cards (or plastic, in general) to pay for things, you will spend more money.
It’s because parting with actual dollar bills is harder to do than swiping a card.
Don’t believe me? Go one month with paying in cash, and then compare your spending with the previous month. We did and decided to use a hybrid spending strategy with cash and credit from here on out.
Still there?素晴らしい！ Because we've still got 200 ways to save money to go!
Many purchase decisions have to do with the household. There are groceries, clothing, home repairs and renovations, Pinterest projects, toiletries, and probably 237 other transaction points that all take place within/around the household.
So, we’re going to dedicate 50 of the 250 money-saving tips to this specific category.
I can’t believe how well this tip has worked (without any “side effects”). On many of the household items that we use, I simply just decided to use half the amount I had been.
This meant doing things like cutting dryer sheets in half, using half the laundry detergent that’s recommended (it’s true! Still cleans), making half recipes (or if we use the whole recipe, freezing half for another meal later), etc. Try it out!
There are TONS of reward programs/loyalty programs out there. If you take the time to sign up for each, get the cards/apps downloaded, and then read through how to use them, then you can save a bundle off of everyday purchases over the next years.
We did this for years until our little guy came along. WOW do you save a ton of money. In fact, check out all the different ways for how to save money on laundry.
My friend, Aurora, and I were discussing this – we are voracious readers (as is my husband), yet we buy fewer books than you’d think.
We get by this by using our library’s Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system to get our hands on almost any book we’d like, Overdrive to download books on our phone to borrow from the library, free eBooks, free full-length audiobooks, and Paperback Swap. Why not resolve to do this for the next year?
Each month, check out your spending by category. Then ask yourself, “Did I receive satisfaction and value in proportion to life energy spent?” This is from the book Your Money or Your Life , a must-read!
This one is a bit harsh, because by setting it up – you could find yourself getting your debit card declined at checkout (BUT, you won’t be charged the $30 overdraft fee).
Opt out of overdraft protection at your bank.期間。
It means you will be denied at a cash register in the event that there is not enough money in your checking account to cover your purchase — which could be embarrassing — but at least you will not be allowed to spend money you do not have (and incur a hefty charge for doing so).
There are items you own that require maintenance (at additional costs), and items you CAN own that won’t require additional maintenance. Own more of the items that don’t require maintenance.
For example, do not buy dry-cleaning-only clothing – eliminate that maintenance cost.
We’ve saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over the years (as well as saved our neighbors as much) by finding nearby people to feed our cats while we travel.
Leftovers are great for dinners, and lunches, and then to make your own freezer meals that you can reheat months later. For example, we hosted Thanksgiving, and after 4 days of eating leftovers, we were over them.
So, I simply put the rest into two freezer meals, and in late December, we enjoyed them again!
Also, when I make a meal with a sauce, there’s generally enough sauce left over to make that same meal again. I’ll then freeze that sauce and label it, and that part of the meal’s made the next time.
Here's how to reuse leftovers.
Don’t renew your magazine subscriptions, and instead, read free digital magazines.
I never (or ALMOST never) eat my entire restaurant meal in one sitting. I typically take half or even ¾ home and have an awesome lunch or meal for the next night.
It cuts down on the costs, and time/energy of preparing a new meal.
My husband and I LOVE going to the movies. But they didn’t have these awesome monthly movie passes before we had our little guy (re:we don’t get to the movies that often anymore).
Renting out unused portions of your home for storage, or for renters is a great way to increase cash flow and dedicate that to your savings account.
Trust me on this one – you’ll score hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of free toiletries by playing the drugstore game.
My husband’s Timberland boots (over a decade old) started flapping in the wind. To replace them was a staggering $139. Instead, we took them to a shoe hospital and had them professionally repaired for $16.
See what you can get repaired!
You’ll need a discounted newspaper subscription, and a coupon site (like the Coupon Mom site) to save with coupons. This lady pairs together all of the coupons to the sales every 12 weeks to give you a double whammy of savings, for FREE!
You only eat from your pantry/freezer/cupboards (except maybe milk and bread and eggs, or something like that) for a period of time. Like this lady did.
Every time you’re about to make an online purchase, take the total amount in the cart, and ask yourself if you’d rather have that amount of money in savings for XXX GOAL instead? Shop accordingly.
Psst:here's 47 cool things to save up for, how to prioritize savings goals, plus 7 free S.M.A.R.T. financial goal worksheets.
One of my favorite places to shop at our grocery store is the clearance section in the butcher’s area.
This is because organic, grass-fed meats are marked down severely, and as long as we go home and freeze them for future use, and then use them the same day we defrost (which is normal for us to do), we’re good to go.
I kept my last smartphone for 6 years. The one before that was at least 5 years old. They still worked, though perhaps a bit slower.でも、知っていますか？ I saved lots of money by not buying the latest and greatest.
if you know your A/C unit is out, then get it repaired in the winter. It’ll be cheaper! Same for your heater (get it repaired in the summertime), or other appliances/items.
I can’t tell you how many times I saved hundreds of dollars by not taking the first repairman quote I got for repairs on our home.
I go into detail here about how to find an honest car mechanic, which can save you thousands over the years.
My friend, Aurora, gave me this tip – they keep buying Subaru cars because they learn how they work and can do minor repairs/oil changes/etc. on the car themselves instead of paying a mechanic.
Try to get some free wood to burn in your fireplace for the winter (or wood stove). If a neighbor is cutting down their tree, ask if they are going to keep the wood. Heck, we’ve even found great free wood on big trash day.
If you find you eat out a lot as a family, then you’ll want to do once-a-month (or even less often) freezer meal cooking days. It’ll decrease the temptation to hit up the drive-thru on the way home.
Do you travel for work? Use this time as a vacation by extending the end of it and adding a few days to the place you’re at. This can substitute for your own vacations.
Next time you’re going to go out to dinner or for lunch, go to your local grocery store instead. Pick foods from their prepared foods section, and save money (plus no tip!).
Have you ever heard of karmic yogis? They’re people who clean up part of a yoga studio, and in exchange, get a free membership. Where else could you volunteer to get free access (a concert? Fundraising event? The zoo? etc.)?
I love to read stories of extreme frugality. Not because I want to do what those people are doing…but I find it inspirational when trying to stretch my own frugal muscles.
We were fortunate in that we got the $8,000 first item homebuyer’s tax credit (the one you didn’t have to pay back!).
When you have a big purchase of any kind, do a quick search online to see if there is any tax credit available for buying it a certain way (like, an appliance with a certain amount of efficiency).
If you’re buying anything online, make sure you do a quick search for an online coupon for that site. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this over the years.
Read this about when to buy all different kinds of items in order to find the best deals.
I’ve got loads of ideas for cheap things to do with your family at home family activities that will still allow you to engage and bond.
I know several people who continually spend $50+ on lottery tickets each month (for decades now). Just stop. Instead, dedicate that money to savings. You’ll get to what you want faster.
My husband and I are voracious readers. The way we afford to be so is by using both Interlibrary loan (ILL), Overdrive to borrow books on your phone, and Paperback Swap.
Do you smoke, or drink a good bit? These vices cost a lot of money.
My husband quit smoking during our marriage, and we are saving $100 more each month because of it. Deprioritize your money going to vices and prioritize your savings instead.
Turn one of your takeout nights/month into a CopyCat Recipes night where you make your family’s favorite restaurant dishes at home.
Before you think about replacing something, look at your warranties (you’ll want to keep a warranty file in your filing cabinet). Like getting your Tupperware replaced after all these years (here’s our Tupperware replacement experience).
We have lots of experience with disputing medical bills (because we were wrongly charged). It can save gobs of money!
Here’s how to negotiate medical bills over the phone.
I want you to take the time and strategies needed to financially prepare for the next big thing in your life – so that you don’t end up getting it/doing it too soon and not being able to save any money (because money is too tight).
I detail here how much signing up for freebies has meant to us financially over the last several years.
If I know something is going to expire before I can use it, I freeze it. That way, I won’t have to re-buy the ingredient when I want to make a dish with it later.
Can you imagine how much more you can save in your savings account each month without a mortgage? Here’s how to pay off your mortgage faster.
Here are ways to save money off your water bill.
Did you know there are checking accounts that will pay you interest on your money?
You’ll want to know whether a family membership is worth it or not, and I’ve got how to do that here.
You can use gasbuddy.com (and get your kids to help if you’d like!).
You want to periodically clean out these areas in your kitchen because you’ll find lots of food that needs to be eaten (before it expires…or you missed it already and you’ll be more aware of what will get eaten in your household in the future).
Things are about to get a bit more interesting – I’ve got 25 creative ways to save money that will help stretch your resources way further than you thought possible.
I successfully fought our property taxes and had our home’s appraised value lowered by 3.9%. Sounds like something you wouldn’t want, right? But it doesn’t affect market value and will reduce the taxes you’ll owe.
Here’s how to fight property taxes.
My friend recently introduced me to Buy Nothing Facebook Groups.
It’s a local community of like-minded people who all want to save one another money plus help the environment by getting their consumption needs met through each other instead of through Amazon or at the store.
Talk about a creative way to save money (by not spending it!). Simply type in “Buy nothing groups near me” in the Facebook search bar, and see if you can find one.
Got health insurance? Then you also get a free annual physical with your doctor. That’s the perfect time to get refills on medication or to ask a few (simple) questions.
Granted, you might need to schedule a follow-up appointment if your question entails more than just a minute. But you never know – you might get what you need without having to pay a copayment.
There are some fun saving money games for adults out there people play in order to save more than they thought they could – like saving every single $5 bill that comes into their wallet.
I also love this idea about “tipping” yourself, or the One Percent Challenge, or the 52-Week Dice Game.
Remember college drinking games? Choose to save a buck every time something happens (like, $1 every time someone on The Bachelor says “It’s me, not you”.)
Rosemarie from the Busy Budgeter has an awesome idea that's helped her to save money each week:she gives herself an incentive to do so.
She sets a budget, and then 20% of whatever she doesn't spend from that budget becomes hers to spend on what she likes. She calls it her blow money.
She even keeps a list of things she wants so that she knows what her reward will be.
The other 80% of the money she saved from their budget? Gets to be applied toward her family's savings or debt goals.
Brilliant!
I really like mystery shopping. You get the assignments from your email at home (take what you want, leave what you don’t want), you do the reports at home, and you get to try out new places/buy things/experience things on someone else’s dollar.
For example, we mystery-shopped a date night at a local Irish pub, and a horse race at a racing grounds (we even got to place bets!), and I mystery-shopped our oil changes for a few years. Companies I’ve personally worked for include Intelli-Shop.
Nix the cost of hotels or even Air BnBs by setting up a house swap for your next vacation with family and friends. Choose the same dates, and either drive or fly to each other’s homes with your family. Leave a list of any instructions + local attractions to check out, and clean up after yourselves when you’re through.
I challenge you to take your spending on entertainment down to $0 for a year. There are TONS of free things to do if you live in a city and tons of things around your home that are just waiting for you to explore.
On top of that, if you have parents or family members who ask what to get you for the holidays (like we do), as for experience gifts (such as movie theater gift cards, restaurant gift cards, a cooking class, a foraging hike, etc.).
Then, use them one by one throughout the year as your entertainment.
Each time a family member does something against a family rule, make them pay a dollar (or whatever you’d like) – parents included. Then, deposit this money into your vacation savings fund or any savings fund you’d like.
Are your property taxes really high (here's how to fight property taxes if you're already locked in)? You could purchase a home to get into a lower-tax district. Just be sure to research ahead of time and see if you can send your child can apply and enroll at different schools (in case the lower-taxed area does not have a good school district).
For example, here in Houston, you can apply to enroll at whichever paid or “free” school you’d like – you don’t have to stick with the one you’re zoned to.
And, of course, you’ll want to take closing costs on selling your home and purchasing another one into consideration when figuring out if the move is worth it (so, how much tax savings will you see, and how many years will it take to live in the new place to essentially make a profit from the move and start adding that tax money to your savings account instead?).
Weird, right? But after reading American Wasteland , I set out to take pictures of the food that we purchased and didn’t get to eat before it expired/rotted/etc. so that I could write about it on this blog.
I was amazed! Just having that awareness meant we spent less money on groceries, used what we had in our pantry more, and saved money.
For your next vacation, use travel hacking to get your airfare for free! We’ve done this. Most recently, we got $900 in free Southwest gift cards.
A few years ago, we made it to Michigan for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, saving $1,281 on airfare by using travel hacking. Here’s a beginner’s guide.
We all love to reward ourselves in different ways. But what I have found is that it’s typical (even in my own life) to up the ante over the years.
Suddenly, rewarding myself with a $2.50 ice cream for a job well done isn’t good enough, and now I set my sights on one in the range of $25.00-$35.00. I like to call this rewards inflation and keep my eye on it.
How has rewarding yourself changed over the years? Are you spending a lot more on a reward than you used to?
You might want to CD ladder your money to get paid higher interest rates than in a regular savings account.
Don’t rush out and buy new things (new books, new electronics, new exercise equipment, new DVDs, etc.). Instead, be patient, and buy them used from the first wave of people who had to get their hands on them.
You’ll pay SO much less.
Getting on the same page with your partner about money is CRITICAL to increase savings, get the things you guys want, pay off debts, and so many other things.
Stop working against each other and start working towards your savings goals with my page on marriage and money.
Shamelessly pursue your pleasures, but also stop mindless consumption. If you do both, then your quality of life will go up (not to mention, your savings account!).
This year? Take this sage advice about going deeper with the belongings you already have in your life, rather than going wider (by purchasing a bunch more).
I’m talking between rooms, and between homes. Sometimes our sisters-in-law are just “done” with the décor they’ve had in their home, and they offer them up to others in the family.
Also, I love taking décor that feels stagnant in one room, and putting it into another room – it gets a whole new life. Give it a new look, even, by changing it up.
For example, you can take a bunch of old, tired picture frames, and paint them all the same color. Suddenly, they pop!
I once took a whiteboard that was quite stained and simply painted the white part with chalk paint. Now, I’ve got an awesome chalkboard for my office.
Keeping up anything that is “extreme” for the long haul is usually going to backfire. But little extreme sprints here and there? Totally doable.
Specify an amount of time – could be one weekend, one week, one month, six months, etc. – where you are going to be extremely frugal + put all of the extra money you then have into your savings account.
At the end of that time period, you can go back to your “norm”, but with a bit of a bigger savings account.
Remember – the key is to not deprive yourself so much during this time that you go haywire in spending (the elastic-band effect). That’s why you should pick a duration of time that won’t drive you nuts.
Did you know you can actually shop around for surgeries (not the emergency kinds)? I did this with hernia operation costs and was pretty amazed at the difference in prices.
You know how sometimes you have to pay for work expenses on trips and such out of your own wallet, and then you get reimbursed? Do this using your debit card, and submit your expenses, but then when the money comes rolling in a month or so later, send it to savings instead of just to your checking account.
After all, you made it through the month without that money – so this can feel like extra.
While we’re talking about shuffling some of your spent money around, let’s talk about the rebate shuffle.
Do the same thing as above – spend money within your budgeted categories on products that will give you a rebate. Submit for the rebates, and then when the money comes in, send it to savings.
I use this cool savings app called Oportun.com – an app whose algorithm automatically sends small deposits from my checking to savings without me even noticing – and each time a referral of mine signs up, I get $5.00.
The thing is – you don’t have to be a blogger to get this referral. You can sign up for this service, love the dickens out of it, and then refer your family and friends.
Keep all the money earned in your savings account through the app, and use that towards your savings goal.
Do you have a savings goal that hasn’t been a priority, but would benefit everyone? Make it a family savings goal to get there faster, plus model for your kids how to actually save money for a goal.
Mindlessly entering sweepstakes and giveaways is probably not a good use of your time. But entering ones where you have greater odds?
Well, that’s just smart. Even on my own blog – when I’ve hosted giveaways, maybe 12 people have entered. That means your chance of winning is WAY higher than if you enter big cash giveaways.
This category covers action steps to take ONCE, that will continue to save you money month after month after month.
We’re all about upgrading, right? How about downgrading your cable package, your internet package, your Netflix account, etc. to save money each and every month?
Every six months, or once a year, call your insurance companies (homeowners, auto, etc.) and try to negotiate for a lower price (psst:you'll definitely want to check out my article on 9 strategies for scoring cheaper homeowner's insurance ）。
I’ve had much success with this over the years.
Habits are something we do daily, weekly, and monthly. If you can replace just one habit with something that costs nothing, you’ll automatically increase your monthly cash flow.
In our own household? This could include my 3 times/week Starbucks’s Iced Chais.
In yours? Perhaps your habit of getting takeout food on grocery shopping night (because you’re too tired to cook), or eating out three lunches per week, or waiting for twice the length of time in between getting pedicures.
Try to incorporate one of these 17 daily frugal habits, instead.
Every month we consume tons of products. But there are tons of products available now that are reusable instead of disposable. For a bit of extra money upfront, you’ll save yourself hundreds and even thousands over the years.
In our own household, we purchased the Reveal mop instead of the Swiffer because you can put the mopheads in the washing machine instead of having to buy disposable ones, we substituted cloth diapers for regular diapers (we lasted a year), cloth wipes for baby wipes, we use a hybrid of dish towels and paper towels instead of just paper towels, etc.
I can’t believe how many people rush into “buying” a new car as soon (or even before) their old one is paid off. Of course, this is coming from a gal who’s never – in her 36 years on this earth – had a car payment.
I’ve always paid cash for my beater cars, and then run them into the ground. Do yourself a favor, and once you pay off your car, keep it for another 5 years.真剣に。 Or longer.
And what do you do with that $200-$500 you’re paying each month? You put it in a car savings fund as if you were paying a car payment. After 5 years, you’ll be able to pay for your next car, in cash (without paying any interest).
Psst:you might also consider becoming a one-car family until you ca save up enough cash for that second car. That's what we did for 2.5 years!
Do you pay PMI (private mortgage insurance) in your monthly mortgage payment? It’s because you had less than a 20% down payment when you purchased the home.
Did you know you can get that removed once you reach 20% equity in your house? Figure out how much more you would have to pay on your mortgage in order to get rid of your PMI (it’s money you’ll never get back that you’re paying out each month). Consider paying that off, then read this about how to physically get rid of your PMI.
Once a year I audit my monthly biz expenses.
I generally uncover up to $80/month I’ve been spending where the services no longer make sense, or that I can combine two services into one and get rid of a service. Those are the savings I see every month for the next year.
Don’t take the bank’s preapproval offer as sound advice for how much you SHOULD spend. Trust me – you’ll likely feel house-poor if you do. Instead, purchase a home that will cost less than 30% of your take-home pay.
Want to really rock your savings each month + leave flexibility for future lifestyle design? Then buy a house that is less than 30% of just ONE person’s pay.
We have a gym membership because it’s at a community center and is actually a cheap form of childcare.
So, I’m not completely against gym memberships. But to save money each month, you might want to ditch yours.
Don’t go it alone – there are some really awesome workout gurus that you can follow and it feels like they’re in your living room, cheering you on. Two of my favorites are Yoga with Adriene and Natalie Jill.
While we’re on the subject, see if you can swing a “hybrid” form of childcare. Instead of paying for 5 days somewhere and working, could you do a few days somewhere and a few days with grandparents?
Could you sign up for a community center and work in their café while you get 90 minutes of “free” babysitting (included in our $99/month cost) once or twice per day? Can you sign up for a childcare co-op, and volunteer a few days a month using your + your partner’s vacation days, then have your child taken care of the rest of the days?
What about partly working from home?
Do you work in an office, and find yourself at the vending machine each day? That can get expensive.
Save money by bulk-purchasing the snacks you like from a membership store (like Costco or Sam’s Club), then filling the bottom drawer of your desk with them.
I know someone whose circle of friends does potluck game nights several times a month. Each person takes turns hosting, and everyone brings food. The host offers up their board games (here are 19 free printable board games for adults) – it’s a lovely time, and I’ve gone twice myself!
Ever heard of the Danish term, hygge? It’s a way of life – about coziness, warmth, getting rid of annoyances, etc.
Set your life up with this in mind, and not only will you increase your happiness, but you’ll be less likely to turn to spending money for comfort.
Many years ago, I started to shop in clearance sections of stores – clothing stores, discount stores, grocery stores, etc. – FIRST instead of last. Makes a big difference.
In summer, turn your thermostat up just one degree. In the winter, turn it down just one degree. Experiment with this.
You may make automatic bill payments, which is convenient. But be sure to periodically check this month’s cell/internet/electric bill rates against the ones about a year ago.
Have they gone up? If so, it’s time to call your service provider and get them reduced.
Are you a Starbucks Junkie (hey, hey – no judgment here). Then check out your signature drink and find a copycat recipe to make it at home instead.
Figure out how much the ingredients cost per drink, then subtract from the cost of that same drink at Starbucks. Bank the savings each day you choose to make your own!
You’ll want to read what extreme couponers know about couponing that you may not.
If you’re only frugal during the hard times, then you likely aren’t saving enough money to put money into your savings account. Be frugal during the cash-flush times in your life as well, and bank those savings!
Borrowing works best when it flows both ways – you borrow from others when you need things, and others borrow from you when they need things. Then everyone saves money, and everyone is happy to continue the reciprocity.
You’ll want to read up on how to get paid to walk.
There are all kinds of ways how to save money on electricity bills.
Save money on your next smartphone purchase by finding the best place to sell your used cell phone.
I am THRILLED to introduce you to The Dating Divas, a site (and a group of married gals) that offers some of the coolest free and paid printables for date nights that you could ever imagine.
You will LOVE these guys – not to mention, both nurture your relationship AND save money while doing so! Some of my favorites include the
We routinely enjoy free zoo days (first Tuesdays of the month here in Houston), free art museum dates (Thursday nights), free open gymnastics times, etc.
Take half an hour or so to look for the free nights/days for local attractions where you live (this will be easier if you live in a city), and then mark them on a list or in your calendar to actually take advantage of it.
Alright…you want the best tips for saving money? I’ll add in this section the tips I think are the absolute best from above (plus a few more for good measure).
So far, we’ve discussed tons of ways to increase your monthly cash flow by decreasing your monthly spending. But this section? We’re dedicating it to figuring out the logistics for how to save money from your salary, and then how to increase those savings.
Lots of employers offer 401(k) plans with matching contributions. Commit to (meaning, do the paperwork) saving a percentage of each paycheck you get into your 401(k).
Bonus:save the amount you need to get your employer’s maximum contribution they’re willing to give.
Up your 401(k) contribution by just 1% – something you’ll hardly notice – to set yourself up for bigger retirement savings over the years. Even better? This is a percentage.
So, the amount you’re setting aside for retirement automatically increases each time you get a raise, without you having to do anything else. Score!
Did you know that many companies will allow you to split your paycheck’s direct deposit into more than one account? Go ahead and automatically have a percentage of your paycheck deposited into a savings account.
Here's a bunch of other ways for how to save for multiple goals at the same time.
You want to take advantage of an FSA for the tax advantages (you get to pay for eligible childcare and healthcare expenses with pre-taxed dollars). Then bank those tax savings.
This is your secret weapon to saving even MORE money from your salary. In fact, I’ve saved an extra $4,215.37 using the Oportun app over the last two years. That’s amazing!
Does your employer offer a matching 529 college savings plan? Take the time to sign up for it to get the full match (and if not the full match, start with half)!
My husband’s company has a wellness health program where each person – the employee, plus their spouse – can earn up to $450 in gift cards per year by doing things that they likely do already (such as getting your physical, annual woman’s exam, etc.).
This past year? We got $900 in Southwest gift cards! Even cooler – you can use the money to decrease your health insurance premiums for the year.
Make a rule for yourself that any overtime pay you receive will go straight to your savings account. It might get you super-motivated to take on more work!
Any tax return you receive this coming year? Resolve to set 50% of it into your savings account.
If you’re paid bi-weekly, then you actually have two months in the year where you get three paychecks. Since your budget is set up to be covered by two paychecks, you can just bank them (if you’re diligent).
Take a calendar and work out when your paydays are so that you can clearly see which two months this coming year you’ll be receiving a third paycheck. Then be sure to bank it!
Typically, a person’s income rises over their career. So, if you resolve to save a percentage of every paycheck, then when your income rises, the amount you save will also rise.
You can do this through HR if they allow you to split direct deposits between two accounts (so, your checking and then a savings account). From the forms I’ve seen, you get to put a percentage of pay that goes into each account.
Got two people working in your household? How about you save an ENTIRE paycheck each month (or their entire salary)?
My husband and I did this for several years – the amount of money that we were putting into retirement and savings accounts equaled my monthly pay.
To start, you might want to try just one entire paycheck a month, or the entire salary of the person who makes the lesser amount of money each month. What a challenge!
I’ve set up a strategy here for how to save for your retirement, by getting double tax benefits.
Ever heard of paying yourself first? It means, putting some money into your savings account (your “for keeps” savings account) FIRST, and then paying out your bills and living on what’s left.
It’s one of the best ways to ensure you actually put money into savings (ever notice by the end of the month there just doesn’t seem to be a lot left, if any, to send to savings? This should fix that).
Set up an amount you’re going to save, automatically, through your savings account by associating your checking account to your savings account and filling in the details online. Much more info on this in The Automatic Millionaire .
If you make a rule now when you make less income, that you will save 50% of every pay increase you ever get…well, you don’t have to do any math to see that you’ll really increase your savings over the years.
What I like about this, though, is that you also will still get more money to spend each month as well! It’s a win-win.
Lifestyle inflation is the idea that as we age and earn more money, we also spend more money. Once our consumption levels rise, it’s hard to come down from them (think about it:would you go back to living like a college student? Maybe, but it would take some sacrifices).
BUT, what if instead of allowing your lifestyle to inflate with each pay raise, you experience savings inflation? Food for thought.
When my husband and I first married, we took a look at both of our health insurance plans to see how much it would cost to insure the other.
It turned out, it made sense for us to keep our plans separate. Then when he got another job, it made financial sense for me to go on his insurance.
If both you and your spouse are working, periodically check to see whose health insurance is cheapest to go on.
Savings Account 623839394 is really boring. But if you name your online savings account after what you want to do with it – like the Margaritas in Mexico account or the House of Our Dreams fund – then you’ll be more likely to actually, well, fund it.
You’ve heard that portfolio fees can eat away at your retirement savings, right? Yet, if you’re like me, you have 7-8 different retirement accounts (from moving jobs).
It’s hard to know how many fees you’re paying each year. That’s why I like to use the free tool, Empower, to tell me how much in fees I pay across my portfolio and investment accounts. If you have a 401(k) with your company, you should know they’re notorious for having lots of fees.
It’s worth checking into, and possibly rolling your money over into an IRA (while you’re still employed there).
I use this free tool to track my net worth, and then each year I figure out what our personal savings rate was. What do I do with this awareness? I use it to up the ante for next year. If our personal savings rate was 19% for the year, I’ll calculate how much we’d need to save to get to 22% next year.
Here is plenty of motivation to save money.
Do you know that you’re 33% more likely to meet your savings goal by just writing it down?
In order to save money, you need to either earn more money than your expenses, or spend less than you earn (they sound like the same thing, but they’re not, exactly).
But, what if you both earn more money AND cut expenses?
You’ve now widened the gap even more between your income and expenses, and that’s all beautiful money to set aside into savings.
For each of your paychecks, ask yourself, “How do I spend the least amount of money out of this paycheck while still obtaining what I need/desire so that I can keep the most amount of money for my savings?”
We paid for our honeymoon to Austria mostly from cash that was not from our salaries. Check out how.
You might think I should stop at 200 saving money tips. But to be honest, not only do I know way more tips for saving money than 200, but I also want to give a wide variety of tips so that you’ll find lots of ideas for how to get more of your paychecks into your savings account.
Wait…you want 50 MORE money-saving tips and ideas?
分かった、分かった。 You want it, you GOT it!
We got both our refrigerator (stainless steel) and our washing machine/dryer at the Scratch N Dent store in Houston.
Both were half off! The dents are a little noticeable…but you know what’s even more noticeable? That $1,000+ in our savings account.
You know how Subway and other places offer a Buy One Get One Free coupon? Go once, get two subs or whatever you’re buying, then eat one today and the next tomorrow for lunch.
A super easy tip to save money on groceries is, while you’re unloading your groceries and putting everything away, just put the old product on top of or in front of the new one you bought.
Like, if you have two old yogurts, and you bought 6 new ones, put the two old ones in front of the new ones so that you eat those first. Waste not, want not!
RewardSurvey.com is the EASIEST place to get free magazine subscriptions that I have found (magazines.com comes in a close second). You just take a survey here and there, and get $15-$30 at a time to “spend” on magazine subscriptions.
I get Oprah’s magazine, I’ve gotten Martha Stewart’s, Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, and all kinds of other subscriptions – I even get free subscriptions to give to my in-laws and grandmother!
We have a beauty school about ten miles away from us, and you can get a free haircut or even a pedicure from them. You do, generally, still tip them a few bucks.
Does your company or your husband’s offer corporate discounts for everyday products and cell phone plans? Take the time to look around the website they give you, and see if you can take advantage of any deals.
Does your credit card offer price protection (as in, if you find something you just purchased within 6 weeks or so drop in price, you can get a refund of the difference)?
I’ve done this twice with our credit card for sneakers and was pleased with how it all worked.
If you look up airplane tickets ahead of time, then make sure you erase your browser’s cookies before looking them up again a few days later. This is because sites know you want those tickets, on those exact dates, and by the time you come back to buy them they can put up the price (there’s demand).
Are you paying for a roadside assistance subscription when your car insurance company actually offers it within your insurance package? Double-check your coverage with your insurance agent.
If you shop at CVS but don’t want to play the drugstore game, let me show you just one trick you can use to save a lot more. Take your transaction, and divide it into two. In your first transaction, pay for items that will earn ExtraBucks rewards. Then, for the second transaction, partly pay for it USING those ExtraBucks rewards. BOOM.
Many plan providers charge less during non-peak hours, and more during peak hours (meaning hours when everyone is trying to use electricity). Give your provider a call and find out when the cheapest times are for you – then do things like all your laundry during this time period.
Psst:here's how to lower electric bill in old house.
Have you SEEN how large some restaurant’s appetizers have grown? And how yummy they are? Order 3 appetizers for a dinner out instead of two meals.
You can still spend money on the areas that are important to you AND save money at the same time…but probably only if you do conscious spending.
Off the top of my head, over the last several years we’ve eliminated paper towels (we use dish towels and wash them each week), baby wipes (man, it’s easy to get addicted to them! They’re so convenient), diapers (gotta love potty training!), dryer sheets (though we live in humid Houston), and Swiffer Mops (we use the reusable Reveal Mop instead).
We also just don’t wash our beater cars (though for Mother’s Day, my husband and son gave ours a hose down!). Eliminating items entirely off your list will save you money.
One of the reasons why I think people love going to Starbucks all the time (and I’ve had my own stints with it, especially after the baby came!) is because you have such a nice coffee cup/cup to carry around a drink in.
Just a theory!
SO, what I did to cut back on my own use, was spend the money to buy a nice tumbler that I would then love to put a drink into.
It kind of uplevels the whole experience, causing me to not feel like I’m missing out by skipping the drive-thru. If you use it to replace designer coffees/iced coffees/teas, then it’ll pay for itself very quickly.
If you’re still building your family (or not sure if you want a second/third/fourth/etc. child yet), then you definitely want to ask for + buy gender-neutral baby and toddler clothes. This could save you a bundle for the next little bundle of joy!
I fall for this one WAY more than I’d like to admit – buying something that’s not 100% suited for me, just because it’s really low-priced.
I could actually buy something very high-quality if I stopped spending the $5 here and $10 there on things I don’t end up using (listen to your gut!).
This is especially true in the blogging world, but I have found it to be true in real life as well. There are tons of courses free information, and free things out in this world. But if we get something without paying for it, the tendency is to take it for granted/not use it to its full potential because it’s not worth as much in our eyes.
Stop this thinking!
I’ve gotten some of the best business advice of my life through free courses and articles, and have implemented them as if I had paid $1,000 for the information (most online courses for businesses range from $497-$997). Where are you undervaluing something just because you got it for free?
Check out this article on 51 places to score birthday freebies.
Why not stop buying so much stuff, and instead spend the saved money towards buying back some of your time (such as meal planning help, getting your home cleaned, and childcare)?
I know it sounds weird, but this is part of the conscious spending above. You can totally buy these services and still save money in your account; you just have to then stop buying in other areas.
The time you gain? Use it to save even more money (plus, well, you know, enjoy your life!).
Here are my thoughts on time vs. money.
I shopped around for a random vet service once to prove a point and was BLOWN AWAY by how different the prices are for the same service. Make sure you do this.
If you can work from home for any number of days in the week, then do it. It’s less gas costs, less temptations to spend on lunch or at stores, etc.
We always get the most gorgeous gift bags, and I feel like it would be such a waste to not reuse them! This tip alone has probably saved me over $100 in the last few years. Just don’t give them back to the same person.
Do you make $54,000/year or less? You could qualify for free tax return help.
I could kick myself at how long it took me to take the time to figure out how to use gas rewards at our grocery store.
Once I did it the first time, I routinely saved $10 or so each month on gas (and the price there was always a few cents cheaper than other gas stations anyway).
If you’ve lost your job, or ever lose your job, you should know there are other options for health insurance (you also don’t want to lapse) than the really expensive COBRA. Read about health insurance without a job.
Your library has a collection of DVDs for you to borrow, PLUS, you can use the interlibrary loan system to get your hands on just about any DVD you want.
Do you live near a college? My college used to have community events every month – such as film festivals – where people in the neighborhood could come for free or cheap. See what your local college offers!
Keep the kids busy by doing a free park crawl – do a search for all the different kid’s playgrounds and park areas within 20-30 minutes of you.
Each day you need something to do, go to a new one. Have your kids put pushpins in a map (if it gets them excited).
Be the person who volunteers to take the next flight since yours is overbooked…and save those travel vouchers for future trips!
You might also want to check out my article on how to save on weekend getaways.
Do you know your airline passenger rights? Knowing them could get you a decent chunk of change the next time you miss a flight, your flight gets canceled your luggage gets lost, etc. GetAirHelp will even go after any money owed to you from the airlines, on your behalf.
Do you need some savings inspiration? Perhaps some books will stretch your thinking on just what you can achieve with your current income? I always love to read survive-and-thrive stories from others who have been in worse situations than myself.
I can’t tell you how many times this has caused me to change my perspective and break through to another level of savings. Specifically, I love to read about how people survived the Great Depression.
We all are influenced by the people we hang out with, and we influence others as well. Make sure you’re hanging out with people who are gung-ho about saving money – even if it’s just online.
Finding Facebook Groups of frugal savers will teach you tons of techniques you hadn’t thought about, plus keep you on the path to high savings. Trust me when I say it’s nice to talk to like-minded people sometimes.
Three FB groups I’m personally a member of include Money Saving Mom’s Deal Seekers, Rachel Cruze’s group, and Your Money and Your Life’s Group (run by NPR).
Have you ever listened to the Serial Podcast? I was about two years behind on hearing about it. But once I listened to the first one (there are 3 seasons)? I was hooked.
I opened up my laptop while cooking each evening, and listened to an episode (which was super helpful because at the time I had an infant). Completely free. What other awesome podcasts can you consume for free instead of, say, an audiobook?
Take advantage of back-to-school sales by actually restocking your OWN office with office supplies. Bonus savings if you can get these items tax-free, as well!
Every time one of our expenses goes up – such as a rise in our flood insurance premiums, an increase in gas costs, or an increased service cost – I play the zero-sum expenses game.
This means I need to take the increase and find out how to save that amount of money (or more) on something else in our budget. That way, our spending still stays the same (hint:this is a really great thing for when you get raises at work – if you keep your expenses the same, then you’ve widened the gap between income and expenses, and saving becomes easier) .
See if you can save money on a prescription using a prescription discount card, like GoodRx.com.
One of the best times for you to buy things you need for around the house is in the post-Christmas sales. The problem is, that most people don’t save any money to spend around this time of year, so they miss out on these incredible sales.
Don’t let that be you next year! Make a list of what you’ll get at 50-75% off, and then go get it during the sales.
Got buyer's remorse? It might be a little inconvenient, but go get your money back on purchases that just weren’t right for you. You can do this all in one fell swoop, or one at a time over lunches during the work week. If it’s been a long time, and you still have the receipts and tags? Many stores will give you credit to the store.
If you’re not using a credit card or can use another one that has the same or better perks, then get rid of the card with fees.
FYI – you’ll likely take a hit to your credit score when you do this, so don’t do it if you’ll need your credit soon (like you’ll be buying a home with a mortgage, or car with a car loan, soon).
Take the time to email a brand that you love, and tell them why you love their products (be specific). Many brands have been known to send out coupons and free products to big fans!
My Aunt used to take her old truck to the local vo-tech (Vocational-Technical) school to get routine maintenance + repairs done. She just had to pay for the supplies and didn’t have to pay labor.
Valentine’s Day and Anniversaries are both all about love! You can save some money on your anniversary gifts by shopping the clearance after Valentine’s Day.
Not only will you save lots of time and energy (which are worth money), but using your crockpot to cook food will keep you out of the drive-thru, and use up less energy than using your oven. Plus, there are bound to be leftovers (unless your family is Duggar-sized. If they are? Check out these 16 money-saving tips for large families).
We did this 7 years ago. Over the life of the loan, we’ll be saving an astounding $103,000 off of interest payments (going from a 30-year down to a 15-year mortgage). Read more about refinancing our mortgage.
Here’s a secret my family probably has not even noticed – I substitute ingredients for recipes all the time. If I have every ingredient I need to make a recipe for dinner, except the shallots, I’ll use any kind of onion we have in the pantry, instead.
I’ll substitute cheeses for one another, almond milk for regular milk, etc. I’ve even used garlic powder in place of garlic in a pinch (though we cook from scratch with real ingredients almost all of the time).
Anything that will keep you out of that extra run to the store!
It’s easy to just not make a purchase for something – especially for us ultra-frugal. But I have found that delaying a purchase now can sometimes lead to having to pay MORE later.
For example, if your roof is leaking, not fixing it now means that you might have an insulation/wall/painting issue later. Or certain car repairs, if not made now (like getting the brakes checked *ahem*) could lead to more repairs later (like getting into a minor fender-bender that costs $1,000 PLUS the original brake repair – I'm talking to myself, here).
There are savings accounts where you get entered into a prize drawing each month for saving money! For example, one such account enters you into a drawing for every month you save at least $25.
Sometimes, I can be very black-and-white. If I don’t get near my savings goal for the week or month, or my spending is out of control, I just throw in the towel.
Don’t do this – give yourself a clean slate at the beginning of each week or month. You CAN and ARE a success, even if last week or last month didn’t look so hot.
If you know your kids are watching you do things like use coupons, comparison shop, and make deposits at the bank, then chances are you will get better at saving money. Model how to do it for their sake, and increase money in your savings account faster at the same time!
You can keep a swap in the family – just tell your brothers and sisters to bring 10 items they no longer need/want in their house, and you do the same. At your next family gathering, everyone gets to swap!
So here’s my silly confession of the month:I always thought that you needed an ice cream maker in order to make homemade ice cream. Not only is that not true, but there are recipes that you can make for many things that don't require things like bread machines, ice cream makers, or popcorn makers.
I've enjoyed ones like Martha Stewart’s Sugar and Spice Popcorn recipe, and the awesome master artisan bread recipe that the book Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day is based on.
I’ve got one bonus idea for you on how to save money fast, on a low income.
If you’ve got a low income, then you likely will qualify for a savings match program. These are programs sponsored by Nonprofits, the government, and banks/organizations with the purpose of helping you achieve substantial savings goals on little income (such as saving up for a down payment on a home, paying for job training, paying for college tuition, or even building an emergency fund savings. On top of the financial help where you get free money for saving your own money, some programs offer free financial training.
There are loads of saving money challenges out there that you can join to really boost your savings performance. A few of my favorites are the 52-week savings challenge and the $1,000 in 30-days challenge. Got a small budget? Check out these 9 mini savings challenges.
Amanda L. Grossman is a writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient, and founder of Frugal Confessions. Over the last 17 years, her money work has helped people with how to save money and how to manage money.
She's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, Washington Post, U.S. News &World Report, Business Insider, LifeHacker, Real Simple Magazine, Woman's World, Woman's Day, ABC 13 Houston, Keybank, and more. Read more here or on LinkedIn.