Saving money is really easy once you get started.
Once you figure out what expenses you can cut and how you're going to pursue your financial goals, the hard part is over.
After you've set a routine and have stuck with it for a few weeks, saving money will become incredibly easy and even addictive.
If you're able to implement many of these saving tips altogether, you'll be able to save thousands every year.
All of the tips I've listed are easy to do and will become effortless over time, so let's get started!
If you're interested in seeing how I've saved almost $5,000, check out the article here.
I'm now a blogger and live a minimalistic lifestyle, so I put everything that doesn't go into bills directly into my savings.
Below I'll include what you can do to save, how much an average person will save yearly, and other options to choose from to replace the spending habit.
I put $$$ when the savings would really vary, just to clarify. Enjoy!
1. Cutting the coffee spending habit
Savings: $1,400+
How To Save: Invest in a Keurig and get your moneys worth in less than 20 days. Keurigs can last for years and you'll not only save money but help the environment by ditching the Starbucks cups.
This is the Keurig I use. I also use reusable cups, FYI! #Environment-Friendly
2. Clothes
Savings: $2400+
How To Save: Use Ebates to get cash back on online shopping. It's seriously so silly NOT to use Ebates. There's no tricks or gimmicks to it, all you need to do is go to Ebates, find the store you shop at, and you'll get cash back. Ebates is basically an affiliate for the stores you shop at, which is why they make money and therefore give money to you.
Get $10 just for signing up here.
3. Cut gas prices
Savings: $75+
How To Save: GasBuddy is an app and website that will tell you the cheapest gas in your area. While you're at the gas station, pump up your tires. Deflated tires is a big no-no for driving, as you'll get less gas mileage for every gallon.
4. Negotiate your insurance premium cost
Savings: $240
How To Save: Ask for a cheaper premium or compare insurance company rates. I told my car insurance company that I would be looking around for cheaper premiums at other companies, and they let me know that they could cut my premium by $20. I didn't want to cut my insurance type if it was really important, but she let me know that it wasn't necessary. It's kind of silly that I was paying an extra $20 for no reason!
5. Use Cushion to refund fees
Savings: $1,000+
How To Save: Cushion is an app that refunds bank and credit card fees. You can expect refunds on things like late fees, overdraft fees, monthly service fees, account maintenance fees, ATM fees, credit card interest charges, late fees, and more!
6. Buy generic and pay 25% less
Savings: $100+
How To Save: Buying name brand is so silly, especially when the generic brand is usually just as good.
7. Save Money On Food Without Clipping Coupons
Savings: $300+
How To Save: Use Ibotta and make REAL cash with the app by redeeming what you want to get at the store, and then taking a photo of your receipt through the app. It's not only good for groceries, but clothing stores, and pretty much any retailer. I've made almost $100 on Ibotta so far, largely due to purchasing off Groupon through Ibotta's app. (I made 40% back one time!)
Get $10 just for signing up here.
8. Manage money
Savings: $500+
How To Save: Are you overwhelmed by finances? Are you sick of managing 6 six money apps? Cinch takes care of everything all in one place. Cinch monitors your credit score, if you have missed payments or unauthorized use, to how much insurance you need, and a lot more.
9. Start recycling clothing
Savings: $1000+
How To Save: Shop at thrift shops and events for recycling your clothing you don't want anymore. We have a bi-yearly event here in Austin where you can bring the clothing you don't want anymore and swap with others. Try searching this – your city SWAP. You can even sell your clothes to ThredUp, which is an amazing online thrift store!
10. $5 Meal Plan
Savings: $1000+
How To Save: Check out $5 Meal Plan for monthly meal plans, grocery lists, recipes, and a private FaceBook group. (Read below for more information). It easily pays for itself in one meal by cutting restaurant outings, last minute fast food trips, and more. You'll also eat a lot healthier when meals are planned with whole, nutritious foods. Save your food receipts for a week and see how much you're spending at restaurants. It'll be a huge wake-up call!
11. Cut the expensive phone bill
Savings: $240+
How To Save: Are you spending too much money on your cell phone every month? Mint Mobile has 3-month plans at $20 per month with 5GB of 4G LTE data per month, along with unlimited talk, text, and data, along with free calls to Canada and Mexico. You can even use your current unlocked phone and simply switch SIM cards.
12. Save 25% on every vet visit
Savings: $1200+
How To Save: Pet Assure is a dog owner's dream come true. Pet Assure is a veterinary discount plan, meaning every time you go to an approved vet, your bill will be reduced by 25%. There's no waiting period, no deductible, every medical procedure is covered, pre-existing conditions welcomed (what?!) and no claim is ever denied. Example: Dental Cleaning and X-Rays = $475. Your savings on that would be $118.75. Even better, Pet Assure is incredibly cheap!
13. Trim negotaties bills for you
Savings: $300+
How To Save: Trim helps you negotiate cable and internet bills, analyzes and gives you spending updates via text, and will find and cancel unwanted subscriptions for you. Trim users saved over $1,000,000 last month alone.
14. If you're a blogger, check out Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing
Savings: Using her strategies, you can start making affiliate income on your blog.
How To Save: I just started affiliate marketing and I'm still kicking myself for not starting sooner. I made $400+ in my first month of using it correctly. I highly recommend the course because affiliate marketing can be tricky and it needs to be done right. There are also legalities to it that a lot of bloggers don't know about, which can lead to some trouble if not done correctly.
You can sign up for her course here.
15. Save your coins
Savings: $100-$500
How To Save: I've had friends that have made hundreds from the coins in their savings jar. I have friends that pick up coins they find on the ground and at the end of the year, it ends up adding up to hundreds!
16. Read finance books and learn what they didn't teach you in school
Savings: $$$
How To Save: Check out The Total Money Makeover, a #1 bestseller and has over 4,000 5 star ratings on Amazon. Figure out the most dangerous money myths and come up with a plan to pay off your debt for good.
17. Go to YouTube to fix things
Savings: $$$
How To Save: A woman recently built her entire house from watching YouTube tutorials, so I'd give fixing things a shot by learning how to do it yourself on YouTube. I fixed my car headlights own my own when I was 18, which was not only free but made me feel so good about myself!
18. Save on travel accommodations
Savings: $1000+
How To Save: Check out Couchsurfing, WorkAway, or HomeExchange.
19. Automate savings
Savings: $$$
How To Save: Automate your savings each week or go biweekly. In your bank account, set up automatic transfers of $100 (or whatever you can do) so that you'll save without even thinking about it or having to manually do it.
20. Cut your color your hair at home
Savings: $1000+
How To Save: I started cutting my hair at home, saving me $80 every 2 months on cuts. I also used to color my hair at salons, which would range from $100-$250 every 3 months. I know salon artists are going to hate me for saying this, so I'll just end this here. #RIPhair
21. See the world as an au pair
Savings: $2,000+
How To Save: See the world as an au pair and save money on accommodations, food, cell phone, and more. Certain families will pay for your own apartment, car, and more. I was in au pair for 2 months and I wouldn't do it again (I rushed it into and found a random family that I didn't mesh well with), however, if you found the right family, I'd highly recommend it.
Read my article on how to be an au pair here.
22. Order pet medications online
Savings: $200+
How To Save: Order pet medications on sites like 1-800 Pet Meds. We have to give our dogs monthly heart guard AND flea medication, which adds up to $50 or so a month at the vet. On 1-800 Pet Meds, the medication is usually $20 cheaper than the vet, which is some serious savings!
23. Watch The Minimalists
Savings: $$$$
How To Save: Watch The Minimalists on Netflix and get your mind out of consumerism. We are living in a society that puts happiness on clothing, cars, bigger houses, and other products. While those things aren't necessarily bad, we are buying it in excess.
24. Start a blog
Savings: $$$
How To Save: Use Siteground, which is rapidly becoming popular bloggers favorite hosting ground. Rates start at only $3.95 a month. You can read my post on how to start a blog here.
Related:
- How I Made $5,047 in August 2017 From Blogging
- 6 Educational Tools That Helped Me Become A Full-Time Blogger
- 5 Things I Did That Exploded My Traffic From Pinterest
25. Wait 24 hours before you make a big purchase
Savings: $$$
How To Save: Don't make impulse purchases, especially on costly items.
26. Compare phone company prices
Savings: $240
How To Save: I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile, got unlimited everything, much better traveling coverage IN 195 countries, and I'm paying $20 less than I was with AT&T. Switch to T-Mobile if you can. Not sponsored, but wish I was. Haha.
27. Cut the alcohol and smoking habit
Savings: $2,400+
How To Save: A weekly $50 alcohol spending habit can amount up to $2,400 a year. Add in the smoking habit of $15 a week, you're looking at a total of $5,280 a year. I quit smoking cold turkey a few years ago and haven't looked back. You CAN and MUST do it, if not for saving money, for your health.
28. Write down your expenses in a budget book
Savings: $$$
How To Save: Writing down what you buy is going to be a serious wake-up call, especially when you see how much you're spending on restaurant outings. Seeing the numbers on paper will motivate you to start cooking more at home and saving money.
Here is an example of a budget planner.
29. Take your own lunch to work
Savings: $2,400
How To Save: Going out to lunch every day can amount to $2,400 a year if you're going out 5 days a week and spending $10. That is a lot of money that could be going into savings. Get a reusable ontainer and start bringing your healthy meals to work.
30. Make your own cleaning products
Savings: $100+
How To Save: Cleaning products can have a lot of dangerous chemicals, which is why I advise making your own not only to save money but to create a safer living environment as well. Here is an awesome list of DIY cleaning sprays.
Cutting your spending is fairly easy once you figure out what you don't need. Not only that, once you start saving, it's addicting. Seriously!
Cut your coffee spending just for the week, and then check your credit card statements. It's quite a relief to know you're not spending $5 a day on liquid that you'll drink in 15 minutes.
Actionable Tips:
- Check out my Free Resource Library to get tons of free printables
- Join my Facebook Community where we share tips related to fitness, health, and more
- Check out my top recommendations for health, finance, and blogging
Related articles to read:
- 16 Real Work From Home Jobs That Pay Up To $75,000 A Year
- 7 Books To Become A Better and Happier You
- Healthiest Foods For A Tight Budget
Do you have other savings tips you can share?
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Maybe I will download gasbuddy again. I remember how extraordinarily helpful it was for me in the past. I love my coffee though. Maybe I will make sure to make it more at home than buying it out.
It’s so helpful!
I love all these tips! I’m a bit further along in life than you (mid 30’s), but I can honestly say that the most effective thing in getting ahead in my finances was getting and staying out of debt! These tips, though none move the needle too much, can all add up to significant savings over time! Keep up the good work!
That’s a great tip! That’s my plan and I’m happy I’m learning things now instead of later.
Excellent tips to save money! I’ll have to give Gas Buddy a try, what a great idea! We also use the Wal-Mart savings catcher. Like Ibotta, we scan our receipts and it checks the prices with other local stores. If something is cheaper, we get back the difference. It’s awesome!
Eat Pray Budget recently posted…Side Hustles: A list to get you started today!
GasBuddy is a must!