Life is expensive! It seems like just about everything costs more money than it should and before you know it, your whole paycheck is gone! If you want to find ways to save and reclaim more of your monthly check, then this is the article for you. Below, you'll find out how to save lots of money in all sorts of areas of your life by cutting excess and finding shortcuts. Get started with Step 1 below to learn how.
Steps
Eating for Cheap
Cook from scratch. Cooking food from scratch and eating healthy is a great way to save money on food. Not only is it better for your health, but it will save you a significant amount of money. Buy raw ingredients (like vegetables, noodles, chicken breast, and dried beans/rice) and make meals from those ingredients, instead of the stuff from a box. You’ll be able to make much more food for much less money.
If you’re already eating overly-large portions of food, then cutting down to a healthy amount can also save you money. The calorie estimate of 2000/day is too high for many people, who tend to be inactive. Count the calories in your meals and see if you’re eating too much.
Save leftovers. Don’t throw away food. This is wasteful not only because people are going hungry in some other corner of the world, but also because it wastes your money. Either cook less food to begin with or eat the leftovers for your next meal.
Increase the spice level in your food; this may help to improve your satisfaction and reduce overall consumption. Rosemary, celery salt, and oregano are all effective, versatile spices.
Shop with a list. Making a list of the food items you need and only buy the items on that list. Your grocery bill can double or triple if you’re getting extra items that sound nice but are really just extras. Make a menu, preferably one that uses ingredients and food that doesn’t spoil easily, and then only buy the items that you need to meet that menu.
Cut down on how much you eat-out. We waste more money than we think on eating-out. McDonalds, food trucks, restaurants, late night splurges — they all add up! Make your own lunch and go out for meals less often in order to save major cash.
Use coupons. It seems like the “grandma” thing to do, but your grandma probably knew a lot about saving money on food. If you’re smart in how you use coupons, then you can save a huge amount of money. Buy foods that you were going to buy anyway, foods that can be stocked u or tailor your weekly meals to what’s on sale or in season in order to save money.
You can get coupons by picking up the store’s weekly flyer at the entrance, by getting a newspaper (a Sunday edition should be plenty), or you can often find coupons online, usually on the store or brand’s website.
Don’t buy items that you won’t eat just because “it’s a good deal”. Plan out what you would normally eat, and then try to find a coupon for it. That way you’re not buying something you ordinarily would have never bought just because you have a coupon for it.
Buy in bulk. Buying items that don’t spoil quickly in bulk is a great way to save money. Items like this include pasta, canned items, dry boxed goods, common spices, cooking oils, frozen foods, and household items like toilet paper and paper towels. You can buy these items in bulk from wholesale stores like Costco.
Split a membership with a friend. These wholesale stores usually have a small membership fee. Usually this more than pays for itself, but you can save even more money by splitting a membership with a friend and always doing your shopping together. You can even split up some of the items, to make bigger sets of foods easier to get through.
Compare unit prices. When you buy groceries, look at the unit prices listed on the shelf tag, if the unit price is provided. This can help you cut through the confusion of different sizes and prices, and buy the cheapest brand for the product you need.
Of course, you should also take quality into account. If one brand is a little more expensive, but a quick peek at the nutrition info shows it’s got much more nutrients, then you should consider getting the healthier item.
Take advantage of food programs in your area. If you are low income, you shouldn’t feel bad about taking part in food programs for your area. That’s what they’re there for. Food programs aren’t limited to soup kitchens either, so don’t feel like you’re not the target demographic. Churches, food banks, and government services like food stamps can help you meet your monthly budget and still not have to go to bed hungry. Often all that is required is falling below a certain income level, which is often higher than you’d think.
Contact your local Department of Social Services or talk to a local church about finding places and services to get help.
Saving on Housing
Try moving to a cheaper neighborhood or city. Most people spend 30-50% of their monthly expenditures on housing costs. Now, in many cases if you move to a cheaper neighborhood, you can spend 50% less on that housing cost. With one simple move, you’ve reclaimed a quarter of your monthly expenses. It isn’t the easiest thing to do but moving even just a few blocks away could save you a lot of money. And of course, if you have the option to move to the outskirts of a major city or even move to a cheaper part of the country, you can save yourself a ton of money. This goes whether you have a house or you rent, with your housing costs often getting cut as much as 50% or more.
Use free online services like this calculator to find out how much you’d save by moving to a different city.
You can also look up the general prices of different neighborhoods using websites like Zillow (which will also helpfully tell you if you’re paying too much for the area you live in now).
Find affordable housing help in your area. If you’re struggling to find housing that you can afford in your area, you might find that there are lots of services to get you help. These services will either find you housing, find you specialized housing at a lower than normal price, or provide you with other advice depending on your situation.
Try your local Department of Social Services to get help finding a local affordable housing group.
Negotiate with your landlord. If you rent, you may not know it but it might be possible to negotiate with your landlord to get a cheaper rent price. This is especially true with private landlords, rather than big rental companies. Often, if you have a good rental history and are a good neighbor, this might be all the incentive they need for a small decrease (since they never know what kind of trouble a new person might be).[1]
Trade work for rent. Another option may be to trade work for rent. If you maintain the grounds, vacuum halls, or provide other services for the building that saves them money, then they may be willing to cut your rent price a bit.
Sign a longer lease if you’re willing or wanting to stay put. If you like the apartment you’re looking to rent, ask to sign a longer lease (2 years instead of 1, for example). This can save you from a rent hike at the end of your lease, saving you potentially thousands of dollars over the course of a year. Of course, this means you can’t leave if the place turns out to be bad or you have to move for work, so you’ll want to be confident of your plans for the next several years before taking this step.
Be smart about owning a home. If you do decide to buy your home, be smart about it. There are lots of ways to save money when buying a house but you can also save money once you own a home. There are the obvious options for saving money with a house, like renting a room or renting out your basement, but there are also less obvious options:
Buy bank-owned property when you purchase a home. These homes have usually been foreclosed and the bank doesn’t want to just hold on to them, so they’ll often be sold for much, much less than they’re worth. There are also government programs which help first time homebuyers purchase these types of properties. Try HomePath, HUD, and other similar services to find a home that you can afford.
Refinance your loans if you’ve had your home for a few years, since you might be able to get your loans at a much better interest rate (saving you thousands of dollars over several years). Just make sure that when you refinance, that you keep the number of years left on your mortgage either the same or decrease them.
You can also consider alternative housing styles, like tiny houses, before purchasing a home. These homes may be micro in space, but they’ll also be micro on the wallet. The most popular company, Tumbleweed, allows you to pay around $6,000 for a down payment and you’ll have monthly payments of less than $500 a month. Within a few years you’ll own your own home outright, at half the cost of a normal mortgage payment!
Saving on Bills
Find ways to insulate your home or apartment. If you live in a cold area, you might be paying a lot more money for heating than you really have to. By properly insulating your home, you’ll save a lot of money on gas or power used to run heaters and those hot showers you use to thaw yourself out.
A cheap, easy way to better insulate your home is to get thick curtains which can be closed in order to keep heat in your home overnight and on the coldest days. Caulking gaps in windows and placing a blanket at the base of a door can also save you money by keeping cold air out and warm air in.
If you have the money up front, you can also replace heating appliances, windows, doors, insulation, and other parts of your house that can hold more heat in.
Reduce how much you use your appliances. Major appliances take up a ton of electricity to run and using them irresponsibly can add a lot to your monthly bills. Don’t leave refrigerator doors open while you decide what to cook for dinner. Don’t use the big stove burner when you really need the small one. Don’t run your dishwasher just to wash 6 plates. Things like this can really add up.
Switching to more efficient appliances can also help a lot but this means some upfront costs for replacement. Energy Star appliances will run more efficiently, but you can also find a number of other “green” alternatives.
Limit the time you spend using electronics. If you find you spend a ton of time watching a big screen TV, using a computer, or actively running other large electronic devices, you might be able to save yourself some money on your next electricity bill by spending less time doing those activities.
You can also save money by not doing more than one of these activities at one time! For example, you don’t need to be “watching” TV while you play a computer game.
Unplug electronics when you're not using them. Even when you’re not using them, some electronics may secretly still be using power, as long as they’re still plugged in. These are called phantom charges. Cut down on these charges by unplugging every device that you can when you’re done using it.
This may also be safer, under some circumstances (such as if you have a pet that loves to chew cords).
Become energy independent. Of course, you can say goodbye to energy bills altogether if you make some lifestyle adjustments and get your own source of electricity! Solar panels, for example, are cheaper than they’ve ever been. Set up your house with these solar panels and you might even get money from your power company, if you produce more than you use!
This is also great because you’ll still have power even when everyone else loses power. You don’t need to have a ton of sunlight in your area either. Solar panels are extremely popular in Germany, for example, which sees less sun per year than Seattle (which is known for its 200+ rainy days per year).
A single panel can cost as little as $400-500, so if you get your power usage down through a few lifestyle changes, you can power a small home with less than $5000 worth of equipment. Installing a larger system, if done in a way that saves as much money as possible, costs around $10,000.
Having Fun for Less Money
Take advantage of free community resources. You might not realize just how many cheap and free events your city puts together. It isn’t all stuff for old people and kids, either. Check with your city Parks and Recreation department or your city’s official events calendar to find activities that might be fun for you and your friends.
You might find, for example, that your local public pool shows a recently-released movie for $2 every Friday night or that there’ll be a free music festival in the park next weekend. Donation-based yoga classes can be found in some areas, most cities will do free art exhibits a couple of times a year, museums often have a free night every month, and so on. There’s a lot to do in your area!
Find ways to have fun that last longer than one night. Board games are actually a great way to have fun while spending as little money as possible. These usually cost $25-35 up front, but then you get to play them for free for years to come. Picking up some real classics that never grow old is a great way to have fun with your friends without spending a dime.
Try the classic games (Life, Monopoly, Sorry) but also consider all of the great games that have come out or become popular in the last few years. Apples to Apples, Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride are just as fun as the classics.
Cards Against Humanity is the true money-saver’s option. This naughty game is free (and legal) to print out yourself at home, meaning it only costs what you pay for ink and paper. While it’s only advisable for teens and adults, it is a super fun game that will have you declaring “I am a terrible person” while you laugh until your sides split.
Read more. Don’t punish books just because your high school English teacher made you read Shakespeare. If you find yourself getting spoiled every week for Game of Thrones because your book-reading friends can’t keep their mouths shut, there’s a simple solution to that problem! Reading is fun, cheap-to-free (unlike going to clubs and movies), and a great way to spend your time in a way that will leave you feeling fulfilled.
There are lots of really great books out there for every taste. Start with the culturally easy options, like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones if you’ve been taking a long break from the literary world.
Getting yourself a library card means that this hobby can be free or very close to it. There are also other options for cheap books, like used bookstores and used books on Amazon. With your library card, you may be able to access a library's digital e-book collection for free, just by being a member.
Make a movie theater at home. Instead of buying expensive DVDs and Blu-Rays, start a small movie theater in your living room for your friends or family. Get everyone to chip in 50 cents or a dollar and then put together a big party, complete with popcorn and games, where you watch the movie you bought with the funds. You get a free or cheap movie out of the deal and you get to have fun with your friends!
Make a business of shopping and crafting. Small transactions can make you more money than you’d think. One teen bought herself a house with money earned through fixing up and reselling items she got for cheap or free off the side of the road, Craigslist, and dumpsters. [2] Find items for free or cheap and then sell them for small amounts at flea markets and on Craigslist, and you’ll not only have a fun hobby on your hands: you’ll also be making money.
Travel for cheap. Traveling internationally (and even nationally) doesn’t have to be something so expensive that only rich people do it. You can send yourself on an international adventure and let those experiences enrich your life for years to come. There are lots of areas where you can cut expenses, making traveling cheaper than you ever thought possible.
Carefully choose where you stay. You don’t need to stay at a hotel when you travel. This can often cost loads more money than other options. Instead, rent out an apartment or house directly from the owner (VBRO is a common place to make these arrangements). In places like Paris, a studio apartment can rent for a week what it costs to stay in a hotel for just one night.
Travel on your own or with a buddy but skip on tours and cruises. Cruises and tours will quickly jack up the prices of what a trip would normally cost. Skip the carefully curated experience in favor of researching and planning your own. Planning can even be a part of the experience, giving you something fun to work on that’s straight-up free.
Carefully choose when you travel and buy tickets. Traveling in the off-season is, of course, going to make a huge difference in the prices. But did you also know that you can save a ton of cash by buying your tickets in the “off-season” too? Buy tickets 4-6 months in advance for international flights. This will be hitting the sweet spot when airlines first announce their sales and before tickets increase in price as they start to sell out.
Travel off the beaten path. Tourist cities will usually be expensive but you can get by on just a few dollars a day in rural areas. This kind of travel experience will also offer more “adventure” and actual experience than just going from landmark to landmark. Consider going outside of the normal tourist cities in order to save some major cash.
Making Good Choices
Prioritize your expenses. Think about what you spend money on each month and the reconsider how much you really need it. Whether the expense is small or large, cutting any unneeded expense can save you a lot of money over the course of a year. [3]We tend to think, because of the constant media bombardment that we get, that we need more things that we really do. Try to consider alternative ways that you can do the same task, and try to think about what’s more important to you: making a lifestyle change and saving money or staying the way you are and struggling to find the money.
Considering cutting items like your big or expensive cell-phone plan or cable tv subscription. Lots of subscriptions actually end up being big money pits (think about all those magazines you don’t really read). Finding alternative ways to get the same services can save you lots of money and it’s not that hard.
Netflix and Hulu+ easily give you just as much entertainment as those 300 channels you don’t want but pay for anyway. A pay-per-minute cell plan and a little self restraint can save you money on that monthly bill. You can also do things like making your own Starbucks, which is usually just regular coffee with more cream and sugar than you give it credit for having (you can buy the ingredients for a week’s worth of coffee for the same price as one cup at the store).
Make a budget. Making a budget can be a great way to help you control your monthly income and expenses, helping you identify ways to save money and cut unnecessary expenses. When you can see exactly where your money goes, you can easily learn to control it and find places to save.[4] Find areas where you can spend less money and areas where you don’t think you should be spending money at all.
Use services like Google Spreadsheets to make a budget (you can find templates on Google’s site).
Stop impulse buys. Impulse buys, which usually break with your monthly budget, are an easy way to lose way more money than you’d think. Never buy anything on impulse until you get your spending under control.
Give yourself incentive to save by saving an amount equal to what you spend on each impulse or luxury purchase. This will make the item “cost” more, which will help you realize if it’s really that important to you.
Be smart in how you use credit. Take a healthier approach to credit by having as few credit cards as possible and significantly cutting down the amount on those cards. You waste a lot of money by paying interest. Getting rid of them altogether is the best option for many people.
If you want to have the card to maintain a good credit score or build one to begin with, make sure to immediately pay the balance on the card and to only use it for small transactions.[5]
Find cheaper methods of transportation. Cars are expensive. By radically changing how you get around, you can save yourself lots of money. Of course, this is really tough if you’re in a rural area, but you should still have some options for skipping on the car. There are even alternative options for if you really want to keep your car.
The easiest way is to use public transportation. It may take you longer to get where you want to go, but you can use that time to drink your morning coffee, read the news, and check your email. A monthly bus pass is usually significantly cheaper than a tank of gas alone, never mind things like insurance and car payments.
Try biking to get where you want to go. You can even blend this option with the previous one, biking one way and bussing back (or vise versa). This gets you exercise and saves you money on gas, insurance, and monthly car payments.
If you really want to keep that car, consider getting an electric car or trading your car in for one that is smaller or that you can afford outright. These can save you money on gas, insurance, or monthly payments.
Find work that saves you money. You might be able to shift your career or, if not, you can pick up side “jobs” that help cover your normal expenses. Some jobs come with extra benefits and some jobs will actually pay you do to do something you were going to do anyway. Doubling up activities that make money and save money is a great way to live cheaply, especially if those activities are time efficient. You can take jobs like:
Work in food prep to save on food. Chefs and food workers can often take home leftovers or ingredients that are about to spoil, saving you money on groceries. Comped meals are also often included.
House sit consistently instead of renting. If you get a house sitting business going, to where you spend no more than a few days out of a month not actively house sitting, then you can skip on having to rent altogether. It’s not a great long-term solution but for a couple of summer months of saving, it can work great.
Be a mystery shopper. This means that someone gives you some money to spend on buying a product, in exchange for a review of the service. If you end up buying products that you were going to need anyway, this can help you save money, without taking too much of your time. Find a credible mystery shopper service to get jobs like this.
Walk dogs. Set up a side job as a dog walker. This doesn’t make a ton of money, but walking several miles a day/week can give you enough exercise to skip the gym membership. This can put you $200 or more towards the black each month.
Video
Tips
Learn to separate "needs" from "wants". Ask yourself if you really need this item...and if you're not sure, wait. If you catch yourself thinking, "But I deserve this!" be very wary — that's a tactic advertising agencies use. Don't be brainwashed into buying. Deserving something doesn't necessarily mean that you can't do without it, right?
Do it yourself. While many services require a professional in that field or a licensed contractor, there are many tasks that can be performed at no cost by you (or by your family members): lawn care, car washing and maintenance, etc. Yes, it may take a bit longer, but, if anyone can do it, you can! Exercise is the added bonus!
Go to the grocery store instead of a restaurant. You will not only save money but you can maintain a healthier diet as well. Better, grow it yourself!
Learn to make nourishing soups. They can go to work with you, lunch with nice crackers, thick soups (stews) and a salad a few times a week.
Generic Brands — Consider buying an alternative that may be cheaper or eliminating that item if it is not necessary. The brands that are directly in front of you on a store shelf are the most costly: reach up or stoop down for the cheaper store brands.
Include savings in your budget. That way, a portion of your earnings is already going to investments or a rainy day fund. Also try the monthly investment or savings plans offered by several employers that deduct money from your paychecks and send it to savings accounts or investments automatically.
Make a realistic budget, one that you can meet without starving yourself or depriving yourself of necessary things. Being a miser like Scrooge doesn't work in the real world; you'll soon find yourself in the hospital because you did not eat for a day or because you were too cheap to have that leaking pipe fixed.
Use the barter system. Do you have a friend who can repair your car? Offer to do something for them in return (like paint their kitchen). Your time and talents are valuable assets.
Free-cycle. Many communities have websites or other systems for offering/receiving household items, clothing, etc. at no cost. This is a win-win for everyone: you receive an item, someone else no longer has to deal with it, and it stays out of the landfill.
Hang laundry on a clothes line if the weather allows it. You'll save electricity (and/or gas) and your clothes and linens will smell better! You can also hang laundry indoors if you have the space.
Cut down on smoking...or, quit altogether! Buying cigarettes really adds up. Why pay someone to ruin your health? But that's easier said than done when you have an addiction. Why not buy tobacco and roll your own — much cheaper!
Consider cutting alcohol too. Better yet, quit alcohol and smoking all together. It might be why you're in this mess in the first place.
Use a free credit card that gives you a percentage back for all purchases. Most important!!! PAY OFF THE BALANCE every month. You get 30 days grace period to pay off balances as well as the 1-3% back and an itemized list of expenditures each month.
Try having a Buy Nothing Day once a week. This helps to reveal ways that you are spending on little things which you may not have noticed before.
Use your public library! Many allow you to request materials online; they'll e-mail you when the item arrives, and hold it under your name. However, make sure you return them on time! Often late fees for DVDs are very high. Always write due dates in your planner, and some libraries can give you email reminders if you sign up for them. You might also look at switchplanet.com to trade DVDs you own for ones you want. It's free, so all you pay is postage for the DVDs you mail out.
Avoid lemons: always consult Consumer Reports for unbiased ratings of hundreds of products, especially for big ticket items (new and used cars, appliances, computers...). Available free at your library, or with a subscription.
Re-use items that you would normally throw away. Like for example, leftover food (not meat!) can be used for compost, and empty cereal bags can be used as a bag or a sandwich bag. Grocery bags can serve as trash-can liners.
Use Paperbackswap.com where you can trade books instead of buying them. Books that are already read tend to accumulate dust and occupy space, and, they are rarely accounted for by their owners.
Keep a coin can or piggy bank. Toss in loose change and when the bank is full, take it to the bank, and deposit the "free" money.
Consider cutting up your credit cards! Is is simply too easy to get into debt you can't get out of, with them. If you do use credit cards, think of them the same as cash. Don't charge something if you don't have enough money in the bank to pay it off when the bill comes.
Shop at thrift stores and resale shops - many of these support charities. To save even more money, look for specials such as "All coats 1/2 price on Tuesdays" or "Everything with a pink tag..." etc. But don't buy something because it is on sale or priced at a bargain. It is only a bargain for you if it is something you were planning to buy anyway.
Warnings
Avoid the seduction of sales. "50% off" is only a bargain if you really needed the item. Remember: if you don't buy it, you get 100% off! Think again: who really profited: you, who spent money for something, or the vendor, who gained "50%" of money you could have chosen to not spend instead.
The easiest way to lose money is by nickels & dimes. Be wary of small, repetitive purchases (Starbucks, fast food, cell phone calls, cable bills...).
Don't let up on your budget. If someone wants you to go out and spend $50 doing it, ask yourself if you will regret spending the money.
If you have children to care for, try not to deprive them of a childhood with cheap spending; just save a little money here and there if you feel it won't make a major difference. Know that even if your children complain about your money saving ways, they'll appreciate them later when they move out on their own!
Don't get discouraged. Remember that if you stick to your plan and try hard enough, you will be able to save up money, or at least spend significantly less than before.
If you stick to your budget and allow for miscellaneous expenditures, you will have extra cash left over to spend on the random entertainment activities that come up or other things you want to buy.
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Sources and Citations
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