Wanting to learn how to save money is an admirable endeavor. But with so much going on in our lives, it can be hard to pinpoint money-saving opportunities. Learning how to save money does not have to be difficult though! It’s a good idea for everyone to have a little cash set aside in the form of an emergency fund in case tougher times come upon you.
To help you with your cost-saving journey, we’ve brought together some great tips on how to save money!
31 Ways You Can Save Money When You’re on a Tight Budget
Read on to learn more about how to save money today:
1. Shop Around For a More Competitive Bank
If your current banking establishment is charging you a monthly or yearly fee, it would be to your benefit to shop around and try to find some better offers. Many banks these days offer accounts with zero fees and quite a few also offer bonuses for signing up with them!
2. Sell Off Your Collectibles
If you fancy yourself a collector, it may be time to rethink this. Throughout the years, different products have come along that many assumed with appreciate in value with age. Years later, the value of many of these objects has only dropped. Avoid jumping on the next fad that comes along and try to sell any of your old “collectibles”.
3. Sign Up For Customer Rewards Programs
Create a separate email address and sign up for every free reward program that is offered by retailers in your area. This way, your main email does not get spammed with unwanted emails, while you can still benefit from the deals offered to members when you need to!
4. Instead of Buying Gifts, Make Them
For the next birthday or holiday on your calendar, consider crafting your own gift to give out instead of purchasing something from a store. A handmade gift shows you really care and can be seen as much more thoughtful. Crafting something by hand can also be fun and is a great hobby!
5. Try Repairing Damaged Clothing
The next time a piece of clothing becomes ripped or torn, or you happen to lose a button, consider repairing the garment instead of just trashing it and buying a new one. Most basic clothing repairs can be done by anyone with a little research and practice, and is a great way to save money!
6. Children Can Be Entertained For Cheap!
It may be tempting to go all out and spend big bucks on your child in order to give them the time of their lives but it is actually fairly easy to entertain a child for very cheap. Arts & crafts, sports, or riding a bike are all cheap and easily accessible activities for you and your child, and have the added benefits of being either creative endeavours or ones that can increase their physical fitness!
7. Clean Out Your Closets
Dig through all of your closets and get rid of everything you no longer wear. Don’t just trash it though, consider selling it on Craigslist or eBay, have a yard sale, or even donate it for a tax deduction.
Selling your old, unused clothing is a great way to make a little extra cash while also getting rid of unwanted clutter!
8. Start Drinking More Water!
By drinking more water, not only will you save money by not having to buy more expensive beverages such as soda or juice, but you’ll also reap various health benefits as well! An added bonus of drinking more water is that you’ll likely stay fuller, longer, and will likely end up eating less during meals. All this adds up to some great cost cutting!
9. Avoid Fast Food and Convenience Stores
Instead of stopping at the nearest convenience store or fast food joint when hunger strikes, consider stocking up on simple, cheap, and healthy replacements to take along with you to snack on instead. Taking a little time out of your day, once a week is all it takes to prepare yourself for a whole week of snacking on the cheap!
10. Stop Smoking!
If you happen to be a smoker, you likely know that the habit is not only unhealthy but can also be quite expensive. Consider, if you haven’t already, trying to quit or cut down on the habit. Your lungs, wallet, and family will all likely be better off!
11. Double Up Your Next Casserole!
The next time you find yourself making a casserole, consider doubling or even quadrupling it! You can eat one right away and then freeze the others for quick and convenient meals later on. By preparing multiple meals at once like this, you can also take advantage of buying in bulk, which increases the cost savings!
12. Turn Off The Lights!
You might not think anything of leaving the lights on. It can’t really make that much of a difference in my utility bill, can it? Yes, it does add up after a while! If you aren’t using a light, try to make it a habit to turn it off. Over time, the savings will add up!
13. Yard Sale Smartly
Yard sales can be a great opportunity to find great deals on items you’ve been needing such as shoes, clothes, housewares, and tools. The trick to truly taking advantage of these saving is to limit yourself to only purchasing things that you actually need and not being suckered in by low prices and the idea of a “good deal”.
14. Switch Out Old Light Bulbs With LEDs or CFLs
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to replace your old light bulbs with energy-efficient CFL or LED light bulbs. They cost a little more upfront, but they last much much longer than older bulbs and use a great deal less electricity over their lifetime.
15. Try a Programmable Thermostat
Consider installing a programmable thermostat in your home or apartment if you haven’t already. Being able to schedule when your home is heated or cooled in order to cut costs when you aren’t around is a great technique that’ll keep more cash in your pocket!
16. Change Our Clean Your Auto’s Air Filter
New air filters for your car can cost as little as $10 so you should make it part cleaning or replacing it a regular part of your car’s maintenance routine. A clean filter can improve your mileage by up to 7%, which can save you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles driven!
17. Build Your Shopping List Around Weekly Flyers
Before you head out on your next shopping trip, take a little at your grocery store’s weekly flyer and build your shopping list and week’s meal plan around what’s on sale. Making this a habit is a great way to save money every month and you’ll likely start branching out and trying things you might not have otherwise!
18. Compare Prices and Consider Switching Stores
Try to keep track of the prices of your regular purchases and compare them to what other grocery stores are charging. You may find you’re missing out on some real cost-cutting opportunities by not shopping somewhere else! Take note of what store has the best deals on the majority of your regular purchases and consider making the switch!
19. Avoid Buying As a Means of Stress Relief
For many of us, in times of stress, spending a little money can be just the thing we needed to offer us a bit of relief. It might be time to consider what else you might be able to do to wind down instead of spending money needlessly on things you don’t need. Other options such as exercise, reading, watching a movie, doing some yard work, or even taking a nap all have their benefits. Besides, they will also be much cheaper in the long run!
20. Cancel Underutilized Club Memberships
If you’re paying fees for club memberships that you hardly use, such as a country club or gym membership, now might be the time to consider canceling it! You’ll always have the chance of renewing later if you do decide you want to partake, but in the meantime, while you aren’t utilizing the service it is just needlessly costing you money!
21. Trying Buying Used Items
Buying used items is a great way to save yourself a load of cash! It’s not uncommon that you find an item you’ve had your eye on at a much lower price with a little bit of digging at consignment shops, used equipment stores, or used game stores. Many of these items are still in perfectly usable order, and it’s not uncommon to find clothing items ridiculously cheap that may have only been worn once!
22. Wash Your Hands!
Making it a habit to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom is a great way to keep yourself from becoming sick, which can save money on medical bills and potential time out of work!
23. Do Your Holiday Shopping a Few Days After the Holiday
Try waiting a day or two after a holiday and then go shopping for next year’s decorations. Most items can be found at steep markdown prices! This is a great way to save money on items that only get used once a year anyway!
24. Try Generic or Store Brand Items
Consider giving the store brand or generic brand a shot on items that you find yourself buying frequently. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that it is of similar or sometimes better quality to the name-brand item you had been using previously! A lot of the time, the difference between store and name brand items is in the labels only and you’re actually purchasing functionally the same item!
25. Cook at Home
If you’re like the many nowadays, you probably find yourself eating out more than at home on a given week. Try cooking more meals at home. Over time, your cooking will improve and so likely will your health! Preparing and eating meals at home is a great way to save a load of money while affording you the opportunity to eat healthier foods!
26. Avoid Wandering Around the Mall
Try to avoid going to the mall if at all possible. It may be fun to window shop and people watch, but all too often temptation strikes and you find yourself with a shopping bag full of items you didn’t really want or need! Avoiding the mall is a great way to avoid this situation. Try to find something else to do with your time. Go to the movies, take a hike, or join a local sports team.
27. Cancel Unread Magazine Subscriptions
Though not as common these days, magazine subscriptions still find their way to many people’s doors, and usually don’t get much attention past that. If you find yourself with a stack of unread magazines piling up in the corner somewhere, canceling your subscription is likely a good idea.
28. Eat Your Leftovers
It’s not uncommon for people to turn up their noses at the thought of eating leftovers. This could not be a bigger mistake, however! Leftovers offer you a great opportunity to eat for cheap, and with a little creative modification, they can be made into new dishes entirely!
29. Bring Your Lunch From Home
Going out for lunch every day while at work or school can add up to a lot of money spent every week! Preparing and bringing your own lunch from home is an awesome way to save a boatload of money. Plus, you give yourself the chance to eat healthier foods!
30. Try Repairing Things Yourself
With the internet readily available and great resources such as YouTube available, small repairs and fixes are easily done by yourself. There are many tutorials and videos available online that can show you how to fix pretty much anything. You will likely find the prices much cheaper than the price of a replacement or a repair shop fee!
31. Maintain Proper Tire inflation
Keep your vehicle’s tires properly inflated! For every two PSI of pressure below the level recommended for your model. In fact, you may lose 1% of your gas mileage. With most cars running on tires five to 10 PSI below what they should be, properly inflating your times can net you a 5% improvement in your auto’s gas mileage!
With so many cost-saving opportunities available, being able to save money is made easy. After learning how to save money, you’ll be able to better prepare yourself in case of an unforeseen emergency.
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