Saving money while on a budget can be hard at times. With cash stretched thin as it is, finding a little extra cash to put aside for later use might have never crossed your mind.
To help you with your saving quest, we’ve put together some of the best money-saving tips we’ve heard!
By following these money-saving tips even on the tightest of budgets, it is still possible to put aside a meaningful amount of dough in case of emergency.
Continue on for our top money-saving tips:
1. Take advantage of Customer Reward’s Programs
Sign up for every free reward program that retailers in your area have on offer. It’s recommended that you create a new email address specifically for this to avoid your main email inbox getting filled up with advertisements, and also, so all your deals end up in one convenient place.
2. Make your gifts instead of buying them
The next time you find yourself looking for a gift to buy for someone’s birthday or for the next holiday, consider making it yourself instead of just buying something from the store. Crafting a gift by hand shows the recipient that you really care about them, and offers you a great chance to save some cash! Taking up crafting can also become a fun new hobby, so extra bonus points for that!
3. Seek out a better banking establishment
If you are being charged a monthly or yearly fee by your bank in order for them to hold your assets, consider shopping around for a better bank that offers more incentives to stick with them. Most banks nowadays are offering zero fee accounts and also quite frequently will offer bonus cash just for opening an account!
4. Sell your unwanted collections
If you’re one of those people who fall for the latest fad collectibles and goes all in, consider selling off the old collections that no longer interest you! More times than not, the things people buy with the thought that they’ll appreciate in value with age end up floundering, and all that cash was spent for nought. Sell off your collections sooner rather than later; you’ll likely be glad you did in the long run!
5. Try mending your own clothing
The next time you find yourself with a torn or ripped article of clothing, instead of just tossing it in the bin and replacing it, opt for sewing it up and repairing it yourself! With a little practice, basic clothing repair is a very easy and rewarding hobby to take up when you consider the money you’ll be saving by not having to replace everything!
6. Cook Casseroles in Bulk
When cooking up a nice casserole for your family, next time try tripling or even quadrupling the recipe! For only a small bit of added effort, you can make large amounts of food to freeze and store for quick meal options. By cooking your meals in bulk in this fashion, buying your groceries in bulk becomes much more feasible, which offers up even more cash-saving opportunities!
7. Clean Out Your Closets
Consider this money saving tip: 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, having a yard sale, or even donating 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. Avoid convenience stores and fast food while traveling
The next time you find yourself out on the road and hunger pangs kick in, opt for a healthy snack such as trail mix or nuts instead of stopping at the nearest fast food establishment or convenience store for sustenance.
9. Quit that smoking habit
If you’re one of the millions of people that took up the unfortunate habit of smoking, consider quitting! Smoking cigarettes are not only unhealthy, but the price of a pack really adds up after a while. Quitting smoking is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your health and your wallet!
8. Drink lots of water
Some money saving tips don’t seem so obvious at first: Switch out your expensive soda drinking habit for a healthy water drinking habit! By drinking water, you’ll benefit from the copious health benefits attained through adequate hydration while also saving loads of cash by not having to purchase all those drinks! By drinking water more frequently, you’ll find yourself feeling more satisfied when eating and will not become hungry again so quickly. This all adds up to water being a great choice!
9. Change out your lights with energy efficient LED or CFL bulbs
CFL and LED light bulbs offer up much-improved energy efficiency compared to older light bulbs, and if you haven’t already, it might be the time to consider switching! They’re a bit of an investment up front compared to older bulbs, but you really do get what you pay for; LED and CFL bulbs have vastly improved lifetimes and end up costing a lot less to run.
10. Cancel your old club memberships
If you signed up for a gym membership or country club at one point but found it wasn’t for you or lost interest, then now is the time to cancel! By not taking advantage of the services offered by these clubs, you are only wasting your money. If you cancel and decide later on that you do want to give them another shot, you’ll likely be able to sign back up without any problems.
11. Give used items a shot
Try purchasing used items from time to time instead of always opting for brand new. By looking around thrift stores and the like, you can quite frequently find items you’ve had your heart set on for much lower prices than if you had purchased them new. A lot of the times, these items will be in almost new condition, and some clothing may still even have the tags attached!
12. Clean or change your auto’s air filter
If you don’t already regularly clean or replace your car or truck’s air filter, consider taking up the habit as a part of your car’s regular upkeep. For as meager a price as $10, you can improve your car’s mileage by more than 7%, which can add up to over $100 in savings a year! Who can argue with that?
13. Cancel old, unwanted magazine subscriptions
If you have a growing mound of unread magazines somewhere, then now is the time to go through them and cancel your old subscriptions. These magazines are likely costing you some hard-earned cash that you probably have better uses for.
14. Don’t waste your leftovers
If you do a lot of cooking at home but don’t make use of your leftovers, it’s time for a change! Leftovers are a great chance to have a meal ready later in the week, quickly and cheaply. With a little kitchen wizardry, you can even add to them a bit or re-purpose them into something new entirely!
15. Don’t ignore weekly fliers
The weekly fliers sent out by most grocery stores offer up great opportunities to save a load of cash every month while perhaps introducing you to new ingredients you might not have considered otherwise! Next time you are thinking about taking a trip to the store, skim the flier and try to build your shopping list around what’s on sale. You’ll find you can save a good amount by making this a habit!
16. Compare your grocery store’s prices to competitors
Pay attention to what you are paying currently for regular items the next time you go shopping, and then, consider trying an alternative store later on to see if you really are getting the best deal. You may find you’re overpaying by a considerable amount, and switching to a new grocery store may be to your benefit!
17. Keep your hands clean
Washing your hands after using the restroom is an amazing way to avoid getting sick. Not getting sick so frequently is a great way to save, as you’ll be less likely to miss work and won’t have medical bills to worry about!
18. Prepare and bring your own lunch
Consider preparing and bringing your own lunch to school or work from now on. Going out to eat every day adds up fast, and it’s unlikely you’re eating very nutritiously by doing so! By preparing your meals at home, you’ll likely end up saving quite a bit and may also end up losing a few pounds as an added bonus!
19. Try repairing things yourself
There are so many great resources available to us on the internet nowadays that not giving DIY repair a shot when your stuff breaks is a real missed opportunity. With a little research and patience, you may find that you can fix a lot of things you thought were beyond repair, and, you’ll likely save a lot of dough in the long run by not having to take your items in for repair.
24. Try the generic or store brand
Instead of instinctively opting for the name brand on common everyday items, give the generic or store brands a go the next time you’re out shopping. You’ll find that, most of the time, these items are just as good as the name brand, and a lot of the time, they’re actually identical, save for the packaging and marketing materials!
25. Prepare home-cooked meals
If you happen to be one of the millions of people who regularly eat out instead of preparing and eating meals at home, consider changing things up and eating at home more frequently! Cooking and eating your own food at home offers up a real cost-saving opportunity, and you’ll likely end up eating more nutritiously to boot. This is not only one of the best money-saving tips, but life tips as well!
Even on a tight budget, cutting down on costs can be easy simply by following some of these great money saving tips. Consider slowly adopting just a few of these money saving tips, and, over time, your savings will grow!
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