Saving money can be hard, but there are some easy tricks and habits that you can use to make it a little easier and save a little more. Below are 10 of my favorite ways to save money.
Stay busy
This is the single biggest piece of advice I have for saving money. Most people have spent a ton of money on things that they didn’t really need, just because they were bored. Sometimes we think we’ll just go shopping because we don’t have any other plans for the afternoon. Or we scroll through shopping apps on our phone when we are bored and buy the things we like when we see them. So to save money, instead of filling your down time with shopping, fill it with other activities that you enjoy. This could be reading, hiking, or having friends over for a game night. My favorite swap has been to read a book on my phone when I would have opened a shopping app. By spending more time on things other than shopping, you will not only save money, but also add extra experiences to your life.
Go to your library and download their app if they have one
I did this about 6 months ago for the first time since I was a child… And I have been loving it! My local library has physical books as well as an app called Libby that allows you to access thousands of digital books and audio books. I like to use a mix of physical books, digital books, and audio books personally. There is something comforting about a physical book that can’t be beat online, but having the digital items allows you amazing portability. The point of this tip is again to keep you busy, and to give you access to many reading materials without having to pay anything for them.
Limit streaming services
We have a rule in our house, one streaming service at a time. If you have multiple streaming services, it can cost you a ton per month. Many families opt to not have any streaming services at all but we like the convenience of it around here. So what we do it have one at a time. And when we decide the things we want are on a different streaming service, we cancel our current subscription (finishing out the month), and then when that is complete we start up the streaming service that we do want.
Take care of the items you own
The better you take care of the items you own, the longer they will last. So you spend less money replacing things if you take care of them. This includes laundry, dishes, and especially cars. One of my family members is notorious for not taking care of their car. No oil changes or anything. And they have had to spend a lot more because their cars give out. Ultimately spending a little more taking care of an item will be worth it in the long run when they last much longer.
Use the one out, then one in rule
Similar to the one in, one out rule but the difference is that one thing has to need replacing and “go out” before you bring another thing in to replace it. This is challenging but works especially well for your closet and for beauty products. The idea is to only buy new products when one of your old ones needs to be retired or is used up. So if one of your shirts gets a hole in it or becomes too small, replace it with a new one. But don’t buy more than what would replace what you had. I have been following this for the past 8 months or so and have really noticed a difference in how much I spend on these kinds of products. And when you do buy something, having this rule in place greatly reduces guilt you may feel over spending money on something.
Use the 48 hour rule
You can use this either in place of the previous tip, along side it, or on different kinds of items. The idea for this one is that when you want to buy something, put in on a list for a set amount of time before buying it. When that time is up you can decide if you really do want to buy it. Some people prefer 24 hours, but for me 48 has been more helpful because it has allowed me more time for perspective to enter in and help me decide if I really do need / want it.
Track your spending
Ultimately you won’t know where your money is going if you don’t keep track of your spending. So taking the time to write down every purchase you make over one month can be really enlightening and help you to know where to focus on your money saving journey.
Use a grocery list
This one has helped us to save both a lot of money and a lot of time. Even just sitting down for 10 minutes before your shopping trip to list all of the items you need at the store before you go can make a big difference. This allows you to go directly to each item you need without having to brose through the whole store. Skipping the sections you don’t need to be in helps to prevent you from making impulse purchases because you don’t see the other items. Also, having a list makes it much less likely that you will forget something that would have otherwise required a whole other trip to the store later in the week.
Make freezer meals
Sometimes life gets busy and cooking a full dinner is just not in the cards. When this happens it is natural to turn to takeout just to feed your family and enjoy the convenience. But this can add up super fast if it happens a lot. As an alternative you can cook large dinners at home some nights, and then freeze half of it to use for a different night when you will be too tired or busy to cook.
Do more outdoorsy and at home activities and dates
People can spend a lot of money on activities and dates. Sometimes it is nice to treat yourself and your significant other with a big night out at a movie, restaurant, or other more expensive activity. But it is good also to mix it up with some fun outdoorsy and at home dates. Some of our favorites are hiking, picnics, and ice cream and movie nights. These are generally much less expensive but can be just as enjoyable. Dating is generally more fun when you have a large variety of experiences together anyways.
So there ya go, 10 of my personal favorite easy ways to save money. Even just picking one or two to focus on can help you save a significant amount of money over time, it’s all about finding what works for you.
