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Saving money doesn’t have to be hard. There are many steps you can take to save money today that are simple and won’t leave you feeling like you are missing out.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to make huge changes to save money but the truth is that small sustainable changes can make a big difference without having to completely disrupt your life.
You aren’t going to find the Dave Ramsey style advice of “if you’re working on paying off debt, the only time you should see the inside of a restaurant is if you’re working there.”
Saving money and paying off debt shouldn’t be something that makes you feel completely deprived of everything you enjoy. That often just sets you up for failure.
Instead let’s talk about some changes you can make today that seem small but will have you saving money day after day.
Easy Ways to Save Money TODAY!
Create a Budget and Stick to It
Having a budget may seem simple but it’s still something so many people overlook. It’s important before you start trying to save to know where your money is going and have a plan.
There are a lot of budgeting methods out there so if budgeting hasn’t worked for you in this past try something new this time. Maybe something like the 50/30/20 budget. Or just get my budget planner to fill out and create your own system.
Eat Your Leftovers
Some of you don’t want to hear this but eating your leftovers is a great way to cut down on food costs. You don’t have to eat them as is, you can take your leftovers and make something new out of them.
If you really hate leftovers considering starting to meal plan more and make sure to make only what you plan on eating whenever possible.
Cancel Unused Subscriptions
Everything is a subscription service these days! It’s important to keep track of which ones you have and if any are duplicates.
My husband and I found that with our Instacart subscription we could get Peacock for free so we canceled our subscription and resubscribed through Instacart. So be sure to watch for things like this and check that you can’t get services for free with other services you are already paying for.
Another thing my husband and I do is rotate streaming services. We were finding we simply couldn’t watch all the ones we have so now we keep a few for a while and when there are a few things we want to watch on another one we cancel one and subscribe to the other one for a while. Sometimes companies will even offer special deals to get you to come back.
Use Cashback Apps
Cashback apps are a great way to save on things you are already buying. There are dozens out there but I want to highlight some of my favorites.
- Shopkicks: With Shopkicks you earn “kicks” by doing different shopping related activities and buying items. You can redeem your “kicks” for gift cards.
- Fetch Reward: Fetch Reward is super simple, you scan your receipts or emails to get points on things you are buying. You don’t have to search the app it does it for you.
There are other apps out there as well so find the one(s) that work for you and use them when possible. I love to use the points I build up on these apps for Christmas shopping.
Drive Less Often
If you live in an area that is walkable or has public transit that can be a great way to not only save on gas and other car costs but it’s good for the environment as well.
Even if you don’t live in an area with those options you can do things to improve your gas mileage and drive less often. Try to plan errands together and in a logical way to avoid extra driving. And when possible carpool with a friend.
Learn How to Cook
Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting you never eat out or learn to make everything from scratch. Instead focus on gaining more cooking skills so you can more easily create meals you enjoy at home to cook back on delivery and food out. Knowing how to cook can make it a lot easier to decide to eat at more and hopefully enjoy it a lot more as well.
You can look for local free cooking classes or check out Craftsy for low cost online cooking classes that work for people of all levels. Right now you can get 1 year of Craftsy for only $2.49!
Do Get a Home Energy Audit
A lot of our monthly expenses go to energy costs so if you can make your home more efficient you can save a lot of money.
A good way to get started is with a home energy audit. Often energy companies will offer these for free or you can do your own energy audit.
Start with the easiest and cheapest items on your list and keep working through them as it makes sense for you and your budget.
Use a Reward Credit Card
This suggestion comes with a big warning, if you are unable to stick to a budget and pay off your credit card every month it’s best to not use one.
However, if you can pay it off each month using a reward credit card can be very beneficial. It helps you build a better credit score and you get points back on things you are already buying.
Be sure to look for one with a good points program for things you are going to buy and rewards you will use. For example there is no point in getting a travel credit card if you rarely fly.
Enjoy Your Town More
Traveling is great but it’s also fun to stay closer to home and check out the local sites. This will save you on travel costs and is also a great way to support your town.
There are so many great ways to have staycations, if you need some ideas I’ve got a full list of staycation ideas here on the site.
Unplug Often
Impulse purchases happen a lot online. In fact, in 2023 nearly 2 in 5 (39%) of social media users said they made an impulse purchase of a product they saw on social media. 57% of those people said they regretted at least one of their purchases!
Stepping away from the internet and spending time doing other things at home or in nature can be a great way to skip some of the marketing happening online and enjoy what you already have.
Now, don’t feel like you need to do everything on this list right away or all the time. Pick the ones that will work for you and start finding a plan that will help you save money and live your best life!
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