Saving money is not an easy process.
Regardless of if you’re saving a set amount every month, or a bit of money here and there, or even not saving at all, there are still so many ways that you can save more.
It’s a slow and long process, but having savings in your name will always bring you more peace than frustration, knowing that you have something in the bank should life throw a curveball your way.
Here are 30 little ways that you can save money right here, right now.
Daily
- Limit the number of times you eat out.
- Pack your lunch as many days as possible.
- Skip buying your daily morning coffee and make your own.
- Use the internet creatively. In the world we live in, there’s almost always a free version of anything you’re looking for. Of course, there’s no guarantee that “the best things in life are free”, but if you’re looking into doing something small, like learning how to fold swan napkins for your dinner party, or learning to bake a cake, the internet can be a great option instead of going out and purchasing a manual.
Read more at How to Cut Down on Your Expenses from Home
Weekly/Fortnightly
- When you get your paycheck, pay off all of your bills, set aside money for your necessities like food and then put 50% of the remaining amount in a savings account.
- If you have a gym membership and you find yourself going a maximum of two times a week, then it might be time to cancel that membership. Instead, you can use workout apps and videos online to satisfy your need for exercise should the occasion arise.
Monthly
- Go through your bank statements and all of your receipts to see if they match up and catalogue the areas you spend the most money on.
- If you find any unknown spending in your statements, make sure that you find out what you’re paying for and cancel them if they’re of no use to you. E.g. website subscriptions, or newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
- Review your budget and expenses spreadsheet to see where your money went for the month and use this as a basis of where you could save more money the next month.
- Check how much you put aside in your savings account for the month. If you’re happy with the amount, then keep doing what you did the previous month. Otherwise, set a new goal for yourself for the next month and cut down the appropriate expenses by looking at your spreadsheet.
Shopping
Shopping is easily the area that most people spend the most money on, so it follows that it is also the best category to save money on.
There are so many rewards programs out there and cashback options to save you money.
However, in general, these work by giving you the incentive to purchase more in the first space, so the best way to save money, is to limit how much you buy.
- If you want to purchase an item that is not a necessity, sleep on it for a few days and then decide so you know if you actually want the item. Otherwise, these are some great coupon and cashback sites below that can get you some of your money back:
- Groupon
- Honey Coupons
- Ebates
Reading
For any avid reader, books can add up to be quite expensive, especially if you buy them often enough.
While brick and mortar bookstores are a great place to source books and satisfy your booklover’s heart, the prices are often a bit higher than their online counterparts.
Here are some great websites to find books at a lower price:
Read more at Paperbacks vs eBooks | Which One is Worth Your Money?
Travel
- Use accommodation and flight comparison websites to get the best deals:
- Check reviews on TripAdvisor to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck.
- Use coupon sites such as Groupon to get the best deals for local spots to visit.
- For even more deals and a bigger discount, sign up for Groupon Select for an extra 25% off local businesses.
Read more at How to Save Money Planning Your Travels
Food
- Buy your own groceries and cook your own meals. It may seem like a lot of work, but you can save money and eat healthier at the same time.
- Use supermarket rewards programs to earn points for every shop that will add up to save you money.
- Make a grocery list every time you shop and only list items that you need to buy. Make sure that you stick to this list and don’t buy any more than you need to.
- Don’t shop when you’re hungry. It can be very tempting to buy everything in front of you when you’re hungry, so make sure that you eat something before you go grocery shopping to prevent unnecessary purchases.
Clothing
- Consider thrifting your clothes at second-hand stores.
- If there’s an item of clothing that you want to buy, think it over and sleep on it to prevent impulse purchases. This way, you’ll at least have a guarantee that if you do buy it, it’ll be something that you actually really like and will wear.
- Buy quality pieces that will last you a long time and not cheaper pieces of fast fashion items. While good quality pieces may come at a higher price margin, they’re guaranteed to last you a good amount of time and generally won’t go out of style anytime soon. While fast fashion pieces are in trend, they may only last you for one season of wear so quality pieces are more worth it in terms of money in the long run.
Read more at Top Reasons Why You Should Consider Thrifting Your Clothes
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