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Just about everyone can use a little more money. The old adage is true… “A penny saved is a penny earned.” I really like to challenge myself and my family to find simple ways to save money. Just because you don’t have a ginormous savings account doesn’t mean that you can’t be an expert saver. Start simple with these easy ways to save money. Don’t get discouraged and keep at it. You will be surprised how quickly those “pennies saved” will add up!
1. Make a Budget. You can’t save money if you have no idea where your money is going in the first place. Write down your monthly expenses and set up a simple budget to follow for the month. Know how much you have to spend before you spend it. Make a goal to come in under budget for the month!
2. Coupon There are those extreme “Couponers” out there that spend 20 hours a week gathering coupons and making crazy shopping trips. You don’t have to do that to save money with coupons. Clip a few coupons from your newspaper or print some right from home to use with your favorite products. The savings from those coupons will definitely add up!
3. Pay Bills on Time Keep track of your bills and when they are due. Don’t waste money by paying late fees! Set up a calendar or reminders on your phone to pay your bills.
4. Add a little more “Homemade” to your life. Take a sack lunch to work. Watch a movie at home. (For great Netflix suggestions CLICK HERE.) Make your own Take-Out for dinner. Brew your own coffee. All of these and more can save you LOTS of money and help you make some great memories with your family.
5. Price Check Before you buy, shop around. Sometimes what seems to be a great deal is not. I have saved big money just by doing some simple research before buying a product. Be aware that some stores will price match!
6. Avoid Impulse Buys Stick to your list! Plan before you buy. Don’t buy something just because it is a good deal. Make sure that you really need it and that you have the budget for it before you buy.
7. Make a Change Jar This is a fun way to get the whole family involved. Recycle a large glass jar and drop your coins in it at the end of each day. When the jar is full, plan to use all that change for a fun family day or purchase something special!
8. Make a Menu Plan Budgets can easily be blown when you are HUNGRY! Plan ahead with a Menu Plan for the week or month. This will help you to have your pantry and freezers stocked and keep you from wasting gas by doing any last minute shopping. Menu plans don’t have to be elaborate. Just knowing what is for dinner can keep you from the drive thru. I believe Menu Plans save both your wallet AND your waist!
9. Negotiate Your Monthly Bills & Look for Hidden Charges Don’t just pay your bills. READ them! There are times when you are charged for unnecessary or unused services. Don’t pay for them! You can also negotiate some of your monthly bills for lower rates. Call and find out.
10. Plan for Splurges Reward yourself for working hard at saving. Plan to have a night out. (With a set budget, of course) There are times to take a break and relax. Enjoy those moments and be proud of what you have accomplished.
Budgeting and going homemade has saved our bacon! They are musts at our house and honestly stay at home dates have become our favorite!
I am all about saving money! Love the idea of couponing and am so envious of those who can do it and really do it well. I want to be a couponing queen so badly, but I really don’t have those kinds of scouting or organization skills!
These are great tips – we had to learn them as we went along, I wish someone has listed them out for us in the beginning!
Awesome money saving tips! Always good to have a plan when it comes to finances.
I’m a stickler for paying my bills on time. Even when I was in big-time debt, I paid them on time so I had excellent credit. I can’t stand interest fees!
These are all great ways to save some money. Every little bit helps and adds up quickly!
Number 1. is our biggest helper. Budgeting the money is the best thing we ever did. We never had a budget until we got into serious trouble with credit card debt. We have made settlements or payment plans with our creditors and we are well into recovery. Hope to be out of debt in 2 years.
What a great reminder!! I always seem to struggle with some of the most basics ways to save money!!
Great post. Very informative. Thanks for sharing this and I will always keep in mind these tips.
These are really great tips. I find that if I menu plan I do so much better with my budget.
This is a great post… Paying your bills on time is key, such a money saver with the fees and charges.
Great list! I use to be an extreme couponer but never spent 20 hours doing it lol. Now that we are trying to eat healthier I have cut back on so much coupons because they are mostly for cruddy food. The meal plan is an awesome idea that we used to do, it definitely saved a lot of money.
Great list! I use to be an extreme couponer but never spent 20 hours doing it lol. Now that we are trying to eat healthier I have cut back on so much coupons because they are mostly for cruddy food. The meal plan is an awesome idea that we used to do, it definitely saved a lot of money.
We attempt to budget, but that always seems to go out the window.. We do try and know it is important.
At least once a year I contact different people we have bills with (cell, tv, etc) and make sure we are on the plan that makes the most sense for us.
Most Modern people learn how to save, we don’t know what will happen in the future, anyways great tips
Great tips. We had credit card debt during the days when it was really high. We surfed our balances as we were offered lower rates on other cards. At that time, the current cards never negotiated lower rates. Every percentage that we saved meant more that we paid toward our balance instead of interest. Every penny counts when you’re trying to save!
I have always loved bargain shopping, but I do admit that something that I struggle with from time to time are impulse buys.
A planned splurge is always better than an unplanned one!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing.
Great tips! I’m always looking for ways to save and help.. so these will be super helpful!
This is a great list on ways to save money. I am always looking for advice and tips on saving more money. Lately we have been frequenting this ding and dent store, where items are dented a little or what not but still worth eating. It’s amazing how low cost those items are just for a simple little dent in the can, but no seal being broken. That has helped me feed a family of six really cheap while still cooking from scratch to eat healthier.
I never thought to negotiate my bills. I might try that. Great tips!
I definitely need a change jar but we always use our debit card! Great tips
Great tips, thanks for putting them together for us! These are very helpful
These are great tips. There are so many ways to save money if we think about it and you just listed several. I love negotiating my bills – especially like our phone and cable – they can work with you.
I get what most consider a small budget to feed a family of 5. I plan a menu, figure out my items & shop at several stores including a bulk food store, bread outlet & potato chip outlet. I can only imagine how hungry & broke we’d be if I just went “blind shopping”.
Doing a budget and sticking with it, is my biggest challenge. I’m learning how to work my budget in small steps and it’s coming out great. Thanks for the extra tips.
Menu plan is the hardest for me. Something always comes up!
Really great tips! Shopping while hungry without a grocery list is so dangerous-lol. My change jar never fails to surprise me. I go through it and after rolling my coins, I’ve got dinner and a movie.
Fabulous list! I need to be doing more of these!
These tips are amazing. Basic, true, and go a long way! Negotiating is a great art and saves a lot of money if you only have the courage to try it.
Change jars totally still work! I think they are so fun to collect and show children the value of money.
These are all such great tips to save money. We all could use a bit of extra cash from being more vigilant with our finances
Excellent suggestions on easy ways to save money. I am going to post several lists of when bills are due around the house so I don’t miss the due date and get hit with a late fee.
I just started to make more of an effort to save money. My first steps were couponing, so far it hasn’t saved a lot of money, but I guess every little bit counts.
I need to be a lot better about paying bills on time. I get busy and end up paying late fees. 🙁
These are great tips. I am trying to get us out of debt so these little tips are awesome!
This is a great list of ways to save money! I try to set aside a certain percentage from each percentage.
These are great money saving tips. My husband and I are huge couponers…stockpile and everything lol. It’s saved us a ton of money!
Saving is a challenge these days for many families struggling to meet the bills. Yet, it is an important way to build our financial future and learn restraint.
I need to coupon and make more Homemade things!
This could not come at a better time. We are really trying to pinch pennies! Thank you!
I love to buy clothes but my list really helps me. I end up crossing some items off of my list after two weeks. What I do know is I ask myself if I can wear this in ten years. If the answer is no, I don’t buy it (clothing wise).
These are all great tips, especially menu planning & avoiding impulse purchase.
these tips are very useful in saving money. I do plan my budget, check prices and use discount coupons too. saving will be easy just look for alternative resources too.
These are all great tips. Avoiding impulse buys is a big one for me. Before we moved here I always shopped at Kroger and it helped a lot. Now Kroger is a further drive so I find myself just hitting up Wal-Mart when I need to make a quick run. Yeah, I always find 5-10 other things I probably could have done without.
I always try to curb unnecessary expenses to save up. Also, by living in Asia I save so much money!!
Paying bills on time is definitely important.
Great tips! It’s becoming more and more necessary to be smart with your money.