20 Simple Tricks and Tips To Save More Money – Parenting Lately (2024)

The truth is, saving money can be such a pain in the neck and many people are struggling with this.

It is no surprise that a lot of people have no savings at all.

But one thing is sure.

It is entirely up to you to take control of your finances. no matter how much you earn.

Think about it this way; if you are unable to put away any money in savings when you dont earn a six-figure salary, chances are you still may not be able to save when you do make a six-figure…

The silver lining is this list of simple tips will guide you to start saving money immediately without feeling like you are depriving yourself.

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Whether you are saving for a house deposit, emergency funds, or something a little smaller.

Learn how to save money effectively by taking these little steps.

Practical Money-Saving Tips; Watch Your Savings Grow

Realistic Ways To Save Money On A Tight Budget

1. Use Cash Back Apps/Websites.

Frankly, this is the first on this list for a reason, never underestimate how much savings you can make from using cashback apps.

My favorite and most recommended cashback program is RAKUTEN ( formerly known as EBATES)

Honestly, if you dont do anything on this list today, just go right away and sign up with RAKUTEN.

Its free to join and you’ll thank me later.?

Believe it or not, during the holidays, I did all my holiday shopping via RAKUTEN, and I got back almost $200 in cashback savings.

Seriously! this was so amazing because all I bought were items I was going to buy anyways, and just from using the cashback website, I got back and saved almost $200!!!

Whoa! whats not to love.

Rakuten( Ebates) is one of the best rewards and cash back program out there.

✨All Ebates does is help you save money by earning cash backs on your everyday purchases.

FREE BUDGET PLANNER BUNDLE

Budget easily and take control of your money.

You can easily earn up to 40 % cash back on items you buy through the Ebates website.

Sounds too good to be true right? It’s not!!!

I use Rakuten a lot and i can tell you this is a great way to save on your purchases.

There are over 2000 retailers on ebates, so you are sure to find your favorite retailer.

All you have to do is make purchases from your favorite stores using the ebates website, and you’ll receive a percentage cashback on each purchase you make.

It is that simple.?

2. Pick a staycation over a vacation

Are you thinking of a vacation for yourself or the family?why not save cost by having a staycation instead.

A staycation is a great option to take time off and unwind without having to break the bank.

Dont worry, it can also be a lot fun as going on a vacation.

A few fun staycation ideas you could consider includes ;

• Planning a day trip to fun places in your neighborhood ( local museums and attractions)
• Take a day off chores
• Unplug ( a day off social media, plus absolutely no work)
• Having a spa day
• Going for a hike
• Having an indoor picnic
• Taking a luxurious bath
• Having a movie day and getting take-outs.

Chose a staycation and plan fun activities with yourfamily.

Related:Simple and exciting stay at home date ideas for couples.

3. Save on car insurance

Save on car insurance by maintaining a good driving record.

And dont forget to shop around regularly for better insurance rates.

It is crucial to stay on top of your insurance negotiations. Please don’t get complacent and pay a lot more than you need to when it comes to insurance.

Shop around regularly for competitive rates at least once a year, and you will save a lot more on your insurance.

?Have you ever heard of a defensive driving course? it is an online driving course that you can take for a couple of hours.

Uponcompletingthis course, you’ll receive a certificateyou can use to negotiate as much as 10% off your insurance premium.

So Whats stopping you? try it out and save a lot on insurance.

4. Stick to a budget

Budgeting can be challenging, I know, but the truth is sticking to a budget is one of the best ways to save money.

Dont know how to budget or just absolutely hate budgeting?

No problem.

? HERE is a free budgeting template bundle that will help you create a simple budget even as a beginner.

I also wrote a comprehensive post which you can check out HERE, to help you create a budget that works for you.

Budgeting doesn’t have to be complicated or annoying.

The thing is, when you make a budget, you can plan your expenses and allocate your income to the correct costs.

It is better to take the time to create a budget instead of being broke, right?

I’ve created a simple printable budget template that you can download for FREE to start budgeting efficiently and stop struggling with your finances.

In this budgeting bundle you’ll find a

• A tracker for your savings
• Savings challenge to help you save up to $1000
• Monthly budget planner
• Debt reduction tracker
• Bill payment calendar.

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By budgeting, you are able to prioritize and decide on what expense to allocate most of your income to and costs to avoid.

So the next time you are wondering where your money really goes, make a budget and stick with it.

This will really help you spend only what you need and make room for more savings.

Tip:when next you are at a sporting event, museum, or any event you have to pay for, explore select discount options. Sometimes all you need to do is ask, and you may get a discount.

Several places offer discounts for kids, students, seniors, teachers, military, or just a one of special deal that you may never know about if you do not ask.

>>Grab this incredible budgeting bundle to start budgeting better today.<<

READ MORE>>> How to secure your financial future in 6 easy steps.

5. Cancel unused subscriptions

When was the last time you used that gym membership?

Do you really need all those apps subscriptions?

How about the magazines and newspaper?

Do you see where i am going with this?

By now you may have realised that you dont use all those recurring payments.

The first thing to do is identify the payments, figure out the last time you used the service you are paying for and decide if you really need it.

Trust me, it is so easy to end up with a whole lot of sneaky payments that you lose track of.

Or subscriptions that you’ve told yourself a lot of times that you will review, but it’s been years, and you are yet to visit it.

I’ve been there.

6.Make more money

You may be wondering, the title says save money not make money, what is she talking about?

But stay with me .?

Here’s the exciting part, you can save more money if you also chose to focus on making more money.

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But remember this, irrespective of what you make, you need to plan to put money away in savings actively.

The trick with choosing to make more money is, it gives you a lot more flexibility to put away money in savings without letting go of a few of your wants.

A few of my favorite ways to make earn an additional income are;

• Starting a business
• Selling items you no longer need
• Creating and selling crafts from home
• Starting a side hustle

Very importantly, you should also know your worth and dont be afraid to ask for a raise at work.

READ MORE : 6 legitimate ways to make free money in your spare time.

7.Make a shopping list ( and stick to it)

It is so easy to end up home from the store with a lot of things you thought you wanted but didn’t actually need.

I say this out of my experience.

It happened to me a whole until I eventually started making a shopping list and sticking to it.

What you need to do is, begin by figuring out what you need from the store,

Then make a shopping list, and only stick to purchasing these items.

Try as much as you can to avoid buying anything you don’t currently need.

8. Compare prices

This is another favorite save money tip of mine.

You’ll be amazed at how different prices can be at various stores .

Whether you are getting groceries or other items you need, consider looking carefully at the prices and making comparisons.

You will be surprised how much savings you can get from shopping at lower costs due to price comparisons.

This tip does not apply just to groceries and stores.

It would help if you considered comparing prices when shopping for television services, cell phone network providers, or insurance coverage.

Believe it or not, you can get huge savings from doing just this.

READ MORE: Simple & Sure-Fire Ways To Save Money; Save $100 or More Every Week Easily. (Free Printable Savings Checklist)

9. Make your own coffee

First of all i just want to say i absolutely love coffee .

So If you love your cup of coffee just like me, you can tell how very easily a daily cup of Starbucks can add up in cost.

Invest in a coffee machine and make your own coffee.

This is a great way to save.

Click to grab a FREE printable pdf to take control of your savings and expenses, weekly spending tracker included.

10. Use up your leftovers

Do you know you can reduce your grocery bills in half simply by getting creative with your left overs?

Yes you can!!!

I used all I had in my fridge for a whole week, I added some items from my pantry and made meals out of my leftovers.

Trust me, I came up with some fantastic recipes and saved money from groceries for that week.

So instead of throwing leftovers away, put it together and make a new meal.

Have your left over dinner as lunch the next day, or make a snack out of it .

Little habits like this will save you a lot on the long run.

READ MORE >>> Must have FREE printable budgets templates you need to manage your money.

11. Limit dining out

It is ok to eat out now and then, i mean who doesn’t love a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant?

But making a habit of eating out regularly can quickly increase your expenses.

You will be saving a lot if you choose to eat at home more often.

Doing this might be a hard change if you love dining out,

What you could do is begin by reducing the frequency bit by bit.

For example, If you would typically dine out five times a month, you could just reduce it to thrice or twice a month.

Try this for one month.

Eat out only once or twice in that month.

Frankly, eating out too often may be digging holes in your pocket without you realizing it.

.

You will be saving a lot if you choose to eat at home more often.

12. Make a meal out of your pantry supplies

You may soon realize that irrespective of what we have in our pantries, we go shopping for groceries every week or every other week.

And then we end up with a lot of expired items or food items we never use.

It is time to stop. Make it a habit to take stock of what you have in your pantry, before any grocery run.

Make meals out of your pantry supply, get creative, and be surprised by how much savings this will leave you with.

13.Opt for water instead of other drinks.

Unsurprisingly, water is cheaper than fruit juices or other drinks, and it is also a healthier option, so that’s a win-win.

Drinking water can be really hard, and many of us struggle with drinking the minimum required quantity daily.

However, an excellent way to achieve drinking more water is by starting a 30 day water drinking challenge.

What this entails is you challenging yourself to drink just water and nothing else for 30 days.

This is a great way to build a good habit a that will also save you money.

14. Unplug your electronic devices

Did you know that you can lower your electric bill by unplugging your electronics?

Make it a habit to unplug your electronics (Lamps, laptops, fans, toasters, etc.) whenever they are not in use, and you can save on electric bills.

Other electric bills reducing tweaks include

• Taking shorter showers, do dont skimp on a shower, but you could take less time in there now and then.
• Fix your leaking pipes
• Wash your clothes in cold tap water and not hot; trust me, they will come out just as great.
• Consider investing in LED bulbs.
• Budget for energy-efficient appliances. They may be expensive but will save you money over time.

15. Save on gas bills by walking more

Walking is an excellent form of exercise and a great way to save on gas and commute expenses.

Choose to walk short distances instead of driving and save on gas, plus you also save on car maintenance too.

16. Save on gym memberships by working out at home.

Gym memberships can sometimes cost a fortune and the truth is sometimes we hardly even make it to the gym.

Thankfully you can workout from home and save that cost.

There are a lot of workout videos online for you to choose from.

Alternatively, you can have a fun workout at your local park or just go for a run around your neighborhood.

These are various ways to stay fit without having to go to the gym.

Another option you could consider is making a one-time purchase by investing in gym equipment to create a mini gym in the comfort of your home.

All you need is a little motivation or push to do your exercise without a gym, and it’ll be an easy no brainer way to save money.

17. Avoid impulse purchases

If you can successfully implement this tip, i am so sure that you will save a whole lot of money every month.

Here’s the secret, If you feel the need to make a purchase, consider waiting for a couple more weeks .

The cool thing is, Impulses usually leave after a while.

You absolutely do not need to buy a new dress for every occasion, as tempting as that may be, it’s pretty obvious when you think about it.

I am certain there is something you can find to wear from items that you already own.

Before i decided to gain control of my finances, I would always go shopping whenever i had an event to attend.

Every wedding invitation = shopping opportunity, and oh did I end up with a lot of clothes I wore just once plus a hole in my pocket.

And another thing, a good sale is fantastic, and the deal can also be mind-blowing, but the truth is you do not need to buy an item just because it is on sale.

18. Buy store brand/ generic brands

Store brands are usually cheaper and did you know generic products are made by the same manufacturer of the brand name product but without all of the fancy packaging. Even if they don’t taste exactly the same as their counterpart, most people cannot tell a difference.

Store brands are usually significantly cheaper than top brands because they’re often produced in smaller quantities to keep costs down.

So they’re a great choice for people on a small budget.

I will really suggest that you focus more on the ingredients of the items you are purchasing, instead of the branded names.

Give this a try.

19.Limit actions that cost money.

For example, we all need a glass or two (or three and four) every now and then.

i’ll speak for myself, i know i do?

However, if it starts to put a hole in my pocket, it may be time to save some money by limiting it really just a glass or two.

You could also take advantage of happy hour when out with friends.

20. Try DIY

Wherever possible, use DIY options in your home. for example, consider making your own scented candles instead of buying.

A great trick for recreating a lovely scenting home without using a candle is to place a small pot filled with cinnamon or vanilla to simmer on your stove.

I am sure you have some skills that you can take on DIY in your home so you dont have to pay for the services .

And even if you dont youtube is there to always come to your rescue.

I can’t count how many home projects i’ve done myself, by just watching how to videos on you tube.

Dont believe me? just go on youtube or just google how to install a light fixture.

What do you see? lots of videos showing you how to change a light fixture right? There you go.

Now you can find step-by-step instruction videos of just about anything so you could do it yourself and save some money.

However, if you just can’t seem to figure it out, your friend or family member might also be able to help you out.

Why not ask them for help first before spending any money getting that project done.

Learn how to carry out some repairs by yourself, this way you would be able to handle minor repairs to save money.

21. Learn to sew

Sometimes all you need to do to that clothing is fix it.

You don’t have to be an expert sewer to save money by doing your own mending and alterations.

Learning how to take in, let out or alter the length of jeans, dress pants, skirts and blouses can help you keep pieces that still look good but no longer fit perfectly.

If you’re crafty, making your own clothes is another great way to save money!

The bottom line is that it pays to be mindful of your spending.

As we learned, you can save money by using some simple tricks and habits like waiting until the last minute before making a purchase or buying items on sale.

I hope this blog post has inspired you to take charge of how much money you spend each month and helped you find new ways to make sure those dollars go as far as possible.

? Points to note. Think hard before you make any purchase; consider if it’s a want and not a need. Chances are you will forget about it in a 24- 48 hr time frame. You dont need to buy items just because it’s on sale. Opt for DIY options as much as you can. Chose a staycation over a vacation.

✨A noteworthy habit always to move the money saved into a savings account.

Imagine saving a whole lot of money and then spending everything on an item that you absolutely do not need.

I certainly wouldn’t want that to be me.

Saving money can seem a little daunting at first, but once you’ve cracked it, especially when you see your savings increase over time, you’ll be glad you did.

A few small changes can add up to a lot over time!

Will you be trying out any of these tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Dont forget to share this post with your friends and family to help them save too.