25 Lazy Ways to Save Money (2024)

Could you borrow a dress for a big dinner or an immersion blender from a friend, or swap for it? If swapping's an option, check out websites such as PaperBackSwap.com for books, SwapBabyGoods.com for tots' toys, or swapmamas.com for household items and kitchen supplies. If your son's going to give up on those LEGOs in a few months anyway, it may not be worth shelling out big bucks.

You know when you're on an airplane and the flight attendant tells you to put your oxygen mask on first before assisting a child? Saving for your long-term financial needs is the same way. If you don't prepare for your own future first, you won't be able to help your children when they need it. There is no financial aid for retirement; there is financial aid for college. Don't feel guilty about this.

Problem is, no matter what our mood is when we hit the mall, spending doesn't make us feel good in the long run. And, one in four women say they go shopping in pursuit of retail therapy. To avoid shopping away your feelings, set an annual clothing budget, divide it by 12, and you'll have the amount you can spend each month. Note the number somewhere you'll see it often, like in a memo on your phone, or on a post-it in your wallet.

Often we keep our money issues private, and like a shameful secret, it can eat away at us until it becomes an insurmountable problem. Discussing the nitty gritty details of our money woes can feel awkward if not downright embarrassing, but by doing so, you may learn how friends got through their husbands' job loss, or helping out an aging parent. Plus, with the support of a group, you may start to feel like you can move forward again.

Multiple credit cards make it easier to rack up debt because it's harder to keep track of your spending. Since it's so easy to misuse them, limit your plastic to two national cards (store cards often carry higher interest rates) that you manage carefully.

Here's a shocker: In 2011, newly trained female doctors earned, on average, $17,000 less than men in the same position. It's not that women were picking less lucrative specialties or that they were asking for more flexible work schedules. (That used to be the case, but not this time.) The difference now: Women don't askfor the money they want. If you don't give it a shot, the answer will always be "no."

According to American Automobile Association spokesperson Christie Hyde, aggressive driving — slamming your foot down hard on the gas or brakes — compromises your car's fuel efficiency, as does being a speed demon. "Simply dropping your speedfrom 70 mph to 60 mph can improve fuel economy by up to 23 percent," she says. That'll save you as much as 71 cents per gallon.

The good news is, it's not actually the amount of money we spend that determines our level of happiness — it's how we spend it, according to a recent study by Ryan Howell, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. And spending it to create life experiences — like family vacations or a cooking course — he says, rather than to accumulate more stuff, is what makes us happiest of all.

"I've seen many couples divorce over financial deceit," says financial therapist Amanda Clayman. "The spouse feels blindsided by the elaborate lies that may have gone on for years. Sometimes people just can't get over that." The longer the lying goes on, the worse the reaction is likely to be, so come clean now. And don't be surprised if he asks about your credit score, which is picking up steam as a relationship deal breaker according to a recent story in The New York Times.

Save yourself a trip to the bank — or worse, a $3 to $4 ATM withdrawal charge — by opting to get cash back the next time you're at the grocery or drugstore. It'll almost feel like you're being paid to shop.

Just because you've married someone — or cohabit with them — doesn't mean the two of you are the same person. You need some money of your own so you can make small financial decisions — like whether to eat lunch out or whether to buy that dress you're so into — without asking permission. Otherwise, relationships can start to feel parental rather than romantic.

There's nothing wrong with playing it safe in this economy, but do you ever let yourself enjoy all that money you're busy amassing? Occasionally treat yourself to mini luxuries, like pedicures or a fun night out with friends, and you'll begin to see that spending a little isn't going to bankrupt you.

While the idea of getting free travel, gas, or even cash back in exchange for loyal credit card usage is tempting, it takes some legwork to reap the full benefits of a reward card, says Marcia Brixey, author of The Money Therapist: A Woman's Guide to Creating a Healthy Financial Life. Most rewards entail travel or gift certificates, but there are also savings-plan cards, such as the Futuretrust MasterCard, which invests one percent of your purchases into a 529-college savings account. Check out cardratings.com to find the right card for you.

You probably have a ton lying around the house with old balances. "If you find partially used or completely unused gift cards sitting in your wallet or desk drawer, it's time to sell them and get cash back for it instead of letting the balance expire," says consumer savings guru Andrea Woroch. GiftCardGranny.com will purchase 92 percent of the value of unused gift cards.

Invest — the smart way. The stock market can substantially grow your money, so don't be afraid of it. Stay diversified with low-fee mutual funds. That way, if one company tanks, you won't lose too much. For more advice, visit NestWise, a financial planning site that offers one-on-one advice on almost any topic, so you don't get cold feet without good reason.

"Everyone needs a side hustle," says Jason White, who started the personal finance blog frugaldad.com as a hobby that now brings in cash from ads. "In this economy, it's risky to depend on one source of income. And for most of us, it's the best way to pay down debt." The secret, White says, "is to cultivate a business around something you're already good at." Whether it's a homemade cupcake store or a little tutoring, we're confident you too can join the ranks of mompreneurs.

If you're tempted to make a big-ticket purchase, hit the sack. Research shows that we're willing to spend more money when we're emotional, so a delay can help take the drama out of a big decision. Plus, living without a new sofa for a night (or a week) may convince you that you'd rather use the money for something else.

Pull out all the receipts, tax returns, bills, and insurance claims you have lying around in various folders, drawers, purses, or envelopes. Stack 'em in a neat pile. Designate one folder for receipts to get you ready for next year's tax deductions, one for unpaid bills, and others for any categories that make sense for you. If you get some or most of your bills electronically, use the free site, manilla.com, to organize all of your paperless statements in one place, keeping you on top of bill paying.

Investigators in California recently found that stores including Rite Aid, Whole Foods Market, and Banana Republic charged customers higher prices at the register than what was marked on the shelves, often because checkout scanners aren't updated regularly with sale prices. If a manager won't honor a shelf price, contact your state's consumer protection office at consumeraction.gov.

Shoppers are willing to pay about 50 percent more for stuff they can actually touch, according to a recent study from the California Institute of Technology, meaning the free samples and product demos stores offer can put a wrench in your spending plan. Try to stick to the Internet, and make your first stop couponsherpa.com to score special discount codes.