How to Save Money When You're Broke (2024)

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How do you save money when you do not make enough? How do you build up a nest egg when you have very little money to spare? How do you pay off debt when your budget is in the red?

The answer is hustle.

How to Save Money When You're Broke (1)

I know, I know, no one wants to work that darn hard to save a penny but truthfully it is the only way to really save. Saving money, paying off debt, and great accomplishments only happen when you hustle. It will not matter if you make a zillion dollars or if you make pennies an hour, you will not achieve your money goals without hustle.

Step One: Budgeting

The first step to hustle is budgeting, as without budgeting you will not know how much money you have or do not have to hustle. Setting up a budget that works can be as simple as tallying up your expenses for the month along with your monthly income. Then you can subtract your income from your expenses.

If you are in “the red”, meaning you have more expenses than you do income every month, it may be time to hustle to step number two.

Step Two: Cut

The second step to hustle is to cut the unnecessary spending from your budget. Things to consider cutting from your budget are; cable/satellite, data on your phone, monthly subscription services, and even banking fees. (You really should not have to pay bank fees and if you are, find a bank that will not charge you or call your current bank and explain to them that you do not want to pay the fee anymore and are looking for a new bank. This will usually work in getting your fee removed, but if it does not, simply change banks. You cannot afford to keep paying a bank to make money on your money.).

You can reduce your monthly bills by calling and comparing quotes for insurance and calling your utility providers to ask about discounts or fixed rates. By doing this you can potentially save yourself up to $500 a year!

Step Three: Side Hustle

The last step to hustling is to work the side hustle. The side hustle is where you work to earn money outside of your regular job. You can side hustle by working a part time job on the weekends or after your regular workday ends. You can earn extra money through Swagbucks and InboxDollars and you can earn a side hustle from overtime worked at your regular job (if you are paid for overtime).

Still think the hustle is impossible or that it will not work? I am living proof that does work. At 21 years old, I was almost bankrupt and was so deep in the red I honestly did not know how I was going to keep myself from starving. The hustle works so long as you work. It will not be easy but if you need to bring your budget back in the green, hustle is the answer.

How do you hustle to save your family money?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. How to Save Money When You're Broke (3)Aja says

    Side hustle is key! It’s what got us out of debt!

  2. How to Save Money When You're Broke (4)Verity says

    Freecycle instead of buying. Negotiate with utilities when to pay and how much. Haggle debts down. Get rid of the TV and only watch catch up saving £145 a year on a TV tax/license. Grow my own veg collecting and using seeds from groceries as well as re-growing from veg for example you can regrow celery from the cut off base. Salvage. Buy second hand from charity shops, carboots and jumble sales. Use a swap and borrow group. Borrow generally (not money just things I need temporarily). Forage. Cash neutral; get rid of things to raise funds for essentials I do need. And so on.

  3. How to Save Money When You're Broke (5)Lissa says

    I joined local coupon sites on Facebook. They show to cut coupons and match the coupon to the sale. I save about 30%, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you have a one hundred dollar bill and get $30 back instead of nothing, it all adds up.
    http://askmelissaanything.blogspot.com/

How to Save Money When You're Broke (2024)

FAQs

How to Save Money When You're Broke? ›

Using a notebook or budgeting app to track your expenses, look for spending patterns to see your full financial picture and find ways cut back. Subscriptions for a gym membership, Hulu, Netflix, and Spotify can be a good place to start tightening your budget.

How to save money if you are broke? ›

Using a notebook or budgeting app to track your expenses, look for spending patterns to see your full financial picture and find ways cut back. Subscriptions for a gym membership, Hulu, Netflix, and Spotify can be a good place to start tightening your budget.

How to save money when you are poor? ›

SHARE:
  1. Focus on small changes in various budget categories.
  2. Automate your savings into a high-yield savings account.
  3. Earn interest on your checking account.
  4. Use those three-payday months to save more.
  5. Keep a budget.
  6. Shop around for insurance rates.
  7. Refinance your mortgage.
  8. Find a way to save on rent.
Oct 19, 2023

How to save $1,000 month? ›

The experts we spoke to recommended taking these steps.
  1. Analyze your finances. If you want to save $1,000 in a month, then you need to earn $1,000 more than what you spend. ...
  2. Plan your meals. ...
  3. Cut subscriptions. ...
  4. Make impulse purchases harder. ...
  5. Sell unneeded items. ...
  6. Find extra work.
Sep 26, 2023

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

How to start over when you're broke? ›

To make the most of your new life, start by creating a list of goals and keeping a positive mindset. Learn more about saving and your spending habits. Get a job to bring in additional income and reach out to your friends and family for assistance, if needed.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

What should I do if I'm poor? ›

15 Tips to be Happy if You are Poor
  1. 1 – Appreciate Everything You Have.
  2. 2 – Our Current Circ*mstances are Temporary.
  3. 3 – Practice Self-Care.
  4. 4 – Believe in Yourself.
  5. 5 – Look for Inspiration in Books.
  6. 7 – Do Fun Activities.
  7. 9 – Associate with Like Minded People.
  8. 10 – Set Realistic Goals.
Jan 29, 2024

How to start saving money from zero? ›

5 simple steps to start saving
  1. Set one specific goal. Rather than socking away money into a savings account, set specific goals for your savings. ...
  2. Budget for savings. Just because you decide to save doesn't mean it's going to happen. ...
  3. Make saving automatic. ...
  4. Keep separate accounts. ...
  5. Monitor & watch it grow.

Is saving $500 a month good? ›

The short answer to what happens if you invest $500 a month is that you'll almost certainly build wealth over time. In fact, if you keep investing that $500 every month for 40 years, you could become a millionaire. More than a millionaire, in fact.

How can I save $5,000 in 100 days? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

Is saving $100 a month good? ›

Your Retirement Savings If You Save $100 a Month in a 401(k)

If you're age 25 and have 40 years to save until retirement, depositing $100 a month into a savings account earning the current average U.S. interest rate of 0.42% APY would get you to just $52,367 in retirement savings — not great.

What is the 3 month rule? ›

The three month dating rule is a trial period that allows couples to shift from the honeymoon phase of dating to an integrated love phase. "What I mean by that is usually a few months into dating, we start to see some of the quirks, or maybe we start to notice things that we find annoying or irritating," Pharaon says.

How do you start saving money? ›

8 simple ways to save money
  1. Record your expenses. The first step to start saving money is figuring out how much you spend. ...
  2. Include saving in your budget. ...
  3. Find ways to cut spending. ...
  4. Determine your financial priorities. ...
  5. Pick the right tools. ...
  6. Make saving automatic.
  7. Watch your savings grow.

What is the 30 day money challenge? ›

Do you want to save some money for holiday gifts or other short-term goals? Consider doing the 30-Day $100 Savings Challenge. The goal of the Challenge is simple: save $100 in a 30-day time period through a series of gradually increasing deposits. November has 30 days so every day is a savings day.

Is $1,000 a month a lot to save? ›

Absolutely. Saving £1,000 a month in the UK is a wise financial decision that can have a positive impact on your financial well-being.

What is the $1000 a month rule? ›

One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.

Can you survive on $1,000 dollars a month? ›

Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

How quickly can you save $1000? ›

In fact, saving only $20 per week will turn into $1,000 in less than a year. Transferring money automatically from a checking account to a savings account is simple to do and can be set up quickly using online or mobile banking. And when you deposit money into a savings account, you won't be tempted to spend it.

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