There are so many simple ways to save money each month and I am here to share a few that have worked for us.
A few years ago I quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom. I wanted to stay home, but I also could not afford to work. You read that right!
After a simple math problem, I realized once I paid for gas and child care I would not make enough money to work my previous job. This is when I started to get creative.
Having a good look at our budget made me realize we could survive on one income if we were able to cut some costs. This is what I learned.
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Simple Ways to Save Money Each Month:
Ask For Savings
Call and ask for a better rate. Pull out all of your bills and shop around for different services. A lot can be saved on bills by shopping for the best plan or calling and asking for a better rate.
I called our cable company and renegotiated a way lower rate than we had before. Don’t be scared to do this because you have nothing to lose.
Any time we are out shopping I will also ask if there is a coupon I should know about. It is surprising how many times I have been given a discount code because of asking.
Easy Money-Saving Tips That Really Work Video:
Get More For Less
When you are shopping buy in bulk. This is a tricky tip because you don’t want to buy things in bulk that you won’t use. I am very careful to only buy things that I know we will use.
Items like toilet paper, bread, milk, soap, anything that will 100% get used up, I buy in bulk.
Buying in bulk will save you a lot of money especially if you have a large family.
Drink Water
Stop buying drinks. Soda, alcohol, and even flavored water all add up to a lot of money.
“The average U.S. household spends an estimated $850annually on soft drinks, for a total of$65 billion on soft drinks alone.” according to Time
That is a lot of money to spend on something you don’t need! Skip the expensive drinks and just use that water that comes out of your sink.
Refinance
Depending on your current mortgage interest rate you could save a lot of money by refinancing your home. We took advantage of a lower interest rate by refinancing.
Refinancing is way easier than I thought. We used Owning.com and found a really low rate.
Over the next 30 years, we will save over $72,000!
Shop Your Cell Bill
If you have had the same cell phone plan forever then now is the time to shop around. There are a lot of family plans that save a lot of money.
There is a lot to be saved if you can group your cell phone plan with more people in your extended family.
Shop around for the best plan and you will save money!
Buy Used
It is surprising how many people buy new things and sell them almost immediately. This is great news for us secondhand shoppers!
Buying used or secondhand will save you a lot of money. “Most new cars depreciate 40% to 50% during the first three years of ownership. With an average selling price of around $30,000, that’s $15,000 in depreciation cost.” according to Real Car Tips
Cars are not the only way to save when buying secondhand. You can get some really great deals on secondhand furniture and clothing. Especially if you are buying from consignment stores.
Budget For Monthly Savings
Making a budget is the best way to save money. Most of us spend without pay a lot of attention to a budget.
Budgets don’t have to be extremely detailed or difficult. I realized one of the best ways to budget each month is simply to add up everything you made and everything you spent.
Anything leftover from what we made I save. If you are in debt and need a debt-free plan, make sure you check out Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.
Use Credit
Some people are against using credit for anything, but I have found you can actually make money by using credit. The key is to pay off your credit card bill in full every month!
We have the cashback Costco credit card. I put every purchase we make onto this credit card and at the end of the month I pay it off in full.
By the end of the year, we usually get around $500 to $1000 cashback. Free money is given back to us just from the ordinary purchases that we have to make each month like gas and grocery shopping.
7 Expensive Money Habits to Break Video:
Eat Homemade
We save a ton of money by eating 99% of our meals at home. My husband makes his lunch every morning before work and that alone saves a lot.
“By bringinginyourown coffee, breakfast,lunch, snacks, and beverages every day,youcansaveanywhere from $2,000 to $4,200 or more overthe span of an entire year.” according to Money Crashers
Besides making our lunch at home we also try to avoid going out to eat. It is surprising how much fast food costs nevermind the cost of a sit-down restaurant.
Yes, it is a little more work than going out to eat, but I have found it doesn’t take much more time. By the time I would load everyone in the car, wait in a drive-through line, and then drive home and eat, I could have easily made a meal at home.
Another benefit of eating at home is how much healthier it is. With all of that combined, I am happy to make a meal at home.
Stop The Drinks
Before I mentioned drinking water at home, but now I am referring to choosing water when you do go out to eat. Drinks from a restaurant are so expensive.
If you decide to splurge and go out to eat I would strongly advise skipping the drinks. My mom and I stopped buying drinks when we ate out back when I was a teenager. Most of the time we would end up saving close to $8.
That doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but multiply that over 15 years and you will be surprised how much can be saved.
Save at the Salon
I save at the salon by going less often. A while back I decided to spread out my trips to the salon.
Every salon trip I miss I save about $50 to $100. If you get your hair colored see if you can do some touch-ups at home by yourself or with a friend.
Depending on where you live and if you have kids there are usually back to school discount cuts for children too.
Stop Unnecessary Spending
A few years ago we decided to become minimalist. At first, this decision didn’t have much to do with money. It was more about how my house looked and how many things we had.
A great side effect has been saving money. All those $5 purchases really add up.
Since I was actively trying to have less in my home I was very aware of all the unnecessary stuff we use to buy. A little decoration here, an extra pair of shoes there.
These little unnecessary things add up to a lot of money. See what you can cut out and save the money instead.
Stop Spending on Coffee
Coffee has become trendy. I see photos everywhere on social media of people holding their Starbucks coffee. These trendy coffee drinks are EXPENSIVE!
Save money by making your coffee at home. It is practically free to make coffee in a coffee machine or use instant coffee.
“If you’re buying coffee, you’re spending between $1 and $5 per cup. Meanwhile, brewing a cup of coffee at home costs you between 16 and 18 cents per cup.” – Business Insider
$5 x 365 Days = $1825. That is a lot of money that could be added to your savings account each year!
Pause Before Buying
You are out shopping and you see something that you feel you want. Pause for a moment before you buy this item especially if you don’t NEED it.
Think about where this item will live in your home. If it is clothing where and how often will you wear this item.
Something I like to do is take a picture of the item and a picture of the details. Now leave without the item and see if you think about it after you are back home.
Do you still want this item?
Another tip that has worked wonders for slowing my shopping habits is to write a list. Every time something pops in your head that you might want just write it down. Sometimes I completely forget that I wrote down the item and other times I realize I really want it.
More often than not we spend on impulse!
Stop Seasonal Shopping
New-season new you! This is what all the stores want us to think about.
Try not to fall for the seasonal shopping trap. Only shop when you really need something not because there are new seasonal trends in the store.
I have realized these trends change quickly and not only is it impossible to keep up, but it’s expensive too.
Easy Ways to Save Money Conclusion
It is easier than you think to save money. Implementing only a few of these tips can save hundreds each year.
Hopefully, these tips will help you to save a lot of money! I know they have helped our family.
Read about how we started a STOP Doing list and what has changed.
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