The art of saving money takes practice and creativity, but most importantly, you have to be driven to want to start saving.
Saving money can help you reach financial goals like becoming debt free or buying a home.
Look, a lot of us struggle to save money. But there are clever ways that everyone can save money in their daily life.
It’s hard to cut much on some things like your housing, transportation, and grocery bill, but there are plenty of other areas in your life where you can find economical solutions to put some money back in your pocket.
Here are some clever tips to help you start saving.
15 Clever Tips and Tricks to Save Money
Saving money doesn’t have to be extreme, boring, or tedious. There are clever ways to save money that make it easy for anyone.
1. Automate your savings.
One of the easiest ways to save is to automatically have a percentage of your income going towards a savings account.
Many people don’t plan for savings but intend to save from their paycheck. If you automatically have part of your paycheck going straight towards savings, you’ll be able to save more than if you leave it up to yourself.
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2. Unsubscribe from emails.
If you’ve ever given your email to a retail company for a discount on a purchase, you most likely receive daily emails from them.
Marketing experts create these emails to make you buy more. If you’re tempted by “BOGO” or “50% off” sales, unsubscribe from those emails right now.
You can always sign up for a discount when you actually need something.
3. Use financial apps.
We all have phones – and we all use them for entertainment purposes.
So why not use them to help you with personal finance?
There are so many FinTech apps from Credit Karma, and banking apps to help make your finances better. Using apps like Chime can help you to create a budget and track your spending – these two things can help you see your spending habit and set financial boundaries for yourself.
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4. Take advantage of cash-back rewards.
If you’re a responsible credit card user (As in, you can pay off what you owe before the interest kicks in), you can use cash-back rewards as a way to increase your savings.
If you do most of your shopping online, find a credit card that gives you 5% back on your purchases.
For every $1,000 you spend, you’ll get $50 back. That $50 can be seen as a discount on your purchases, and the money you budgeted for your spending can go right into your savings with that cash back.
The 9 Best Cash Back Apps to Save Money
5. Be selective on your subscriptions.
Subscriptions are easy to set up and just as easy to forget to delete.
If you want to save money, look at the subscriptions you’re paying for. Find out which subscriptions you need to have, and cancel the rest. Americans spend about $219 a month on subscriptions, and this area can easily be reduced.
6. Sign up for gas rewards.
Apps like GasBuddy will give you money back for using their app when you fill up your tank of gas.
If you drive a car, you have to spend money on gas. Why not save as much as you can and use that savings towards your savings?
7. Pay back your debt.
Having debt that collects interest means that you’re spending more money on that purchase.
If you have any outstanding debt, pay off what you can as much as possible. This will help you save more money over time.
For example, say you have a $5,000 balance to pay off on a credit card that has a 22% interest rate.
If you pay off $100 a month, you will pay a whopping $8,677.91 in interest and it will take you over 11 years to do so – IF you never charge more to it in that time. That’s insane.
If you pay off $200 a month instead, your interest will come to $1,749.54 over just under 3 years.
Every dollar counts when it comes to interest!
How Impactful Are Interest Rates When it Comes to Your Debt Repayment?
8. Use the library.
The library has great resources, from books, movies, and music to apps that let you download Ebooks and audiobooks.
Even if you shop at used bookstores, the cost can add up. Plus, your monthly Spotify subscription, your Audible downloads and every one of those annoying add-ons when you want to watch a movie you can’t find just using Prime.
You can save a bundle using your local library – it’s worth checking out!
9. Make food at home.
It’s an old standby, but you KNOW it adds up, especially if you’re eating out, grabbing takeout on the way home and also getting your food delivered.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that a household spends $3,000 a year just on dining out. Start by cooking one meal at home and find easy recipes you can do during the week. If you don’t know how to cook, watch YouTube cooking videos.
We have a delightful stable of simple budget-friendly recipes if you want to give it a try!
10. Watch your utilities.
Using cold water to wash your clothes and cutting your shower time down can help you cut back on your utility bill. Also, changing to energy saving bulbs, unplugging your appliances when you’re not using them and adjusting your water heater all add up.
This is how much you can save per year, according to an article by saveonenergy.com
- Switching from hot water washes – $60
- Lowering your hot water heater temperature – $50
- Unplugging your laser printer – $130
- Turn your computer completely off – $75
Over an entire year, saving $325 may not seem like a ton of money, but everything adds up (Plus, we bet you could find a better way to spend that cash!)
11. Buy in bulk.
Many people, especially single people or couples, find bulk to be wasteful.
With proper planning, you can buy the things you eat and often use at a lower price without wasting that thing.
Think about things like:
- Toilet paper
- Peanut butter
- Cereal
- Things you can freeze, like bread
- Batteries
- Shampoo and toothpaste
Look at the cost of your necessities from the grocery store versus a wholesale store to see the real cost savings.
12. Use cash.
Cash is a great way to save more money.
Not all places want to see cash any more, but it’s an old adage. When you use cash, you are more careful with your spending, because you can physically see that money.
If you only use cash, it may help you think twice about impulse purchases.
13. Have spending rules.
You can use rules when purchasing something outside your everyday living costs.
If you’re planning to buy something over $100, wait three days before that purchase. Your decision may change in the days that you wait.
14. Get off of social media.
Influencers get their name because they can influence their audience.
So much of what you see on social media is a paid sponsorship.
It’s easy to think everyone has the newest kitchen item, but you’re likely just being marketed to buy whatever they’re pointing you to.
15. Join ‘Buy Nothing’ groups.
Find a local ‘Buy Nothing’ group where you can find great items for free.
You can also offer up the things you don’t use to someone else.
The Freecycle Network is another option. It’s a nonprofit movement of people who are trying to reuse items and keep them out of landfills, which can also serve to save people money instead of buying new.
Discover How to Spend Less Money
Everyone’s finances are different, so it’s important to discover ways that you can spend less money in your day to day life.
The best way to do this is by tracking your spending for a month. Doing this lets you see exactly where you are spending your money. From there, you can cut out unnecessary expenses.
Some examples of unnecessary spending are:
- Paying more for groceries at the fancy store
- Eating out instead of bringing your lunch
- Food delivery or takeout
If you are able to shop smarter and make smart swaps, you will be able to save more money. For example, you can make coffee and cook at home to save money.
How to Save Money from Your Current Salary
If you’re struggling to save money with a standard salary, there are ways that you can find money you didn’t realize you had.
One of the best ways to save money from your salary is to create a budget. If you’re not following a budget, you may not realize how much you’re actually spending.
Budgeting allows you to have enough money for your daily costs as well as save for financial goals. In addition, financial goals can give you the motivation to save and stick to a budget.
Another way to save money from your income if you’re not able to cut back is to negotiate your salary.
If you’ve recently finished a large project for your job, this is a great time to ask for a salary increase. Make sure to keep track of major accomplishments to help make your case.
Increasing your salary can allow you to use the extra income to put towards savings.
You Can Save Money – Even With Low Income
If you have a limited income, you may already be applying these tips and tricks into your life.
You may have to go beyond these and look at ways to save on your everyday living expenses from groceries, housing, and clothes.
This is how to save money fast on a low income:
Use Coupons
Coupons can allow you to buy everyday samples for a lower price.
Saving a few dollars on each item can add up over time. If you plan appropriately, you can buy all of your cereal one week for $1 off each and the following week coffee for $2.50 off each to maximize your savings.
Are You Using Your Coupons? 8 Easy Steps to Save Money on Your Shopping
Buy Store Brand
Store brand items are generally cheaper than name brand items.
For example, you can buy name-brand toilet paper for $29.99 at Costco versus $23.99 for the Kirkland brand toilet paper. Let’s say you buy this once a month; the $6 savings turns into $72 just on one item.
Buy Used
Buying second-hand or used items is another great way to save money.
There are great stores that have second-hand items like clothing, but you can also use Facebook Marketplace to get a great deal on a lightly used kitchen appliance.
Conclusion
Saving money goes beyond a restrictive budget.
If you can find clever and creative ways to save money, you can continue living your current lifestyle. You can save more money by cutting unnecessary expenses, factoring in financial goals to save in your budget, and making frugal swaps.
Finding key ways to save can add up and help you find more ways to save. Every small saving adds up to help you reach your goals!
Editor’s note: This article was originally published May 15, 2023 and has been updated to improve reader experience.
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
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