If you think that budgeting and saving money is hard, think again! These days, there are so many easy ways to save a buck or two. Whether you’re using the best websites to score great deals or simply being more money-conscious, you can easily slash hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars from your yearly expenses by learning a few of the tricks and tips we’ve listed below.
- Start a piggy bank
Emptying your pockets into a piggy bank every day is a great habit to get into to save money. Sure it may seem childish, but storing your change away can really add up. - Carpool to work with a friend
Carpooling saves tons of money in gas, and it’s also good for the environment. - Call your car insurance agent
It only takes a few minutes to give your car insurance company a call. When you do, you can ask them about any current sales or deals. Many of them have discounts for seemingly small reasons that you can take advantage of. - Turn off your lights
We as a society have become much better at conserving energy, but it’s always helpful to have a reminder to turn off the kitchen lights when you’re in your bedroom and vice versa. - Shop at thrift stores
Thrift stores are great places to purchase clothing, luggage, and even furniture for less. You would be surprised at the quality of items that people donate. - Grow a vegetable garden
Growing your own vegetables means less money spent at the grocery store! - Avoid going out to eat
This might be hard to avoid altogether, but it’s been proven time and time again that cooking at home saves you significant money in the long run. - Buy used cars
Buying a car that’s only one or two years old is a much better investment than a brand new one. They don’t depreciate as quickly. - Use your own herbs
Small herb gardens are easy to grow, and you can keep them inside you home or in a windowsill. This can save you several dollars throughout the year, and fresh herbs taste better too! - Try having a “no spend” day
You would be surprised how hard it is to go an entire day without spending money. Give it a shot and see how well you do! - Buy in bulk
Buying your canned goods in bulk is a great way to save money over the long term. - Consume all of your milk
There’s nothing worse than wasting food, especially milk. Make sure to buy a smaller carton if you don’t drink milk frequently, or use it in lot of recipes that require milk. - Use generic prescriptions
So many prescriptions come in generic form now. You can save a bundle by using them—just check with your doctor first. - Repair versus buying new
Sometimes it is less expensive to replace a part on an item instead of buying a new one. For example, buying a new watch battery is much cheaper than buying a new watch. - Buy a water filter
Filtering your own water is much more cost effective and eco-friendly than buying water bottles. - Buy quality not quantity
A nice, quality pair of shoes can last you 10 years whereas a cheap pair will break easily and cost you more in the long run. - Learn to say “no.”
Telling yourself no regularly is the best way to save money. Simply passing on the candy bar you want in the checkout line at the store can save you a few dollars, and doing this regularly can save you hundreds over the course of a year. - Use a clothesline
Drying your clothes on a clothesline instead of your dryer is a great way to save money on electricity. - Protect your assets
It is easy and inexpensive to buy a surge protector or a bike lock. These items can protect more costly items and save you significant dollars in the long run. - Use a pre-paid phone
There are many pre-paid phone plans that are significantly less expensive than the contract plans. Plus, they do not come with all the strings attached. - Use hand-me-downs
Hand-me-downs aren’t just for kids: get a group of your friends together to trade clothes and accessories they don’t want anymore, so everyone can exchange them to get new things for free. - Make homemade pizza
For the cost of one delivered pizza, you can make several homemade pizzas and use them for a few meals. - Get a cash-back/air miles credit card
This type of credit card will give you a percentage of your purchases back in cash or give you air miles for every dollar spent. - Exercise regularly
Staying healthy means fewer doctor’s bills. - Go on a picnic or, take a walk on the beach
There are likely dozens of free activities you can do in your city that don’t cost a dime.
