10 Easiest-Ever Ways To Save Money
Saving money is easier than you think. It doesn’t always require huge sacrifices, or need to feel like deprivation.
Whether you’re doing it because of an income cut, or because you’re saving up for something special, here are the ten easiest-ever ways to save money:
Related: 8 Ways To Save Money On Groceries
Ten Easiest-Ever Ways To Save Money
Eat Less Meat. Come on, are you really going to miss an ounce less per day? Or what if you go meatless one meal per day, or one whole day per week?
Eat More Beans. Especially if you buy beans in dry packages, they’re super cheap, and can replace some of the protein that you took out when you started eating less meat. The best part? They’re delicious! Here’s a menu and recipes for your you can eat beans every day for a week without getting bored.
Get your produce from the freezer isle. Buying frozen over fresh is a HUGE pocket book savings, plus, you get produce that was flash-frozen during its prime, which means more nutrition! Read all about buying freezer isle produce.
Cut Cable and/or Satellite. With Netflix and HuluPlus, do you really need Cable or satellite TV? Yes, you’ll have to wait an extra day to watch your favorite TV shows, but that’s a small price – and I mean teeny, tiny – price to pay for the extra savings.
Use less laundry detergent. It may sound crazy at first, but just think it through. The main purpose of detergent is to break the surface tension of the water. It doesn’t take a lot to do that!
Line Dry Your Clothes. It’s such a simple thing, but it saves so much money! Tumble dryers suck up electricity like thirsty dairy cows suck water, and in the summer, they make your air conditioner run harder!
Make your own bread. A loaf of homemade bread costs you literally pennies, plus it’s much healthier, and tastes amazing (I dare you to not eat the whole loaf before it cools off!)
Ditch your weekly shopping habit. Shopping monthly reduces your opportunities to buy things you don’t need. OR, keep shopping weekly, but buy things at their lowest prices and stock up on that item for a month (or more).
Use a calorie tracking app to keep you from over eating. You might be surprised to find out how much money you can save on food when you’re being held accountable – even if by just My Fitness Pal or Lose it. Logging Little Debbie Cakes isn’t fun. 😉
Buy Things out of season. Do you know you’ll need a new coat for next winter? Buy it in the spring when it’s on sale! How about a new swim suit for next summer? Buy it in the Fall! Get creative! Buy things out of season!
See? Saving money isn’t hard!
And if it ever does feel hard, always remember, hashtag firstworldproblems.
Yeah, I know I have a “suck it up, buttercup” attitude. But the truth is, we’re all a bit spoiled, and I think that sense of entitlement is damaging. But that’s another story for another day. For now, Happy savings!
Your turn: What’s your favorite easy way to save money?
Get Your Garden Cheat Sheets!
Want to know exactly when, where, and how to plant your vegetables? Sign up to get our FREE companion planting guide, and garden planting cheat sheet printable.
I’m married and a father of 3 littles. I looked at your ‘groceries for $20 a week’ and was inspired. To answer your question, good old fashion meal planning, and getting away from shopping habits. I am the primary grocery shopping for the family, and usually spend $100 every week on groceries(minus Costco). Last week I used your shopping list, and saved $40 even after buying some of our regular items including dairy free yogurt and eggo waffles!!
Wow, that’s inspiring! Way to slash your grocery bill. 🙂
Meal planning honestly isn’t my strongest point, but I definitely agree – it’s a great way to save money!