Do you need some simple ways to save money? Saving money sometimes seems impossible, but with consistent little changes, you can change your finances.
I know so many people who think that little changes can’t possibly change the financial situation they are in. But they couldn’t be more wrong. Creating better financial habits, and slowly increasing your savings will add up more quickly than you think.
See how many of these small changes you can make in the next month and see what it can do to benefit your bank accounts. You’ll be surprised how much you can save with making a few small changes and putting in a little effort.
Cancel any unused or unnecessary subscriptions.
Do you really need Cable, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video? Probably not. Choose what you watch the most and keep that one so you aren’t paying for multiple services you don’t actually use.
Also go ahead and cancel any subscription boxes or services that you don’t actively enjoy and use. That $20-$50 a month that you spend for a box of junk you don’t even need quickly adds up to hundreds of dollars a year.
Negotiate your bills.
There are certain bills that are set and you can’t change them, but there are quite a few that can be lowered with a little effort.
You can shop around and ask for discounts on your common bills like cable, internet, and phone. Usually cable or internet companies have you sign up at a lower amount for an introductory period, then they raise the price on you. Most people ignore or forget about this and keep paying their bill. That is how they make so much money.
But you should call and find out what promotions or prices you are eligible for. You can also threaten to leave if they don’t match a better price for you as well. Many companies have a “loyalty” or “retention” department who are supposed to try their best to keep you as a customer, so ask to be transferred to another department if you don’t get anywhere with the first representative you talk to.
I recently did this with AT&T – we’d been using them for years and they decided to raise the price per month by $5 plus taxes. While this doesn’t sound like much, each year they are taking another $70+ out of my pocket. If I let them do that, they will keep charging more whenever they want. I switched to Verizon, which actually provides better service at my house and I am now paying $10 less a month.
Always use a cash back site when shopping online.
The easiest website for earning cash back for all your online purchases is Ebates (or more recently they changed their name to Rakuten).
It is super easy to sign up for an account and simply use the search bar to find what store you are about to shop from. Simply click on that link and then purchase as you normally would. Ebates will send you an email confirming that you used their sites, although it typically takes a few days to see the cash back in your account. Ebates will mail you a real check for anything you earn during each quarter of the year.
Additionally, if you have tried the survey site, Swagbucks, they also offer a cash back option for shopping through their shopping link.
Use Money Saving Apps.
There are a multitude of apps out there to save money, and you should utilize them as much as you can.
My favorite money saving app when grocery shopping is Ibotta. Ibotta offers rebates on all sorts of items at the grocery or big box stores. Simply sign up using this link. Then you can check out what items have rebates in a given week. Add the offer to your account and upload a photo of your receipt. Easy to use and it usually has several dollars worth of rebates each week that actually apply to my shopping!
Other easy savings apps are SavingStar, Checkout 51 and Shopkick.
Check out the post below to find all the ways you can use your receipts before throwing them away. A few are apps that give you money for scanning receipts, or submitting receipts for cash back.
Related Post: 5 Things to Do with Every Receipt Before Throwing it Away
Stop collecting, start selling.
Most of us have a LOT of extra crap laying around. That stuff can free up space and earn you a little extra cash in the meantime. Try selling your extra stuff on FaceBook Marketplace, Ebay, Craigslist, or PoshMark. All of these are easy places to list items for sale, and easily sell them without a ton of time or effort wasted. You will earn extra cash by selling all the stuff you don’t need or use! When you have less stuff, you’ll have less clutter and have more time to spend doing the things you actually want to do. So dig out your extra stuff and start snapping photos to sell your extra things!
Learn How to Meal Plan.
I talk about meal planning quite a bit because it saves me hundreds of dollars a month! Who doesn’t want a few hundred extra dollars in their pocket each month? Spending a few minutes planning meals and shopping with a list can add up to big savings.
Want to learn how to meal plan yourself? Click here!
Stop eating out as often.
Eating out is super expensive. Most of the time that we go out to eat we spend the same amount for one meal that we do for an entire week of meals! That’s crazy! Pack your lunch for work, and make your coffee at home. These two simple things can save a minimum of $10 a day.
Use credit cards wisely.
If you can use credit cards wisely, I highly suggest using them. Signing up for new credit cards can earn you huge bonuses that can earn free flights, free hotel stays, cash back, and more! If you cannot afford something, don’t get it just because you have a credit card and can charge it. Credit cards should be paid off in full every month.
Last year, we stayed in a hotel in Puerto Rico that costs $429 a night. We got to stay for FREE, because we used a Marriott credit card sign up bonus. There are great rewards for travel that are available with credit cards, but you can also get cash back and points to spend on other things if you prefer. But again, only use credit cards if you can pay them off in full every month!
Invite friends over instead of going out.
Going out to eat or grab drinks gets expensive very quickly. Instead of meeting up at a bar or restaurant, invite your friends over for drinks or dinner at home and play some board games. You’ll have a great time and spend a lot less money!
Repair or Repurpose.
This goes for clothing, tack, equipment, and more. If something is broken or worn out, fix it yourself or find a new job for it. Horseshoes can be turned into artwork, clothes can be mended or used as rags if they’re too far gone, tack can be fixed by you or a tack repair shop if the damage is extensive.
Don’t replace your horse’s blanket just because it is a few seasons old and has a tear in it. The tear can be patched and you can re-waterproof the blanket. Simply using the things you already have will make you less wasteful and save a ton of money.
Use your local library.
Everyone knows that the library has books, but did you know that most libraries have movies, CDs, equipment and more available for you to check out? We can get the newest DVDs at our library and they are free. They’re also available for a week to check out instead of just a one night rental for at least $1.50. Resist the urge to buy a new book, and instead check it out from the library or place a hold on the book to get it once it’s available.
Use a programable thermostat.
Programmable thermostats are typically less than $100 and can save you so much over the course of a year. Most people are gone during the day and prefer to be cooler while they sleep. So set up and use a programmable thermostat to conserve energy (ie money) when you are gone to work for the day, and while you sleep at night. If you don’t have a way to install a programmable thermostat, adjust the temperature a few degrees and see how much money you can save. Try a fan in the summer and an extra sweater and sweatpants in the winter to keep yourself comfortable. A few degrees can make a big difference when you get the bill.
Buy Used.
Buy used tack, clothing, cars, equipment and more – it’ll save you tons of money. Ebay, Craigslist, Poshmark, NextDoor are all great places to look for things used. You’ll spend so much less and oftentimes you can get great quality things for a fantastic price when others are trying to sell them.
If you hear of friends cleaning out their closet (especially ones who are better dressed than you and are similar in size) ask if you can go through their stuff and then drop off anything you don’t want at Goodwill for them. They will appreciate not having to drop off their stuff, and you will get some great new clothes!
Shop for new insurance.
This can be your auto, home, renters, or horse insurance. Make sure you are getting the best price for the coverage you need. You will notice, especially with home and auto insurance, prices can vary greatly for exactly the same coverage, just with different companies. If you haven’t compared prices in a while, go online and check out multiple companies for new quotes. This could save you hundreds of dollars a year for multiple policies.
Evaluate needs vs. wants.
We all want to buy a lot of things. But learning to control spending is the best way to save money. Do you need to have Starbucks every morning? Nope, probably not. Brew some coffee at home that will cost less than $1 a cup. Do you want new clothes? Sure you do – but you don’t need them. So wait until you spend a few days or a few weeks to evaluate if you really need something new, and if you do need it – keep an eye out for an awesome deal.
Have you already tried some of these simple money saving tips? If not, get going now! You could be saving hundreds of dollars a month. Who doesn’t want extra cash in their pocket each month? You could contribute to a savings account or have the money to buy something new for yourself. Learn to save now and secure a better financial future for yourself and your family.
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