So you want to know how to save money?
I know the feeling, we’ve all been there.
The good news is, you are certainly in the right place.
This post covers the best tips to save money, get out of debt, so you can afford the things you love.
It’s no surprise that saving money will improve your family’s way of life and help you achieve your financial goals.
Yet saving can be such a difficult task that you are unable to stick to, there is always something we need or want and that can make it so hard to save.
Not to worry, these tips in this post are really simple and will help you save $300 or more easily each month.
So let’s get to it…
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using the links at no extra cost to you.
In This Post
How To Save Money
1.Buy Groceries in Bulk
You may have heard that items are cheaper when bought in bulk.
This is true.
So to save money on your next grocery haul, Plan to buy pantry items or groceries with longer shelf life in bulk.
Identify food items that you regularly use that last for a more extended period and make those purchases in bulk, for example, flour, sugar, rice, beans, grains, and spices.
2.Meal Planning
I never was a fan of meal planning. In all honesty, I was ”open up the refrigerator and eat what is in there” kind of girl.
But soon enough i realised how much this was impacting my grocery bills.
Then i started meal planning and i’ve never looked back since.
It’s simple, when you plan your meals, you only buy what you need.
There are no guessing games, no food going bad, everything is accounted for, and that’s just awesome.
Not only will this cut your grocery bill in half, it will help you eat better.
In fact, one little trick I use is to have no meat days once or twice a week since I realized that meat took a large portion of my grocery bills.
Creating a meal plan is a absolutely a great way to save.
If you are new to meal planning without thinking about it any longer, head on HERE to 5 dollar meal plan and thank me later.
This is the meal plan I use, and I must say it has thoroughly helped me save and stick to meal planning.
Another one of my favorite ways to make meal planning and preparation easier is by using MyFreezeEasy.
Still, on meal planning, THIS beautiful meal planning journal is a must get especially if you are just getting started with meal planning.
I use it and totally love it because it keeps me so organized and on track.
? Click HERE to check out the meal planning journal that i use and love.
3. Compare Prices
You’ll be amazed at how different prices can be at various stores .
Whether you are getting groceries or other items you need, consider looking carefully at the prices and making comparisons.
You will be surprised by how much savings you can get simply by comparing prices and buying the lower price items or at, the lower price stores.
4. Make Your Own Coffee
I feel like the starbucks lovers will be saying, yeah no!!! ?
But before you scroll away, just hear me out.
I love a good cup of coffee, but the thing is, they can easily add up in cost, making you spend more than you should every month.
I am not advocating that you should give it up entirely, but you can simply limit how much you buy, and opt to make it yourself more often at home.
Very easily, a daily cup of Starbucks can add up in cost, and I know this because I did the maths, and as much as I love my daily Starbucks, I decided that I was better off spending that money somewhere else.
Invest in a coffee machine and make your own coffee.
This is a great way to save.
5. Use Up Your Leftovers
Do you know you can reduce your grocery bills in half simply by getting creative with your left overs?
Yes you can!!!
I used all I had in my fridge for a whole week, I added some items from my pantry and made meals out of my leftovers.
Trust me, I came up with some fantastic recipes and saved money from groceries for that week.
So instead of throwing leftovers away, put it together and make a new meal.
Have your left over dinner as lunch the next day, or make a snack out of it .
Little habits like this will save you a lot on the long run.
6. Stay Away From Pre-Packaged Food
on the face of it, pre-packaged food may seem convenient, especially if you have a hectic day or barely have time to cook.
But lets be honest, buying Pre-packaged foods can very quickly increase your grocery cost and budget.
You’ll be surprised how much more you are paying just for the convinience of having your peppers cut and packaged.
This adds up and increases cost, trust me!
So instead of buying pre-packaged foods, aim to meal -prep, that way you can make a quick meal even on your busy days.
This is what I do; I pick a day where I plan my meals and cut up all ill need for the week, and do all my meal prepping and planning.
This has made eating better and saving money such a breeze.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE : How to budget your finances in 10 easy steps.
7. Limit Dining Out
Try this for one month.
Eat out only once or twice in that month.
Do you see where i am going with this?
Frankly, eating out too often may be digging holes in your pocket without you realizing it.
It is ok to eat out now and then, but making a habit of eating out regularly can quickly increase your expenses.
You will be saving a lot if you choose to eat at home more often.
I know this may be a hard change if you love dining out, but what you could do is, start by reducing the frequency bit by bit.
If you would typically dine out five times a month, you could just reduce it to thrice or twice a month.
8. Make a Meal Out of Your Pantry Supplies
Just like using up your leftovers, you may soon realize that irrespective of what we have in our pantries, we go shopping for groceries every week or every other week.
Sometimes ending up with a lot of expired items or food items we never use.
Make it a habit to take stock of what you have in your pantry before any grocery run.
Make meals out of your pantry supply, get creative, and be surprised by how much savings this will leave you with.
9. Opt for water instead of other Drinks.
Unsurprisingly, water is cheaper than fruit juices or other drinks, and it is also a healthier option, so that’s a win-win.
Drinking water can be really hard, and many of us struggle with drinking the minimum required quantity daily.
However, a good way to achieve drinking more water is by starting a 30 day water drinking challenge.
What this entails is you challenging yourself to drink just water and nothing else for 30 days.
This is a great way to build a good habit a that will also save you money.
10. Declutter Often
The fantastic part about decluttering and sorting out old possessions that you no longer need is selling those possessions for an extra income.
Decluttering is a great way to keep stock of what you own, therefore preventing unwanted purchases.
11. Unplug Your Electronic Devices
Did you know that you can lower your electric bill by unplugging your electronics?
I couldn’t believe it either, but it’s true.
Make it a habit to unplug your electronics (Lamps, laptops, fans, toasters, etc.) whenever they are not in use, and you can save on electric bills.
12. Save on Gas Bills By Walking More
Walking is an excellent form of exercise and a great way to save on gas and commute expenses.
Choose to walk short distances instead of driving and save on gas.
13. Earn Extra Income
A vey simple way to get $300 extra a month is to make $300 extra per month.
Isn’t it?
So looking for ways to earn additional income and make extra money is a great tip.
The opportunities for earning extra income from the comfort of your home are endless.
More To Read:
- A definitive guide to working from home
- Turn your skills into a new side hustle
- 50 work from home positions to earn more than $5000/ month
My favorite way to make an additional income is by starting a blog. Learn how to start a blog and make money.
14. Stick to a budget
Budgeting is another significant way to save money.
When you make a budget, you can plan your expenses and allocate your income to the correct costs.
By budgeting, you are able to prioritize and decide on what expense to allocate most of your income to and costs to avoid.
Try to stick with your budget, as this is a sure way to increase your income.
15. Place Daily or Weekly Purchase Limits On Your Credit Card.
This is a brilliant way to monitor your spending.
Why do i say this?
Placing purchase limits could help you regulate your spending.
You could also resort to making payments with cash as much as you possibly can.
When you pay with cash and not credit, you are restricted to making your purchase based on the amount of money you physically have.
This is an excellent way to avoid buying things you cant afford .
I personally recommend trying out this tip because it works for me regularly, especially when I go shopping for shoes.?
? DEBT CALCULATOR: calculate how fast you can become debt-free
16. Cancel Subscriptions That you Don’t Use
When was the last time you used that Gym Membership? Do you really need to subscribe to 5 different monthly magazines?
Do you need that Club subscription and other subscriptions that you never get to use?
Canceling unnecessary subscriptions could save you a ton of money.
I saved an extra $30 dollars in a month simply by canceling subscriptions and also sticking to just Netflix.
17. Reduce your car insurance by driving more carefully
Save on car insurance by maintaining a good driving record.
18.Save on Gym Memberships by working out at home.
Gym memberships can sometimes cost a fortune, and the truth is sometimes we hardly really make it to the gym.
So why not get rid of that expense by working out from home and save that cost.
There are a lot of workout videos online, and you can also have a fun park workout or go for a run around your neighborhood.
These are various ways to stay fit without having to go to the gym.
You could also make a one-time purchase by investing in gym equipment to create a mini gym in the comfort of your home.
Here are a few items you could consider purchasing that will help you break a sweat at home, while saving money too.
19.Avoid Impulse purchases
If you feel the need to make a purchase, wait for a couple more weeks .
Impulses usually leave after a while. You don’t need to buy a new dress for every occasion as tempting as that may be.
Before i decided to gain control of my finances, I would always go shopping whenever i had an event to attend.
Every wedding invitation = shopping opportunity, and oh did i end up with a lot of clothes i wore just once.
You also do not need to buy an item just because it is on sale.
20. Save with Happy Hour
Saving or putting money back in our pockets does not mean we can’t have fun with friends.
A good way to save on drinks when going out with friends is to take advantage of the discounts you get with happy hour.
Happy hour provides the best discounts on food and drinks.
This way you’ll be sure to have a good time while saving some money.
Wrapping Up
Saving doesn’t have to be hard .
These little tweaks each week can very easily add up and help you save up to $300 per month or more.
Using these practical tips, you can live your best life possible while living within your means, saving to meet your financial goals, or paying off debts.
But dont just take my word for it, try out these tips and trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
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