Let's talk about how to save money. You know it, I know it, it can be really hard to save money. It takes hard work, dedication, and giving things up. Here, I will share with you 18 real ways I saved thousands of dollars and you can too!
- Saving money starts with controlling your money.
- Many people think that you have to make more money to have a large savings account but you don't. For example, what happens when most people get a raise or promotion? They run out and get a new car, new phone, or shopping spree. All that equals larger payments.
- All that hashtag YOLO and #TreatYoSelf will end up leaving you #Broke.
- It all comes down to you. How badly do you want to save money? What are you saving it for? Do you have a long-term goal?
Apps like, Acorns or Digit are great in theory but, you're not the one doing the leg work. When you are the one going over your own finances you will naturally become more informed about where your money is being spent and where you can make cut backs.
Firstly, figure out where you stand. List out all of your expenses & income. Secondly, calculate what you're supposed to have left over after you pay all of your monthly bills. Lastly, take that number, divide it by 4, and boom you now have a weekly allowance. Here is what one of my Excel document looks like:
Stop Paying For:
1. Cable! Look into a Roku 
or something similar ($103/month = $1,236/year)
2. Subscription services such as: Ipsy, barkbox, or whatever you subscribe to ($10/month = $120/year)
3. Coffee outside the home. Skip the daily Starbucks or wherever you buy coffee on the go. BREW YOUR OWN ($3/day = $780/year)
4. Expensive lunches. Quit the $5 lunches and strive for dollar meals. A bag of frozen veggies is $1 (+healthy= Win win) ($4/day = $1,040/year)
Start:
5. A Savings account & transfer $50/week into that account ($2,600/year)
Just these five things alone total a Savings of $5,776 dollars !
That is easily two All-Inclusive trips or 4 properly planned trips!
Basic ways to save:
6. Twice a year call all of your carriers (cell phone, car insurance, etc) to make sure you're getting the lowest rate possible. Every little bit helps. Pennies add up to dollars.
7. Make sure you're getting money back for simply paying your bills or buying gas. Seek out a debit or credit card that earns you cash back.
8. Make sure your checking/savings account is paying you interest.
Charles Schwabb is highly recommended!! Bonus: NO ATM fees world wide!
9. Sell anything you DO NOT use. I'm so guilty of holding onto things for way too long; So guilty that when I was selling my things to travel full time I sold over $6,000 worth of stuff! Only using Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and had three rummage sales.
10. Consider getting a second job. Look for something flexible and short weekly hours, such as bartending, teaching English online, Upwork, or Fiverr. Bartending 8-10 concerts a year paid for all of my plane tickets.
Outside the Box ideas:
11. Swap out that chemical filled toilet bowl cleaner and use vinegar or cheap mouthwash instead. It's cheaper and better for the environment. Good for your bank account and good for the ground water.
12. Less meat. You don't have to become a vegetarian by any means but your grocery bill will be lighter if you cut back. Maybe meatless Monday's or only buy it when you’re at events dining out.
13. Buy in bulk; If you know your family is absolutely going to consume 15lbs of Skippy Peanut Butter
or 1,000 fish sticks consider getting a Costco membership.
Again, the goal is $1 lunches. Buy frozen vegetables, rice, and other foods that will last in bulk. Make meals go a long way for very little money. Imperfect Foods is the perfect delivery service.
14. Limit the mani/pedis! Ladies, seriously they're so expensive! Trust me I feel the #TreatYoSelf moments. You're beautiful the way you are so try and limit it to special events only. Or try out the dip kit that I have been using, AVVA DYI Dip Powder.
15. Learn how to fix things or see if a friend can help you. Instead of buying a brand new coffee pot every time it breaks, consult YouTube or ask one of your friends.
16. Points!!!! Have a credit card that pays you with travel rewards. American Express Platinum card has an annual fee but if you travel often, it is beyond worth it!
17. Norwex ! Stop buying paper towels and new kitchen towels from Target every other month.
As a clean freak, I absolutely love the BAC (Basic Antibacterial Cloth) line; they're threaded with silver. Which means they will NEVER ever get that nasty dishrag smell!!! Silver is the oldest antibacterial and it is still heavily used in health care today. Especially with patients who're going through chemo therapy. The tape around they're IV sites are actually threaded with silver to prevent any possible infection. The drops newborns get in their eyes when they're born have silver in them. If you've ever had a nasty burn, the cream they give you is silver-sulfadiazine.
Ok great, how do they save you money? No more buying chemicals to clean your home. Simply just add water and go to town! Since my puppy Porter loves to put his nose prints on literally everything the glass cleaner rag has become my favorite!! Plus no more buying Windex by the gallon!
18. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We all know the saying. Now stop and think of weird ways you can apply that to your life;
Quit buying single use items: paper plates, cups, bowls. Bring back cloth napkins!
Skip buying plastic wrap, aluminum foil, plastic bags, etc. Instead use Mason jars or Tupperware. All of my fancy containers come from Chopsticks! <My local Chinese spot>
Now, that you know how to save money in 18 different steps you might be thinking that cancelling everything in life that costs you money would be boring. But, I promise you will survive and still have plenty of #TreatYoSelf moments. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, there really are so many great ways to save money out there. Please feel free to share your favorite ways to save in the comments.
"A penny saved is a penny earned"
Stop waiting and make your dreams come true
