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25 Simple Ways To Save Money Today
Are you ready to start saving more money to be able to do more things like pay off your debt quickly or travel more?
This is a list of 25 Simple ways you can save money starting today! There are no dramatic life changes needed, just simple changes and actions you can do today.
When we decided to start cutting our expenses we were able to fill up our emergency fund, purchase our first rental property, and start the journey towards financial freedom. Freeing up small amounts of money over time is a great way to invest in your future and set aside money to spend on things that align with your values!
Check out these 25 simple ways you can save money today. Let me know which ones work for you, which ones you would never try, and what things you would add to this list in the comments below!
25 Simple Ways To Save Money Today
1. Buy Used Items
Instead of buying brand new, why not buy something that is used for a reduced price. You can do this with almost anything, even while shopping on Amazon by clicking on the Used options on the sale page for an item.
Other places to check for used items are Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Craigslist, Nextdoor, and second hand stores.
Otherwise, you can check out your local thrift stores, and secondhand stores for common household items and even clothes.
2. Carpool to Work
Ready to start saving money on gas? Why not split the cost with a work buddy and carpool? When I worked at the same office as a few of my friends in college I looked forward to our carpool time because it gave us a chance to develop our friendship!
Try taking turns driving to the office or choosing the most gas-efficient car and paying each other back for the gas used to fill it up.
3. Cut the Cable
Try taking a break from your cable. Think about how much money you would save by cutting the cords. Not to mention how much free time you would have that used to be devoted to catching up on the latest episodes.
4. Switch Your Phone Plan
We used to pay close to $100 for my husband and I on our former phone plan. After doing some research and finding out that there are a lot of good options that can save us money we ended up switching.
Are you paying too much for your phone plan? We switched our carrier to a new one called Mint Mobile. They have plans starting at $15/month ranging to $25/month!
If you live in a heavily populated area, chances are good that Mint Mobile will have good coverage there. You can check the coverage in your location by visiting their site here.
Bonus: If you download Rakuten to your web browser and purchase a plan from Mint Mobile you will earn $10 back!
5. Stop Paying for Things You Can Get for Free
Do you pay for things like books, movies, or education? There are so many ways to get these things for free or even at a big discount.
Check out your local library and explore all of its tools and resources. Check out this list of things you should stop paying for and also find ways to get a free education instead of paying lots of money for one.
6. Use Cash Back Apps
If you aren’t using cash-back apps already, you are missing out on tons of free money! I have earned over $700 in under a year by using cash-back apps.
My favorites are Ibotta, GetUpside, and Rakuten. Check out more cash back apps here.
With these cashback apps, you can earn money when you shop for groceries, electronics, household goods, and more!
7. Cook at Home
Cooking at home is a fantastic and simple way to save money. If you are not comfortable with cooking at home, consider starting with a meal service like Hello Fresh to help you learn some cooking skills and simple recipes. We did this and now love cooking meals at home!
Bonus: Rakuten offers $10 off for Hello Fresh or you can use this coupon for $40 off!
8. Stick to a Budget
Do you have a budget yet? Starting a budget is a great way to help you save money. Budgets will show you areas where you may be overspending or areas where you didn’t realize you were spending so much in the first place. I know that budgeting can come with many challenges, check out my top 3 biggest budgeting challenges and how I overcame them.
Need a super simple budget? Check out the exact spreadsheets I use here.
9. Brew Your Own Coffee
I’m sure most people know that it is cheaper to make coffee at home than to go to a coffee shop and pay premium prices for your coffee. I enjoy my routine of making coffee at home now that I have become accustomed to it.
Make sure to buy your coffee in bulk to cut down on costs over time.
Bonus: I love using Field Agent because they give me opportunities to get free stuff all the time. I have gotten a year’s worth of free coffee by keeping an eye out for coffee jobs on their app. Check out my review of Field Agent here.
Related: Does Coffee Affect Real Estate Prices?
10. Buy Generic
Buying generic off-brand products is a simple way you can save money. Your local grocery store, Walmart, Walgreens, and Target all have their own generic brands that will cost you a fraction of name brands.
Most generic brands are just as good as brand-name products so you’re not really missing out on anything by taking this route.
11. Start at the Dollar Store
Did you know that most dollar stores sell cleaning supplies!? We are fortunate to have a Dollar Tree within walking distance of our house and we always start our shopping trips there to see what kind of things we can save money on. One of our favorite things to buy there is cleaning supplies.
Also, if you are like me and love having cute holiday decorations, we have found that Dollar Tree actually has good options for a fraction of the cost of similar decorations at other stores.
Learn more about shopping at the Dollar Tree here.
12. Pack a Lunch
Stop eating out while at work! I used to go out and grab a sandwich for $7 almost every day at work. That added up to almost $2000 a year in sandwiches! Once I started tracking my money, I realized how much I was spending and decided to start packing a lunch.
I was able to cut my lunch expenses down to under $500 a year. That is about $1500 in savings! If you’re paying more than $7 per lunch per day and are able to pack a lunch that will cost you around $1 a day think about those savings!! This is a super simple way you can save money starting with your next meal.
Bonus: To save more money, invest in a good lunch box and food storage containers. This will save you money on paper lunch bags and plastic baggies over time! Here is the exact one that my husband uses every day. It comes with its own storage containers!
13. Earn Money Back While Buying Gas
Yes, you can earn money while spending money on gas for your car. Almost all of us have a vehicle and understand that fuel expenses can be steep! Why not make some money from it?
My favorite way to earn money while buying gas is through GetUpside. On average I earn about $1.50 to $3.00 back on a tank of gas. So far I have earned over $120 back by using this app!
14. Don’t Forget About Preventative Home Maintenance
Do you own your home? If so, do NOT forget to do preventative home maintenance! Taking care of your house will prevent you from needing to repair or replace big-ticket items later, like your furnace, pipes, carpets, etc.
Check out our Ultimate Preventative Home Maintenance Checklist and get a free download of it today.
This is a simple way to save money over time. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
15. Avoid Shopping Triggers
One of my shopping triggers is Target! When I go to Target there is almost always something that catches my eye and begs to be purchased… When I do my regular shopping I avoid Target so I don’t feel pressured to buy any unnecessary items.
Identify your shopping triggers and try to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.
16. Ride Your Bike or Walk
Going somewhere within a few miles of home? Instead of driving there, try walking or taking your bike! This will cut down on gas usage and it will give you a good workout!
Panera is 0.9 miles from our house and I love their coffee. So I try to walk as often as I can instead of taking my car. Not only is this a simple way to save money, but it also helps save the planet and gives me a chance to stay active!
17. Don’t Buy Things Just Because You Can
Just because your budget says you can spend $100 eating out each month doesn’t mean you HAVE to spend all $100 of it. If you can avoid spending the money why not save it!?
My husband is much better at this than I am. If we have extra spending money in a certain budget category I like to spend it all. He reminds me that we could be saving that money instead and put it towards debt or our next big purchase.
We went on a Utah trip not too long ago and budgeted $500 for the trip and only spent $330!
Find out how we did that here.
18. Stop Opening Up Sale Emails
Do you feel tempted by all of the sale emails that flood your inbox? Don’t open them! Gmail will automatically separate out those emails from the rest of them I try not to open up that folder at all because I see a sale and want to jump in on it even if it is for something we don’t need.
You can also unsubscribe yourself from those emails too if you just can’t avoid them.
19. Home Made Cards (birthday, holiday)
Cards can be expensive! Even if it doesn’t feel like you are spending much on them in the moment, the few dollars you spend on them add up over time.
Switch to making cards instead of buying them. Whether it is by hand or computer-generated, there are many options for making cards at home that will save you money.
I have made a number of beautiful letters and cards using a free online graphics program called Canva. Try it out here!
Related: The Best Experience-Based Gifts
20. Buy Used Gift Cards
Did you know you can buy used gift cards at a discount?? I didn’t know about this until recently either! If you plan to buy something from a specific place already, check to see if you can buy a used gift card first and save a few bucks!
Check out sites like Giftcard.com, Cardpool.com, and Cardcash.com. Before purchasing any of them make sure you have the Rakuten plugin for your web browser because some of these sites will also earn you cash back!
21. Start at Groupon for Services and Experiences
Looking for a specific type of service, adventure, or experience? I always check Groupon before purchasing anything because Groupon has great discounts for this stuff.
My most recent Groupon purchases were for oil changes, bike repairs, wine tastings, massages, and restaurant discounts.
Bonus: You can earn cash back from Rakuten while buying Groupons!
22. Use Browser Plugins to Earn Cash Back
I’ve mentioned my favorite cashback plugin, Rakuten. It is awesome and has earned me $75 so far without ever needing to think about it. My second favorite plugin is Honey. I’ve earned over $30 with Honey so far. Ibotta also developed its own web browser plugin. Ibotta is great for cash back on groceries!
The best part about these plugins is that once you sign in to them you never have to think about them! They pop up automatically on sites where you can earn money back or apply coupons to. If you do a lot of online shopping these plugins are perfect for you!
23. Don’t Pay for Airport Parking
Have you heard of Avail yet? Avail is actually a car-sharing app at the airport. It isn’t everywhere yet, but will be soon! Avail allows you to drop off your car at one of your airport parking lots for free. You may also earn some money with them if they are able to rent out your car.
You can also use them as a rental car service if they are located at the airport you are traveling to! This way you can also save money on your rental car while on vacation.
Check out my review of Avail here.
24. Sell Your Items Before You Buy New Ones
Ready to upgrade or replace something? Before going out to buy something, try selling your old item to go towards the purchase of your new one!
This works great for things like electronics, furniture, and cars. There are also apps out there that help you sell used clothing. We recently found a store that will buy used board games!
25. Work Out at Home
During quarantine, I realized that there are tons of free workout resources out there. I love different types of group exercise like yoga, pilates, and cardio kickboxing. While my gym was closed, I found out that my library offers free resources on these things, and that I could find most of what I was desiring on YouTube or Instagram!
I decided to cancel my gym membership and save the money instead! I encourage you to try this out for a couple of months to see if you can stay consistent with your workouts at home. You can always go back to the gym if it doesn’t work for you.
BONUSES!
Are you a Foster Parent? Check out these amazing ways you and your family can save money as a foster parent!
Are you a Pastor or Church Leader? Here are some exciting adventures you can take for free or discounted prices as a pastor or church leader!
Ready to transform your financial journey through faith-based guidance? Book an empowering call with Katie Jones, a Certified Christian Financial Counselor, today and pave the way for abundance and blessings in your life!
Find Out If Faith-Based Money Coaching is Right For You
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Great list.
I’ve recently realized how much shopping triggers affect me. I can optimize my expenses and save on all sorts of things. But then I go to Costco for a few things and end up spending $300.
I guess I will have to send my husband to Costco from now on – its much cheaper that way.
Haha me too! We shop at Sam’s Club and it is the same thing for me. I get excited about buying things in bulk =]