It seems like today mostly everyone is looking for a way to save a few dollars. Financially, things are a bit tight and I do what I can to get by on my husband’s income alone. During my time outside of the working world, I have been able to perfect quite a few easy ways to save money. I have been able to cut down on our grocery bill, electric bill, and even save money shopping for the kids. Saving money has become an art form for me, and I am always looking for better ways to stretch a buck!
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Easy Ways To Save Money
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Shop Smarter
When it comes to shopping, I am pretty serious about my savings. There are quite a few easy ways to save money at the grocery store. I am an avid user of coupons, and you can see my in depth Couponing 101 explanation. Even if you aren’t an “extreme” couponer, you can still shop the sales and use coupons to maximize your savings. It is not as time consuming as so many make it out to be either. I probably spend an hour or two a week on my couponing and still manage to save a large amount of money off of my grocery bill.
I recommend ALWAYS taking stock of what you have at home before you go to the store. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. This way you wont find yourself buying duplicates of items that you don’t really need.
I also make use of shopping apps like Ibotta. Ibotta basically gives you rebates for purchasing certain items. Once you hit a $20 threshold, you can cash it out to PayPal. That $20 is pretty easy to get, especially since you get a $10 bonus when you sign up and make your first purchase. Typically, I like to save up all of my Ibotta money and use it at Christmas time for gifts.
Another awesome shopping tool i like to use is Ebates. This is probably my favorite shopping site to use. They offer cash back on your purchases at an endless amount of online retailers. I did almost all of my Christmas shopping online this past year and got about $200 back from Ebates. It is super simple to use as well. You just select your store from their list and boom, you are getting cash back on your purchase. They even have an awesome referral program once you sign up as well. If you sign up through my link you get a $10 bonus once you make your first purchase.
Save at Home
I live in Florida, so as much as I want to say to not run the air conditioner as much, for me that is just not possible. One thing I found that has helped my family save money on our electric bill is the Nest Thermostat. This little gem learns your habits and will optimize your heating and cooling to save you money. Once it learns your habits, it will automatically kick on and off at the appropriate times and keep your house at the perfect temperature. It is a little bit of an initial investment, but SO worth it in the long run.
Another thing I had to train myself to do was make sure I turn off the lights when I am not in a room. After a while it becomes habit, but I was terrible about leaving all of the lights on for the longest time. Lately I have been MUCH better about it and it has made a difference. For one it saves electricity by not running the lights, but it also keeps the house cooler so the AC isn’t running as hard. We also replaced all of our lights with LED bulbs, like these. Again, while it may be a bit of an initial investment, it is totally worth it!
Wash in cold water. Most of our clothes are fine in cold water, so I do pretty much all of our laundry that way. It may be a slight cut down in energy, but every little bit counts!
Unplug unused appliances. I have been unplugging anything I am not using. My coffee pot, toaster, phone charger and items like that get unplugged when not in use. There is a small amount of power that is still consumed when these items are plugged in and not being used, so it can help you same some money by unplugging them.
Stop Buying Unnecessary Items
I realized that I had been buying things that I really did not need. Some easy ways to save money involve not buying items that you really can live without.
Don’t buy paper towels. I realized that I was spending so much money on paper towels. Once I stopped buying them and started just using washable hand towels, I noticed that I really did not miss my paper towels at all.
Stop buying paper plates. This was a hard one for me since we do a lot of get-togethers at my house. I ended up going to Dollar Tree and buying a bunch of inexpensive plastic plates and now we use those for parties. I can wash and reuse them, but if they get broken they were only a dollar. Paper plates were just wasteful and costly in the long run. This also applies to Solo cups. Just get inexpensive plastic cups and reuse them for parties!
Buy Used
There are tons of easy ways to save money by buying used items.
Brand new clothes off the rack are great, but really they can be very expensive. Especially with my kids, I have found that second-hand is the way to go! Kids grow out of them so fast that there is almost no point in buying brand new. Even for myself I purchase second-hand. My favorite place to buy clothes, for me and the kids, is Thredup. Thredup is an online thrift store that sells gently used, name brand clothes for women and children. Unfortunately they do not sell men’s clothes, but they really need to get on that! I was even able to get a brand new Michael Kors purse for well over 50% off of retail. If you sign up here you get $10 towards your first purchase as well, and they are always running great sales!
Even furniture can be found used at a great bargain. We got our whole living room set at a consignment store for dirt cheap. You have to be patient and keep looking around, but there are always great deals to be found. I have found that the best time to buy used furniture is around the start of summer. Especially if you live near a college town. College kids will be offing their stuff for cheap because they are moving out of their apartments for the summer.
If you need to buy a car, buy used. I don’t mean an old beater, but you can find awesome deals on cars that are a few years old with low miles. Once a new car is driven off of the lot it depreciates so fast that it is unreal. Save yourself some bucks and get a nice used car from a reputable dealer.
Utilize Credit Correctly
looking for easy ways to save money and get some extra cash back? We have all of our monthly bills set up on one credit card that we pay off in full every month. The beauty of this is that we use a card that gives us a percentage cash back. Since we never hold a balance, we never pay interest on this card. We simply reap the benefits of the cash back rewards! Our card is through USAA, and if you are eligible I would highly recommend this bank. They cater to military members and their families and offer amazing accounts and credit cards.
I know it isn’t always possible, but making sure any credit card is paid off in full each month will save you quite a bit in interest in the long run. We try to use our cards only for things that are either an emergency or something we know we will pay off by the end of the billing cycle.
Ditch Cable
The easiest of the easy ways to save money has to be ditching cable. We were paying well over $100 a month for cable TV at one point. We decided that this was just too much so we made the switch to streaming and have never looked back. For a total of $20 a month we have Netflix and Hulu. I love them both for different reasons. Netflix is great for movies and binge watching full past seasons of shows. Hulu (my personal favorite) is great for watching up to date new shows the day after they air. Now they aren’t going to have EVERYTHING, but it is very close. I have been without cable for years now and don’t miss it at all. We do have an antenna, like this one, on the outside of our house as well to pick up all of the local stations.
I am sure I could go on about more easy ways to save money, but the basic gist of it is to think about what you spend. Start spending smarter and eliminating what you don’t really need. I would love to hear what your easy ways to save money are in the comments below!
My favorite is ditching cable! That was something we did early on to save money.
Good list! If it wasn’t for the golf channel and my husband’s addition to it, I’d be done with cable!
My brother in law is the same way with football. We aren’t really sports watchers so it works out in our favor.
I love the getting rid of cable lol. My hubs pays for the cable because he really wanted it for all of his sports shows and golf. I really don’t use it though. I stream a lot of shows online and use Netflix. These are all great tips for saving!
We haven’t had cable in years and I don’t miss it. Sports is the only thing I can see some people really missing. Thankfully we don’t really watch sports.
I love these tips! I do a lot of them (Ebates and ThredUP are my favorites). I haven’t been able to get into couponing, I blame laziness. 😂 I do shop at Aldis though which also saves a ton.
I’ve been trying to talk my parents into ditching cable because they’re always complaining about their bill. I haven’t worn them down yet but I’ll get them there. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been trying to get my parents to cancel their cable forever too! Maybe one day they will listen
We’ve definitely cut off the cable but I need to be better about using coupons. That may help too!
Yes to the cable bill. We ended up signing back up because they bundled it, and now I’m wondering why I did that. We were perfectly happy without it. I definitely need to get better at couponing. It just seems like so much effort.
You should’ve seen my face when I read ditch cable! YAS! because I Netflix it all the time! lol These is a really great article. All of your points will definitely help families save money. Thank you for sharing!
Natalie
LOVE ALL THESE TIPS! I’m a frugal fanatic so I’m totally for saving money ALL THE TIME! lol. I also ditched cable and I use the amazon firestick, downloaded kodi myself and have access to ALL sports, tv shows, and movies (even the ones in theatre!) YAY!!!
Such a great post. I wanted to get rid of cable, but my husband likes what we have and needs to have all the sports things. I did go and adjust my plan at least, so it’s much cheaper now at least! Thanks for the tips!
I love second hand clothes, you can find some really great things. I am definitely going to check out Thredup, I’m so glad some one has taken op-shopping online now.
As a minimalist, mom and perpetual traveler, I implement a few of these ideas to save for said travels.
I coupon and wish I had the energy to master and be a Coupon Super Mom who get change back at the register…lol.
I have gotten money back once or twice but not regularly
Great tips thank you!
I’ve not heard of the Nest Thermostat. I’ll have to look into it, because we live in FL too, and I like my a/c!
I’ve been trying to get my husband to ditch cable for months. It will definitely help us save a bundle! 🙂
As a financial blogger I love these kinds of posts. I believe that we should spread financial literacy and personal finance to all. Great list!
my fave is ditch the cable, we haven’t done that however we have the most basic plan since we hardly watch it and have been able to save from that!
Excellent tips! We tried to ditch cable but it’s our fun vice and we re-installed it 🙂 Your tip to ditch unnecessary purchases is a GREAT one to always keep in mind. Thanks!
Really cute, similar to what I write.
I love this list! I do a lot of these because I do love to save.
love me some Thredup!!!
I was raised to spend money wisely but ever since having two little girls so close in age it gets hard to not buy them toys and matching clothes constantly. I have to remind myself often that those things will not matter in the long run! I have found an amazing retail shop near by where I can purchase excellent condition used toys at a great price and I wait until $10 fill-a-bag events in my area to stock up on cute clothes!
Great post….I forgot about Ibotta!!!!
We recently ditched cable too and we are so much happier without it! We desperately need to get on a budget so we can get back on track! These are some really good tips! I love buying used! It allows me to get creative with some things and it’s fun!
I’ve been utilizing some of these tips since before I was a mommy (MY mom definitely instilled that in me). My baby is 4 months so now more than ever I have to pinch and save and these tips are some of the things I live by! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Alicia Nicole xo
https://www.mymelanatedbeautiful.com/
Ebates is awesome! I started using them for this past holiday season and just got my check. It was a nice little surprise!
jessi i agree with you. we can save lot of money more than we we just by avoiding unnecessary stuff. we can definitely save money buying used stuff.
These tips are so useful!It’s better to save money when We can,starting from little things!
Coupons are for example a thing a have to start using more😀
Girl – Ebates. I mean – its has saved me so much money. And – how easy is it to use, especially with the toolbar add? Love!
Yes! I love the toolbar add on, it makes life so easy
Some brilliant tips! Especially love buying used! x
I have never used Ebates but it sounds like a great way to save.
Our biggest expense is groceries . . . I try so hard to change this bill, but eating healthy is so expensive! There are rarely coupons for food that I purchase
These are great tips on saving money! I agree with ditching cable, especially since cable TV shows are 60% commercials…
Right!
I’m in Florida too! (North Florida) The power bill is crazy expensive, and I can’t afford to run the air like I’d like to either. I have read great things about the nest, and want to get one too! I love ThredUp! I gained quite a bit of weight over the last 6 months, and thanks to ThredUp, I’ve been able to save tons of money on brand name clothes that are practically new! Plus I’ve been able to use the money that I’ve made from sending in mine and my daughters clothes that no longer fit.
I’m in central Florida, and yes this heat is killer most of the time! I don’t even think we had a winter!
These are great tips! I especially love the one about cutting cable – that has made a huge difference for my family too, and we’ll never go back. For the most part, we don’t even miss it.
My issue is buying unnecessary items. I’ve actually gotten a lot better about understanding where my money goes.
I love these ideas, especially cutting cable. My partner buys things on a whim like this and then we usually don’t even use it!
These are great tips and ways to save money. I should put many of these into practice myself.
These are great tips. I love buying used and using energy efficiently.
Great tips 🙂 Thank you for your post. I will practice it 🙂
I love these tips – I always need new way to save money. xx
Great tips! We ditched cable for a year and just came back to it. Oh well, we’ll probably end up cutting it again this summer.
We have been wanting to ditch cable for years now! Unfortunately our internet will double in price because we lose the bundling, so it doesn’t make sense!
I cannot agree more with the last part. Cable is so expensive! Once I realized how much money went to it, I knew something had to change immediately. These are all excellent tips.
Great tips! My husband and I haven’t had cable in 2 years. Instead we just watch Hulu and a Netflix.
Xx,
Amanda || http://www.fortheloveofglitter.com
I love the tip about how college kids are selling their items for cheap when it’s time to move. Better yet, stop by the dorm dumpster and grab what they set beside it. Beds, TV’s, furniture, plastic bins – you name it. Many are flying home and can’t take with them what they’ve collected over the school year. My husband and I were amazed when we saw this when we helped our son move out of his dorm his first year in college.
Great suggestions. We just bought nest thermostats and are impressed with their performance so far, looking forward to savings with our heating bill up here in Maine. We also ditched cable a few years ago and rarely miss it. I’m not too good on coupons but can advocate for all your other tips. Good work living on one income and staying within your means!
Awesome suggestions!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Those are some amazing tips!!! I have actually ditched Cable & it’s so cost saving.
I absolutely need to hear stop buying unnecessary things everyday. I know we buy so many unnecessary things and even when I’m making an effort, come home with silly purchases.
These are all really great tips! Shopping smarter is one of the biggest things I do. I am really frugal when it comes to things I need, and it makes a big difference.
Awesome tips! I always follow a budget to make sure that we have savings by the end of the week. These will definitely help save more money.
It’s easier to save money these days especially since you’re able to get coupons from websites and apps. These tips are great. A financial plan is always going to keep you on track.
I love these tips! I’ve been trying to save more money, I definitely need to try these out
I love your tips. Now we are actually doing a weekly saving challenge – to help us further save money. Each week we set aside a small amount from our allowance. So far, 9 weeks in we were able to save up. Aside from that, we utilize our credit card smartly as well – for cash back and rewards.
My husband and I have never paid for cable and I’m so glad! We use Netflix and recently got sling TV for some of his sports that he’d like to watch and that’s been more than enough TV time for us!
great tips to save money. Tonight got a compliment from the clerk at local grocery store that I did great shopping. I am almost to the ditching cable tip and have before but still have it so far we will see what I do next
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Awesome tips!!! I already do most of these except for the cable one I watch a lot of shows so does hubby plus he loves watching sports so lol..
Yea sports is the only thing we don’t really get. I watch a ton of shows, so Hulu is perfect for me lol as long as I can watch Supernatural though I’m happy
Great suggestions! We’ve recently cut our cable, changed our shopping patterns and started following Dave Ramsey to reach our new savings goals this year! These are definitely helpful tips!
We ditched DirecTV we were spending almost $200 a month on it. Now we spend about $40 bucks with Sling and Netflix. I always suggest ditching cable to people as a means to save money. Great suggestions!
I remember when we ditched cable – HUGE money saver! Netflix is where it’s at!
hi I’m new in ebates and I’m wondering if you got money from your referral link already? I would love to refer it to my friends buti wannamake sure ill get something when I do! let me know and thanls
Yea I have gotten paid from referrals a few times
Amazing list! One more tip I would like to add is to make a budget or list of all your expenses. This will help you to track your expenses better and thus save a lot more.
helpful tips for a mom of two.. thanks for the share
Great tips for saving money. I live in Florida too and didn’t know about the Nest Thermostat.
Yippie for another Floridian 🙂 I love my Nest, it is so great especially when it comes to regulating the temps
Great article!
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Like Craigslist, except absolutely everything is free. Freecycle is an online forum with more than 9 million members from around the world.
This website is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and neighborhoods. The philosophy is to reuse and keep good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is managed by local volunteers and membership is free!!!