It is never too late to find ways to save money this year and the reason why is because we have 20 ideas to help you get started.
I know we made some crazy New Year's resolution about saving BIG this year and to be honest that seemed easy at the time, but when it comes to the rest of the year we are finding this task harder to do.
I mean seriously a new year and a new you seems to be the motto!
Fast forward to the middle of the year and let see if this sounds familiar?
Somehow the motivation dies and the excuses start.
As much as I want to give in to these excuses and give up, I can't! Saving money and continuing to be debt-free is important to us.
Finding ways to save money this year and for the years to come will help me and you to keep saving money.
But can we be real for a minute before we go on?
We can't save if we don't have a budget.
Do you have a financial plan? Why do you want to save money?
This is why many of us fail to save money after making this a top New Year's resolution. We don't plan and we lose motivation and now that you are here, that won't be a problem. All thanks to these ideas to help you and motivate you to continue to save money.
Now, there are so many ways we save money and there are tons of ways you can too! If you follow these ideas below you will be able to save up to thousands of dollars in a year. Some of these ideas might be small and others big but again, when you add them up you are saving big.
Here at my Stay At Home Adventures, I continue to write about ways to save money since it is something that is extremely important when it comes to personal finances.
You will find articles like:
- 5 Quirky or Crazy Ways To Save Money
- 5 Simple Ways To Save On Groceries
- 20 Ways To Save On Your Wedding
I could sit here and show you our many posts that will help you save hundreds, even thousands of dollars, that are legit and sure to work.
The point is this, being wise and smart about how you save money is extremely important if you are going to save money this year.
Believe it or not, finances are the top New Year's resolutions and/or goals. So Americans are starting to realize that having financial control is a top priority. Many Americans, like myself, are makingfinancial health and saving money priority.
Ways to Save Money This Year
Create a budget
When it comes to your finances nothing will get fixed if you don't have a budget in place. Learning where your money is going is a crucial part of learning how to get control of your money. A budget is a spending plan and will help you along your debt freedom road.
You can find budgeting resources below:
- The Best Personal Budgeting Templates
- How To Recover From Debt On A Low Income
- Is The Cash Envelope System For You?
Start a yearly financial challenge
Start an annual financial challenge to save money. These challenges are fun and very helpful. We did the 52 Week Saving Challenge in 2014, and it was a fun way to help cash for our Christmas.
There are many money challenges out there, and I have to admit that I truly enjoy adding some spark to my finances and adding some money challenges into the mix.
Finding the best monthly money challenges to try this year can be a bit intimidating, especially if you are a beginner.
For ideas, you will be able to find many money challenges out there. Some are simple, and some are, well, challenging. Monthly money challenges are challenges that will help you save money or make money.
You can learn more about monthly financial challenges below:
- 6 Incredible Monthly Money Challenges
- 4 Financial Challenges Your Entire Family Can Do
Use coupons
Coupons save you money when used wisely and the savings from using coupons can be significant, up to 50% a transaction. That being said, coupons have evolved to the point where anyone now can save money.
Hey, you can still cut your coupons from newspapers and print them online too, but you can use your smartphone too!
You see, technology continues to improve and the ability to use coupons and save money are easier too! I used coupons because I didn't have money and I needed to pay my debt, and I had time to coupon.
To this day I still use coupons and I still love to save money. Even as I start to earn more money, I wouldn't give coupons up; however, the way I use coupons has changed and I'm here to tell you why I coupon this way now.
Even today I continue to use coupons and I still love to save money. Even as my income grew from years ago, I wouldn't give coupons up; however, the way I use coupons has changed all thanks to technology.
Coupons have evolved from Sunday papers to online coupons, to phone apps. My life has changed from what it was a few years ago as well. We are a one-vehicle family and I'm busier than before.
For these many reasons, the way I coupon has changed to accommodate my new life. If you are like me, busy and seeing a change in how you coupon.
Find resources to help you save with coupons below:
Rebates apps:
- Ibotta
- Checkout 51
- Shopkick
- Fetch Rewards(use codeDK24Wto earn 2,000 points)
Read more about coupons:
- How to Use A Coupons Saving Calculator
- Learn To Coupon On A Low Income
Set aside any extra money
Making extra cash on the side is not as hard as you might think. In fact, I started this blog to make some money on the side when I became a stay at home mom. There are tons of ways you can make extra money on the side and then use that extra cash and add it to your savings.
Why settle for your regular income when you can make some extra cash and you might even find your future career!
Once again technology has helped us in this department and you can make money while watching videos, shopping, and even playing games! If you have a smartphone then you might be able to make some extra cash while on break from your job.
Below are some money-making apps and online survey companies that will pay you:
- Opinion Outpost
- Survey Club
- Inbox Dollars
- Your Survey
- Inbox Dollar – iOS
- Pine Cone – US
- E-Poll Survey – ages 13 to 24
- My Points
You can also check the resources below for ideas to help you make extra money:
- 154 Resources to Make Money On The Side
- Ways Your Family Can Make Extra Money This Month
Buy items on sale
Every week stores have weekly sales. Take advantage of the items that are on sale each week to save some money. Don't forget to use the store reward cards and your coupons to save even more money.
If you prefer buying items in bulk then check out the posts below:
- 4 Reasons To Buy Diapers In Bulk
- Is Buying In Bulk Worth It?
Use a shopping list
Always shop with a shopping list. Write down what you need and stick to your list this will help you avoid buying unwanted items. There are many benefits to using a grocery list and below are some:
- Saves you money
- Saves you time
- It is a great tool to use when meal planning
Write a menu plan for the week
If you haven't thought about writing a weekly menu plan then I suggest you check these reasons why you need to start creating and using a menu plan:
- Saves you money
- Saves you time
- Reduces food waste
- Good for your health
You can learn more about menu planning below:
- The Benefits Of Meal Planning
- How To Create A Meal Plan That Saves You Money
Quit eating out
This was one of our weaknesses years ago, eating out. It was when we did our budget and saw how much money we were spending that we simply stop eating out during our debt journey.
If you are going to go out and enjoy a meal here are apps you can use to save money while eating out.
Just joinedDine Rewardsand you can too! Earn $5 when you usethis link!
Pack your own lunch
This is simple, bring your food from home and save the money of buying it at work.
Calculate how much you spend buying lunch and snacks at work, and you will see how much you are spending.
This could save you more money than you think by simply packing your own lunch to work. You could take leftovers to work!
Make your own coffee
Adding the cost of that coffee, you buy every morning on your way to work will surprise you. Why not make your own coffee at home and take it to work instead? You will save a lot of money this year by doing this.
Quit smoking
You don't need to wait until the New Year to quit smoking start now this is not only good for you financially but for your health too!
Buy Energy Star rated appliances
Energy Saving appliances not only help you reduce your electric bill, but it also helps the environment.
Have a yard sale
Yard sales are the best way to earn extra cash for things you no longer need or want. Now to have a successful yard sale you have to make sure you follow these tips below:
- Make sure your items are priced
- Make sure your items are clean
- Don't price items too high
- Advertise
To learn more about yard sale mistakes to avoid check the link below.
- 10 Yard Sale Mistakes to Avoid
Insulate your home during the winter
Take the time to insulate your home this winter properly. This will help you reduce your heating costs.Here are some tips below to help you winterize your home this fall.
Schedule Maintenance For Your Heating System
During the fall is the time to schedule maintenance services for your boiler and other heating services. You want to make sure your equipment is running properly and safe now rather than during a nasty winter storm.
Get Ready For The Winter Season
Make the time and take advantage of the not so cold weather to get your home ready for winter. Look for leaks around the windows and doors. Cover your windows with plastic to avoid cold drafts.
Change Your Filters
Just like spring, it is time to change your filter on most HVAC systems. This will prevent clogs due to dirty filters. If you don't do this, it can cost you a lot of money on your utilities. It can even burn out your system if left unchecked for too long!
Turn Down The Temperature Of Your Water Heater
By turning down the temperature of your water heater to a warm setting of 120F, you will use less energy and save money.
Don't Use Holiday Decorations That Require Electricity
We love to decorate here, and honestly, I think Christmas we went nuts with lights. Halloween we went even crazier decorating years ago, but as the years passed and we grew conscious of our finances, so did the type and amount of decorations we used.
We still decorate, more for Christmas than Halloween, but we are more conscious of our electric bill, and we use LED to help keep the cost down.
You can grab this free Fall Cleaning Checklist that will help you save money when you click the picture below.
Make homemade meals
Home meals don't have to be difficult at all. I am thankful for slow cookers, bread makers and such. 🙂 You can find hot deals at Target, Wal-Mart or Amazon.
Turn off and unplug your appliances
If you are not using it, then unplug it. This helps bring the cost of your electric bill down, and it works.
We do this at home, and you can see a difference in your statement. If you have children make it a game and assign them to be “Power cops” to check every day on things that should be unplugged. 🙂
Use Swagbucks to earn free gift cards
Start using Swagbucks now and start accumulating points so you could score big on free gift cards later in the year!
Get rid of cable
You don’t need all those channels. Find other alternatives to watching TV like Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and such. I can guarantee you that there will be tons of Christmas movies there.
You can learn how to reduce your cable bill today with these tips.
- Ask For Discount
- Stick To The Basic
- Digital Antenna
MOHU ANTENNA
As much as we speak aboutcutting our spendingand how to save money on this blog, you will know that I have a solution to help you save money.
One way to cut back on spending is by cutting cable or satellite. You all know cable is expensive, and if you arestruggling financially, I will tell you that you can watch television with the help of aMohu antenna.
Free TV,brought to you by theMohu antenna, which offers unlimited access to free, over-the-air (OTA) broadcast TV (including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, etc.) for a budget-friendly,one-time fee.
Find the right mobile plan for you
Do you need a smartphone? Compare service plans and see what plan works for you. You might be surprised how much money you will save. Check out this hot deal from Republic Wireless $15/month no contract!
Switch Insurance
Every two years switch insurance. Maybe this is the year you need to look at your house, car insurance and shop around. Any amount of money you save is worth it.
