These days, it seems like everything is incredibly expensive. Thankfully, there are quite a few clever life hacks you can use to save money. From keeping your costs down at the grocery store to saving you money on your entertainment budgets, these tips are perfect for getting your spending in check.
Meal Plan
When you’re thinking about saving money, one surefire way to keep more of your cash in your pocket is to plan your meals out through the week. When you meal prep you can cook in batches, which also enables you to buy in batches, which is more savings!
Automate Savings
Set up your accounts to automatically deduct some money to drop into your savings. If you follow the 50/30/20 plan, you could just set it up so twenty percent of your income goes straight into savings. If you never see the money, you won’t be tempted to spend it. Boom, money instantly saved!
Learn to Mend Stuff
Are you shopping for new jeans again? Your t-shirt is falling apart after only half a year? Rather than shelling out cash for new clothes, learn to sew. It might not sound glamorous, but a little bit of thread is a whole lot cheaper than brand-new clothes.
Subscription Review
How much junk are you subscribed to that you don’t even use? Get a subscription review site and run down all the recurring costs coming out of your account. Cancel the ones you don’t use. And be honest with yourself. If you’ve got a membership at a gym you never set foot in, end it. Streaming service you’ve never used? Cancel!
Generic Brands
When you’re shopping, consider foregoing the pricey name brands. Conspicuous consumption is for people who want to flash their cash. If you’re looking to stay smart and save instead, just buy the sensible brands and keep your excess money for the stuff that really matters!
No-Spend Days
Set up a few days each month as no-spend days. These are days where you, well, don’t spend anything. Making your meal plan at the start of the week and bringing your food with you when you go to work can help this go a bit more smoothly, too! The more days you go without spending, the more money you’re saving.
Insurance Rate Audit
You’ve got to pay for things like car insurance and homeowner’s insurance (or maybe renter’s insurance), but make sure you’re getting the best rates. Shop around periodically to make sure you’re still spending a fair amount of money on your insurance and that you’re not getting overcharged. Insurance companies hope you just forget to do this so they can jack your rates up!
Change Jar
If you buy things with cash often, make sure you keep your change and stash it in a change jar. Once the jar gets full, convert it into paper money! Or, better yet, deposit it into your savings account or your assets. A few cents here and there might not seem like a lot, but, trust me, it all really adds up.
Read More: Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Everyday Expenses
Buying Used
You don’t need a brand-new car, right? One that’s a few years older can still get you around town. The same goes for gently used clothes, video games, and even books and movies. You can find some awesome deals on secondhand items when you head to the thrift store. Don’t forget to use this great resource!
Read More: How to Save Money with the Cash Diet
Free Entertainment
It’s easy to stay entertained without spending a dime. Go to your local library! They’ve got hundreds of books you can check out right now for free. They might also have DVDs or Blu-Rays, in addition to video games and comic books. If that’s not enough, there are free streaming services you can watch, free community theater performances you can go to, and even free video games available from services like Epic Games Store.
Read More: 15 Ways to Reduce Expenses