Making Sense Of Cents

Learn how to make extra money, how to save money, how to start a blog, and more.

JOIN OVER 300,000
MONTHLY READERS!
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • Make Money
    • best online jobs
    • passive income ideas
    • paid online surveys
    • How To Make $100 A Day
    • 80 side job ideas
    • More Extra Income Ideas
  • SAVE MONEY
    • Free Amazon Gift Cards
    • 16 Alternatives To Cable TV
    • best rewards credit cards
    • How I Paid Off My $40,000 Student Loans
    • More Money Tips
  • Categories
    • Income Reports
    • How To Save Money
    • Extra Income Ideas
    • Blogging Tips
    • Career Advice
    • College
    • Pay Off Debt
    • Retirement
    • Self-Employment Tips
    • Travel
  • BLOG COURSES
    • AFFILIATE MARKETING COURSE
    • MAKING SENSE OF SPONSORED POSTS
    • HOW TO START A BLOG
  • Contact
    • About
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Recommendations

30+ Ways To Save Money Each Month

Last Updated: June 6, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 112 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

68497 shares
  • Facebook12038
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Here are 30+ different ways to save money each month. If you do all of them, you may be able to save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year!Are you interested in learning about the different ways to save money every month and throughout the year?

While you may already be taking part in some of the many ways to save money below, you may find something new that will help you cut back on your spending. Or, perhaps, all you need is a reminder!

Doing one or all of the below may allow you to change your life for the better.

It may allow you to pay off your debt a little more quickly, improve your financial habits, help you reach your dream sooner, and more.

Below are over 30 different ways to save money each month. If you do all of the below, you may be able to save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year. Remember, little savings can add up to be a lot!

Related articles on the different ways to save money:

  • How I Made Over $979,000 In 2016 Blogging
  • 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
  • How To Live On One Income
  • 10 Ways To Make Money Online From The Comfort of Your Home
  • Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month
  • How To Save Money – My Best Money Saving Tips

 

Start a blog.

This isn’t a way to cut expenses, but there are many ways a blog may be able to help you save more money.

A blog can help you to make more money. I know many people who have started a blog and are making thousands of dollars a month. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!

I now earn around $75,000 a month from my blog. I also travel full-time and am happier than ever!

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link and for a limited time) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free blog domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. I also have a free blogging course you can join too that will help you start and launch a successful blog!

 

Get rid of cable to save money.

According to NPD Group (a market research company), the average monthly cable bill is around $120.

You can read more about cutting cable here and how to save money by doing this. I recommend getting a digital antenna so that you can receive local channels for free!

Average savings: $120+ a month

 

Save money and win prizes

Did you know that you could most likely be earning more money with your savings account?

PrizePool is a new way of banking that gives you a 0.30% fixed APY on your savings and a chance at winning $10,000 every month.

You get 1 ticket each day for every $1 that you have saved (for example: every $100 that you have saved earns you 100 tickets per day and 700 tickets per week).

Your tickets cost you nothing, it is simply an easy reward you get for saving your money with PrizePool.

All of the tickets you earn are then automatically entered into their weekly drawing where you get a chance at winning one of 6,000 cash prizes including a $10,000 Grand Prize each month.

Plus, whether you win a prize or not, your savings are always guaranteed to earn 0.30% APY.

PrizePool’s mission is to help Americans improve their finances. PrizePool realizes that the majority of U.S. households spend their hard earned money on playing the lottery each week, even though it is very unlikely that they will ever actually win the lottery.

This is where PrizePool comes in – You get the opportunity to save your money in a savings account and have the chance to win real cash prizes. The great thing, though, is that you can’t lose!

PrizePool makes saving money fun, so that you are more motivated to save money and improve your financial situation.

They are FDIC insured and there are no fees or minimums either.

You can sign up for PrizePool by clicking here.

 

Negotiate your car and home insurance bills.

Many have too much insurance. Yes, I said too much! I know someone who has full coverage with a deductible on a car that is worth $500, I know someone who pays for towing even though their new car comes with free towing, and more.

By shopping around, evaluating whether or not you should change your deductible, changing some of your coverage amounts, understanding insurance terms better, possibly taking a driving class, and more, you may be able to save a significant amount of money on your car insurance bill.

I also recommend simply calling your insurance agent and asking for a discount, many times they will offer a discount that will allow you to save money just for asking!

Many of these same tactics can be applied to your home insurance bill as well.

Average savings: $100+ per year

 

Sign up for Swagbucks and InboxDollars.

Swagbucks allows me to occasionally earn Amazon gift cards with very little work. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded points for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough points, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. I actually just redeemed over $50 worth of Amazon gift cards through them. Super easy! Plus, you’ll receive a free $5 bonus just for signing up today!

InboxDollars is an online rewards website I recommend. You can earn cash by taking surveys, playing games, shopping online, searching the web, redeeming grocery coupons, and more. Also, by signing up through my link, you will receive $5 for free just for signing up!

Average savings: $10+ a month

 

Take surveys online.

Okay, so this isn’t really a way to cut back your budget, but you may be able to earn money without doing much. If you sign up for them all, you may be able to earn anywhere from $25-$100+ a month by taking surveys online.

Survey companies I recommend include American Consumer Opinion, Survey Junkie, Pinecone Research, Opinion Outpost, Prize Rebel, and Harris Poll Online. They’re free to join and free to use! You get paid to answer surveys and to test products. It’s best to sign up for as many as you can as that way you can receive the most surveys and make the most money.

Average amount: $25+ per month

 

Find a more affordable cell phone plan to save money.

Most people overpay for their cell phone plan.

If you are looking for a cheap cell phone service, check out Republic Wireless. They have monthly cell phone plans as low as $15 per month. Read Saving Over $2,000 A Year With Republic Wireless Review for more information.

Average savings: $50+ a month

 

Eat out one less time each month.

How many times do you eat out each month? How much do you think you spend each month at restaurants? Most people are surprised when they actually sit down and track how much they’ve spent!

Eating out just one less time won’t kill you, plus it will help you save a nice chunk of change over a one-year period.

Average savings: $25+ a month

 

Have fun for free.

Recently, someone was telling me about how expensive it was to have fun. They were telling me about all of their debt and everything that goes along with it, and then they also told me that their “fun” budget each month was around $500.

Uhhh what?! $500? A month?!

If you are trying to get rid of high-interest rate debt, I can’t think of any reason for why you should be paying $500 a month to have fun.

There are many ways to have fun for cheap and save money. Check out How To Have Frugal Fun for some of my ideas.

Average savings: $50+

 

Use Ebates when shopping for cash back.

Sign up for a website like Ebates where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too! Plus, when you sign up through my link, you also receive a free $10 gift card bonus to Macys, Walmart, Target, or Kohls!

Average savings: $5 a month

 

Stop smoking.

According to Statistic Brain, the average person spends around $34 a month on tobacco products. That is a lot of money for a very unhealthy habit.

My father passed away partly due to his smoking habit (he had brain and lung cancer) when I was just 18. If that’s not enough to tell you that it’s a horrible habit, I don’t know what will!

Average savings: $34 a month

 

Increase your savings by canceling your gym membership.

There’s a gym in my town that’s quite small yet charges $200 a month. I have never once seen a soul in there so I’m not sure what’s going on. However, they are open so someone must be paying it.

There are so many ways to get a great workout both inside and outside your home. While occasionally there are positives for paying for a gym membership for some people, the majority with a gym membership do not get their money’s worth.

Average savings: $25-$200+ a month

 

Receive a sign-up bonus from a credit card.

Now, this one should only be used by someone who knows how to take advantage of credit cards. Please skip this section if you are not good with credit cards!

In 2015, I earned over $4,000 by churning credit cards for their rewards. This may not be realistic for every person out there, but I’m sure churning just one card is something that some may be able to do.

Related: How To Take A 10 Day Trip To Hawaii For $22.40 – Flights & Accommodations Included

Average savings: $500+ a year

 

Purchase a water filter to save money on water.

According to The Water Project, the average person in the U.S. spends around $100 per year on bottled water.

Instead of spending $100 on bottled water each year, you can drink the water from your own home. You can even buy a water filter if you want to.

Note: Yes, I realize there are some towns out there where the water is not clean and that water needs to be bought, but that is not the average person.

Average savings: $100 per year

 

Start using Digit.

With the Digit savings app, you link up your bank account to Digit and every few days Digit looks at your income and spending habits to see how much you could possibly save. Digit then automatically moves money from your checking account to a Digit savings account.

Each transfer averages around $18, but it could be higher or lower depending on your individual situation. You can read my Digit review here for more information.

Average savings: $18

 

 

Meal plan to save money.

Meal planning is something that has completely changed our lives. We eat healthier than ever, we are saving money, and we have less food waste.

That’s saying a lot considering that the average person wastes over 40% of the food they buy. Yes, 40%!

If you have trouble eating at home, then try out $5 Meal Plan. They send meal plans directly to your email.

It’s only $5 a month (the first two weeks are free) and you get meal plans sent straight to you along with the exact shopping list you need in order to create the meals. Each meal costs around $2 per person or less. This allows you to save time because you won’t have to meal plan anymore, and it will save you money as well! If you are interested in joining for free, click here.

Average savings: $100+ a month

 

Drive a more affordable car.

According to Edmunds.com, the average person in the U.S. spends $483 on a new car payment and $361 on a used car payment.

Yes, I was just as shocked when I read that statistic!

This is sad especially considering that many take out high-interest loans in order to pay for their car as well. Back when my husband worked in new car sales, he often told me about new car buyers who had car loans at interest rates of 20% and above.

While $479 a month may be affordable to some, I’m going to assume that it’s a lot of money for most people. Plus, once you add in gas, maintenance, insurance, taxes, registration costs, and more, the number is going to be much larger.

I think everyone should buy a car that they can actually afford. I am a big believer that your car expenses should be less than 10-15% of your monthly income in order for it to be affordable.

 

Refinance your student loans and save money.

Disclosure: We receive compensation from the companies below if you click on a link. Amount of compensation does not impact the ranking or placement of a particular product. Not all available financial products and offers from all financial institutions have been reviewed by this website. This content is not provided by Credible or any of the Providers on the Credible website. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Credible.

I highly recommend Credible for student loan refinancing (they are the top student loan refinancing company and have great customer service!) so that you can save money. You can lower the interest rate on your student loans significantly by using Credible which may help you shave thousands off your student loan bill over time. Through Credible, you may be able to refinance your student loans to a rate as low as 2.47%!

Plus, it’s free to apply.

Related: Consolidating And Refinancing Student Loans – What You Should Know.

 

Miscellaneous ways to save money.

There are many other ways to save money as well. Below is a quick list:

  • Bring your lunch to work.
  • Make meals in bulk for the days you don’t feel like cooking.
  • Always pay your credit card bill in full each month.
  • Take public transportation, walk, or ride your bike more.
  • Stop buying soda and drink more water.
  • Give yourself 24 hours or longer to think about a big purchase before pulling the trigger.
  • If you’re a student, use your student ID discount whenever you can.
  • Switch to free banking if you’re paying for bank services.
  • Switch to generic if you can. Always make sure that it’s actually cheaper, though! In some cases, it’s not.
  • Don’t pay ATM fees.
  • Use cold water when washing your laundry when you can.
  • Start/maintain a garden.
  • Plan out when you will pump gas and where. We are always traveling in our RV and have noticed wide differences in gas prices. One time we were lazy and thought that we didn’t have a choice because we were in the middle of no where and a sign said there wasn’t gas for another 50 miles. We pumped gas for around $4 and got back on the highway. The very next exit had gas at $2.50. I couldn’t believe it.
  • Use Uber for your next taxi and receive your first ride for free.
  • Visit the library for free books, movies, and more.
  • Rent things around your home that you are not using, such as a spare bedroom or garage space.
  • Always have a list before you go to the store. This can prevent waste, unneeded items, and more.
  • Use a programmable thermostat so that you can heat and cool your home efficiently and more affordably.
  • Keep your car well maintained. This can prevent expensive surprises in the future. Plus, it can keep you safe too! Things such as bad tires can put your life and others at risk.
  • Skip stores, the mall, window shopping and more so that you don’t buy items you don’t need.
  • Lower your utility bills. Find ways to use less water, less electricity, and more.

How are you going to save money this year? Please leave a comment so that this list becomes bigger!

Related Posts

  • 7 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books in 20227 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books in 2022
  • How I’ve Traveled Full Time For 20 Years (And Make/Save Money)How I’ve Traveled Full Time For 20 Years (And Make/Save Money)
  • How To Live On One IncomeHow To Live On One Income
  • Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Stuff For CashEverything You Need To Know About Selling Your Stuff For Cash
  • 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
  • Everything You Need To Know About Making Extra MoneyEverything You Need To Know About Making Extra Money
68497 shares
  • Facebook12038
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

112 Comments
Filed Under: Budget, Debt, Extra Income Tagged With: Budget, Extra Money

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Troy says

    January 1, 2018 at 12:38 pm

    It’s hard to believe any of it when I see the smoking that you have up there $34 a month carton of cigarettes $50 $60 and most people that smoke buy that Weekly

    Reply
    • Allison says

      June 6, 2018 at 11:38 am

      Agreed! I live in Ky., and if you smoke a decent brand, most cigarettes go for around $5/pack. For a person who smokes a pack a day on average, that’s a whopping $150 a month. (Thankfully I am a FORMER smoker who quit before the prices increased!)

      Reply
  2. Patice says

    January 5, 2018 at 6:36 pm

    I cut my cable in August 2016 and kept the internet. I SAVE $110.00/month. I keep monthly expenses low by using power strips and turning them off when not in use. I keep my thermostat on 68 in winter and 79 in summer. I budget every month and plan for heat waves and cold snaps as best as I can by saving money when it’s mild outside. I only heat the parts of my house where we sleep, at night I close the vents in my downstairs den and close shut the door. IT WORKS! We’re toasty warm right now while it’s 22 degrees outside. My December heating gas bill was $80. My electricity was $95. I take my lunch to work and make coffee at home. I do use coupons and store reward cards/apps as much as possible. Saving money becomes a good habit the more you do it.

    Reply
  3. Mahesh Kumar (@TCInstitute) says

    January 16, 2018 at 8:03 am

    It was worth reading the article. In particular, the idea to have fun for free would be really worth trying. We easily spent $500 every month to have fun. The article on how to have frigan fun is also very interesting. I’ll be passing this along. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      January 16, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Nancy says

    April 7, 2018 at 1:50 pm

    To take years off my mortgage I arranged to split the monthly payment. I pay the exact same amount. The bank drafts half the amount then, 2 weeks later, the bank drafts the remaining balance due. I’m never late with my payment. The bonus? An extra $35 is applied to the principle of the loan. The bank will never suggest this method of paying off your loan. Good luck!

    Reply
    • Allison says

      June 6, 2018 at 11:41 am

      I love this tip! Another thing to remember is to pay 20% down when buying a home so you can avoid PMI.

      Reply
  5. nomig @ Nogentech says

    May 21, 2018 at 3:57 am

    A big list of money saving ideas you have shared. Thanks for it.

    Cancelling the gym membership is definitely a great idea to do so because you can easily perform workout activities and exercise in your backyard to stay fit without spending a lot of bucks.

    Reply
  6. Christian Stanfield says

    June 23, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    I loved this article. I recently tried this and wrote a similar article on my blog fibythirty.com. I called my savings game the 2,620 challenge – Running a financial marathon. One interesting way I found to make some extra money was using a website called missingmoney.com that helps you to find lost checks in the mail that are owed to you. I found a missing state tax return from 3 years ago that was over 200 dollars!

    Reply
  7. Emley Catherine says

    October 20, 2018 at 11:07 am

    Yes! So many people get caught up spending money on wants not needs! And the spending becomes a habit. Saving money has always been so important for me

    Reply
  8. Evelyn says

    February 28, 2019 at 4:23 am

    Saving money is a good habit because we can use our saving at any urgency time. You’ve done great work here. Appreciated to you. We can get more help and save more through these ways I’ve also use discount coupons for save my money on every shop.

    Reply
  9. Alicia says

    June 6, 2019 at 8:07 pm

    Thanks for sharing these tips! I tried some of them and found them to be very useful. I would have to say the most helpful one was the meal planning – I saved so much money once I started bring my own lunch to work. Can’t wait to read some of your other posts!

    Reply
  10. Brennon says

    September 3, 2019 at 9:44 pm

    Thanks for the great info. I think the most important thing to remember about savins is that it is a long game of small wins. The more wins you can make the more your benefit in the long run.

    Most of us get tired and give in to the temptations that are put in front of us, $5 coffee, $15 lunches, $150 shoes, and so on. While saving $5 on a coffee today may not seem like much, but repeated 100 times over the year is now $500. That is just one small choice.

    Always know that each dollar you save can open a new opportunity for you sometime in the future that is not possible today.

    Make small wins every day and prosper tomorrow!

    Reply
  11. Lily says

    September 10, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    Thanks for the tips My money saving tip is to learn how to do minor appliance repairs. I call iTunes tutorials my second husband…whenever my refrigerator is not cooling properly, or the garbage disposal gets jammed or the clothes dryer isn’t heating, I go to iTunes for advice on fixing them. I usually view two or three different utube videos to get a verity of information, then methodically check as advised through the trouble shooting until I find the method that repairs the problem. This had saved me hundreds of dollars in labor bills from repairmen. You, too, can learn simple repairs from iTunes…I am an older woman, and a widow. If I can fix my clothes dryer, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator and garbage disposal you can learn how too.

    Reply
    • Lily says

      September 10, 2019 at 8:47 pm

      That’s “Utube”” Not “iTunes”!

      Reply
  12. Manoj says

    September 14, 2019 at 12:38 am

    These all ways are fantastic tips for saving. We got very informational piece of content. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Reply
  13. Emily Rusnak says

    September 14, 2019 at 1:07 am

    I loved this article–we have a ton of pets, live in an expensive area, and some of our pets are special needs. Money is definitely tight, but we’ve committed to the lives of these little guys so we’re in it for the long haul! We do a lot of hang drying too, and as a bonus a lot of eco-friendly things save money.

    Reply
  14. Brittany says

    December 28, 2019 at 1:30 pm

    Great practical tips and fun ideas to save money.

    Reply
  15. Ysmay says

    August 16, 2020 at 5:19 am

    There are some really amazing tips in here. Thank you for taking the time to write these up. I have always been nervous about negotiating rates for things — I hate conflict — but I might just give it a try. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Roger Price says

    October 3, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    Great compilation of habits to save money!. Other one is to compare prices before you buy sometimes you can save up to 30% just checking in multiple places and not to buy in ther first store.

    Reply
  17. ENSJ says

    May 27, 2021 at 10:34 am

    My solution for the gym membership is this:

    I have a friend who is a personal trainer and hates cleaning his own studio. So in exchange for an hour of cleaning a week (it’s a really tiny place) I get a free lesson. Works perfectly since we live close to each other.

    Reply
  18. Suraj kumar says

    September 15, 2021 at 5:06 am

    Thanks for sharing these amazing tips!

    Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving. – Warren Buffett

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Making Sense of Cents welcome page photo
Hello and welcome!
My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

As Seen On

as seen on
How To Start A Blog
making sense of affiliate marketing for bloggers
My Monthly Online Income Reports
My Student Loans Are Gone - How I Paid Off $38,000 In Student Loans
How To Prevent Financial Fraud From Happening To You
Buying a House at 20 (How I did it)
How To Make Money Blogging Picture
How To Save 50% Or More Of Your Income Picture
How I Graduated From College In 2.5 Years With 2 Degrees AND Saved $37,500
75+ Ways To Make Extra Money

 

HOME
ABOUT
CONTACT
FREE FB GROUP

PRIVACY POLICY
TERMS OF USE
DISCLAIMER / EARNINGS DISCLAIMER
Copyright © 2011 - 2022. All Rights Reserved.

© 2022 Making Sense of Cents
Design by Swoon & Co. Creative