30+ Ways To Save Money Each Month

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…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: January 23, 2024

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

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:

 

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 OpinionSurvey 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!


Filed under:

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

Like this article?

Join the Conversation

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

  1. Cash In A Snap

    Excellent post !! There are various methods of saving big bucks. There post depicts the best ideas to save money. Good use of credit card can also be a part of financial planning. There are instant cash advance facilities in financial market which can help you in bad financial times. Great suggestion would be the tracking of unwanted expenses and stopping them.

    1. Thanks! Also, please use your real name next time you comment 🙂

  2. I have cut my expenses a lot — including moving to a cheaper apartment this upcoming weekend. Next on my list is making more money. Specifically, I want to make $5000/month from blogging this year!

    1. I definitely think you can reach that Natalie. Your blog is on fire!

  3. I don’t do all of these, but I do enough of them to make a big difference!

  4. Tyler @ Oddball Wealth

    Nice post! I use my credit cards for just about all my purchases, solely for the intent of their rewards. I then pay the balances off in full every month. The rewards I earn begin to add up over time!

    1. Yes, love credit card rewards 🙂

    2. Yes, many people do that. I just pay mine off once a month though because I have several credit cards and my utilization rate is already below 5%.

  5. Michael @ So You Think You Can Save

    Great list. I have a gym membership at Planet Fitness, so it’s only $10 per month, and I actually use it quite a bit, so that’s one suggestion I won’t be putting into action anytime soon!

    1. Thanks! Like I said, there are some people who actually get good use out of it. You’re definitely not the norm, though! 🙂

    2. Elizabeth

      I have a gym membership at planet fitness too! So I agree with you of not cutting that anytime soon. LOL

  6. I have relatives that spend upwards of $600 a month on their smoking habit. Ouch!!!!! As for us, our biggest money wastes used to be eating out and a larger grocery budget thanks to a lack of menu planning. We now spend just over $400 a month on groceries for the six of us, and very little on eating out as well. The savings really do add up!

      1. Yup. 2 chain smokers times avg of $8.10 per pack in MN. 🙁

        1. OH GOD! That is a crazy amount of money. I for sure thought that had to be a typo.

          1. I wish. They’re struggling so much financially but can’t see the forest for the trees, so to speak. 🙁

  7. Great tips! I just found your site within the last week and you’ve done an amazing job! You have so much helpful advice for someone starting a blog. I love the detailed income reports. It makes it more motivational to see real numbers.

  8. This is the correct link in reference to the last post. Sorry about that!

  9. Most of these things are really pretty easy to do. We’ve already been doing most of these things to kill our debt, but we probably should stop drinking soda. The hubby and I both love caffeinated sugar water – my favorite is Dr. Pepper (or the generic version). Water is so much healthier, and cheaper!

    1. Elizabeth

      You guys can recycle those soda cans to have some cash on the side too.

  10. Kim

    Even if you only do a handful of these, it makes a big difference. I love to eat out but at $40 bucks to feed three of us vs $5-$10 per meal eating at home, it’s a no brainer to meal plan and try to cook more at home.

    1. Yes, perspective is important.

  11. Jackie

    Coincidentally, I canceled my gym membership today. I enjoy running so much more than a stinky gym any way.

  12. Yeap, by quitting smoking the chain smoker can save lot money….and just having the gym membership and you are not using it then it’s a waste of money….Quit the bad habit…

  13. Elizabeth

    Yes! I agree with you, great ideas. I have no cable at my Ouse and all we need is Netflix as our TV, saves us hundreds. And we usually stream movies online so saves us money from going out to a movie theater. I started recycling as well!

  14. this list is helpful for who is trying to save more, be more frugal and still have a great social life on a budget, thanks for sharing

  15. Are there really towns where you can’t drink the water or is it a urban legend? I find it hard to believe in a first world country. I have a clay filter called ecofiltro, they’re awesome and look nice in the kitchen. They also keep the water cool. I guess most people buy water because they don’t think about taking a water bottle to refill when they go out.

    1. I know some people who won’t drink their water because in some towns it is known to be contaminated after spills and so on.

  16. Jenn

    I am so looking for ways to save and make money, we have $50000 in credit card debit and recently had to buy a new truck due to the old 13 year old one needing a new motor..so all this information is great. I recently have started meal planning and trying new recipes its been fun! Sorry only website I have is my craft jewelry business….

  17. Ha ha, I have a VERY similar post scheduled for a few weeks from now – looks like I’ll be pushing it back some. 🙂 That being said, we’ve done or currently do a fair number of these. Even if you only pick out a couple of them you can save good money.

    1. Haha publish it! Everyone can always use more ways to save money 🙂

  18. Great list! We canceled our gym membership over two years ago and haven’t looked back since. We were paying $80 a month, so we saved $960 a year! We are big fitness people and took on at home workouts such as T25 and P90X. They both cost about $120 for the workouts but you can spread out the payments over three months if you want. We’ve saved so much money and time by doing this… There’s always walking/running outside that’s free!

    1. Becky

      Spotify has free version and has good playlists

  19. We cut cable a couple of years ago and now put that $92 (the bill minus the cost of Hulu) into savings each month. It’s awesome!

    I was able to find cheaper car and home insurance this year, which made me very happy. We saved around $400 between the two. Might be more, but I don’t feel like looking it up. I just used an insurance comparison tool online, so it was pretty easy to find.

    Cash back shopping is a GREAT way to bring in extra money because you were already planning on spending the money anyway. So anything you get back is just a bonus.

    1. $92 is a lot of money to save!

  20. Everything I agree with except for the part about canceling gym membership. The new year should inspire people to make healthy changes and consider purchasing gym memberships. Whether people are looking to transform their bodies out of inspiration or desperation, they should make the healthy choice to eat out less often, consider cutting the cable cost, prepare more home-cooked meals, do more cardio,and drive a more affordable car “I like that you mentioned that.” Most people are so on the up and up nowadays at keeping up with the Joneses by purchasing cars and homes they can barely afford just to look good before people. If you personally asked me, I say “never mind pleasing people,” and purchase what a person can afford. Thank you for this positive and thought-provoking post. Happy new year, Michelle! 🙂

    1. That’s why I said that it doesn’t apply to everyone 🙂

  21. Allie

    What a great list – we are lucky that we get internet/utilities included with our housing and gym too – which is a big savings. We also meal prep, bring our own lunches and cut our “dinner dates” down to one time a month and are doing more “at home dates”. Little changes can make a big difference!

  22. Awesome list! I do most of these. Starting small can really add up.

  23. Bryan

    Awesome post and list. Every time I cook at home and don’t go out I save money. It is amazing how many times I need to be reminded. Thank you for doing so.

  24. Jen

    Installing a water filter is a huge money saver. My parents used to buy individual bottled water until I convinced them to buy a filter. It costs like $10 a month only. I personally need to fix my habit of eating out! It costs us hundreds a week vs groceries that can make lunch for the next day costing less than that a week. Good viable tips here!

  25. Jess

    We have found that a couple of big money savers for us have been walking/biking everywhere and not using the clothes dryer. It’s amazing how these small changes can easily become second nature and add up in big ways. I am always looking for new ways to save 🙂 I use cloth diapers for our baby and just recently switched to cloth wipes (what took me so long?) I have noticed a difference in my spending at the drug store.

  26. John

    Just this year I added $30 to my Ebates account just from buying college books and supplies. Also every 2 or 3 months i’ve been calling Verizon Wireless and telling them “I need to lower my bill” 3 out of the last 5 times they have lowered my bill by an average of $25 with out renewing my contract(once they changed my plan to a cheaper plan with more minutes and data, twice they discounted my plan by an approximate $12-$15 for being a “loyal customer” ). Currently I pay 90 after tax for 3 smartphones. I used to pay $165.

    1. chris

      Oh my gosh. I’ve been to the verizon store several times and the most i could get was 500 extra data gigs.
      Paying 240 a month for 3 phones.
      also on the survey sites do they sell your e mail? I would like to try that.

      1. John @MoneySchemas

        Hey Chris,
        I have always called the 1-800 number when I talk to Verizon. Try that! Also Ebates is awesome but its actually not a survey site. They have a great reputation and have been around since 1998 or 1999 or so. They give you cash back for shopping at stores online. Stores in their network include Walmart, Kohls, Amazon and hundreds more. Just go to Ebates and click the store you want to shop at and it keeps track of that purchase and pays you cash back (I’m kind of a fan if you cant tell). Lots of tutorials on Youtube or I got more info on my last blog post as well.

  27. Katie M

    Great tips! I do almost all of those, plus Ebates! I’ve earned so much just from basic purchases to hotel stays. Love it 🙂

    I’d like to add checking your local colleges for free/cheaper services. I’m a dental hygienist, and when I was in school, we always needed patients. Cleanings and xrays were around $30, which is a huge savings!! My sister is a nursing student, and we just helped her do clinic checkups (free lab work for us). Another example is getting your hair cut at a cosmetology school. Saving money and helping a student – a win-win! 🙂

  28. Norman

    Great list! There’s 2 other ways of saving money that I use that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.
    1. If you are going to eat out, see if there are customer loyalty and rewards programs. I eat at a fast casual Mediterranean place about once a week and I’m constantly getting free entrees and sides just by submitting the receipt into their mobile app.
    2. If you travel for work, put as many expenses as you can into your own personal credit card, get reimbursed, and reap the benefits of extra points. Not only are you not paying for your own meals, you’re getting additional monetary benefits.

  29. I love how detailed this post is! We have been cable free for 2 years! Lol. Just doing the netflix thing.Meal planning saves me so much money! No more wasted food going in to the garbage. I have been thinking about trying swag bucks to earn gift card extras. I use on-the-go survey app which I’ve earned about $50 which was perfect for Xmas money. And I am hoping to earn from my blog this year to help pay down our debt.

  30. chris

    We dropped cable this year. bought a $20 dollar antenna from Ollies’s. we get about 40 channels. Some very well, the basic NBC CBS ABC. ABC doesn’t care about their digital quality over the air so sometimes not so good. Then older shows and PBS with Netflix. It works for me. Then picked up internet for about 40.00 . $$$$ Savings was about $110. $$$$ DON’T MISS CABLE A BIT!!!!

  31. Dell

    We save a lot when eating out by ordering only water to drink. Another way to save money and improve your health is to quit drinking alcohol. Don’t miss the bars or lounges and we enjoy ourselves even more socially without liquor.

  32. Beth Camp

    Plan ahead for Christmas, where most overspending happens. If you can make gifts, start now. Or look at sales after Christmas for gifts for the upcoming year. Or perhaps just discuss with folks you exchange gifts with and decide to set a limit or even better skip the gifts and spend time together.

  33. Karen

    I have called my credit card companies and asked them to lower my interest rate. I point out that I always pay on time and have been with them a while. I have gotten them to lower my interest rate. Then, a few months later try it again.

  34. Kimberly McBride

    I LOVE your blog!! I found great ideas on how to cut expenses. Last year my husband lost his job and, since I am diabled, we had a horrible few months. One thing that really helped was Swagbucks. A lot of people get aggravated with it because they start taking surveys and don’t qualify for many, but there is a method to the madness. In one weekend, my husband and I took a bunch of quizzes and earned enough money to give my granddaughter a great Christmas. ($125) I joined in April of last year and by December 31st I had made over $650 in gift cards PLUS I had qualified for a home test of a Shark Vacuum worth $299 and got to keep it!! I have tried other survey sites but none compare. If anyone would like to join, feel free to email me at kmcbride0617@gmail.com and I’ll give you survey tips to help you earn what I did.

  35. One way I saved some money was purchasing my own gym equipment. I purchased a bike, elliptical, and weight machine – which will last for years to come. The cost of these items long term are cheaper than a gym membership. A lot of great tips, thanks for sharing!

  36. Laurie

    I recently had an energy audit done on my home through my electric company. It costs $75, but they gave me a gift card, light bulbs, and other energy saving gadgets that were worth about $30. I will also be saving a ton of money on my utilities now that I know what needs fixed to seal where I am losing so much energy!

  37. Cindi

    Thanks, great article! I started my trek to living smarter last month! Started by dropping cable and buying a streaming device, saving 100.00 a month, changed my car insurance saving 40.00 a month! Working on getting rid of junk and getting rid of my paid storage! Next will be looking for small home to buy instead of paying high rent on my duplex! I get paid every 2 weeks as a nurse and my goal is to live on one paycheck a month!!!! Will be following you, thanks again!!!!

  38. Love the suggestions. Best part is that the majority of them you can implement NOW and realize the savings immediately. I didn’t see one on your list that is too complex, so there shouldn’t be any excuses why they aren’t included in your goals/financial plan going forward!

    $200/month fora gym membership is insane. I get that they are the only gym membership in the town, but that price is down right offensive and insulting to the town members. No wonder nobody is in there!

    Thanks for taking the time to put this list together! Very helpful stuff.

    Bert, One of the Dividend Diplomats

  39. Lorina

    We owed $40 thousand in credit card debit- I had a goal to pay it off within 4 years. I paid it off within 2 years (snowball effect) No I am working on paying off my mortgage within 11 years instead of 15yrs.
    We now use one Credit card that gives cash back and we pay it off every month. We don’t go out a lot to eat and we save every little bit that we can. We have one car and I just semi-retired. But we still are working to pay off the mortgage (we bought late in our lives). It can be done but you have to watch your pennies.

  40. Pete

    How about just drink tap water and you can drink 1000’s of gallons for the price of a single bottle of water. Bottled water embodies all things wrong with a wasteful and financially ignorant America

  41. Gloria Kaye

    Found your list of miscellaneous ways to save money very helpful. I plan on using Uber next weekend for the first time and was unaware that they offer free first rides! Also, using cold water for laundry and planning out when and where to pump gas are great ideas. Thanks!

    1. jonathan f.

      My tips:
      1. Switch to cheaper brands on consumable products (toiletries, cooking ingredients, etc)
      2. Cancel gym membership: Do you really need to have a ripped body? If no, a balanced diet and jogging everyday is enough to keep you healthy.
      3. Cancel cable subscription: Everything is on the internet. Watch your favorite shows using the internet. Live stream live events.
      4. Dont overspend on car insurance. You probably are without knowing it. I switched to Insurance Panda and I only pay 25/month.
      5. Brew your own coffee or just drink instant coffee.
      6. If possible (depending on where you live), sell or lessen using your car: Use public transportation or ride a bicycle to go to work/home.
      7. Cancel phone plan and just use pre-paid.

      1. Thanks! Helpful tips! Insurance Panda? Never heard of it. Checking it out tonight!

  42. Another one that I think is overlooked is buying some things used. It’s amazing how many times we just hop online or head to the store when we need something, instead of considering whether we can find it less expensively elsewhere.

    For example – we recently realized we needed doggy stairs to help our aging pups get up on our bed. I hadn’t made it a priority yet, when we were driving past a garage sale and noticed a brand-new set of pet stairs that matched our decor. I hopped out of the car assuming they’d be asking $20-$30 (a new set from PetSmart is around $75). The lady having the garage sale wanted $3! It was a perfect solution to our problem, and prevented us from totally unnecessary spending on a brand-new set of pet stairs. This set was ridiculously inexpensive, but they can be found regularly on Craigslist for $15 to $20 – which is still 2/3ds less expensive than a new set!

  43. Wendy Artes

    I’m in the UK, my daughter and I check out restaurants and hotels, we pay the bills and write a report. We are then refunded the whole cost. We eat out once or twice a week for nothing, and we have occasional hotel stays, it’s great fun!

    1. Mo

      Id love to know who you do this for please. I’m in UK too.

    2. Vivian Cruthird

      That is great. Do you know of any such contacts in the US l can look into? Thanks in advance😊

  44. Dan @ Making the Journey to Wealth

    Awesome post! It’s never a bad time to save more money!

  45. kathi shelley

    I stumbled on your site by accident, and I’m really glad I did! I feel it’s never to late to learn something new, and I like to save money! I’d like to give the online surveys a try. I am on Social Security and receive a public employees pension monthly. While my house and car are paid for, I still have the monthly phone, cable, and internet bundle which is a savings over paying for them singly. I pay for my utilities on a budget plan, which means I pay the same amount all year. All my bills are paid through direct deposit. I pay $2.31 for a gallon of gas.I belong to AARP and use their insurance. Since I am alone and I hate to cook, I cook a big meal once a week and eat that all week, supplementing with frozen meals and fresh fruits and veggies. My entertainment is a $5.00 movie once a week with free popcorn!. Eating out is almost nonexistent. I’m able to put $250. a month into my savings, more if I budget well. I’m a crafter and junker, so I make enough during craft show and flea market season to pay for all my Christmas buying. I buy my shoes and underwear new, the rest is thrift shop and St. Vinny’s clothing. I live quite comfortably and can still travel every other summer.to see family.

    1. Eileen

      Wow I’m excited I’m new to saving money but I’m gonna have fun with it my biggest down fall I’d diet drinks and soda

  46. Mao

    There are so many ways to save money! Thanks for the article. Just gotta start and do it!

  47. Troy

    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

    1. Allison

      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!)

  48. Patice

    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.

  49. 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!

  50. Nancy

    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!

    1. Allison

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

  51. 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.

  52. Christian Stanfield

    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!

  53. Emley Catherine

    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

  54. 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.

  55. Alicia

    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!

  56. 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!

  57. Lily

    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.

    1. Lily

      That’s “Utube”” Not “iTunes”!

  58. Manoj

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

  59. Emily Rusnak

    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.

  60. Brittany

    Great practical tips and fun ideas to save money.

  61. Ysmay

    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. 🙂

  62. Roger Price

    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.

  63. ENSJ

    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.

  64. Suraj kumar

    Thanks for sharing these amazing tips!

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

  65. Claire Potter

    Great suggestions. Don’t buy coffee, make it at home. Buy green coffee beans online and roast your own coffee. Don’t take vacations, unless they are low cost camping vacations. Cash out work vacation if possible. Use rags, not paper towels. Save leftovers and eat these for lunch. Wear dark and neutral colors and wear the same thing several times a week. Two pairs of shoes only-for exercise and work. Buy in bulk. Avoid junk food, like potato chips and cookies. Make meals from scratch with fresh fruits, vegetables. Buy low cost cuts of meat–ground meats, especially. Eat vegetarian meals.

  66. Kurus

    $75,000 a month from a blog, man that’s impressive. my blog didn’t even earn 100 a month

  67. Sherry Smith

    Great list! I’m always looking for new ways to save more money. I like to use the app ‘Fetch’ to snap my receipts. Usually by the end of the year, I have enough for an Amazon gift card – a treat to myself…lol.

    1. I love Fetch! It’s so easy. I scan my receipt after every grocery run.

  68. morris

    Great tips! I just found your site within the last week and you’ve done an amazing job! You have so much helpful advice for someone starting a blog. I love the detailed income reports. It makes it more motivational to see real numbers.