Saving money here and there can add up beautifully at the end of the year. Then you can put the savings towards your debt, emergency fund,  sink funds, or investment accounts. 

 

The faster you get out of debt and boost your savings the faster you reach financial security and financial freedom. 

 

Look at you taking care of your future self and shaving years off retiring at 65. 

 

Here are some basic ways to save a lot of money under your main expense categories without trying too hard. 

Bills:

Refinance everything

If you are paying more than 5% on anything it’s time to refinance as soon as possible. Interest is jacking up your debt every minute and you gotta get it down as soon as possible. You can find some great credit boosting tips in the free Money Mastery Bundle. 

Action Steps:

1. Check your credit score, has it significantly improved since you got your loan? Is it above 720? If so it’s time to refinance your loan to under 5% or less. 
2. Check your local bank and  compare bank refinance prices online 
3. Select your new terms, but still pay the same amount moving forward…this will help you pay off your loans faster but pay much less on interest 

Competitor dance

Loyalty is nice and all, but not when it impact your money goals. Check competitor prices once a year on bills such as any insurance products, your cellphone, internet, and any other nice to have. You can save hundreds of dollars and it adds up quickly. 

Action Steps:

1. Look up competitor pricing for all of your bills and insurance providers 
2. Call up all your bills companies and ask for a discount or the introductory pricing 
3. If they say they can’t give it to you, ask to be forwarded to the cancel department and tell them what their competitor is offering you 
4. If you like the company and they get close to the price of the competitor accept and be sure to put your savings towards any debt you have. 
5. If they still won’t budge tell them you would like to have your account canceled at the end of the billing cycle and go set up an account with their competitor. Be sure to put your savings towards any debt you have.

Check out my favorite cell phone company where I save $500 a year!

Gift card hack 

Get physical or digital gift cards for your favorite spots from food to clothing in areas that you overspend. You refill this every month or every quarter, but once it’s gone, it’s gone. Remember to disconnect your actual credit or debit card from the apps.

Action Steps for coffee or food feigns:

1. Go to the app of your favorite spot 
2. Pay for a Gift card in a set amount for the month or year
3. Remove your debit or credit cards 
4. Spend your gift card guilt-free 

Double your payments

Interest builds on your debt daily. Get rid of it throughout the month by paying more than once a month on your debt. If you pay twice a month you end up paying an extra month of your bill in interest. That only goes up if you pay once a week or every day. Especially take advantage of this hack if you get daily tips or weekly pay. This will help cut your interest dramatically. 

Action steps:

1. Go to your bill or debt payment provider and set up one automatic payment for the month of the entire bill or half the bill
2. Go to your bank and set up 1 or more automatic payments to that same bill or debt account with the other half of the payment or extra money towards the payment 

Food:

Meal prep

Food will gobble up your money quickly. Meal prepping is like having fast food at home. Yes, you will have to plan it out and make the food ahead of time, but the savings and the calories are so worth it. I cut my grocery and food bill in half just from meal prepping for the last 6 years. 

Action Steps:

1. List out  2 favorite meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner
2. Find the meal prep version on Pinterest or Google by typing in “Meal Name Meal Prep”
3. Check your cabinets for the ingredients and then shop for the rest 
4. Spend the 2-3 hours on the weekend prepping your meals and place into Tupperware or prep containers 
5. Grab and go with your meals all week long. 

Discount days

Go to Starbucks on the discount days only. The coffee tastes the same at a much better price. Or give one to a friend or office mate/boss and see how much their appreciation of you soars. You are winning all around. Use this hack for shopping sales and other food places too.

Grocery Hacks:

Grocery strategy

Use high-end grocery stores for treats, use budget stores such as Aldi for pantry basics, and Bulk stores for things you use every month such as chicken, beans, rice, and the like. Extra Two Cents: The freezer is your best friend for bulk meat. Divide the meat into ziplock freezer bags with a little oil then add a spice mix and shake. When you are ready for dinner throw in the oven, crockpot, or instant pot for an easy meal. 

Generic does the job

Break free from labels and go for generic with your food. If it honestly tastes different, I totally understand stick with what you love, but if you have no preference go for generic and rake in the savings. Many people don’t care about this and don’t realize how much they save. If you can’t get over the labels save money with apps like Ibotta for your groceries.

Make a list

No more buying two of the same thing and you will do more focused shopping. Check your kitchen for things you already have and then make a list of the things you need or about to run out of. On that list try to put things in the same aisle or section next to each other so you won’t be running all over the store. The longer you stay in a store the more you buy. Get in and get out, for money’s sake!

 

Entertainment:

Use your local library 

Check your local library’s digital, audio, and regular books before buying. Your taxes pay for it so you might as well use it. Also, you can request any book, video, or magazine they don’t have.

 

Calculate cost

What’s the point of having Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ if you touch them once a quarter? Go to a friend’s house or ask for their account login when you want to have a movie night or grab a Redbox.

 

Share your accounts

• Your Amazon account can be set up two adults to be fully separate
• Netflix and Hulu have up to 6 profiles
• Most cellphone companies have a family plan or just get Mint mobile for a good network and the cheapest cellphone plan around. 
• Apple, Spotify, and Youtube all have family plans 

Create a home bar

Drinks are crazy expensive, at an of $9 for a basic rum and coke. Instead, grab a bar kit, plus your favorite alcohol and mixers. You can find a funky bar cart in Goodwill or Target and Cheers to the freakin weekend at home.

 

Do potlucks or movie nights

You don’t have to spend a ton of money to have fun with your friends. Invite them over for an evening of fun at your house ask them to bring a simple dish or drink and actually get to know each other. Quality time beats spending money every time. Save big nights out for special occasions or quarterly outings.

Shopping:

Capsule wardrobe

Save money on your clothing by investing in classics and basics and then adding trendy pieces every quarter. Your wardrobe becomes strategically budget-friendly because you are not only wearing what you love and look good in, but you are shopping a lot less. 

 

Have select shopping days 

The less you go to the store the less you spend. Try shopping every 3rd Saturday or every last Saturday of the quarter for seasonal updates. 

 

Have someone shop for you

The fewer ads and sales you see the less you will spend. Try amazon wardrobe or stitch fix. 

 

Remove your credit card from online shopping sites

Keep the details in Lastpass password manager to easily grab when you do need to shop online. The extra steps you take will remind you to resist the urges. 

 

Shop 30 days ahead of buying

 While waiting look for deals on the product or wait for sales, if you still want it, do as you please.

 

Unsubscribe from emails and Instagram pages:

Out of sight out of mind works so well for this. You can always go check the site or pages when you want to see deals, but no need to tempt yourself daily. 

Everyday Life:

Youtube your life

• Repairs to your car or utilities
• Learn how to do your hair
• Learn how to speak a different language or play an instrument

These skills not only make you feel amazing about all you can do, but makes you self sufficient. Which is great at times when you can’t afford or get to these conveniences or just need an extra boost of your resume or for a date. 

Barter and trade skills and items 

Are you great at cutting hair, while your friend has a professional camera and skills? Trade skills in exchange for other services you need or want. Use the community you have been blessed with. This helped so much to reduce the cost of my wedding. Most of your community has skills they would love to barter for babysitting, yard work, errands, or your talents. 

 

My Last Two Cents:

You can easily save money, without completely changing your life.

These small areas can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings. Stop letting that money slip out of your hands. 

If you want to completely optimize your budget so you can reach all of your money goals and dreams?  Start Your Money Journey Below! 

-ReEducated Rizzy <3