Saving money is hard. Plain and simple. Most people I know whether in their 20’s or beyond struggle with saving money. We all have different priorities and want to save money for different goals. I personally like to save in my daily life so when I want to splurge on something for myself I can! I try to incorporate saving wherever I can. Here are a few tips I like to use!
1.Find a hobby (but one that doesn’t cost you a ton of money)
After I really got started blogging I didn’t have any time to be online shopping or just casually getting drinks from Starbucks. I think staying busy helped to curve my random spending.
2.Use apps or browser plugins when shopping online to save on either free shipping or to get a discount.
A few of my favorites are the Target app, Shoptagr for tracking prices on items, the Honey plugin for discount codes, and Retailmenot.
3.Shop offseason
This strategy requires a bit of planning. You have to already know what items you need. A good example of this is purchasing a good quality down jacket at the end of the winter season because you already know you’ll need it next year.
4.Grocery shop with a list and only a handbasket
My favorite app to create lists in is the Wunderlist app. I like being able to organize the items on my list and check them off. I take inventory of my kitchen before I even leave so I don’t duplicate items. When I go to the store, I use a handbasket so only buy what I can fit in the basket.
5.Meal Prep-One of my favorites for saving money
If you already have food made then you don’t have an excuse splurge on fast food. This is the “You got food at the house” method lol.
6.Unsubscribe from retail emails
Out of sight, out of mind. At first, you want to sign up for these to get all deals, but then they overwhelm you with deals when aren’t looking for them! I like to unsubscribe from email lists so I can just pretend that nothing is on sale and therefore I don’t need to be shopping and I can be saving money.
7.Auto Save–Direct saving transfer
If your job gives you the ability to have your check deposited into more than one account, take advantage of that! I have another account that a small amount of savings goes into and I never even see it. Before I know it, I have a nice little stash! I know there are also apps to help with this, but I’ve personally never used them to be able to recommend.
8.Sell what you don’t use
I’ve only sold clothes to stores like Plato’s Closet and Clothes Mentor but that little bit I get back always helps!
9.Find a dupe!
I mostly use this tip for makeup. I’ll try to find a drugstore brand for some high-end products. (pro tip for makeup: always get the travel size first to try out a product before investing fully). Amazon honestly has a ton of good quality items for a lower cost with hundreds of great reviews. The Amazonbasics iPhone chargers are a great example of this, they’re only $6.49!
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10.Limit your trips to stores during the week
I already know that if I’m leaving the house to go to a store it will cost me. Sometimes I would forget something and want to run to the store to pick it up, but then I would end up buying 5 more things I felt I “needed.” So now I go to the grocery store and target only once a week.
11.Implement a waiting period before buying things
Instead of buying something on impulse because it sparkles, think about it for at least a day or two. I honestly probably usually sit on items for at least a week. I like to research most items before I purchase. But sometimes I forget about things I thought I wanted. Or sometimes they even go on sale!
12.DIY-For anything
You can literally learn how to do anything on the internet these days. Whether it is learning how to set up a website or how to make a coffee table. You can learn how to make anything!
13.Use your points from credit cards
If you already have a credit card and get points, you can always redeem them for either gift cards or travel perks like flight or hotel.
What tips do you all have for saving money?
These are great tips. I think the biggest one is putting your savings on auto-pilot. And I love redeeming points from credit cards. I just did it today and it feels like a mini lottery win!
Thanks for reading! And yes I agree, when you redeem points it’s a nice treat