Are you looking for easy ways to save?
Saving money is important, but cutting back is hard. While traditional methods such as budgeting, cutting out unnecessary expenses, and negotiating bills are very effective, there are often overlooked ways to save money that can add up over time.
Often Overlooked Ways To Save Money
Saving money is a crucial aspect of financial stability and success, but it’s not always easy to find ways to cut back on expenses.
Here are ten often-overlooked ways to save money and boost your financial well-being.
Are you looking for ways to cut expenses and build savings? You’re not alone.
Someone recently asked, “What is an easy but often overlooked way to save money?” These are the top-voted money-saving tips.
Use Coupons
Someone expressed, “Couponing can save serious money. I don’t mean extreme stuff, but buying the Sunday paper every week. When my wife and I were seriously broke, it helped a ton to get us through.”
Would You Pay Double?
“When it comes to luxury purchases; things you don’t need but still want anyway) ask yourself if you could still afford to buy it if you had to pay twice as much. If the answer is no, then don’t get it.”
“It’s an easy rule to follow and can help you live more frugally,” replied one. A second person added, “I curbed impulses like this by trying to buy my treat secondhand or making myself wait for it to be on sale.”
Leave Items in Your Online Cart
AllaSerebrina via DepositPhotos.com.
One person shared, “If you have a habit of buying things impulsively online, put all the stuff in your shopping cart and try leaving it there for a few days.”
“Then, if you come back in a few days and still really want it, buy it, but if you are like me, I guarantee you will second guess close to everything you wanted to buy and end up buying nothing. For me, it was a great way to save my money and stop myself from buying things online I don’t need.”
Live Below Your Means To Save and Invest
“Consistently live below your means, saving and investing the difference,” one stated. Another added, “This is a good one. Go for an early bird or all-you-can-eat dinner instead of an ala carte. Buy generic brand instead of named brand etc.”
Pay Yourself First
“Paying yourself first, for example, putting something in savings before any other expenses each payday,” answered one. Another added, “I recommend Stash or Acorn. I put in $100 a week, half for saving and a half for stuff I want to do like vacations.”
Check Price per Weight
“Looking at the price per weight units on stickers, you can save a lot by getting every cent worth of a product, examples being like misleading packages full of air instead of chips,” someone suggested.
A second stated, “So many snack bags are 80% air, and you can feel it, especially on the Store Brand bags. Pringles are one of the few who try to give the most chips per container. But forget about anything bagged.”
Meal Plan
“Meal planning,” one replied. “Plan your menu out all week and buy ONLY what you need. Plan to use the same types of ingredients in different ways for each meal.”
Another said, “I would add a caveat to this. Different stores have different sales and prices. You’ll save big money if you check the deals and plan and can prepare and follow a list.”
Grocery Shop With a Plan
“Do groceries once a week when you are not hungry. You’ll budget better and have fewer impulse purchases,” one stated. “Also, write a shopping list. If you know what you’re supposed to be getting, you’re less likely to wander around the store putting things you don’t need into your basket.”
“You’re also less likely to forget something this way, resulting in another trip back to the store and all the associated expenses, probably with some extra purchases tacked on top so you can justify the trip to yourself,” shared one.
Drink More Water
“Drink more water instead of wasting money on other drinks,” answered one. After someone argued about how not everyone has tap water, the OP added, “I own a 200$ water dispenser. Refills are 5$ where I live for an exchange of the 5-gallon containers; in some places, it’s free. So if you do this, it’s still cheaper than most other drinks.”
Stop Eating Out
kues via DepositPhotos.com.
“Eat out less or not at all,” replied one.” This includes your morning coffee.” After someone argued that they’d found ways to feed people for around $10 per person at fast food places, others informed that $10 is a ridiculously high cost.
Finally, another stated, “$10 per person per meal is above most people’s budget. You need rice, beans, and pasta in your home-cooked meals.”
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According to the OP, shopping grocery sales every week and planning their meals helped cut their bill from $250 to $100 per week. Other users shared their stories about frugal hacks they had that made some difference in their lives. Here are some of the best ones.
12 Frugal Hacks That Make All The Difference
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This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
Robyn Goldfarb
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.