Want some easy ways to save money? Here are 30 easy ways to save money submitted by my Facebook followers. How many of these do you currently do?
30 Super Easy Ways to Save Money
1. Set up auto deposit to a bank that is hard to access.
Susan suggested: “Auto deposit to a bank you don’t have easy access to. I use our local credit union that is only open 9-3. While I’m working.”
Rachel says: “This is how I saved enough money to buy my first home outright. Lived on one check and sent the next 2 to a bank I didn’t have easy access too. (I had an account at a credit union 3 hours away so it was definitely a job to get the money out.)”
Kim says: “I automatically have money transferred into a savings account before I even see it from my check.”
2. Ask some questions before making a purchase.
Kelley says: “I ask myself more than once before making a purchase, ‘Do I really need this and will this make me happier a year from now?’ Pretty much stops me in my tracks most of the time!”
3. Take advantage of free family fun!
Lacy suggested: “We like to do outdoors activities and nature adventures as a famil
y instead of dining out and shopping as ‘something to do’ as our family time.”
4. Cook and eat at home.
Hope says: “Cooking all our meals at home and making my own coffee drinks is enabling me to stay home.”
Moni also said: “Cooking homemade food and eating at home saves us a lot of money. My hubby also saves a ton of money each week bringing lunches and eating breakfast before he goes to work in the morning. Also coffee! Brewing our own saves as much as not getting food out!”
5. Shop at thrift stores.
Rachel says: “Shop at salvage stores and thrift stores.”
6. Record every purchase.
Shannon says: “Recording every purchase (yes, even things like a vending purchase!) in our budget spreadsheets helps us track categorized expenses and make sure we are staying within budget.”
7. Cancel your catalogs and unsubscribe from emails.
Jennifer says: “Limiting my exposure to beautiful things by canceling all the pretty catalogs and email blasts from the same stores is an easy way to save money.”
8. Cut your cable.
Rachel says: “Cut off your cable! Wish I had done it months ago!”
Laura also said: “We just did this, too! It’s saving us $65/month.”
9. Set a goal.
Tammy says: “When I have a goal set (usually travel), I can save money very easily. I have no problem not spending unnecessarily. No goal = I buy things I DO NOT need.”
10. Do it yourself!
Rachael says: “Easy ways we save money: Making my own DIY face/skin/cleaning products, canning, freezing, gardening, making our own wine, cutting my daughter’s hair, and doing handmade/homemade Christmas/birthday gifts!”
11. Only buy groceries on sale with coupons.
Valeria says: “Only buy groceries when on sale, using coupons and app rebates. Plus, purchase enough to get you to the next sale of that item.”
12. Order groceries online.
Edith says: “I save money by ordering groceries online. It keeps me out of the store and eliminates impulse shopping. I make my list at home, do the order, and pick it up outside the store.”
13. Stock up when an item is on sale.
Keiva says: “I use coupons with sales to buy more than we need at the time so it’s available to us when it’s not on sale. Also, stock up on sale items. This week, our grocery has Mott’s Apple juice 64oz. for $1. I’ll buy 40. With 6 kids, it goes quickly! They also have Peter Pan PB for $1, so I’ll buy about 20. I’ll be set for the next 6 months!”
14. Get rid of expensive habits.
Tiffany says: “Get rid of habits that cost money. I gave up coffee and tea a long time ago. Started saving me $15 to $25 a week. I stopped buying books unless they are $1 or less and just reserve books at a library.”
15. Cut your hair at home.
Barbie says: “Doing my husband’s and sons’ haircuts myself. My husband and older son only take about 10 minutes a piece. My younger son takes twice as long because he fidgets. I still figure I save on time by not going to a barber shop, and I save $60-ish every round of haircuts. My boys think going to a barber shop is quite the treat!”
16. Don’t buy it if you don’t need it!
Tosha says: “Remembering that just because it’s posted on MSM or another blog doesn’t mean I need to buy it! If I don’t need it and I buy it because it’s on sale, I’ve spent money I didn’t need to spend.”
17. Stay out of Target.
Sandra says: “Staying out of Target and buying necessities on Amazon is an easy way to save money.”
18. Don’t shop without a list.
Oghma: “I don’t go inside a store until I have a list. Also, don’t shop just one item and then feel like you need to buy other things so the trip is ‘worth it’.”
19. Use a wood burning fireplace.
Holly says: “We bought a wood burning fireplace insert to save money. We’ve gotten firewood free but when we’ve bought it, the wood was still 1/3 the price of natural gas. Also, when we had a natural gas outage, we had no power but we still had heat.”
20. Use Rakuten to earn cash back.
Michele says: “We save money by using eBates when online shopping (now known as Rakuten). In the years I’ve been using it, I’ve gotten almost $1,000 back. They send you a check every three months. I never order anything without checking to see if the website is on eBates first.”
21. Get a 15-year mortgage instead of a 30-year.
Melisa says: “We have a 15-year mortgage instead of a 30-year mortgage. Yes, monthly payment is higher, but not double. Plus, it’s going to save us $112,000 in interest on a $290,000 home.”
22. Use your local library.
Patricia says: “We utilize every aspect of our local library. DVDs, audiobooks, reading programs with prizes, free events for kids, game night, kid computer games, online library for ebooks, etc.”
23. Pack food before you leave.
Bethany says: “We save money by packing lunch/dinner if we go out, bringing coffee along for the ride, and eating before we leave!”
24. Don’t buy beverages!
Robin says: “We don’t drink pop and we don’t buy beverages when we are out and about. Bottled water is also a no-no. I can fill a bottle at home real cheap.”
25. Watch the prices as they are scanned.
Beverly says: “I watch the prices as items are scanned in at the register. I save often by catching an accidental higher price being scanned in. Also, 2 main stores I shop at offer a price scan policy. If it scans in wrong, you get one free if it’s under $10. Or, you get $10 off if it’s over $10.”
26. Don’t buy things the same day.
Betsy says: “I take pictures of things I like at stores like Target and don’t buy them the same day. Sometimes I do this and then find something similar at the thrift stores.”
27. Plan your menu based upon what you already have.
Elizabeth says: “When I’m meal planning, I shop my pantry and freezer first and try to utilize what I have and not let things go to waste.”
28. Don’t shop just to kill time.
Andrea says: “Don’t go shopping just to fill time. If I go wandering because I’m bored, I will find things to buy. I’m trying to simplify and save money for adventures instead of ‘stuff’ for my little one and me.”
29. Ditch your clothes dryer.
Tricia says: “I save money by hanging all my clothes to dry instead of using a dryer.”
30. Don’t buy it just because you want it.
Jennifer says: “I’m learning to be an adult and understand that I don’t HAVE TO buy everything I want.”
What are some of your favorite super easy ways to save money?
If you homeschool and use a literature based program like Sonlight, you can check out all the books from your library or utilize inter library loan. All the literature based curriculums list the books you need to purchase on their website so it’s super easy to take that list and head to the library.
Such a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
I use Honey for promo codes. It is so simple to use and saves me a considerable amount per order. I saved $6 on an order for pants at Old Navy last weekend. I often save $10 off my orders at Thredup and Boxed using it. It is a web browser tool that pops up to tell you it has codes for the site you are shopping on. It even saved my son $50 on a purchase of a cellphone.
That’s so fantastic! Thank you for this great tip!!
Along the same lines as stay out of Target, I started using Target Drive Up for necessities. It keeps me out of the store and Cartwheel/Target Circle and Redcard discounts still apply!
That’s a great suggestion! Thanks for sharing! -Jordan, MSM Team
I love taking family pictures every year including ones of my kids. However, a photographer is out of our budget and school pictures are crazy expensive. My husband surprised me with a refurbished DSLR Nikon camera about nine years ago (I’m sure by now most phones have the same quality!) and we shoot our kids “school” photos outside in the summer. We also found another family to do a photo swap with each year…we take pictures of their family and they take pictures of ours. We treasure this annual event every year and love looking back to see how our family has grown and changed!
I love that! What a fun idea!