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Want to give your savings account a boost in a short amount of time? Just save with these simple ways and you are guaranteed to boost your bank account!
Ever have that gut-wrenching feeling of running out of money before you run out of days until your next paycheck?
Most people have, and it’s really okay. It doesn’t make you a bad or irresponsible person. In fact, it just means you fall within 80% of the rest of the nation.
However, just because living paycheck to paycheck is common, it doesn’t mean it’s necessary. There are ways to stop the madness and just save money!
Read on for our top 10 tips how!
1. Sell Anything You Don’t Love or Need
Most people have way too much stuff!
Think about your wardrobe. Do you really wear all of the clothes you have in there? Our guess is probably not.
You probably only wear clothes that best suit your body type. In fact, if you’re like most Americans, you probably only use about 20% of your wardrobe.
Now that you’re thinking about it, what else don’t you use in your home?
A great way to save (and make) money is to sell everything in your home that doesn’t serve a purpose:
- Books you’ve already read
- DVDs you’ll never watch again
- Clothes and shoes you don’t wear
- Toys your kids don’t use
- Jewelry you never wear
- Kitchen appliance you never use
- Furniture
- Decor
As you can see, you are potentially sitting on a gold mine of stuff you probably won’t even miss.
2. Just Save! Put Yourself on a Budget
One of the best ways to just save is by knowing what’s coming in and what’s going out. More specifically, you need to know where it’s all going.
Create a spreadsheet, even if you’re just using a pen and paper. Write down every bill and every expense, including gas, groceries, eating out, etc.
Based on your numbers, you can see where excess money is going and where you can cut back.
Now, create a reasonable budget for yourself. Restrict yourself on how much you spend on groceries, going out, and anything else that has some wiggle room.
3. Make a List Before You Go Shopping
Just save! Make a grocery list and stick to it!
Most people who “wing it” while grocery shopping spends way more money than they need to, buying stuff they don’t need.
Before you go grocery shopping, stand in your kitchen and make note of everything you actually need. Check your cupboards, pantry, and fridge to see what you already have so you’re not buying extras.
Finally, and most importantly, when you get to the store, stick to the list! Buy only what you need for that week!
On a side note, having a checklist for any venture, such as hiking, traveling, or going on vacation can save you money and tons of time getting organized!
4. Don’t Go Out Every Weekend
We all love meeting up with friends to go get drinks, see movies, and go dancing. It’s okay, it’s part of being human.
However, if you want to just save on your monthly budget, think about how much each outing is costing you. You can easily drop $20 at the movie theatre on tickets and concessions. Getting a couple of drinks and some bar food can add up to another $20.
We’re already at $40 for the weekend and we haven’t’ even talked about dinners and lunches!
Our point is, if you’re willing to make sacrifices here and there to save money, it adds up fast.
5. Brew Your Own Coffee
We’ve all been there. We go to the Starbucks coffee line and treat a couple of our friends. $25 dollars later, we’re wondering, “did I just get robbed?”
The answer is – kind of.
We hardly think twice about spending four or five dollars on a cup of coffee we could easily make ourselves for under a dollar. It’s just what we do. Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee every day.
However, even if you only bought coffee every other day for just three dollars, it’s still costing you $45 a month! Just save! Brew your own coffee from now on, watch how money stays in your pocket!
6. Stop Convenience Eating
Convenience eating is expensive, just like any other convenience-based products. You pay for ease of use.
However, as the average American spends over $3,000 on eating out each year, it’s safe to say we can all cut back a bit.
Start meal prepping for each week. Pack your lunches to work and stop relying on restaurants for lunch each day.
Additionally, eating out with friends is great, but you don’t need to do it every night of the weekend, or every weekend for that matter.
Instead, take turns having pot-luck type gathering at each other’s houses!
7. Buy Off-Brand Merchandise
If you want to stop the insanity and just save, don’t be a brand snob. It’s okay to by off-brand items. You really don’t need designer bread.
It’s fine if you want to buy quality shoes you know will last longer, but don’t apply that mentality to all aspects of your shopping. Lettuce tastes the same whether it’s name brand or Walmart brand.
8. Cancel Memberships You Don’t Use or Need
Just save!
Cancel your membership to the gym you’ve only been to once in the last three months. Do you really need magazine subscriptions anymore? And why are you paying for hundreds of cable channels when we all know you’re just going to end up watching Netflix anyway?
Unnecessary and unused subscriptions cost us thousands of dollars a year. Simply canceling the services we can live without can save you tons of money!
9. Downsize Your Home
This one may be a little tough to wrap your head around, but you probably don’t need as much space as you think. Do you use every square foot of your home?
Most people use their room, the kitchen and bathroom, and the living room. Realistically, we could all probably downsize to a 50% smaller home.
While the idea may not seem appealing, a smaller home means smaller bills. Lower mortgage/rent, lower costs of keeping it cool/warm, and less electricity.
Your ego may also need to shrink on this one, as big is usually associated with success in America.
10. Downgrade Your Car
Another hit to your ego may come when you decide to downgrade your car. If all you want is to just save money, start with your car.
The average new car payment in the U.S. is $523.
Instead of buying a new car, find a happy medium between quality and age. This can be a little tricky to navigate, as older cars generally need more maintenance.
However, paying off a $10,000 loan for an older, reliable car is better than paying for a $40,00 new car. In fact, with a $40,000 loan, you’ll likely pay at least $10,000 in interest by the time you’ve paid it off!
Start Saving Now!
We know these things take sacrifices but believe us, it’s worth it.
Imagine saving an extra $500 a month or more! You could throw it toward debt or put it in a savings account. Either way, it’s doing way more for you there than being eaten up by superfluous expenses.
Be cheap, be minimalistic, be whatever you have to be. Just save! Don’t forget to bookmark our site for more tips on living your best life!
