Who wouldn’t want to have a little more money at the end of every month? Unless you can simply walk into your boss’ office and demand a raise, one of the easiest ways to end up with more money in your bank every month is to make the most out of the funds that you’re already making. That is, save money at home.
For the vast majority of people, there are dozens and dozens of ways that they can save money. You can make a few simple changes. You won’t have to turn your life upside down just to get some extra cash in your pockets every month. Every family is different and money saving tips are going to change from person to person. But there are a few key ways that just about anyone can use.
Cut Cable
One of the recent trends in saving money is by cutting the cord. If you’re looking for an easy way to save hundreds of dollars, it’s time to end your relationship with the cable company.
Thanks to online streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, it’s never been more enjoyable to cut your cable bill and save hundreds of dollars. The average family cable bill is a little over $100 every month for their cable. You can cut the cord and replace it with Netflix or Hulu, which costs around $15 every month). With that savings, you could enjoy an extra $1,000 at the end of the year.
Cash Back Apps
Cutting coupons is an idea of the past. You don’t have to sit down and spend an hour combing through the sales papers and finding the best coupons. Thanks to technology, it’s never been easier to save some money on your groceries.
There are several apps that you can join, like Ibotta or Checkout 51. These apps allow you to see coupons or offers from the grocery stores that you shop app, activate those deals and then redeem the offers to get your money back. They don’t work like a traditional coupon that takes the money off of the price at the checkout line, but instead, you’ll get reimbursed for your purchase after.
These cash back on groceries apps are a simple way to save hundreds of dollars every year on your groceries. One unique advantage is that you can use more than one app, which will save you even more money.
Check Your Insurance Plans
Comparing insurance plans is not one of the most exciting ways to spend an afternoon, but it could be an easy way to save yourself some serious money. Every year there are new insurance companies that enter the market, and new plans are being sold every year, which means that you could be paying too much for your insurance protection.
If you want to save money, spend a Saturday looking at your different insurance policies, your homeowner’s insurance, auto insurance, and your life insurance, and compare your plans with other policies that are on the market. There are dozens of sites that you can use to compare insurance policies without having to spend hours and hours calling different agents.
Budget
For most people, budget sounds like a dirty word, but it doesn’t have to be as painful as it sounds. There are several apps or websites that you can use that will make budgeting as simple as a few clicks.
If you want to start budgeting your money wisely, without spending hours staring at a spreadsheet, download the Mint app on your phone. Mint will let you create an account, link your bank accounts and credit cards, and then it will display all of your transactions and separate them into the appropriate categories based on where the money was spent. This is a quick and easy way to identify any areas that you’re overspending.
Pay Off Debt
This is a money saving tip that most people don’t think about. If you want to save money, you’ll need to spend money. If you have any high-interest debts handing over your head, it’s wise to knock those out. The longer that you let them linger, the more that you’re going to pay in interest. If you want to save money in the future, you need to spend some money now.
Sell The Extra Car
Selling a car might seem like a drastic step, but if your family can manage with one less vehicle, it can have an enormous impact on your bank account every month. Not only will you save money on gas, but you’ll also save money by not paying car insurance or taxes on that vehicle. Selling a car can easily save you thousands and thousands of dollars every year, not to mention the money that you’ll get for selling the vehicle.
Look at your Cell Phone Bill
Just about everyone wants the newest and shiniest phone, but those phones could be putting some strain on your wallet. One way that you can save money is by taking a long hard look at your cell phone bill. There are several things that you can do to save money. The first is to switch carriers, there are plenty of options, and there could be a cheaper one out there.
Another option is to buy a smaller plan. If you don’t use all of your data, texts, or minutes, switch to a smaller plan that will save you money. You can also go to a pre-paid phone. These phones are an excellent way to save money, but not have to ditch your phone altogether.
Save Money at Home
There are thousands of ways that you can trim down your budget and find yourself with some extra dough at the end of the month. None of these changes are going to drastically change your life, but they could drastically change your bank account.
You can also try cooking exclusively at home, too. Our biggest variable expense was our food, and cooking at home really was a great way to save.
I have to agree on that one. For most of us, eating out is a slow bleed. Relatively small amounts of money spent over a month can seem inconsequential. But $25 here and $50 there, and before you know it, you’ve spent $300 – $400 in a single month. It’s not always obvious because you aren’t sitting down to make a payment for the full amount. And then of course, there are the myriad justifications for eating out, that make it sound perfectly reasonable at the time you do it.
Fantastic article, and thanks for listing the money back apps! I’ll check those out.
Another great option for families, if you are dropping cable, is Pureflix. It’s safe for kids to explore, is very similar to Netflix, and can be cast to chromecast! My kids use Drive Thru History for homeschool history supplement. It’s available through Pureflix, as are quite a few other educational materials. It’s so much better than cable, and safer than Netflix for kids.
Hi Kristen – Haven’t heard of Pureflix but it sounds interesting – if it isn’t too expensive. I was wondering what happened to Drive Thru History, I liked that show but haven’t seen it around lately.