Less Known Ways to Save Money

I know this year with inflation we could all use some ideas to save money.

• Change Cell Phone Plans. Use a comparison site to get the best deals in your zip code. We saved $20 a month by switching plans.
• Change to a digital calendar like Google Calendar. And digital planner like Remember the Milk. If you need a calendar or planner, wait until after the new year to get them when they are 50-75% off.
• Use a credit union instead of bank. The fees are usually lower.
• Don’t spend any coins. Put them all into savings or debt reduction. You can also use an app to round up when you purchase things and the extra money can go to savings, pay down debt, or an investment account.
• See if your neighbors have plants that need thinning instead of getting them at the yard center.
• Only drink water when you eat out. Drinks have one of the highest mark ups.
• Have a folder with menus and coupons for when you need to do take out. But, cook at home more often. And go out for lunch instead of dinner as lunches are less expensive. Split meals with a friend. Most restaurant portions are too much for me.
• Consumer Reports’ auto-test department says that the air conditioner reduces your car’s fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent. It suggests not using the air conditioner at speeds below 40 mph instead use the windows. At speeds above 40mph though the air conditioning is more efficient.
• Disconnect the landline if you still have one.
• Swap for books, trade used books at a used book store or go to the library.
• Freeze fruit in season to use in pies and smoothies throughout the year. Go berry picking for even cheaper fruit. Buy mainly in season fruit as it tends to be cheaper and taste better.
• Or learn to forage for local food.
• Wait at least a week before buying impulse items.
• Get rid of some subscriptions – magazines, gym, online memberships. And pay attention when you get subscriptions. If there is a free trial, note in your calendar the day before to see if you want to continue. Then use recurring calendar appts to ask if you want to keep your subscription to Netflix or whatever. Have the appointment pop up a couple days before your payment would go through.
• Buy a 2 or 3 year old car instead of new. Cars lose so much value just getting driven off the lot. (And with the car prices at the moment, you might want to hold off buying a car as long as possible.)
• Shop at a grocery store that either has double coupon days, inexpensive products,  gas coupons. I get 10-15 cents off per gallon from my grocery store.
• Look for alternatives to get what you want. Barter, trade, rent. Look in your own house for what you can use instead. Use your ingenuity.
• Make a budget and then use a program that will tell you when you are about to go over budget. Here are some budgeting apps.
• Go on a spending fast for a weekend, week or a month where you only spend on the necessities. Or try one of these money saving challenges.
• Learn to fix things and teach your kids. My husband can fix just about anything saving us tons of money throughout the years. You can find how to articles all over the web and youtube has many tutorials.
• Give up cold cereal. Hot cereal, eggs and pancakes are less expensive than cold cereals.
• Use Flipp to see the ad flyers for the stores you go to and buy more on sale. Keep a list of items you regularly buy and what a good price or sale price usually is so you know when to stock up.
• Find the cheapest gas where you are with the GasBuddy app.
• See if your electric or gas company gives free audits to see how you could save money.
• Have your bank automatically move money from checking to savings when you get your paycheck. Automate your 401K or IRA contributions.
• Take your lunch to work.
• Prioritize paying off debt.
• Renegotiate internet service, cable, or insurance. Call them up, thank them for their service then ask if there are any specials or discounts. You can also try something like Billshark which will negotiate for you. Or cancel cable and do one streaming service at a time.
• Look for free entertainment – check your local Facebook or newspaper for events, join a meetup group, get out into nature.
• Use a browser plugin like Honey that will automatically search and apply coupons and promo codes.
• Check with your health insurance for discounts on things like gym membership. Make sure you know all your employee perks and incentive programs.

What are your favorite money saving tips?

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