Readers Are Sharing Their Simple, Practical Money-Saving Tips You Can Start Doing ASAP
I'm always looking for ways to pad my savings account, so I recently put out a call for simple tips on how to save money.
Looney Tunes @looneytunes / Warner Bros / Via giphy.com
Some of the tips are actually things I do myself (like using a detailed budgeting spreadsheet) while others had never occurred to me (like cash stuffing).
The Prepared Performer @ThePreparedPerformer / Via giphy.com
Here are some money-saving tips from members of the BuzzFeed Community, as well as some Redditors:
1."When there’s a sale saying $100 off a $1,000 TV, you didn’t save $100. You spent $900."
2."I try to avoid physical shops as much as possible. I spend less on food in weeks where I make a comprehensive meal plan (realistic about how many snacks I'll want), turn it into a shopping list, and then order that shopping list online. I have a delivery plan for midweek deliveries that works out to about £1.50 per delivery, and I save WAY more than that by not buying random off-list items. Plus, by being realistic in my meal plan, I don't end up at the corner shop buying expensive top-up snacks."
3."I once saw some good advice from a Redditor: For every $10 it costs, think about it an extra day. If it costs $70, reassess in a week if you really want it. Keeps the impulsive buying at bay."
4.When at the grocery, look at the price/oz or whatever unit it is instead of the total price. It's usually posted in one corner. It's not going to save you tons of money, but it does add up. Plus, it takes out the guesswork when comparing similar items."
5."I know this one sounds really cliché, but buy a travel mug and make your own damn coffee! During COVID, I was still working in an office, but all the coffee shops were closed. I bought a cheap Thermos (the massive one), and I'd fill it while I was making my morning coffee at home, so it took literally five seconds of extra effort. It gave me instant coffee access for most of the day, and I saved £15-20 a week!! It isn't a life-changing saving, but it frees up £60-80 a month for other bills, so every little bit helps."
6."Just make a basic budget on Excel; if you have a smartphone, you can create it on there, too. Apple has a free version of their own Excel called Numbers. Create a front page with your total income for the month, then categorize for each thing you need to spend: bills, food, etc. Then, create the tabs for each of these categories and keep a running total. You don’t need to do it every single day, but try to keep on top of it. That makes you so much more in control, and if you can see you only have £20 left to spend on miscellaneous things for the month, it will make you reevaluate it."
7."Set up a savings account at a different bank that is separate from your other accounts, and set up a direct deposit to it. Even if it's just $20 a paycheck. Having it at a separate bank makes it a hassle to get the money out unless you actually need it. After two years, I've never had to tap into it. But before, I couldn't keep savings for more than a couple months."
8."If I'm browsing online in the evening and see something I'm tempted to impulse buy, I make myself wait until the next morning. Studies have shown we tend to be more impulsive in the evening. If I wake up the next day and I still want to order it, then I go ahead and do it, but nine times out of 10, it's lost its appeal, and I don't bother."
9."I only have my debit card hooked up to one bank account, and it's NOT the one that my paychecks or any government money are deposited into. This makes it more difficult for me to spend that money recklessly, since I have to make the effort to log into my online banking and transfer money between accounts. It doesn't stop me from using my credit cards, of course, but it definitely makes it easier to save when there's a barrier (not a strict barrier, so I'm not stuck) that hinders me from accessing my own money more easily."
10."Making my own coffee instead of buying several a day. It's just a couple of bucks here or there, but it really adds up."
11."Only drink water."
12."USE YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. Any new novels that come out that look good, new cookbooks, monthly gardening/food magazines, whenever I get obsessed with a niche hobby or subject — I whip open my library catalogue app, reserve a bunch of books, and wham, they appear at my local library for pickup. If you've got kids, they're gold for mass consumption of books, DVDs, and sometimes toys. If I love one and want to refer to it forever, then I'll buy it."
13."I finally tried cash stuffing, and it really does force you to be more mindful of your spending. It also stops me from online shopping."
14."Something that helps me stop impulse buying the little things that add up so quick, is to pretend there was already a queue of five people at the till. If I wouldn't want it enough to wait in line, I don't buy it."
15."Make some wishlists on Amazon and other sites, and when you are tempted to buy things, put it on your list instead, and come back to it in a few days or weeks and see if the appeal is still there. You can even make multiple lists as you decision-gate things."
