Whether you’re saving up for something special or just trying to get your finances in better shape, reducing unnecessary expenses is always worthwhile. This article lists a range of helpful ways to cut costs in areas like food, utilities, and transportation. Some of the changes may seem harder than others at first, but switching up your daily life in small ways will definitely add up over time.
Preparing your own meals can save 20% or more on food costs. There’s no way around it—eating at a restaurant or getting takeout is much more expensive than making a meal at home.
Take advantage of ways to save money on the grocery items you need. While making up your shopping list, go through store flyers and browse the internet for coupons and special deals. Don’t buy items you don’t really need just because you have coupons for them, but do make sure you use every cost-saving measure out there for the items you do need.
It’s harder psychologically to part with cash versus swiping a card. When you pull that cash out of your wallet and take a look at it, you’re more aware of its value and what you’re giving up to make a purchase. You just don’t get the same psychological impact from using a credit card, debit card, smartphone app, or even paper check for that matter. Shopping only with cash also makes it easier to stick to your budget—if your wallet is empty, you have to be done shopping!
Make sure you’re not wasting money on cellular data usage. Check your smartphone’s settings to make sure it automatically uses Wi-Fi for data whenever it’s available. Reducing your monthly cellular data usage means you can switch to a lower-cost data plan, which can easily save you $20 USD or more per month.
Bundling your policies often results in savings of up to 25%. If you have auto insurance and either renter’s or homeowner’s insurance with separate companies, you can almost certainly save money by bundling these policies together with a single provider. Contact each of your current insurers individually, as well as several other competitors, to find the best bundling rate in your case.
