How Can I Save Money? 125 Easy Ways to Save

How can I save money? From food to shopping to household items and everything in between, keep more money in your pocket with these simple, practical ideas to save.

Most people make resolutions or goals about one of 3 things: food, health, or finances. Or all of the above.

It’s easy to have big, lofty goals. The hard part though, is finding ways to implement change in our daily lives to ACHIEVE the big goal.

I totally get that. When I ask new subscribers what their biggest challenge is, 80% of the time it’s related to saving money.

But where do you start? How do you save money?

To help you kickstart your savings, I’ve rounded up over 100 of the top money saving tips that I’ve shared over the past few years. Trying even a couple of these will keep more money in your wallet!

125 EASY WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

Whether your savings goal is to build wealth, create an emergency fund, stop living paycheck to paycheck, or get out of debt, there are lots of easy ways to start saving money. We’re focusing today on saving money on food, shopping, and at home. Turn your spending habits into savings habits!

HOW DO I SAVE MONEY ON FOOD?

Your grocery spending can be one of the more flexible items in your budget. These money saving tips can help you with saving money on food: everything from meat to coffee to cheese to convenience foods, a variety of foods you can make yourself, plus tips to eat intentionally and avoid food waste.

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON MEAT?

SAVING MONEY ON COFFEE

SAVING MONEY BY EATING INTENTIONALLY

• Eat leftovers. (This is one of the best ways to save money!)
• Eat out of the kitchen like you’re going on vacation every other month.
• Cook with less expensive produce (carrots, potatoes, onions) more often.
• Cook with more expensive produce (rhubarb, berries) less often.
• Use Gorgonzola instead of blue cheese (it’s cheaper).
• Swap sharp cheddar for mild cheddar (the stronger flavor means using less).

MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH

DIY PANTRY STAPLES

MAKE YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE FOODS

PRESERVE FOOD TO AVOID FOOD WASTE

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON SHOPPING?

Part of saving money on food is shopping strategically. That means planning beforehand, knowing specific things to do (and not do!) at the store, making a monthly budget, and choosing the right places to shop. Try one of these tips the next time you ask, “How can I save money shopping?”

PLAN BEFORE SHOPPING

SAVING MONEY WHILE AT THE STORE

• Stick to your shopping list and avoid impulse purchases.
• Bring your calculator to track expenses as you go.
• Weigh fixed-price, pre-bagged produce and choose the heaviest bag.
• Grocery shop with a flexible list, substituting for what’s on sale.
• Know what’s in season.
• Walk the entire produce section, or entire supermarket, before deciding on a purchase.
• Know when your stores mark down foods each week.
• Buy marked down, clearance, bruised, or “seconds” produce instead of pretty produce.
• Buy extra food when it’s a good deal, then freeze or dehydrate for later.
• Don’t buy a lot of an ingredient you’re trying for the first time.
• Aim for $1 per pound for conventional produce.
• Aim for $2 per pound for organic produce.
• Whenever you bring kids with you to the store, have a plan to keep them occupied and avoid buying unplanned snacks to keep them busy.
• Compare fresh versus canned versus frozen every so often.
• When you find a good deal on cheese, buy it in bulk and freeze it.
• Compare prices of items in multiple places in the store, like cheese in the dairy case versus cheese in the specialty section.
• Buy generic over name brand (but always read the ingredients).
• Be intentional and strategic with shopping and driving.

BUDGETING MONEY SAVING TIPS

• Keep your grocery receipts.
• Create a grocery budget (here’s how).
• Compare different stores and different markets in your area by creating a price book.
• Continue to add to and use the price book.
• Categorize your spending to see where your money is really going,
• Create budgets for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Halloween).
• Maximize your savings when shopping online (how to do this).

WHERE TO SHOP MATTERS

HOW DO I SAVE MONEY AT HOME?

Along with saving money on food, you might be wondering how to save money on other things around the house. From self-care to toiletries to household items and even gardening, we’ve got you covered here too!

HACKS TO SAVE ON NATURAL SELF-CARE

• Keep bars of soap out of water so they dry thoroughly.
• Cut bars of soap in half (more tips here).
• Cut the ends off tubes like toothpaste to get the last bit out.

MAKE YOUR OWN DIY TOILETRIES

HOUSEHOLD WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

• Stop using paper towels.
• Start using cloth napkins.
• Switch to a cheaper cell phone plan (this is what we use for $10/month).
• Create a water displacement system for toilets (tutorial).
• As you wait for water to get hot, catch it and use it for cooking or watering plants.
• Keep glass jars for storage (how to remove the labels).
• Turn off the hot water to the bathroom sinks.
• Unplug appliances and electronics when they’re not in use (proof of savings).
• Create a household budget separate from your grocery budget.
• Use an indoor clothesline to dry clothes.
• Review streaming services and subscription services and whether you need all of them. (This includes things like a gym membership!)
• Reduce restaurant spending
• Shop around for better internet, utilities, cable, cell phone, and other services.

HOUSEHOLD MAKE YOUR OWN

GARDENING

Building a good savings habit will help you with long term and short term financial goals!

How can I save money? Try one of these money saving tips today!