Easy and Effective Money Saving Ideas

Easy Money Saving Ideas:- As Dave Ramsey says, “When you create a budget and stick to it, it will suddenly feel like you got a raise.”   That’s because you’ve stopped some of the leaks in your finances & budget.  Lean -FIRE people tend to emphasize LBYM/minimalism.   Many of the ideas below are totally painless & effective.  If you think it’s impossible to pay a debt, think of how a low income person can still come up with cigarettes and tattoos. You may find it helpful to reduce your biggest expenses first. Read these ideas and tips. Then divert your saved cash to your savings, debt, or vacation fund.

Save on Food
Day to Day Expenses
Transportation
Entertainment
Household Expenses
Misc. Ideas

Save on Food:

  1. Snack on ramen noodles, or apples, or nuts.
  2. Eat rice and staples.
  3. Learn to cook and eat out much less.
  4. Make coffee and lattes at home.
  5. Use a water filter rather than buying bottled water.  (Get glass water bottles.)
  6. Shop at local farmer’s market.
  7. Use up your pantry before going to the store.
  8. Stock up on items you need (like staples) when you get a great deal.
  9. Quit or cut back on smoking.
  10. If/when you go to Costco, grab lunch at the food court.

Day to Day Expenses:

  1. Cancel credit card insurance.
  2. Get a no fee checking account.
  3. Raise the deductibles on your auto insurance.
  4. Avoid payday loans like the plague.
  5. Don’t buy too big of a house.
  6. Have an emergency fund of 3-6 months expenses or more.
  7. If you can manage, rent out a room or rent an apartment with a friend.
  8. Don’t play the lottery.
  9. You can get a free landline service for the price of activation and equipment with Ooma.
  10. AirVoice Wireless, Freedom Pop, Republic Wireless, and GoSmart Mobile all offer very inexpensive cell phone service.
  11. Call up your creditors and see if you can get better terms.
  12. Go to a community college for your first two years of college.
  13. Pay off your mortgage off early. This will save you thousands!
  14. Avoid the business in a box and other get rich quick schemes like the plague.
  15. Don’t be rushed into any deal, from buying a home to selling collectibles on eBay. Don’t pressure or rush yourself, either. Think through the deal.
  16. Cancel some of your features or options on your cell phone.
  17. Use the Links section of this site before you spend big money on programs or classes or seminars.
  18. Ask for overdraft fees to be waived. The bank might do it once.
  19. Don’t vote for any candidates who want to confiscate precious metals or retirement accounts.
  20. Use Google Docs or Open Office rather than Microsoft Word.
  21. Make your own after workout shakes.  Buy the stuff in bulk and save on retail.
  22. Stocking up on nonperishables may well be a wise move considering inflation.
  23. Consider buying name brand shoes and clothes on eBay.
  24. Consider buying clothes in the off season at places where you usually shop.

Transportation:

  1. Buy a 2 or 3 year-old car. One that a grandma owned.  Or get one that the sales manager drove.
  2. Or, buy a car from AAA.
  3. Work at home and save more gas.
  4. Avoid using AC in your car if you can help it.
  5. Make travel plans for the week, rather than the weekend.
  6. Vacation where the US Dollar (or your currency) is worth more.
  7. Get tires from wholesale clubs and Costco.
  8. In the summer, buy gas at night, when it’s cooler.
  9. Does a dualie or a Hummer really make sense to drive, now?
  10. If at all possible, you could ride your bike rather than pay for gas, insurance, and maintenance on a car.

Entertainment:

  1. Join Amazon Prime, if you order from Amazon enough for Prime to be worth it.
  2. Go to matinees.
  3. Do power push ups before you spend on weights, videos, etc.
  4. You could replace cable TV with Hulu or Netflix or Roku or Sling TV.
  5. Don’t buy a DVD or video game unless you know you will watch it or play it many times.
  6. Buy the parts and assemble your own computer.
  7. Eliminate shopping and leisure time by working overtime.
  8. Don’t have expensive weddings or parties until you are rich.
  9. No hookah lounges.

Household Expenses:

  1. Turn your thermostat down a bit.
  2. Run the dishwasher only when full.
  3. Seal the drafts under your doors.
  4. Don’t leave the door open with the heat or AC on. (As Mom used to say)
  5. Use baking soda or a little lemon juice as a cleaner.
  6. Don’t use excessive amounts of detergents, cleaners, paper towels, etc.
  7. Borrow or rent, rather than buy, tools, etc.
  8. Make sure your air conditioner’s air filter is clean.
  9. See if using a bodywash will work instead of soap, shampoo, and conditioner.
  10. The more affordable the house or apartment, the more you can invest. (Owning a home outright can be good, too).

Misc. Ideas:

  1. Sell toys (boats, cars, etc.) that you don’t use.
  2. Put your change into a coffee can and deposit it when it is full
  3. Limit donations to causes, candidates, etc.
  4. Do buy gold and silver at bargain prices.
  5. Check your credit report / credit score for free at CreditKarma.
  6. Don’t start smoking.
  7. When traveling overseas, consider staying in a hostel.
  8. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Avoid costly trial and error by joining or starting a MasterMind group to learn from and share with. Read: The Black Book of the Master Mind.
  9. Seek wisdom, because most human business, and personal decisions prove wrong. (Read the Bible.)
  10. Don’t go to places with your wallet or purse where a drop of your IQ will be required. (There are many possible venues)
  11. Avoid MSG, the flavor enhancer. MSG makes you hungrier. MSG may cause cancer.
  12. If you use cash, you’ll probably spend less. Use a card, you’ll probably spend more.
  13. Look up do it yourself (DIY) projects on You Tube.
  14. Talk of the End Times is no excuse to be a slacker.
  15. Avoid spending or investing any of your emergency fund. This prevents the need or desire to cash in investments.
  16. Buy shares or other assets, not status.
  17. Shop where cash discounts are offered.
  18. Don’t shell out more than you can afford to show you care.
  19. Avoid spending to self-medicate. Will any given purchase make you feel better about yourself?
  20. Investigate if attending college in a foreign country is a good idea.
  21. Learn to calculate interest. Consider interest when spending on credit. Consider what you won’t earn if you pay cash (or credit).
  22. Pay off and/or never open a credit account with a 24%+ interest rate.
  23. Never chase hyper-reality. When you get a chance, read Unscripted by MJ Demarco. It’s up there with RDPD. There’s a good section on hyper-reality (clown world.).
  24. Use your brain despite any type of fear (or greed).
  25. Have a second checking account with no creditor access or automatic payments.
  26. You’ll probably spend less if you work overtime.
  27. Minimize your retirement plan fees.  Know all the fees you pay.  There’s expenses for each fund.  There’s plan fee.  There might be transaction fees.
  28. You may find our Calculators page useful.
  29. No “flex” purchases.
  30. No volunteering to do free work for people who hate and exploit you. Keep in mind POTUS 45 served for free. Keep in mind college tuition skyrockets. Keep in mind mega corp requires employees to volunteer.
  31. Avoid web sites that detractors bait you with.
  32. Support ballot initiatives to reduce taxes.
  33. Don’t let professional credentials put your mind to sleep.
  34. Don’t contribute to corporate charities, because the corporation gets the deduction.
  35. Find out what charities do with their contributions. Some charities are very fishy.
  36. Avoid doing any business in countries, states and cities with crime so bad it’s impossible to allocate capital or conduct business.
  37. “Words are free,” Kiyosaki’s rich dad said. Swing by our Glossary for words to perhaps fit in your reality.