Do you always end up broke at the end of the month? Well, the best hack to save money is to be as efficient as possible about spending money. A user asked on an online forum, “What are your simple money-saving hacks?”
Here are the best money-saving hacks people shared.
POSTPONE YOUR GROCERY TRIP TILL YOU FINISH WHAT’S AT HOME
“Before you grocery shop, take stock of what you already have and either postpone your shop by eating what’s at home or buy fewer items and don’t let that half box of pasta at the back of the cupboard get stale or go to waste.”
BUY A CLOTHES DRYING RACK
“I bought a clothes drying rack to save on my power bill. Managed even more by replacing every bulb with an LED bulb.”
USE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO READ ONLINE BOOKS
“Use the public library for online books instead of buying.
A library card also comes with LinkedIn Learning (used to be Lynda.com) access with thousands of high-quality online courses!”
BUY IT RIGHT; BUY IT ONCE
“For certain things buying something more expensive is cheaper in the long run because of the difference in quality. We live in a disposable culture, but instead of buying new particle board furniture every few years, buy a quality solid wood piece that will last your lifetime.”
BUY YOUR PHONE OUTRIGHT
“Buy your phone outright and jump ship whenever there’s a good deal. I’m getting $50/m for 20 GB of data with Rogers now. Not being tied into a contract is great. Depending on where things go, I might cut down the data, but my office doesn’t offer WIFI, and it seems like they want us back.”
BROWN BAG YOUR LUNCH
“Brown bag you lunch to work daily for your entire working life. That doesn’t mean never going out for lunch; it means you always default to bringing your lunch to work. You’ll eat healthier at a fraction of the cost.”
CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY FOR DISCOUNTS
“I call my insurance company every year around tax time and ask if there are any discounts I can get. Knocked $1200 off my bill this year.”
SHOP AT BULK BARN
“Shop at Bulk Barn for loose leaf teas, cereals, oatmeal, pasta, spices, herbs, flours, salts, sugars, powders, jams, nuts, snacks… almost anything and everything.
When you buy these things at a regular grocery store, you pay for the packaging and get more than you usually need. I filled my spice rack by shopping at Bulk Barn and saved hundreds of dollars. Oh, you’re also helping the planet just a little bit.”
GET RID OF CABLE TV
“Getting rid of cable TV. Then getting Netflix and splitting the cost with family members. We also use Amazon Prime, and there’s loads to watch on it.”
GROW YOUR FOOD
“Grow your food if you can and have a yard. Grow food that comes back every year; fruit trees, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, etc. Grow carrots, beans, peas, and tomatoes if you have a green thumb.
Think about it this way. If you spend $1 on food, you create $1.40 in value for yourself growing your own food because the money spent is taxed. Free stuff is not taxed.”
ELIMINATE DUPLICATE SHOPPING
“We hung a whiteboard on our fridge and wrote down groceries we frequently purchase. We put a dot next to its name when we run out of one. We take a photo of the board before shopping. Helps eliminate duplicate shopping.”
ADD THINGS YOU WANT TO THE WISHLIST OF ONLINE STORES
“Put anything you want but don’t need immediately on Wishlist or in the cart of the online stores you shop at. Wait a while, and you will be notified that your prospective purchases are now on sale. Bam! Savings.”
CALCULATE HOW MUCH AN ITEM COSTS IN TERMS OF HOURS OF WORK
“Before you buy something, calculate how many hours you’d need to work (post-tax!) to pay for it.
When you’re working for minimum wage, that pair of jeans doesn’t seem so important when you realize it’s a day’s income.”
DELETE FOOD DELIVERY APPS
“I have made too many impulsive buys when hungry and lazy. Also, become a vegetarian. I don’t have an agenda; I just find that since I go to the grocery store less, I buy less meat and save a lot of money. Tofu and veggie ground can be good if you know how to cook.”
TRAVEL DURING OFF-SEASON
“This might sound extremely stupid, but traveling off-season has saved me and my partner thousands of dollars. We usually take our vacation in October, and it is crazy how cheap everything is.
Obviously, flights and hotels are cheap, but what we do get to enjoy the most is wherever we go, there are also fewer tourists. That way, we get ”to feel” less like tourists. Also, getting a spot at high-demand restaurants/activities is way easier.”
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Anika Jindal
Anika is a CPA and founder of What Anika Says. She shares simple and actionable frugal living, money management and money-saving tips to live a debt-free financially independent life. She has been featured on popular websites like Bankrate, Forbes, Mint ,and Authority Magazine. Byline: MSN