With prices going up, we are all trying to find ways to save money. It seems that every time you blink the prices rise. Just yesterday I drove to the library and noticed the gas prices at my local gas station were $3.59 on the way back they were $3.79. This is so crazy. My monthly bills have also increased by $300.00 but wages aren’t increasing. There’s nothing I can do right now to decrease prices but there are ways to help decrease the strain on our bank accounts. Some of the solutions are hard to do but out of necessity, they can be done. Read on and see how you can save money.
Look To See Where You Can Save
The first step to take is to look at your bank account. Notice what you have been spending money on. Make a list with categories and write down each transaction under the proper category. You will be surprised at some of the categories that you are spending in. I did this yesterday and saw I spent way too much on restaurants and fast food while still spending a lot at the grocery store.
Go back a couple of months and see if there is a routine. If so think of ways to cut back on those areas.
I’ll help out by listing some popular spending categories and ways to save.
10 Ways On How To Save Money
- Groceries
- Utilities
- Cable/Streaming Services
- Take Out
- Entertainment
- Work Lunch
- Morning Coffee/Soda
- High Interest Debt
- Subscription Services
- Gas
1.Groceries
We have no control over how much groceries cost but we do have control over what we buy. The best way to save money is to make up a menu for one or two weeks of meals. Depending on if you shop weekly or biweekly. Take a look at the grocery ads to see what is on sale before doing this. Try using what’s on sale in your menu planning.
Include snack and beverage items also.
Now start a grocery list with the items that are needed.
Before going to the store shop your pantry and freezer to see if you already have any of the items. While doing this see if there is anything that you would like to replace on your menu. Mark off the items you have found on your list so you won’t double buy them.
Premaking a menu and a grocery list helps you stay focused at the grocery store. Make sure you stay to what’s on the list don’t stray and splurge. If there is something you want, replace it with something on the list.
Most grocery stores have apps. Make sure you download it. There are ways to save in it too. Look for digital coupons and fuel points. Maybe even try the curbside pickup by ordering on the app. Not walking into the store helps with impulsive buys. You also can see the total on the purchase before checking out.
2. Utilities
Utilities are an area that can be saved on you just have to be conscientious about it. With electricity changing to energy efficient items will help. Like light bulbs, smart or programmable thermostats, and energy efficient appliances. I know the appliances cost a lot to change when they are in need of changing make sure they are energy efficient.
Every little step you take adds up. Turning down the thermostat in the winter helps lower costs. Then make it a bit warmer in your house in the summer. At least when you are not home.
Turn out the lights when not in the room or while watching television.
Even keeping the charging cords for your devices adds to the cost. Let’s not forget the gaming consoles also.
Check around your doors for drafts. Add some weather stripping so the cold or heat won’t come in.
Changing out your showerheads to a low flow head saves on water. Another way to save on the water bill is a faucet aerator. There’s a great article on Conservation Mart about how to save water.
3. Cable/Streaming Services
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned writing down items from your bank account. Are there a lot of subscriptions for streaming services? These services can add up or save you money. If you are still paying for cable do you really need all of the streaming? Or vice versa is there more on streaming than on cable?
Make a list of shows that you watch and how you watch them. If they are on network television why pay for them if you can get them for free with an antenna? True there is no DVR but think about the savings. I saved $100 a month by going with an antenna. Most networks have apps you can download on a smart tv. The episodes usually can be watched at a later date. Some still can’t be like Jeopardy so my husband makes sure he is in front of the television when it’s on. Some networks have a limit on the time when it is available but it is plenty of time to watch it.
Choose a few streaming apps of specific channels if you want to. They are a lot cheaper than cable or other streaming sites that get all of the channels. I like Discover, Disney Plus, Netflix. There are a lot out there to choose from.
If you choose to go antenna all the way and really save money there are ways to watch television shows and movies at your own leisure. Go to your public library. You will be amazed at how many DVDs they offer. Most of us still have a DVD player or a gaming console. If not it still is less to buy one than one month of cable.
4.Take Out
There are many ways to save money and stopping yourself from pulling into that drive thru is one of them. Fast food is an expensive habit to get into. Many of us are tired at the end of the workday and want a quick meal with no prep.
Stop and think before you pull into the next take out line. Remember that menu you made up. You have already planned a meal for this night. Money has already been spent is it really worth the extra ten or fifteen or if you are feeding a family fifty dollars? When I went through my spending I was amazed at how much I spent on fast food. My goal is to not do take out more than twice a month.
Maybe you have allotted a splurge in your budget. If you decide to go ahead and get the take out make sure you deduct it from your budget.
If there are a lot of these days that you don’t like to cook make sure in your menu planning you have easy quick meals. Those bagged pasta meals are affordable, easy, and good.
When you do give in and order take out make sure you use their app. There are deals on it that you can’t get without it. Plus you earn points at most places for free food.
5. Entertainment
This is an area that depends on each individual. Some of us like sporting events, movie theaters, and going out with friends. What you need to do is set up a monthly budget on the maximum you can spend.
If you enjoy spending time with friends do a game night or movie night and everyone brings something to eat and drink to share.
Another way to save on entertainment is to check out the library again. Many have community passes to get into local museums, zoos, hiking areas, and many other places for free. It’s worth checking out.
6. Work Lunch
Instead of going out and picking up food or paying for food at the cafeteria pack a lunch. This will take a little extra time in the morning before work but the savings are worth it. Let’s say you spend $5.oo a day on lunch. That’s $35.00 a week. Think of the savings! Especially if you use leftovers. Even if you don’t it would probably be a quarter of that.
After dinner instead of putting the leftovers into the refrigerator and forgetting about them. Pack them up in separate small containers for lunches throughout the week. This will save you time and money.
When you do start packing your lunch don’t be tempted to buy prepackaged chips, cookies, and vegetables. This will cost you more money. Buy the bagged items and package them up yourself.
7. Morning Coffee/Soda
I know we can’t go without our coffee. In my case soda. But we can go without that $6.00 cup at Starbucks every morning. Buy some specialty coffee at the grocery store, flavored syrups, creamers, or whatever it is you like and experiment at home. I’m sure you will come up with something just as good or better than what you wait in line for in the morning.
Not only will this save you money it will save you time. How long do you wait in line for that beverage?
Why not use the time while brewing the coffee to pack your lunch?
Soda is another thing. Soda has gone way up in price. I have cut way back on buying my Diet Pepsi. It has skyrocketed. I don’t drink coffee except occasionally. I use to drink a lot and I mean a lot of soda in a day. I’ve had to stop buying it from the grocery store except when it’s on sale. Which isn’t often.
A great alternative to buying such expensive soda or coffee is convenience store fountain drinks
Convenience stores are reasonable on soda even for coffee. Circle K has a Sip and Save where you pay $5.99/month for 1 drink per day. Panera has a similar promotion also. just make sure you don’t give in to the temptation of one of their delicious sandwiches.
8. High Interest Debt
Stop using those high interest credit cards.
Look for the introductory 0% interest cards to transfer what you have on a high interest rate card too. Pay more than the minimum rate to get it paid off before that interest rate goes back up.
Maybe a home equity loan would help with those interest rates. Borrow from yourself to pay off the debt. Just make sure you can afford the payment or you could lose your house. I’m not an expert on this so check out this article about it.
9. Subscription Services
I touched a little on this in the cable section but thought it was worth another revisit. Movie subscription services are great to have but how many do we really need? Go back through and list the shows that you watch on each service and see if it’s really worth the price you are paying each month. Check into all of the services and see which one is best for you. For instance Prime you get streaming and free shipping on items and other services. So is that worth the costs compared to Netflix where you just get the streaming? It’s really up to you.
It’s all about savings. See what you are willing to let go of or what you think is worth paying for.
As I mentioned earlier the library has a lot of movies and tv shows to rent.
10.Gas
What can I say about gas? Download apps and use those fuel points from the grocery store that you have earned. Make sure you get the most out of them by letting your tank get low and then filling up with the discount.
Here’s a website I found called Gas Buddy it helps you find the gas prices around you. At least you know if you are getting the better price.
What we need to realize is that the more we spend on convenience is actually more time spent working for that convenience. I would rather be home fixing dinner, packing lunches, and spending time with friends and family at home than the time at work, working overtime.
These are 10 ways that I have on how to save money.
Try them all or just a few. The savings will add up.
