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Trade Starbucks for, well, more bucks. If you’ve already spent $6 on a beverage alone and it’s not even lunchtime, you’ve got a bad breakfast habit. If expensive coffee drinks are draining your funds yet you can’t give up the caffeine, brew your own or give the old deli coffee a try. At less than $1, you’ll be able to save up to $25 a week and a whopping $1,300 a year!
"Reigning in mindless spending -- and wearing what you already have -- can save you hundreds, if not thousands, a year."
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Don’t get taken to the cleaners. If you’ve ever been to the dry cleaners, you’ve no doubt scratched your head at the diabolic pricing structures. How can it really cost that much? Spare yourself the bitterness and reevaluate your dry-cleaning needs. Try to cut your bill in half by laundering some items at home.
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Brown-bag it. If you eat lunch out five times a week and spend about $5 a clip, you’re looking at about $1,300 a year in sandwiches, soups, and other fast foods. But bringing your lunch doesn’t have to suck. If you stock up on readymade items like soups, burritos, and frozen meals, you can save up to $2 to $3 a day. The only thing you need to do is remember to bring it with you!
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Dine in rather than out. Craving that Indian spot you love to hit on Friday nights? Try making that chicken tikka masala at home. By digging up your favorite recipes online and then heading to the store for all of the ingredients, you’ll save money and have leftovers for the next day. Plus, you’ll get to congratulate yourself on your amazing samosas and pakoras!
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Ditch the brand names. We’re not just talking about Coach and Polo; we’re talking about Tylenol, Hellmann’s, and Charmin too. Whenever possible, choose the generic store brand over your favorite label. Most of the time, the formulation is exactly the same; you’re just paying for the packaging. A dollar or two here and there adds up!
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Give the horse a rest. If you’ve been called a “shoe horse” or a “clothes horse,” this message is for you. If you’re known for buying clothes, makeup, pillows, or home decor in excess, it’s time to cut back. Reigning in mindless spending -- and wearing what you already have -- can save you hundreds, if not thousands, a year.
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Jump on the wagon. Alcohol can be a diet-wrecker and a budget-buster. When you’re drunk, you think nothing of buying a round of Grey Goose shots for your nearest and dearest friends (and the awesome dudes you met 10 minutes ago). Later, you go home and wash the booze down with eight slices of pizza and a side of wings. When you control your drinking, you’ll have more money in your pocket and less flab around your waist.
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Carpool. A year or two ago, we would’ve laughed this idea off. We’re all down with saving money, but carpooling? Doesn’t sound very easy! Fast-forward to 2008 with gas prices climbing higher and higher; suddenly, saving money is no laughing matter. By splitting the drive and cost of gas with just one other person, you can reduce commuting costs by half -- add another person and save more!
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Watch at home. With the average price of a movie ticket at almost $7 per person (and even more in some areas), a night out at the movies is no longer a cheap date. Add two kids to the mix and it’s bordering on “special occasion” status. Why invest your hard-earned money in what could be a Hollywood flop? Instead, consider a service like Netflix for less than $10 a month. If you hate the movie, you’ve only spent a dollar or two (the more you use it, the more cost-effective it is!) and you can ship it right back to where it came from.
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Indulge yourself at home. If manis and pedis have become weekly must-haves, it’s time to cut back. Extend the life of your mani/pedis by repolishing rather than running back to the spa for every chip or smudge. By investing in the tools of the beauty trade (remover, polish, and a manicure set), you can save a good chunk of change a month. Now that’s beautiful.
What are some of your favorite cost-cutting tips? Share yours below.
58147674 
dizzykates
We are already doing these things. Renting a movie is a treat. Buying a bottle of wine is a treat. (By "treat" I mean maybe once a month...maybe.) We buy clothes a few times a year, not randomly throughout. The only thing we are changing is cutting dining out from our budget entirely! We are saving plenty, but our goal is to be able to live off one income. What else do you do??
58135118 
skitty
The hard part is when you already do all those things, then what comes next? When it comes to clothing try and remember to donate and buy from places like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. They get a lot of name brands or even direct from stores when the seasons change and drop offs are tax deductible. The profits they get from sales go to the people in real need.
58111461 
ericaandkeith
financial peace university is something every married and single person should do-the newlywed
58109358 
megankw85
Take advantage of free stuff! At Walgreens every month, there are several items you can get for free if you remember to send the rebates in. I have gotten $60 worth of free products at one time before. Also, look at sites like freefly.com and you can get tons of free samples of random products.
58099601 
Candykrystine
When our car insurance went down at the yearly mark we decided that since we were already used to paying about $70 more we could continue this and instead write out two checks one for the insurance company for the new lower amount and one for our savings account for the $70. It works great we continue to do it and before you know it we have money piling up in our savings account.
58081450 
piratefan
When I'm in the mood to cook, and know we don't need to go out, I search for recipes online. I try to search for recipes for items I already have on hand. We end up with: a homecooked meal, no money spent at a restaurant, and no money spent on a cookbook I may never use!
58035985 
dannyvi
If you really want to go out to the movies, see if there's a $1 movie theatre near your house!
57864671 
UnrulyBeauty
I'm trying to pay off my wedding debt which is roughly $2000, something I've done to try to save is sell some of my clothes & shoes to a local consignment shop...I can make roughly $30 every month or so...which is great for filling up the gas tank..
57670074 
ThomasHixson
I started an online savings account at ingdirect.com and can set-up an automatic amount to be drafted into that account. If needed, I can pull it out anytime I need. It's great, because I am fine with saving money I can't see, it's the money in my checking account that I seem to spend...
57624940 
BejinkyBabe
Another note: Michaels sells little magnetic pads that are already set up as meal planners, baby or dogsitting instructions, to do lists, etc. and they are only a dollar.
57624909 BejinkyBabe
I save by planning our meals for the week ahead of time. Then I make up a big list and shop at the beginning of the week. This way I don't make 100 trips to the store and buy a ton more stuff than I need.
57370185 
snshijutpr
I've found using a spreadsheet to track my spending really helps me. In college I had one that tracked how much money I had everyday. I saved so much because I would have little panic attacks when I would go shopping or out partying on the weekend. Also, for anyone affiliated with large organizations (schools, government, or big business) look into business incentives. I work at a University and they give us gift certificates if we use alternate transportation.
57214417 
GreenEyedGirl410
I have to agree... By not using your credit card you can really save alot. I did this in college a few times when I was totally broke and when you have to pull that cash out of your pocket you think twice about buying something you really don't need. Thanks for reminding me of this tactic! I think I am going to put away my credit card til the end of the year!
57129199 
TKDestinationWedding
We try to do all of the above - but the best one for me (I love to shop "sales" bc it makes me feel like I saved money), is when my husband confiscated all my credit cards - it was amazing - for that 6 months, I barely went shopping or spent $$$$ on shoes I "really" didn't need! Instead, I had to pull out cash and really budget on what I could afford for that week, month, etc.
56925597 
RacerGirl
Unplug appliances! DH was not on-board at first, but has seen the savings. Just unplugging the coffeemaker and microwave (both had clocks, so were always using power) there was a difference. I plugged the computer and tv into suge protectors and turn them off when not using them. Televisions suck TONS of power when they are turned off.
56921712 
amy-keith
We do all of these (gotta go out to eat at least once on the weekend- and only to a Chili's type place). I have found one product NOT to go generic on: Aveno body wash. Wal-Mart makes a generic but it doesn't do the trick. I don't commute because there are not enough people who live near me who work where I do. My company even suggested it and made a discussion page for people. Very proactive of them! Some things we've tried: 1. Set a goal. We're planning a vacation in a year and we're saving for it. 2. Get a piggy bank. When you come in the house you drop extra coinage there, and when you fill it put it in your special trip or fun fund. Both of these have been immensely helpful as they've kept us more focused.