Tips for Saving Money Like a Boss
Looking for easy and painless ways to save more money? Well you’ve come to the right place, my friend! Here is my ultimate list of resources, apps, websites, ideas, and tips for saving money!
Honestly, not all of these will work for everyone…some may be too extreme or not relevant to you. However, I promise you that there are amazing tips that will work for anyone in this list! Start with the options that work for you and go from there! I genuinely know how hard it can be to save extra money. It is a daily struggle for me! Despite the struggle, I also know how very important it is to grow your savings. Just like paying down debt, saving money is all about what sacrifices you are willing to make and identifying areas in your life where you are throwing money away without realizing it. Maybe there are some ideas on this list you haven’t thought of, or maybe there are some that you’d rather not think about quite yet! Either way, I really hope that this list of resources and tips for saving money is beneficial for you!
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Save Your Money
First things first, you need at least one savings account! I personally use an online bank, Capital One 360. I chose CapitalOne 360 because they had higher interest rates (so you save even more) than other checking account providers that I researched, they allow mobile deposits, and they have no fees and no minimum deposits! I also love that it is extremely easy to set up multiple savings accounts for everything you are saving for (downpayment for house, vacations, college funds, etc). If you need to be able to get money out of your savings account quickly, you can also have a checking account with CapitalOne 360 that links to your savings account (this is what we did). Then, you can transfer money from your savings to checking immediately and use your debit card to withdraw your cash instantly.
Another resource I have for ya’ll is my new favorite savings tool, Digit! Digit is a website/app that checks your spending patterns and automatically saves money for you every few days, only if you can afford it. They are FDIC insured, you can transfer your savings with Digit back into your bank account at any time, and there are no fees! Digit is awesome because it really helps me save a lot more money than I normally would! If I need a little extra one month, I just go into my Digit account and have the money I saved transferred back to my account. It makes saving money so simple and painless and the savings really add up! When I look at my Digit account it gives me that “I just found $20 in a purse I haven’t used in a year” kinda feeling!
Tips for Saving Money Shopping Online (and In Stores!)
- Ebates – Offers cash back on purchases
- InvisibleHand – Lets you know if the product is available on another website for a lower price
- Swagbucks – Earn points back that you can redeem for PayPal cash or gift cards
- Shopathome is very similar to Ebates. I always check Ebates, ShopatHome, and Swagbucks before making a purchase and I choose whichever site is offering the most cash back!
- RetailMeNot – Check this site for online coupon codes before shopping!
- Paribus – Tracks your purchase and requests cash back for you if the price of the item drops after you bought it!
- Buy clothes on Thred Up! Thred Up has secondhand brand name women’s and children’s clothes and accessories for a fraction of the price. Sign up here and you will get $10 to spend! You can also sell your lightly used clothes to Thred Up to make some money to add to your savings!
- Buy discounted gift cards from Raise
. At Raise you can buy discounted gift cards to use either online or in person at pretty much any store you can imagine! You can also sell gift cards that you don’t want.
- Shopping at Target? Read how to save money at Target first!
- Buy your pet’s medications at 1800PetMeds for less than you can at the veterinarian.
- Wear contacts? Buy them at disountcontactlenses.com.
- Use Groupon and Living Social to find deals for restaurants, entertainment, vacations, and services.
Tips for Saving Money In Your Home
- Unplug electronics when not in use (even when they are turned off they are using some electricity!)
- Wash your clothes in cold water.
- Get rid of cable television – instead try alternatives like using an antenna for local channels and Sling TV, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime
(free 30 day trial available), and Chromecast.
- Exercise at home instead of the gym. There are exercise videos out there for every fitness level! My personal favorite at home program is The 21 Day Fix . You can find all the home workout equipment you may need here.
- Make your lunch at home and take it to work instead of eating out.
- Use a coffee pot and bagged coffee instead of paying extra for coffee pods.
- Use a programmable thermostat.
- Pay your bills online. You save a stamp, envelope, trees, and some companies even offer a discount on your payment!
- Get a roommate.
- Move back home for a while.
- Use a power strip for your electronics. When not in use, just turn it off and it will cut the power to all of your devices so they don’t draw energy (see #1!).
- Get rid of your landline and use cellphones instead.
- Stop smoking.
- Turn off the heat dry setting on your dishwasher and let your dishes air dry instead.
- Change your AC filter every 3 months.
- Rinse dishes well before washing and then use the light wash setting on the dishwasher.
- Use wool dryer balls instead of buying dryer sheets.
- Hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline outside or on an indoor drying rack.
- Refinance your mortgage.
- Pay credit card debt quickly by consolidating it.
- Check Craigslist for secondhand furniture, appliances, clothing, etc. before buying new.
(free 30 day trial available), and
Tips for Saving Money on Groceries and Dining Out
- Use Ibotta! Ibotta is an app that gives you cash back on your grocery purchases. I get so much money back with this app, it is definitely the best way to save money on groceries without using coupons! Read more about it in this post on apps that pay.
- Buy store brand products whenever possible.
- Start a garden and grow your own produce.
- Buy produce when it is in season.
- Drink tap water instead of buying bottled water.
- Give up soda.
- Use Checkout 51! Checkout 51 is an app like Ibotta that offers cash back on groceries. I use both Checkout 51 and Ibotta, but Ibotta has more offers and bonuses and is much more lucrative for me.
- Go to restaurants during happy hour to get good deals on drinks and appetizers.
- Check-in with Yelp and some restaurants will offer discounts or free drinks or food.
- Download the Wal-Mart Savings Catcher app on your phone. Take a picture of your receipt after a shopping trip and Wal-Mart will look for better prices that are offered at their competitors. If a cheaper price is found, Wal-Mart will give you the difference!
- Plan meals ahead of time to prevent dining out too often.
- Bring your own shopping bags to stores. Some grocery stores have started to charge for shopping bags and some (like Target) will give a small discount for each reusable shopping back you use.
Tips for Saving Money On Vehicles and Maintenance
- Carpool or take public transportation whenever possible.
- Learn to change your own oil. (Youtube videos are helpful for this!)
- Wash your car at home instead of paying for a car wash.
- Don’t drive aggressively. Frequent changes in speed and breaking use up more gasoline.
- Use Gasbuddy to find the cheapest gas near you.
I hope ya’ll found these resources and tips for saving money useful and hopefully you discovered some new ways to save!
These are some great tips! Not all of the apps and strategies work in Canada, but we do follow a lot of the tips for saving money at home and in the grocery store. It really adds up!
Wow! Thorough list. I do some of these already, but will definitely have to start doing some of the others. We are traveling soon and will be eating out a bit – I will have to try that Yelp idea!
I’m obsessed with checking ThredUP! It’s a great way to save money!
Thank you thank you thank you! This was just the post I needed… I’m always looking to save money everywhere. I knew about a lot of these but some of the apps/services I haven’t heard of before! Yay to extra shopping money!
xoxo, Sam | thehauntedhousewife.com
These are so awesome. I could do so much better in this department!! I am secretly going to cut way back on my spending and see if my partner notices! Ha ha, He does the books.
We use Capital One360, too. I like that it takes a couple days to transfer money to our account. It helps us avoid impulse buys.
Great list, not all apps and sites work living abroad but got some really good and easy to implement ideas to save some money, thanks 🙂
This is so helpful! My husband and I were just talking about that we should go on a buying freeze for a little while just to get more money in savings. Thanks for the tips! http://www.sugarmaplenotes.com
This is a really informative and helpful article.Thanks for devoting your time to write it
Great list! I do a lot of these but could defiantly do some more.
Comprehensive list. I love ebates and retailmenot. Craigslist is a great place to shop from as well.
These are good tips – I did just find out about thredUP, and am trying it! I do try to save wherever possible, and want to try more of these! Thanks for all the hard work putting all this together!
Great tips, definitelly will use some of them to save some money 😉
Groupon and ebates are my favorite. Thanks for the list. These are all awesome resources!
very helpful post. thanks.
I HAVE NEVER TRIED IBOTTA I COULD USE SAVING MONEY THIS IS VERY HELPFUL
I Love It! Most wonder how I get all the things I do at the prices I pay for it and above has much to do with how I do it! In today’s times, we must learn how to stretch that penny, Yes Penny, as far as we can! These are terrific tips!
I needed this in my life right now. I really love the idea of a programmable thermostat!
Awesome tips.
Great and helpful post in everyday life.
Good ideas. I love Walmart savings Catcher, it helps and so does Chewy.com for my dogs supplies and ships next day, perfectly, saves so much money. With no smartphone, most don’t help, but the online ones do so I upload receipt when I get home.
These are really great tips. Some I use and others are new to me. Thanks for all the great information.
Great tips! I always love to be able to save a bit of money while shopping. Every little bit helps!
These tips are so awesome. Some I already do, but a lot I don’t. Am looking into Digit as we speak. Thank you for sharing.
Amazing!! I bookmarked this page! Some of these sites and apps I have heard of and some I haven’t. Thank you!
I need all the tips I can get.. My husband has always done the budget because I was terrible at it… I need to use some of these tips I can learn….
These are such excellent tips to save money! I already do a large majority of them, but I just joined ibotta, so I can’t wait to see how it works out. I also didn’t even consider using the “light wash” setting on my dishwasher, but I’ll definitely be trying that now! Thanks for sharing…I’m pinning this list for future reference! 🙂
This is quite the list! I will have to learn how to change my own oil to save money.
Great tips! I especially recommend working out at home if possible. Gym memberships can get expensive, so if you have the motivation and determination to stick with your routines and buy some equipment, and dvds (which you can get used or even stream routines on YouTube) it will save you $$$ in the end! 🙂
Thanks for the post. I do use a few of them, but never heard of the Paribus – Tracks your purchase and requests cash back for you if the price of the item drops after you bought it! Will be looking into this one!
love the tips. I already do some of them.
I just found a new website, Ibotta. Thank you for the great tips.
these are some great tips. my fiancé and i both have student loans to pay back, so its important for us to be careful about money
These are all wonderful tips! Thank you so much for sharing the many ways that we can save money! 😀
Some very good ideas , thanks. I made a list for my house hold. We follow a plan every day.
Great ideas!
Thanks for all of the money saving tips. I already use quite a few of them and I am always looking for new ways to save money….
thank you for all the tips! these are awesome!
great tips !!
I do like all of these things already! LOL my family thinks I”m so cheap but I’m just smart!
I love those tips!
that’s a great list to save money, it really does help me out.
Thanks. I do use a few of them
Such an amazing list. So many of these I just plain overlook. Thanks so much.
Great tips! We are a one income family so I’m always looking for ways to save money. We shop at a local grocery store where you get points based on what you buy and the points go for reduced gas. The savings really add up.
Some excellent tips. I’m pretty good on the Home ones (no roommate, thanks).
Great suggestions!
Money makes the world go around,great site
Ebates is a huge one. It may not seem like much when you’re saving change here and there, but you forget about it and it adds up! Free money people!
Thank you so much for all of these suggestions, but I am mostly impressed with Digit, something I had never heard of before
We recently switched to netflix and hulu and turned our cable off. Great list! Going to start on it today!
Wow these are some fabulous tips. I learned a lot from this post. Thanks it will help a lot.
I’m obsessed w this
These are some great tips! We do follow a lot of the tips for saving money at home and in the grocery store.
I use a lot of these tips and do save a lot of money.
These a really great tips. I knew about some . I pinned the post so I could sign up them. Thanks.
I definitely found these resources and tips for saving money useful!! I love Ebates and Swagbucks! Pinecone Research is another great site for surveys as well! I really Love your tip #20 Pay credit card debt quickly by consolidating it. Great tips!! Thankyou!!