6 Creative Ways To Save Money

Saving money can be hard. Did you know that 45% of Americans have no savings at all? Lots of factors can make it hard to save – low income, high bills, impulse spending, and other things can impact your ability to save.

Increasing your income or reducing bills may not be easy for everyone. The good news is that there are plenty of creative ways you can save money!

Learn the 30-day Rule

Impulsive spending is a huge problem if you are trying to save money. On average Americans spend $155 a month impulsively! That’s almost $2000 a year!

A fantastic way to avoid impulse spending is by learning the 30-day rule and using it!

The 30-day rule is an extremely easy concept to learn. When you want to buy something, don’t buy it straight away. Set the money aside for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days buy the item if you still want it. In most cases, the urge has passed, and that money can be saved instead!

This rule is so simple and effective – following it could save you thousands of dollars a year!

Have Frugal Fun

Frugal fun may not sound like fun but take a moment to think about it. Start by working out how much you spend on entertainment. Trips to the movies, eating out, and nights at the local bar can add up to a lot of money every month. If you have kids as well, then your costs for entertainment will be even higher!

Switching how you spend your time to more frugal activities can save you a small fortune. How can you still have fun whilst saving money?

There are lots of simple ideas. You could host meals at home with friends or family (when safe to do so of course). There is no substitute for watching movies on the big screen. However, staging a fun movie night at home is much cheaper! Popcorn, drinks, and sweets can be bought cheaply at the store. Just turn the lights off and you have got (an almost) cinema experience!

If you’ve got kids, then there are many things to do that can be done cheaply or for free! Trips to a local park, bike rides, nature walks, or just camping in the garden are all fun activities for kids!

No one is saying you should never go out again. Nevertheless, the more you cut out the more money you can save!

Eat Well For Less

Food is something that can be expensive if you aren’t careful. Eating out, grabbing lunch on the go, or constant snacking can add up to a lot! Not to mention it can also be bad for your health.

To save money on food means doing some planning. Start by always having a list when you go grocery shopping – this can help avoid impulse purchases if you only buy what’s on the list.

When shopping for food consider switching to cheap food rather than buying expensive brands. Often, they taste the same!

Avoid buying lunch every day. Instead, make your own – you can pack it with things you like and it’s much healthier!

Consider stopping eating out altogether or cut down to as little as possible. Cutting back on eating out can save you literally thousands of dollars a year!

Search For Freebies (or at least used goods)

The internet is a powerful tool that you can use to find all sorts of amazing bargains. There are entire sites dedicated to giving away goods for free.

Free books, furniture, clothes, and more can be sourced online for free!

Search local Facebook groups, Craigslist, or other online groups that are dedicated to people giving away unwanted items.

If you can’t find what you need for free, then the next best thing is to buy used goods. Amazon, eBay, and more all sell plenty of used goods. The savings on refurbished electronics alone can be hundreds of dollars!

Don’t forget to visit local thrift stores or goodwill for more incredible finds!

Sell Your Unwanted Stuff

Does your home look like an Aladdin’s cave? Lots of stuff everywhere that you can’t think of parting with. You will need it one day, right?

You probably don’t! Spend time going through your home and decide what you really want to keep. Everything that is not on that list can be sold!

Clothes, books, electronics, and kid’s toys are just some of the things you could resell.

Selling your unwanted stuff has never been easier thanks to awesome sites like eBay and Decluttr. You can also sell your stuff through local groups on Facebook.

If selling online isn’t your jam, then simply have a yard sale instead!

All the money you make can be added to your savings.

Cut The Cable!

Cable can be expensive. The average cable bill in America is over $2600 per year! Have you considered getting rid of cable altogether?

Streaming services, sites like YouTube, and no TV at all are all far cheaper options. You can still watch lots of great content on the various streaming services for a fraction of the cost of cable.

There is another reason watching less cable TV could be good for you. Less exposure to ads means less impulsive spending! You could save even more money on top of not paying for cable.