18 Ways To Save Money This Week
Finding creative ways to save money can make all the difference when it comes to your personal finances. Saving money whenever possible can help build your emergency fund, save for a vacation, or even free up money so you can start investing.
For example, saving $10 a week from your paycheck adds up to $520 in a year. There’s bound to be at least one or two things you can put into effect to help improve your finances. Saving money doesn’t have to be hard, and once you get started can actually get pretty addicting.
- Declutter
One of our favorite creative ways to save money is decluttering. Decluttering is an excellent way to increase your streams of income. Go through your closet and your house, and sell the things you don’t need or use. Put the money you earn into savings or use it to pay down debt.
- Detox
Do an inbox detox. Unsubscribe from retailer emails, so you don’t get tempted to make impulse purchases every time they announce a sale. Trust me—there will always be another sale!
- DIY your hair & nails
Cut your salon visits by half by doing your own hair and nails instead. You’ll save a ton of money, and you’ll still look beautiful. This is one of my favorite creative ways to save money.
- Consider cost per wear
For every clothing purchase you make, ask yourself, “How often will I wear this?” Consider your cost per wear. If you aren’t going to wear it enough, it’s probably not worth it.
- A sewing kit is your friend
One of the best creative ways to save money is keeping your clothing in top shape by investing in a sewing kit. The next time something rips, see if you can repair it before you buy a replacement. Plus, sewing kits are super cheap.
- Join your local library
Love reading? Join your local library and borrow books for free instead of buying new titles. You’d be surprised how the savings add up. Be sure to check out apps like Libby, where you can borrow digital and audiobooks from your local library without having to go in!
And the library is good for way more than reading – you can learn a new language, borrow movies, read current magazines, check out audio books for car trips, attend classes, take kids for fun (and educational) events, and so much more.
- Get “cancel” happy
If you aren’t using that subscription service, cancel it! From gym memberships to magazine subscriptions, too many people have paid subscriptions sitting around that they barely use.
- Overspending? Freeze the plastic
Here’s one of the funniest personal finance tips: Freeze your credit cards! Getting them out of a block of ice is an inconvenience (a highly annoying one) that will slow down that overspending habit of yours. This is one of the more extreme creative ways to save money.
- Plan meals in advance
Challenge yourself to pack lunch every day for a week or a month. Put the money you save into savings or toward your debt.
- Create a grocery list
Create a list before you go food shopping based on what you need at home! This will help you avoid impulse buys, especially at the grocery store. One of my favorite apps to save money is Ibotta. I use it to see what offers I can get cashback on at my local grocery store. They send you the money via a Paypal deposit or gift card once your account hits $20. Always a nice perk!
- Always compare rates
One of the best personal finance tips for insurance? Shop around yearly and compare your insurance rates to see if you can get a better deal on your current coverage needs.
- Go lean at the movies; take a big bag
Looking for personal finance tips that reduce the cost of outings with kids? Skip the overpriced concession/snack stand at the movies. Pack your own snacks in your big handbag for a creative way to save money.
- Find free things to do
We all need to have fun, but going out can get costly. However, you wouldn’t believe how many cheap and free things there are to do. Try making a list of free things to do this month and see how many you can check off – you’ll find you can keep pretty busy without spending money.
- Start a spending journal
Wonder where your money is going? A creative way to save money is to start a spending journal and track your spending for 30 days. You’ll start to see where it’s going.
Try Money Manager inside Green Country’s Online Banking – you can label your transactions to make tracking your spending easier, and automated.
- Set a daily routine for your finances
This idea goes hand-in-hand with a spending journal. One of the best ways to save money is to set a daily routine for your finances. Creating good money habits by daily checking in on your finances keeps you accountable and focused. Plus you’re less likely to make impulse purchases when you’re keeping a close eye on your balances.
Set up Text Alerts with your Green Country accounts – you can get a text every morning (or night) with your current daily balance.
- Know your interest rates, prioritize your debt
Are you aware of the interest rates on any debt you have? You need to be to determine your payoff priority. Having a payoff priority will help you create an effective plan to get rid of your debt quickly. And don’t forget, you can always call your credit card companies and negotiate your rate – lowering the amount you spend on interest definitely counts as saving money!
- Refinance
Rates for just about everything are lower now than they’ve been in a long time. So it’s definitely worth the time to check with a lender on refinancing your car, your house, even consolidating high-interest debt.
Refinance with Green Country Home Loans
Refinance your boat or auto loan
- Become accountable
Accountability helps you stay on top of your goals. Find an accountability partner to keep you focused on your budget goals. You are more likely to succeed when you put your goals out there.
