How to Save Money Without Trying
Saving money doesn’t come easily to everyone and I know just how hard it is some months. It takes time, energy, and lots of thought but one of the things I love is watching my savings grow even just by a few pennies. If you plan on saving money this year, here are some tips on how to do it without even trying.
Shop the Sales
It’s inevitable that the place you’re shopping at is going to have a sale. It’s pretty simple to walk into a store and only buy what’s on sale. If it’s not on sale, then refuse to buy it, it is hard at first but once you practice this method for a few months, it is second nature to do it. If you are going to shop be sure to use programs like Ebates because you get lots of cash back on everyday purchases.
Know What You Need
Sometimes we miss out on saving money because we buy things last minute. If you want to save money without trying, then make sure you know what you need. You can do this by making a list of what you have run out of. A simple list on the fridge will do or in your phone so you know what to buy the next time you are out and it’s on sale. My list grows a lot before I head to the store.
Stop Spending Money
Okay, sometimes spending money is inevitable, however, it is possible. Go home to eat instead of eating out. Make what you need instead of buying it. Live like a poor person, so you can save that money and not spend it. If you can’t stop spending money for whatever reason, at least put a cap on your spending. We do a no spending week at least once a month. During that week we try not to spend anything and use things we already have on hand to help us save. It really is amazing how much it helps us save.
Cancel the Credit Card
People have the notion that credit cards save them money, but they really do more harm than good. You’re essentially paying interest fees on something you could have bought with cash. Cut up the credit cards and use cash when you can, you’ll save money without even trying. Which is always a benefit, we even paid for Christmas with cash in 2015.
Go Without
Americans are pretty spoiled with all of the items we “need.” Even if you’re not trying to save money, realize that you can go without. You don’t need to have the very best of everything. Sometimes going without can make us a whole lot humbler.
If you want to save money without trying, give these tips a try! How else do you save money?
Andy Hill says
Great Tips Heidi! You are spot on that we as an American society are so used to living with abundance. If we examine what we actually NEED in this life, we’d be shocked at how much money we could save.