Whether you’re trying to create an emergency fund for your family or just saving up for a big trip, finding ways to cut down on your spending is essential. But looking for different ways to save can be difficult if you don’t know where to start.
Luckily, there are a variety of easy steps you can take every month to save big! Consider these 20 easy ways to save an extra $100 per month to start cutting back on your spending today.
Ways To Save Money On A Tight Budget
If you want to save money but you’re struggling or the thought of where to cut expenses is overwhelming, I want to show you some of the easiest ways to save money.
You don’t have to do all these things at once, you can start by doing just a few of them. You may find that you can get away with just a few things when you use creative ways to save money.
1. Cook Dinner At Home
Every time you order takeout or head out to your favorite restaurant, you’re spending way more than you need to on a meal. If you spend more than $50 when you go out to eat, all you need to do is cook two additional meals per month to save yourself $100.
2. Bring Your Lunch to Work
Just as eating dinner out can be a costly habit, purchasing your lunch ever day while you’re at work could be breaking your budget. To save money every day of the month, take the time to pack a lunch and bring it to work with you instead of spending money to buy a lunch.
3. Skip the Shopping Trip
Shopping for fun is a great way to go over budget. Instead, avoid shopping for fun and only go shopping for essentials, like household items and groceries. If you review your expenses and you feel like you’ve been buying extra purchases that you just don’t need, here are some helpful tips for how to stop shopping.
4. Plan Your Meals
Taking the time to plan your meals for the week could save you big bucks at the grocery store. When you plan your meals, you can easily make a list and stick to it at the store. This will help reduce impulse purchases that could push you over budget.
5. Try a No Spend Weekend
Set a weekend (or even a full week) where you plan to not spend any money. Come up with free ways to entertain yourself, cook at home, and avoid paying money for anything during the timeframe to help reduce your monthly spending.
6. Set a Spending Freeze
Designate a certain time period where you won’t spend any extra money. Aside from regular bills and expenses, you don’t spend any money during that time frame, allowing you to add that money to your savings instead.
7. Carry a Reusable Cup
Always have a cup on hand that you can fill with water or coffee to help avoid the need for costly convenience store purchases the next time you’re thirsty.
8. Find Free Entertainment
Instead of heading out for a fun night of spending, find free ways to entertain yourself. Check out your library for free resources or take a look at your community’s calendar to find free events in your area.
9. Automate Your Payments
Avoid late fees and penalties on your bills by making sure they’re always paid on time. Set up auto payments on your bills to ensure every bill is paid in full on or before the due date.
10. Shop Your Pantry
Before you head to the grocery store to make another big food purchase, take a look in your kitchen. Try to come up with recipes that use the ingredients you already have on hand to help you cut back on your grocery spending for the month.
11. Check Your Bank Account
Being aware of your spending is another great way to ensure you’re saving as much as you can every month. Take a good look at your bank account to make sure you don’t have any subscription payments you forgot about or fees you can get rid of with a quick call to your bank.
12. Cancel Your Cable
How much money are you spending on a cable or satellite subscription each month? Simply canceling your subscription could save you $100 or more.
13. Renegotiate Contracts
Whether your cell phone bill is outrageous or you think you’re spending too much on insurance, taking the time to renegotiate your contracts is a great way to save money this month. Call your providers and ask if they have specials or deals you qualify for or compare prices with other providers to find a better deal.
14. Round Up Your Purchases
Make saving a no-brainer with the help of apps like Chime, which allow you to round up your purchases to the nearest dollar, then place the extra change into your savings account automatically.
15. Skip the Latte
Are you in the habit of grabbing a coffee on your way to work every morning? Instead of spending the extra money on a store-bought coffee, consider making your own coffee at home and bringing it to work. You could save big by skipping the overpriced coffee every day for a month!
16. Switch to LED
Reduce your monthly energy bill with one simple change. Switch all the lightbulbs in your house from traditional bulbs to LED to reduce your energy usage significantly.
17. Save Your Change
If you pay using cash, putting away your change can be a quick and easy way to save $100. Every time you get change from a purchase, toss the change in a jar. At the end of the month, collect your change and cash it in for some extra spending money or deposit it in your savings account.
18. Earn Cash Back
Whether you sign up for a cash back credit card or use an app like Rakuten to earn cash back on purchases, making the most of cash back is another great way to add to your savings each month.
19. Sell Your Stuff
Have you checked your budget only to see that there’s no room to make any more cuts? Another great way to add $100 to your savings account this month is to sell some of your stuff. Have a yard sale, list your items online, or sell your stuff to a consignment shop to make a little extra money.
20. Start a Side Hustle
Have you tried all the methods on this list and still need to save more? Consider earning more instead! Starting a side hustle is a great way to add to your savings without the need to cut back on your spending. Find a way to earn some extra money during the hours you aren’t at work by offering a service or selling a product. You’ll be able to increase your savings without having to worry about trimming your budget even further.
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