20 ways to save money
that aren't spending less on coffee
I prefer to think of saving money as a game—it shouldn’t be a stressful, scary thing, but an exciting way to unlock new opportunities. Of course, the goal isn’t to spend $0, but if you can save an extra $500 this year by spending more intentionally, that’s a flight to a new city, a new bag, or a few nice dinners out.
I compiled a list of my favorite things I’ve done to save money, or learned from friends—I recommend you take one or two of these tips, not all twenty. This list isn’t to encourage you to scrimp and save everywhere, but to have a new opportunity to spend more intentionally. And a lot of these “hacks” help to reduce waste—a win-win!
Review your credit card bill. Yes, line by line. Check for fraud, recurring charges, and check that you were charged the right amount for everything. Seeing everything in a line can help spot incorrect charges and charges you want to cut out next month.
Repurpose “trash.” One of my friends cleans out the leftover candle wax and uses candle jars as glasses. You can do the same with sauce jars—instead of buying more Tupperware, I’ll store food in these.
Cook a dinner with friends instead of ordering takeout. This is a new tradition I started with a group of friends when we watch The Bachelor and Love is Blind—we used to spend money on takeout, and now take turns buying ingredients and cooking together. It’s cheaper and more fun (and often healthier!)
One of my favorite at-home dinners Wait 24 hours before buying a splurge purchase. And if you still want it after a day, buy it! But if you don’t, skip it.
Use a stronger HYSA. And check the interest rate yours currently has—they change (and have been decreasing recently!)
Repair/reinvent your clothing. I’m not a pro at sewing by any means, but my greatest sewing feat was sewing two pairs of pants together that were both a little too small, thus creating a new pair of pants that look very cool (and actually fit). I’ve also mended things and cropped things (sometimes just with a pair of scissors!).
Shop at local markets. I buy my vegetables from the cart down the street and my bread from my local bakery. The vegetables are always cheaper, and while the bread might be a bit more than Trader Joe’s, it’s so much better, and when I’m there in the afternoon, I’ll often get a two-for-one deal.
Go to the library. I can request any book I want online, and it’ll be ready to be picked up at my local library within a few days. Plus, I truly don’t have space for more books in my tiny apartment!1
A couple of the books I recently checked out of the library. Both recommended in Smarter in a Sec. Use your local Buy Nothing group. This is really the only reason to keep Facebook around anymore. I’ve gotten furniture, kitchen tools, and art from my local buy nothing group. Plus, it’s a great way to get rid of things that are cluttering up your space.
Carry a reusable water bottle. Spending money on a fun drink, sure, but on water?! I hate spending money on water. In the summer, I have to carry around a reusable water bottle.
Organize your pantry. And challenge yourself to repurpose what’s been sitting in the back of the pantry into meals.
Enable coupon-savings browser plug-ins. I use the Capital One Shopping one, but there are lots out there.
Buy used when you can. I bought my couch on Apt Deco. It was barely used, they delivered it for me (up three flights of stairs), and I saved about 35% of the new price.
Perks of buying a discounted couch used: you’re not as upset when your cat claws at it Don’t buy aspirational things (food, workout gear, clothes that don’t fit). If you think you should be eating more vegetables, but they sit wilting away in your fridge until you throw them out, don’t buy them.
Cut open tubes of sunscreen/toothpaste/makeup. You’ll be surprised at how much is left in there.
Buy the store brand (when it tastes the same). There are certain foods where the store brand is just bad (I’m looking at you, pretzels). But for things where it’s not, get the cheaper option.
Sign up for store rewards. This is not to be confused with store credit cards, which often have high interest rates are aren’t often worth the savings compared to other cards.
Don’t grocery shop hungry. I always eat before going to the grocery store. This prevents impulse purchases that won’t get eaten or won’t make me feel good, like unhealthy convenience meals.
Clothing swap. Whenever I have a pile of clothes to donate, I’ll text a couple friends who are similar sizes first to see if they want any of them, and they’ll do the same for me.
Skip that last drink of the night. I often find that that last drink of the night is never worth it—not just in cost, but the hangover the next day.
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And if you want to make your next happy hour unforgettable, check out my party card game company, Sidetracks.
Another one would be: "Maximize the usage on what you already have". For example, IF you already have Amazon Prime (I am not saying you should get it because that defeats the purpose), then check out all the perks that come with it. For example, they have a huge library of books you can read for free! I haven't spent money on books in years. And it makes me feel good to use that subscription fully. I am sure there are other types of subscriptions or memberships that we only partially use and where we are only aware of half of the perks that come with them.
My library card has saved me so much money! Love these tips.