Yes – there are radical ways to save money. But there are also tiny ways that really add up after a year.
In fact, they can add up to accomplish really big things, like being able to quit your day job.
Here’s 20 ways to save money and become debt free:
Toss disposable. Switch to cloth napkins and cleaning rags. Save money by avoiding paper napkins and paper towels.
Make your own bread. Dig the bread maker out of storage and fire it up. At our finest, we baked about two loaves per week. Save time by pre-measuring dry ingredients into used Cool-Whip and bulk yogurt containers. Add wet ingredients and yeast when ready to bake.
Drink iced tea or water from reusable bottles. Stop buying soda, juice packs and bottled water. A 3 gallon iced tea maker is wonderful for summer.
Get a new quote for car insurance. I saved over $600 a year by switching (no, not to Geico).
Fix broken appliances. Our dryer, fridge and microwave broke this year. Instead of loading them into a landfill, Mr. Right fixed them by ordering the needed parts online. The dryer part cost $15, the fridge, $80, and the microwave, $6. That’s a huge savings compared to new machines. If your man isn’t that handy, find one who is – lots of local businesses are available to help.
Quit the gym. Take up running, walking or strength training at home.
Cook at home using cheap, healthy ingredients. Potatoes, carrots, onions, celery – these are amazingly cheap and complement most family meals.
Go longer between haircuts & color. An extra week or two practically goes unnoticed. For young boys, buy a hair trimmer and try a DIY cut.
Use cash for variable expenses. Groceries, vacations, personal spending allowance, entertainment, clothing, haircuts, gifts. Track where every dollar is spent.
Cut coupons. Here is a useful site.
Only go shopping when you truly need something.
Guard money when items wear out. Just because something breaks doesn’t mean it needs to be replaced.
Cancel cable.
If you go on vacation, make your own meals instead of eating out.
Listen to Pandora instead of buying MP3s.
Stay home.
Buy wine by the case. Most stores give a 10% discount.
Savor life in simple ways.
Pack a lunch everyday for adults and kids. Our budget allows for hot lunch at school, but for health reasons, we’re switching back to cold lunch next year.
Make your own coffee and lattes. There are lots of yummy coffee flavorings at stores. Add a tiny dash of vanilla extract, milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon for a natural way to flavor.
SEE ALSO:
25 Essentials That Are Better And Cheaper To Make At Home
Try the 100 Thing Challenge
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xoxo Melissa
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Like you we switched insurance carriers recently. On auto we saved $1200/yr (holy whole-lotta-money batman) and a little over $300/yr on homeowners. That was $1500 in one hour! We went paperless a while ago – my mother just visited and bought paper towels, what am I supposed to do with these? They aren’t even the good ones (viva).
Viva – lol. It can save a ton of money … that’s quite the hourly wage!
Very good list. Here’s a few more:
Put Tv’s and other energy hogs on power strips, shut off when not in use and while on the subject don’t let the TV sit and run unless you are really watching it, its an expensive ‘background noise’.
Run the oven only when you can use it for multiple items at a time. Plan ahead and do batch cooking. Better yet, use the crock put & slow cooker as much as possible. Or for small items try a toaster oven.
If you use a dishwasher, turn the ‘dryer’ off and let the dishes airdry. The majority of energy used is burned up on drying your dishes.
Forgo the dryer. Really, your clothes will thank you and your utility bill will too. Only dry necessary items and hang all others. Bonus, when they are dry you can just slip hanging items right into the closet. (I use hangers instead of a clothesline and i hang outside in summer and from heavy duty shower curtain rods stretched across doorways in the wintertime).
Very useful tips! Thanks for adding to my list. Love it!
I just recently discovered Pandora…. LOVE IT !!! Find a great tune for any mood you might be in!!!
What are you favorite stations?
Staying out of the stores makes so much difference in my life. Obviously there are times I need to buy things, but if I can go the grocery store every other week vs. once a week I spend far less. It seems like whether it’s a grocery store or any other store, once I’m inside there are always ‘great buys’ that I think I simply must pick up.
I think there’s a subconscious rule that you can’t leave Target until you spend $100. Therefore – no more Target.
That would be an interesting thing to try – grocery shopping twice a month and picking up fresh produce from the farmer’s market. Thanks for the idea!
great tips – I really look forward to my morning coffee at home these days! I worked as a barista at Starbucks once upon a time so I observed first hand how much money the ‘regulars’ were spending on a weekly basis – wowzers!
I almost prefer my own coffee … I make it just perfectly (for me).
Love this, Melissa. Mike & I have sat down a few times recently to discuss our financial situation and after we just took a nice weeklong vacation
are starting the snowball method. I am inspired by your and Shea’s story, both Mike & I have researched Dave Ramsey in the past…and finally are taking the leap. First step is the feared task of cancelling cable – we don’t watch all that much TV, but what I do get to watch is only because of the amazing DVR, which I will dearly miss. That being said, we are very excited to get this ball rolling!
Keep up the great writing & advice – love it, and love you! (PS – Morgan has the piggy bank in the picture above, how ironic!)
That IS ironic and cool. The snowball method really worked for us – it took a long time, but it’s so liberating to be debt free. It really makes decisions feels deliberate instead of forced (like being able to quit my job, for instance – I couldn’t even dream of it before we were out of debt.)
Good luck to you both!
As I sit here sipping my $4 Soy Latte from my local coffee bistro, I know in the depths of my caffeine-fueled heart that this is a big freakin’ money sucker. For you, dear Melissa, who teaches me so, so much about how to live better, for you and for my pocket book, I vow to give up my Soy Lattes. Rock on with the continued inspiration.
Well, I’m all about supporting local coffee shops – just make sure you can allot a “local coffee shop” budget and you’ll be all good. xoxo
Some things we’ve done lately….
-we cut the cable, and picked up netflix. i am so excited for that little red envelope to show up in the mail! plus i’ve got a lot of stuff done around the house in the evenings now that i’m not watching tv. saving $90 per month.
-make the investment in new windows and new insulation if you live in an old house. there are tax credits through the end of the year for 30% of the cost. we’ve seen a huge improvement in the temperature of our attic bedroom. the old insulation was only 1″ thick (the house is from the 30′s). we also replaced the windows in our daughter’s bedroom (we ran a space heater for 4 mos. when she was an infant and it cost us at least $180 – almost the cost of a new window!)
Hi Lynn – Isn’t it amazing how much “free time” is created when you don’t watch TV? It simplifies life by giving “more time” in the day.
Love ya! Thanks for adding to the post with your tips.
Hi Melissa,
I love this post. You have so many great ideas! I love the one about cutting your child’s hair. Why do we think we need to spend $25 on a kid’s haircut anyway?
When my mother was growing up they all go the bowl cut. My grandmother put a bowl on the kids’ heads and then just followed the rim of the bowl. They grew up to be just fine – not scarred for life.
I’m about to sell my house to scale down and live a simpler life so this couldn’t have come at a better time.
Thanks for sharing so many great ways to save money with us.
Hi Angela – I’ll see what my 10 year old says about a bowl cut, haha.
Good for you on living the simpler life. You won’t regret it!
Thank you for this great article! It inspired me to make a list of ten things I do to save money for a trip. It’s solid advice for everyone, not just travelers.
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