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We all like to save money.
Am I right?
It turns out that saving money doesn’t have to be difficult or painful. Believe me, no one wants to feel deprived or miss out on fun times with their friends because they are trying to save money.
There are some easy things you can do to save significant money with some minimal effort on your part. And one of the best things about these tips is that the savings will continue to compound year after year, saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.
Some of the best ways I have found to save money is to look at recurrent expenses and figure out what actual value I’m getting for my money. Am I truly using the service to its full potential? Is the price I’m paying for it a fair price? Can I get something similar for less? Can I get a more basic version for less money and be just as happy?
Those are all good questions to ask not only when you are reviewing what you are paying your hard-earned money for but also when you are considering signing up to pay for a new service. Recurrent expenses are some of the sneakiest ways that money leaves our wallet since we get so used to seeing that charge in our account that we almost forget it’s there.
Save money, tip 1: Cut cable
Cutting cable is a hot topic these days as more and more people cut the cord. This is one case in which I would highly recommend following the trend. There are so many great alternatives to cable nowadays that there is no reason to be stuck in a contract with a cable company. In my experience, cable companies constantly hike your rates and then you have to spend an hour of your life on the phone with them to get that bill lowered.
Cut your losses and cut cable. You can always get an antenna like the Moho Leaf to get local channels. If you are looking to get some cable channels, there are great alternatives such as Sling (starting at only $20!), PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV and much more. You will want to get a streaming box such as a Roku Premiere, which is what we have and love. Another great option is an Apple TV. You can also bypass cable channels altogether and get Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu.
Save money, tip 2: Reduce your cell phone bill
Are you still paying $100+ per month for your cell phone? Save your money and switch to a no-contract carrier to see your monthly bill go way down. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a cell phone plan when you can get the same or even better service, data and voice for a lot less – and all of that with no annual contract.
Switching from AT&T to Cricket saved us $42/month – and that’s just for one of our phones. And with Cricket, the more people you add to your line, the more you save so you can get your whole family on there and save even more. There are also other great options such as Republic Wireless or Ting, which are both on the Sprint network, while Cricket is on the AT&T network.
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- 7 Easy Ways to Find Coupons for Organic Foods
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Save money, tip 3: Rethink your insurance
Reviewing your insurance at least once a year is a great way to save some money. Once a year, make it a habit to sit down and review your car and home insurance and do a quick online rate comparison to ensure you are getting the best rate possible. You should also call your insurance company and ask them for any additional discounts they could find to add to your account. You can get discounts for professional associations, burglar alarms, good driving record, bundling and much more. Make sure you are getting every discount available to you.
It’s also a good idea to take a look at all of the different types of insurance that you have and determine if it’s really necessary. For example, do you really need jewelry or umbrella insurance? Check the limits and deductibles on all of your policies and determine if you can tweak them so you could save some money. If you have an older car, look up your car’s Kelly Blue Book value to figure out if it’s really necessary to pay for full coverage.
Last time we reviewed our insurance, we ended up saving more than $500, which was a win in my book.
Save money, tip 4: Are you using that membership?
Do you have a gym membership or a membership at a local yoga studio that you do not use? If you have not been in the last two months, chances are you are not going to go any time soon. Meanwhile, the monthly charge is continually draining money from your bank account.
Related: How to Manage Your Money the Right Way
Set a deadline for yourself that if you have not gone to the gym or to yoga in the next two weeks, then you will cancel your membership. If you decide to start going again in a few months, start off with a per-visit option before committing to a regular monthly fee. That way, if you end up falling off the exercise wagon again, at least your wallet will be happy.
Save money, tip 5: Read for free
Are you a book lover like me? Cutting book expenses may seem hard but fear not, there are great options for getting a good variety of books to read. Enter, the library. Your hard-earned taxpayer dollars are already going toward the local library so you may as well take advantage of what they have to offer.
In addition to a great variety of paper books, the library is a great place to get ebooks, audiobooks, audio ebooks, CDs and DVDs. Many libraries even offer inter-library loans so if something you would like to read is not available in your local library, talk to a librarian about requesting it from another library in your region.
Save money, tip 6: Digital content subscriptions
If you have a digital content subscription, the library is a great place to get similar content for free. In addition to ebooks, audio ebooks and audiobooks, many libraries have a digital magazine subscription available for patrons. You can get the most recent issues of a variety of magazine including Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens and the HGTV magazine.
Saving money does not mean depriving yourself. It just means being smarter with the money you do have and making sure you find quick and easy ways to save as much as possible. If you follow the recommendations above, you should be able to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars. You may be surprised to find all of the little money leaks that add up over time.
What are some of your favorite painless ways to save money? Let me know in the comments.
If you liked these tips, please share them and spread the love.
Resources that I love:
If you’re looking to save money on your shopping, then I highly recommend checking out these ideas!
Amazon Prime– With free unlimited two-day shipping and no minimum purchase required, Amazon Prime is the perfect solution for your holiday shopping.You get a FREE 30-day trial membership for signing up through my link. I absolutely love my Amazon Prime membership!
Click here for a FREE TRIAL of Amazon Prime through my link!
Ebates – Get cash back for any purchases that you are already making online. Just go through the Ebates cash back portal and you will get a percentage back of your total order price. You can also use coupons on top of going through Ebates for even more savings. Read my review of Ebates here. You get $10 FREE cash back after you make a $25 purchase for signing up through my link.
Click here to sign up for Ebates through my link and get $10 for FREE after spending $25!
Ibotta – Get cash back for purchases, including groceries, clothing and more! Download the app on your phone, check it before heading to the store so you can add any rebates that interest you, then shop as usual. When you get home, just scan your receipt and enjoy the cash back. It’s such an easy way to get some extra cash!
Click here to sign up for Ibotta through my link and get a $10 as a FREE welcome bonus!
