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If you are like most of us at some point, you have wondered how to save money. Maybe you are getting into Travel Hacking or want to find a way to get fly for cheap. So you start asking yourself a bunch of questions: What’s the fastest way to save money? And my favorite how to get a bunch of money quickly? Sometimes it’s your bad money habits causing the issue. Read below to find a few tips on how to save money.
Budget Tips
If you are looking for the best tips on creating a budget and paying off debt, I would recommend you hook up with Dave Ramsey. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite tips.
- Track your expenses. This seems easy but you may find it’s harder to do than you would think. There are lots of ways to do this, from checkbook registers to apps, to excel spreadsheets. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just find a way to do it and track your expenses regularly. *** Read about The 5 Best Budget App (s) to Make Your Life Easier
- Create an Emergency Fund. At some point, you will have an unexpected expense. Prepare for it, don’t be blindsided by it.
- Calculate purchases by hours. Is it worth spending 19 hours worth of work on that purchase or is that money best allocated somewhere else?
- Use the 24-hour rule. Think over every single nonessential purchase for at least 24 hours before you buy it. This time frame allows you to evaluate if you need another pair of shoes or a purse or that ice cream treat. Waiting 24-hours is super easy to do online, add things to your cart and just leave it. Plus you never know if you will get a coupon just because you left something in your cart.
- Pay off credit cards every month. Stop giving the banks your hard earned money in interest.
Saving for your future
- Take advantage of retirement matching. Don’t let your employer keep the money they will give you for free. If your company matches money you set aside for retirement, make sure you are taking full advantage.
- Tax Returns or Windfalls. We’ve all probably received an unexpected cash payment at some point. It could be an extra $20 or way more. Either way don’t rush out to spend it. Put all or some of it away into your savings account, so you have it when you need it.
Bad Habits
- There is no competition. Do not self-impose a lifestyle competition for yourself and try to keep up with your siblings, neighbors, etc. You don’t know their life situation; they don’t know yours. Trying to compete isn’t fulfilling. No one wins this imaginary competition when trying to figure out how to save money.
- Emotional Spending: Don’t do it. Stay away from the store and online websites when you are feeling incredibly emotional. It doesn’t matter if you are super happy or super sad any extreme can lead to unnecessary spending.
- Having Super hard to imagine goals doesn’t help you at all. If your goal is to pay off $100,000 that’s ok, but it might be too hard to believe, and you may not see any progress if your progress is slow. Instead start with easy to reach and measure goals. Grab our FREE ebook to help you set realistic goals!
Random How to Save Money Tips
- Store that loose change. Don’t be tempted to grab it and go make that candy bar purchase. Put it into a container at the end of each day and don’t touch it again until you can take it in and deposit all that beautiful loose change into your savings account.
- Unsubscribe from those oh so easy to temp us emails. You know the marketing emails meant to attract you to your favorite stores, treats, offers to good to refuse… Yeah, those… unsubscribe so you aren’t tempted.
- Designate one day a week to be “No Spend.” One way to help you figure out how to save money is to make a day where you do not spend any consciously. This requires you to eat at home, pack a lunch, play games for entertainment, etc.
- Drink more water. Seems easy – for me it isn’t. I like my coffee. But drinking more water is cheaper, and healthier for you too!
- Save 5% on all Target purchases: If you have to purchase something, maximize your savings any way you can.
Leave us a comment with your best money savings tip! And if you haven’t already, grab our FREE ebook to help you set realistic money savings goals!
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