Savvy shoppers may be masters at cutting coupons and buying on a budget, but that’s not the only way to save money. If you’re not taking advantage of all the life hacks available, you’re really missing out.
With a little hard work and creativity, you can shave hundreds or even thousands of dollars off your annual budget. Plus, if you tackle some of the little things on the to-do list that you’ve been procrastinating on, you can find ways to make more money without additional work.
Steps To Take Control Of Your Financial Future
1. Scan The Grocery Store For Savings
You can save money on groceries by using a smartphone app that gives you cash back when you shop at the grocery store. All you have to do is verify your receipt after your purchase. In minutes, you can earn $5 or more every week.
2. Buy Prescription Drugs At Costco Without a Membership
Member stores like Sam’s Club and Costco have great deals on prescription drugs — and you don’t have to be a member to buy them. So take advantage of Costco’s cheap prescriptions without paying $60 or more a year to join the club.
3. Get Low-interest Rates By Transferring Balances
If you have high credit card debt, you don’t have to continue to suffer. An easy way to cut costs and potentially save a lot of money is to transfer your balance to a low-interest credit card.
4. Remove Extra Ink From The Printer
If your printer does not have black ink or toner, change the text color to blue – you can print a few times before buying a refill. Also, avoid bold, ink-wasting fonts in favor of thinner fonts like Arial and Courier New.
5. Skip Your Low-income Savings Account
If you’re still using your original savings account, you’re likely getting a lower interest rate. Some high-income savings accounts offer rates of 0.50% APY or higher. With that APY, if you deposit $25,000 and leave it there for a year, you’ll make an extra $125 per action. Not opening an advanced savings account means you’re saying “No thanks” to free money – why should you?
6. Shop With Discount Gift Cards
Want to get cheap or even free gift cards? Gift card exchange sites sell cash gift cards to all your favorite retailers for less than their residual value. Save and use them more money for future purchases.
7. Carry Cash
Research shows that you spend less if you pay with cash instead of a credit card. Take this a step further and only carry large bills like $50 or $100, which are hard to break – this will prevent you from making impulse buys.
8. Skip Rental Car Insurance
Most personal auto insurance policies and most major credit cards offer coverage for rental cars, especially when the rental is personal rather than commercial. Check the policy to be sure, but chances are you can save money on a car rental and skip the expensive insurance from the company.
9. Use DIY Cleaner
You can make an inexpensive homemade cleaner by gently stuffing citrus peels into a Pyrex container and adding boiling water and white wine. Cover the mixture and let it sit for a week, then pour it into a spray bottle.
10. Save using The Clothesline
Go back in time and dry your clothes on the old clothesline. According to The Simple Dollar, you’ll save nearly $10 for every hour you hang your clothes — plus, you’ll save on dryer sheets and your clothes will last longer. If you want to buy a new dryer, wait until business days for the best deals.
11. Go For a More Aggressive Swiffer
Is your Swiffer WetJet drying out? Remove the cap from the water bottle and use an inexpensive cleaner mixed with water instead of buying another Swiffer brand bottle. You can also save money by using dryer sheets (new or even used) instead of Sweeper’s Swiffer Sheets.
12. Find Another Way To Pay For Big Events
When important life events such as weddings, house moves, or special vacations occur, it can be difficult to find the money to cover these expenses. It can be tempting to only use one credit card when it’s hard to find the money.
Instead, consider opening a new credit card with a zero APR, so you can pay off your balance early without paying interest.
13. Get An Extra Item For Free
When you’re buying pre-packaged items – such as a 10-pound bag of potatoes, onions, or apples – be sure to weigh the bag before choosing the type you want to buy. The stated weight of a bag is the legal minimum and some bags may be heavier even if they are the same price.
