Save money, live better — sound like an impossible feat? It doesn’t have to be! While we can’t all make drastic changes to our lifestyles that save us thousands of dollars per year, we can make small adjustments that together will add up to big savings over time. Here are six tips and tricks on how to save money while still living the life you want and deserve!
5 Smart Ways To Save Money On Groceries
While there’s no way around it—the bulk of your monthly expenses are going to be food-related. Between groceries, eating out and supplies for cooking at home, food can easily hit between 30-50% of your budget.
That’s why when you’re trying to save money, one of your top priorities should be saving on groceries. Here are five smart ways to save money on groceries.
1. Use A Price Book To Keep Track Of Grocery Prices
Keeping track of grocery prices helps you know when an item is a good deal or not. A price book is basically just keeping track of what items cost over time so that you know what to pay for them and whether or not they’re actually a good deal or not. The easiest way to do that is by keeping track of what something costs in a notebook or on your phone (or whatever device you have handy).
If something goes on sale, note that too so that next time you shop, you’ll know if it’s worth stocking up or if another brand/variety would be cheaper even though it’s more expensive than usual.
2. Buy In Bulk When It Makes Sense
This tip will save you money only if it makes sense for your family. Buying in bulk means buying things like toilet paper, paper towels, and cleaning supplies in larger quantities than normal. This can save you a lot of money because those products tend to go on sale quite often and buying them in bulk means getting more bang for your buck. Just make sure that you won’t end up wasting anything before its expiration date!
3. Buy Generic Brands And Store Brands Instead Of Name Brands
Sometimes store brands or generic brands aren’t as high quality as name brands but sometimes they’re pretty much identical! Do some research and see which ones work best for you.
4. Make Your Own Food
I’m not saying that everyone should become a master chef and cook everything from scratch but making simple things like brownies or cookies from scratch instead of buying pre-made mixes can save you quite a bit of money. Plus, homemade food tends to taste better anyway!
5. Plan Your Meals For The Week Ahead Of Time
Planning meals ahead of time mean fewer trips to the grocery store which saves gas, and time and prevents impulse buys. You might also find that planning meals ahead of time also saves you money because you’re able to use ingredients in multiple recipes rather than having leftovers sit around and spoil.
Frugal Living Hacks
When you think of frugality, what typically comes to mind? Couponing? Shopping at thrift stores? Working hard to save money on everyday things? These are all elements of frugality that can bring short-term savings.
However, for those looking for ways to save money on an ongoing basis—even in ways that don’t seem related—, there are some tried-and-true frugal living hacks. A coupon is redeemable against one item or service at no additional cost beyond its face value.
In other words, coupons offer you something of value (money off) for free. To take advantage of a coupon, simply purchase whatever item or service it covers and show it to your cashier before making your purchase (you might need to present it via mobile device). Your savings should be instantly reflected on your receipt.
Many retailers now have apps that allow you to download coupons directly onto your phone; just look up the store’s app in Apple’s App Store or Google Play if there isn’t one already installed on your device by default. While many people use coupons as a way to save money, they’re also used as part of marketing campaigns.
If you see a product advertised with a coupon attached, buy it! You’ll save money and support local businesses at the same time. Coupons aren’t just for groceries anymore. Thanks to online shopping sites like Groupon, Gilt City, and LivingSocial, you can find deals on everything from electronics to travel packages through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
6 Clever Ways To Make Extra Income
The good news is that you can make money fast when times are tough. The bad news is that you probably won’t want to. To save money, cut corners without affecting your life in a drastic way—such as with these six tricks for making extra income.
While you might not earn enough from one of these methods alone to live on, it doesn’t hurt to use multiple methods in combination with each other and other ways of saving cash. The Six Best Ways to Save Money Right Now:
- Make Extra Income by Renting Out Your Place or Your Stuff
- Create Your Own Work From Home Job
- Sell Items You Don’t Need Anymore
- Cut Down on Grocery Spending by Meal Planning
- Stop Going Out – Have Fun at Home Instead!
- Find New (and Free) Ways to Earn Cash Back and Rewards Points
Save Money on Groceries by Meal Planning
You don’t have to be a master chef or have a lot of time on your hands to plan meals for your family. Instead, you can save money by cooking more often and getting creative with leftovers! Here are some tips for saving money on groceries by meal planning that will leave you feeling like an expert in no time!
- Plan Your Meals Based on What’s On Sale
- Create Your Shopping List Around Your Meals
- Shop With Coupons – but Don’t Go Overboard
- Cook Extra Food During Dinner So You Can Eat It For Lunch or Dinner Later
- Use Your Leftovers for Creative Meals
- Learn How to Make Your Favorite Meals from Scratch
- Meal Plan with Your Family so Everyone Gets What They Want
- Get Kids Involved in Meal Planning – They’ll Learn!
- Save Money on Groceries by Making Your Own Snacks: If you’re trying to save money on groceries, it might be time to stop buying snacks at the store and start making your own instead! Not only will you save money, but you’ll also get more creative with your cooking (and eating) options while getting more control over what goes into your snacks!
6 Things You Should Never Buy New Again
When you’re looking for ways to save money, it pays off in more ways than one. Not only will you be able to afford that dream vacation or that new home theater system you’ve been eyeing, but by shopping around online and using coupons (as well as some insider secrets), you’ll find bargains galore on practically everything from food to electronics.
All it takes is a little time and patience—and some savvy know-how. Here are six things we recommend buying used instead of new next time you need them. It could save you hundreds.
1. Appliances
Many appliance manufacturers sell their goods at steep discounts through sites like Amazon and eBay, even going so far as to offer free shipping. Plus, if something goes wrong with your fridge or dishwasher in five years, you can always find replacement parts cheaper than what an appliance store would charge for labor alone.
2. Furniture
Buying furniture used is not only a great way to save money, but it’s also an easy way to get unique pieces that would otherwise be out of your price range. Websites like Craigslist and eBay are full of unique vintage items that would cost a fortune at antique stores or flea markets. You can even find brand-new furniture from high-end manufacturers for less than half its retail price by shopping at factory outlets.
3. Textbooks
Buying new textbooks can be an expensive proposition for students. But there are ways around it—namely by using your school’s library or buying used books. Websites like Amazon, Chegg, and Valore Books can sell you used copies of practically any textbook you need at prices that will save you big bucks over brand-new ones.
4. Clothes
Buying clothes secondhand is not only cheaper than shopping at malls or designer boutiques but also much more environmentally friendly. Sites like ThredUp let you search through literally thousands of items at once to find something stylish in your size—all while saving tons of cash.
5. Computers
Old computers don’t have to go straight into a landfill; they can instead become useful again if you take them apart and recycle their parts. You could even turn one into a home theater PC (HTPC).
6. Cars
If you buy a car with a good resale value, then selling it when you’re done with it might net you some extra cash—especially if its value has gone up since your purchase. You might even be able to get enough money back from selling your old car to pay for half of your next one!
Ways To Keep Your House Clean Without Having To Put In A Huge Amount Of Effort
Who hasn’t pulled an all-nighter studying for midterms only to realize that your apartment or dorm room is absolutely disgusting? It can be tempting to ignore cleaning altogether and rely on willpower, but there are things you can do beforehand (set a timer) or little tasks that don’t take long at all.
To save money live better slogan there are some other options out there too. If you have animals in your home it is important that they be taken care of properly because they will leave so much hair around your house. Having more than one vacuum cleaner is also very important since not every vacuum cleaner will suck up cat hair as others might.
The best way to save money and live better would be to buy a vacuum cleaner that has been designed specifically for pet hair removal. You could get yourself a Roomba which is a robot vacuum that can clean your entire house while you are away.
This way you don’t even need to turn on any vacuums when coming back from school or work. The last tip I have is probably my favorite because it saves me so much time and effort each week when I am trying to keep my house clean. What I do is hire someone who comes over once per week and cleans my entire place from top to bottom without me having to lift a finger! They come with their own supplies and everything! Plus, they use green products which makes me feel even better about using them!
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