Being told to save more money is often frustrating. You intuitively know that spending less than you make is a good thing, but often life gets in the way. The car needs a new battery, an appliance breaks down, the dog gets sick, and the savings you thought you had suddenly go away in an instant. Does this sound a little too familiar? At the end of the day, if you wait for everything to be “perfect” before you start saving money, you will be waiting forever. Life will always throw punches our way; that is a fact. The good news is we are in complete control of how we respond to those punches. There are plenty of straightforward and practical ways to save money regardless of your financial situation. They might not feel like you are getting anywhere or making a significant enough dent, but a slight change made daily has a dramatic impact on your future. Here are 12 practical tips to save more money and get you a little extra breathing room in your budget and your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stores like Costco and Sam’s have their business models wholly based on customers buying in bulk. When buying in bulk, the number one thing to consider is that it’s not the price of the item you should focus on; it\u2019s the price per unit (or ounce) that really makes a difference. My wife and I have been buying diapers from Sams Club, and we have reduced our unit price from $.25 to $.11 per diaper. This may not seem like a substantial savings amount, but she used 12 diapers a day for the first three months of her life. That’s a significant amount of diapers! By dropping the unit price by a little over half, we were able to get a savings of $151.20 just on diapers alone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As long as the expiration date of the items you are buying you feel confident will be used by that date, buying in bulk can save you a substantial amount in the long run!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When used efficiently, coupons are one of the most practical tips to save more of your money. Couponing for my wife and I have become a way of life. I’m not sure we have paid full price for anything in our house. If it is not on sale, we aren’t buying it. It’s as simple as that. The average couponer, which is defined as using at least one coupon in a 30 day period, averaged a savings of $36.80 a month, which equates to an annual savings of $441.60. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sites like Ibotta<\/a>, RetailMeNot<\/a>, Honey<\/a>, and Groupon<\/a> are just a few examples of ways to get great savings very easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This might be the most effective of all of the practical tips to save more of your money on this list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you know what’s cheaper than purchasing something on sale? Surprisingly the answer is not a better sale\u2014it is not buying the item in the first place. Often this is a lot easier said than done though, especially if your money archetype enjoys spending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If sales are traps for you to spend more money, knowing that about yourself is half the battle! Try some of our budgeting methods<\/a> to ensure that the savings you get are not chains you are putting on yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopping and comparing insurance policies can be a total pain. It can feel challenging to look through all the options and find a policy that works for you. Fortunately, that’s where sites like Policy Genius<\/a> come into play! Policy Genius<\/a> users report an average savings of $690 a year by switching their coverage. They make it easy to compare policies, and the savings are substantial. At least take a look because you may be paying more than you need to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It seems like everyone is offering a subscription these days. It is almost scary how easy it is to pay for multiple different subscriptions such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music, gym memberships, Amazon Prime, etc. These prices are manageable individually, but when stacked together, the cost starts to add up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n3) Just Because It Is On Sale Doesn’t Mean You Should Buy It.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4) Compare Insurance Policies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
5) Check Your Recurring Expenses<\/h4>\n\n\n\n