100+ Ways to Save Money

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This post aims to be the ultimate resource on giving you ways to save your hard-earned money. The tips are divided into the categories below to make it easier to go them through.

Categories: Products and ServicesHealth | Groceries | Finances | Housing | Travel | Transportation | Hobbies | Studies | Relationships | Work

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Disclosure: This article does not include investment-, dietary-, or health and exercise advice, and is for informational purposes only. If you need such advice, turn to professionals.

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Sony Walkman on a white background.

1. Use Your Phone as a Hotspot and Cancel Your Internet Subscription (if You Live in a Country with Cheap Unlimited Data Plans)

2. Cut Unnecessary Subscriptions

3. Renegotiate the Prices of Your Subscriptions

Contact the customer service and ask politely if you could get the service with a reduced price. More bargaining power you have, the better. For example, you can point out that you stop using the service if the price won´t go lower.

You can also mention that you would prefer to switch to a competitor´s service. One other option is to log in to the account settings section of the given service and start the unsubscribe process from there. Many service providers automatically offer you a special discount at this point as a last resort to keep you as a paying customer.

4. Use a VPN to Get Lower Prices on Services

5. Utilize the Specific Discounts You Are Eligible to (i.a. Student Discounts)

For example, a family subscription for Apple Music is 16.99 dollars per month in the US. Up to six family members can use the service for this price. In comparison, inidividual subscription for Apple Music is 10.99 dollars (pricing as of 21st of July 2024).

6. Prefer Buying Items Second-Hand

7. Utilize Trial Periods of Products or Rent Them Instead of Buying

8. Consider Buying from Direct-to-Consumer Companies

Direct-to-Consumer companies sell their products directly to customer without retailers. This lowers costs and also often trickles down to the prices paid by the customers.

Examples of Directory-to-Consumer companies:

For eyewear: Zenni Optical, Warby Parker

For bicycles: Canyon Bicycles

9. Buy "For Men" Version of a Product

In many cases, the version of a product that is marketed for men is more affordable than the one for women. Often both versions are close to identical functionally. An example of a product type that tends to be more affordable for the male version are razors.

10. Look Up The Price Difference Between a One-Time Payment and Subscription

11. Cut Your Own Hair

12. Change to an Old-School Razor

13. Share a Subscription With Others (if Terms and Services Allow)

14. Use Rechargeable Batteries

15. Compare Prices

16. When Going to a Photoshoot, Ask for Image Files Instead of All-in-One Photo Packages Provided by the Photographer

17. Bundle Same Service Provider´s Services Together

18. Do Not Buy the Newest-Generation Device

19. Learn to DIY

20. Utilize Automatic Billing Option on Services You Actually Find Valuable

21. Sell the Things You Do Not Need Anymore

22. Buy Products Straight from Suppliers

23. Flip Products

24. Try Items and Return Them if You Don´t Need Them

25. Plan Carefully on What You Need and then Buy on Black Friday

26. Donate the Things You Do Not Need Anymore

27. Use Coupons

28. Buy High-Quality Products

Buying higher quality products usually come with higher upfront costs but pays back in a longer time period. Below some of the benefits of buying higher quality products:

  • They last longer
  • Function better and are more comfortable to use
  • Are safer
  • Likely to be produced more ethically
  • Have a higher resale value

29. Simplify Your Wardrobe

Get familiar with Courtney Carver´s Project 333. It is one of the most popular minimalist challenges where you only use 33 items from your wardrobe during a three month period.

30. Buy From a Bankruptcy Sale

31. Get Service with an Annual or Longer Payment Plan

32. Consider a True Cost of Ownership for Products

33. Rack Up Reward Points

34. Take Part in a Packing Challenge

There are various versions of packing challenges. Perhaps the best-known is the version popularized by The Minimalists. In this packing party, all belongings are packed to boxes. Then, the challenge participant only unpacks those items from the boxes he or she needs. After three weeks the items that stay in the boxes can be sold, donated or recycled.

35. Declutter Your Possessions Instead Of Getting More Storage Space

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON HEALTH

Woman running on a park.

36. Adopt a Healthy Diet

37. Reduce Your Stress

38. Take Good Care of Your Teeth

39. Quit or Reduce Alcohol Consumption

40. Quit or Reduce Smoking

41. Get Regular Check-Ups at Your Doctor

When diseases or conditions are catched earlier they are more afforabable to cure and/or their advancement can be slowed down more effectively. Thus, it is definitely worthwhile to check your condition regularly.

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES

Vegetables on a grocery store shelf.

42. Make Food Yourself

43. Instead of Buying Carbonated Water from Store, Make Your Own with SodaStream or Similar Product

When making your own carbonated water you not only save money but also reduce plastic waste. Using this method can also reduce your exposure to microplastics.

SodaStream

44. Don´t go to Grocery Store Hungry

45. Create a Shopping List and Stick to It

46. Stop Buying Ready-Made Coffee

47. Do your Grocery Shopping at Early or Late Hours

48. Meal Prep

49. Learn the Psychological Tricks Used in Grocery Stores

Shop owners prefer you to spend more. One of the tactics they use is to put the more expensive versions of an item to an eye level and more affordable ones to positions that require more effort for the shopper to pick them.

50. Buy in Bulk - But Only When It Is Cheaper to Do So

51. Use Reusable Bags

52. Dilute Your Glass of Juice with Water

If you use a mix of 50% drink – 50% water you will get double the amount to drink and your teeth will also thank you as the acidity goes down which helps you to combat tooth erosion.

53. Reuse Your Tea Bags

54. Buy Store-Brand Products

55. Utilize Your Freezer

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON FINANCES

50 dollar bill and three credit cards.

56. Pay off Your Debt

57. Automize Your Savings

58. Refinance Your Loans

59. Increase Your Credit Score

60. Keep Track of Your Expenses

61. Utilize Cashback Services

62. Use Credit Cards That Offer Cashback

63. Pay with Cash

64. Build Your Personal Emergency Fund

65. Invest Part of Your Savings

66. Ask for Your Invoices to be Moved to a Later Date

67. Do not Save Your Payment Information on Online Stores

68. Only Use Credit on Things That Are Assets

69. Take Benefit of Your Youth in Investing

70. Take Part in a No-Spend Challenge

In a no-spend challenge you only spend money for the necessities (food, shelter, medication, hygiene etc.) as long as the you decide the challenge to last. You may be surprised how much extra money you are left with at the end of the challenge. Taking this challenge can greatly help you to rethink your typical expenses. You can use our free printable to keep track of your progress with the challenge.

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON HOUSING

Block of flats and clear sky.

71. Buy an Own House Instead of Renting One

72. Get a Roommate on Your Property

73. Move Further from a Central

74. Move to a Smaller Apartment

75. Live in a Tiny House

76. House Hack

77. Move to a Country With Lower Cost of Living

78. Use Less Electricity

79. Use Less Water

80. Turn off Devices When You Don´t Use Them

81. Buy a House That is not in a Perfect Condition and Renovate it Yourself

82. Change to LED Lighting

83. Don´t Buy an Insurance for Your Phone

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL

View of an airport baggage section.

84. Travel Lightly and Save on Baggage Fees

85. Learn to Maximize Your Travel Points

86. Get Familiar with Your Travel Destination Beforehand

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON TRANSPORTATION

Tesla Model 3 on a forest road.

87. Carpool

88. Sell Your Car

89. Buy Your Car Used

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON HOBBIES

Fishing setup on a lake.

90. Create Your Own Home Gym

91. Buy Seasonal Equipment at the End of the Season or Off-Season

92. Familiarize Yourself with the Local Library Services

Libraries ain´t just about books anymore. Many of them nowadays also offer i.a. the following items to borrow for free: movies, video games, board games, sports equipment and tools. Often the libraries also offer services you can use to borrow e-books, e-magazines and audio books.

93. Pick More Affordable Hobbies

94. Streamline the Equipment on Your Current Hobbies

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON STUDIES

Student in front of a chalkboard.

95. "Hack" Your College Tuition

96. Get Access to Paywalled Academic Articles for Free (and Legally)

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON RELATIONSHIPS

Friends on a hood of old Ford pickup truck.

97. Rethink Weddings

98. Make a Prenup With Your Spouse

99. Get a Spouse With Similar Financial Mindset

100. Make Gifts Yourself

101. Have a Stay-at-Home Party Instead of Going Out

WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON WORK

Desk with a laptop, lamp and office supplies.

102. Utilize Your Employee Benefits

103. Utilize Tax Deductions

104. Work from Home / Remotely

105. Master the Art of Negotiation

106. Invest in Ergonomics

107. Increase Your Income

108. Backup Your Files

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