Although savvy consumers are experts at using coupons and shopping on a budget, those aren’t the only methods to save money. You’re practically leaving free money on the table if you don’t use all the life hacks that are at your disposal.
You can reduce your budget by hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year with a little work and ingenuity. You can even find methods to make more money without working more if you take care of a few little tasks on your to-do list that you’ve been putting off. To regain control over your financial destiny, follow these actions.
Scan Grocery Receipts for Cash Back
Using smartphone applications that give you cash back on grocery store purchases can help you save money on groceries. After shopping, all you need to do is scan your receipts. With only a few minutes of your time, you could easily make $5 or more each week.
Buy Prescription Drugs at Costco Without a Membership
Prescription medications are reasonably priced at membership warehouse shops like Sam’s Club and Costco, and you are not need to be a member to purchase them. So, without having to pay $60 or more a year to join the club, benefit from Costco’s inexpensive costs on medications that are prescribed by a doctor.
Get a Lower Interest Rate With a Balance Transfer
You don’t have to endure your high-interest credit card debt any longer. Making a balance transfer to a card with a low interest rate is a simple approach to reduce expenses and maybe save a lot of money.
Get More Ink Out of Your Printer
Dark blue text will allow you to print a few more times before needing to buy a refill if your printer runs out of black ink or toner. Arial and Courier New are two thinner typefaces to choose over heavy, ink-wasting ones.
Ditch Your Low-Interest Savings Account
It’s likely that you are receiving a low interest rate if you are still using your initial savings account. Rates of 0.50% APY and greater are available on several high-yield savings accounts. If you deposit $25,000 and keep it there for a year at that APY, you’ll essentially earn an extra $125 without doing anything. If you don’t create a high-interest savings account, you are effectively turning down free money. Why would you do that?
Shop With Discount Gift Cards
Looking for inexpensive or even free gift cards? Websites that exchange gift cards provide cheap gift cards for all of your favorite merchants at prices lower than the cards’ face value. Purchase a lot of them and use them in place of cash to make future transactions.
Carry Cash
According to research, you’ll spend less money if you pay with cash instead of a credit card. Take this advice a step further by only carrying large, difficult-to-break banknotes, such as $50 or $100; this will prevent you from making impulsive purchases.
Skip the Rental Car Insurance
Many major credit cards and private motor insurance plans cover rentals, especially if they are used for personal rather than professional purposes. Although you should double-check the policies, there’s a strong possibility you may forego the pricey insurance the rental vehicle business offers in order to save money on your rental.
Make a DIY Cleaner
By adding equal parts boiling water and white vinegar to a heat-resistant glass jar with leftover citrus peels, you may create a low-cost, all-purpose household cleanser. Before straining it into spray bottles, cover the mixture and leave it rest for a week.
Save by Using a Clothesline
Dry your clothes on a traditional clothesline to transport yourself back in time. The Simple Dollar estimates that for every hour you spend hanging your laundry, you will save approximately $10. In addition, you will spend less money on dryer sheets and your clothing will last longer. Wait until Labor Day if you need to buy a new dryer to receive the greatest prices.
Opt For the Thriftier Swiffer
Have you ran out of Swiffer WetJet? Instead of purchasing another Swiffer-branded container, remove the lid off the fluid canister and fill it with a less expensive, concentrated cleaner diluted with water. You may also save money by using dryer sheets for your sweeper instead of Swiffer sheets, whether they are brand-new or old.
Find Alternative Payment Methods for Big Events
Finding the money to pay for significant life events, such as a wedding, a move, or a memorable trip, can be challenging. And it might be quite tempting to just use one of your credit cards when it’s difficult to come up with the money.
Instead, think about getting a new credit card with a 0% introductory APR so you can pay off the debt gradually and save money.
Get an Extra Potato for Free
Always weigh the bags before choosing the one you wish to buy when purchasing prebagged produce, such as a 10-pound bag of potatoes, onions, or apples. Although they cost the same, some bags may certainly weigh more than the minimal legal requirement shown on the bag.
Pour Kool-Aid in Your Toilet
Your toilet tank should include a package of dark Kool-Aid, such as grape or strawberry. Don’t flush the toilet for an hour. Next, inspect the toilet bowl. If the color of the water changes, you have a gradual leak that is wasting water and costing you money. Fortunately, you can typically quickly and inexpensively address these leaks.
Skip the Shopping Cart
Instead of utilizing a trolley or shopping basket, carry the products you need to “pick up a few things” in the grocery store in your arms. You’ll be less inclined to make unplanned or unnecessary purchases if you make yourself wait to make them.
Ask For Free Upgrades — Don’t Book Them in Advance
For a free vacation upgrade, use this trick: When making reservations for a regular rental vehicle or hotel room, respectfully request a free upgrade when you get there. If one is available, scoring it is typically rather simple.
Get a Closer, Cheaper Shave
Try pressing the blade of your multitrack disposable razor against your thigh around twelve times while wearing a pair of blue jeans until it becomes dull. You’ll get more shavings for your money by realigning and sharpening the blades in this way.
Skip the Shaving Cream
Instead of spending money on pricey shaving cream, lather up with a bar of bath soap. You may achieve the cleanest and most affordable shave possible without cream if you invest in an old-fashioned bristle brush.
Install a Faucet Filter
Install a faucet water filtering system for a few dollars, and you’ll benefit all year. These simple-to-use filters minimize chlorine and other impurities while trapping sediment to improve the flavor of the water. Eliminating disposable water bottles also benefits the environment and your wallet.
Zip Pants Before Washing
Never forget to zip up your pants and any other items of clothing with metal zippers before washing them. In the washer and dryer, those tiny metal teeth are like small chainsaws, ripping apart and damaging other pricey garments.
Save Rainwater
You may save a boatload of cash on your water costs by installing a rain barrel to supply water for your lawn and garden. Water conservation is also environmentally good, and many local governments now provide tax breaks and other incentives to entice property owners to lessen stormwater runoff.
Sync Your Sleep Schedule With Daylight
You may reduce your daily electrical use by changing your sleep schedule to better correspond with daylight hours. You’ll also feel rested and renewed when you awaken.
Save on a Gym Membership
Some health insurance policies provide discounts or reimbursements for gym memberships. Check with your insurance carrier to determine whether you qualify since benefits vary by provider.
Be Prepared With Options for Unexpected Expenses
Whether you have a medical emergency or your automobile needs maintenance, almost everyone has unexpected bills. If you’re fortunate, you’ll have the cash saved up to cover these costs, but not everyone is. It’s crucial to make preparations now for what you would do in the event of an unexpected expenditure. Because if you aren’t prepared, you may have to postpone doing the required job or you risk incurring fines and more for an unpaid payment.
Insulate Your Outlets
Foam insulating gaskets are affordable and simple to apply on the back of electrical wall switches and outlets to stop heat loss and draught.
Make a Slow Cooker Humidifier
You’ll save a ton of money if you use a slow cooker more often to prepare meals at home. However, you may also use a slow cooker in the winter to warm your house longer and add humidity to the air. Simply maintain it at a low temperature, with the top off, and filled with water. Operating costs won’t be high, and visitors will be fascinated by the hot slow cooker in your bedroom.
Buy Granny’s Electric Teapot
Even though you may make fun of your grandmother for using an electric tea kettle, she actually has the finest advice. When compared to the microwave or stovetop, an electric teapot is the most cost-effective way for quickly boiling a small amount of water.
Use Wool Balls in the Dryer
Making your own “wool balls” from old woolen yarn and a pair of worn-out pantyhose will save you money on fabric softener and dryer sheets. For step-by-step directions, search for “wool balls” on Google. They’ll keep your clothing supple and aid in rapid drying without the use of chemicals.
Bubble-Wrap Your Windows
Spray uninsulated windows with water inside and out in the fall. Then place a sheet of bubble wrap over the window, bubble side up. The bubble wrap will adhere to the glass throughout the winter, increasing its insulating value, and it will come off in pristine condition in the spring.
Stay Away From Extended Service Plans
For the businesses offering them, the extended service agreements that appliance stores frequently promote on their consumers are a wonderful deal. Although they do give some additional protection for the majority of devices, they are rarely used because the manufacturer’s warranty usually covers most issues. In addition, consumers frequently fail to remember why they initially purchased the extended coverage package.
Choose the Store Brand
Everyone is aware that store brands or generic items are less expensive than name brands, but you might not realize how much less expensive. Purchasing store brands will save you around 25%, according to Consumer Reports.
Grow Food, Not Lawns
Growing in popularity is the idea of replacing expensive, labor-intensive lawns with vegetable-producing gardens. For advice on how to increase your grocery budget and lower your lawn care expenditures by beginning an environmentally friendly yard or community garden, search for “grow food, not lawns” online.
Check Your Refrigerator Seals
To prevent energy loss, the seals surrounding freezer and refrigerator doors should be frequently updated. Close the door on a $1 bill to check for a tight seal; if you can take the dollar out, the seal has to be replaced and your money is being squandered on an excessive energy bill.
Kill the Dust Bunnies
Take a few minutes to vacuum the dust bunnies residing below your refrigerator and clean the coils after checking the seals. A refrigerator’s energy efficiency may be increased by keeping the coils clean, which can reduce your power costs.
Plant Some Trees
Trees not only boost the value of your property but, if strategically placed to provide shade and serve as windbreaks, they may also save your energy expenses by roughly 25%. Discuss an expanding investment.
Clear That Dryer Vent
Maintain a clean, unblocked dryer vent at all times. The energy efficiency of a dryer is reduced, and a blocked vent might catch fire.
Trick Yourself Out of Online Impulse Shopping
When purchasing anything from an online store, go for the specific item (such as “DVD player”) rather than browsing the broad product category (“electronics”). According to one research, online buyers who searched by category were three times more likely to continue looking after discovering the products they were looking for.