5 Small Ways to Save Money Today!

Saving money can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. Many people feel that they simply need to make more in order to ever save anything, but that isn’t the only solution. Whether you are living paycheck-to-paycheck or have family expenses that seem to take up most of what you earn, there are some small ways you can start saving money today.

Create a Budget Plan

A couple of dollars spent here and there can eat through your bank account before you even get your hands on your next paycheck. While budgets may seem intimidating, there are many apps and tutorials out there that can get you started. Every dollar counts, and when you know where each of them is going, it will help you get the most of every one of them.

Cut Out Eating Out

Going out and getting a burger for lunch may sound more appetizing than the sandwich you brought from home, but those lunch and dinner take-outs add up much faster than you might expect. Prepping your meals ahead of time and avoiding eating out except for special occasions will eliminate enough expenses to give your savings a major boost.

Work on Settling Your Debts First

You are going to have a hard time increasing your savings with the weight of debt dragging you down. While creating an emergency fund for any issues that may come up is essential, it will be hard to really save anything substantial with interest from your debts continuing to add up. Methods like Dave Ramsey’s “Debt Snowball” focus on paying off your debts from smallest to largest so you can eliminate debt in easier steps. Find a method to pay off your debts, and you will open the opportunity to save more in the future.

Eliminate Some Subscriptions

While cable, streaming services, music services, unlimited phone plans, Internet plans, and the rest of the ever-growing range of subscription services may be nice to have, some of them simply aren’t necessary. While some services like phone and Internet plans may be required for modern-day life, you can still cut back in different ways. For example, cutting back from an unlimited data plan to a cheaper one with a data cap may be an option that can save a few dollars every month. Getting rid of cable and moving over to limited month-to-month streaming subscriptions can also free up a chunk of your budget Add those saved dollars up, and you might be surprised at how much you can save.

Slim Down Your Grocery List

Cutting back on groceries can be tricky, especially if you are feeding a large family. However, there are a couple of ways you can cut back the cost beyond simply buying less food. When you can, buy the generic or lower-priced version of a product. Many of these store-brand products are made in the same factory as the brand name products and have the same quality for a lower price. Also, cut down on any frivolous purchases. Do you really need that 12-pack of soda or that candy bar in the checkout line?

In Conclusion

There is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution for budgeting. Everyone has different needs, different circumstances, and different opportunities. Whatever your situation, there are saving methods out there that will work for you.  However, all of those methods share one principle that is important to remember even when you have plenty of money to spare.

Cut back on the things you can and be wise about the things you can’t.