Lately, I’ve been hearing tips from friends about how they save money, reading articles about saving money, and trying to come up with ways to save some money around the house. So, I decided to put together a comprehensive list of ways that we save money around the house and in our daily lives. There are 31 suggestions, one for each day of the month.
- Buy and install a programmable thermostat. Set the thermostat higher when you are gone during the day and cooler when you are at home at night.
- Use Coupons wisely. Only clip coupons for items that you consume on a regular basis.
- Cancel the ID theft protection on your credit cards. You don’t need it. If you didn’t pay for it, you’re not liable for it.
- Negotiate lower interest rates on your credit cards. It’s worth a shot, and some credit card companies might do it if you’ve been a faithful customer or you threaten to balance transfer to another card.Buy a texting plan for your cell phone. Texting has become unbelievably popular. I have no idea why, because it seems like a pain in the butt, but it’s typically 15 cents for every message you send and receive. This adds up, so better off paying $5 to $10 a month for the add-on plan if you’re addicted to texting.
- Plan out your dinners for the week. My wife and I always get trapped into going out to eat when we are stumped on what to cook for dinner.
- Prepare you lunch at night. If you’re like me, you typically don’t have much time in the morning to make lunch, so do it at night and put it in the refrigerator. It will help you to stop eating out for lunch so much.
- Try Out Redbox for renting movies. If you typically rent new release movies and you have a Mcdonald’s near you with a Redbox vending machine, give it a try. It’s a $1 per night for a decent selection of new movies.
- Dump the gym membership. If you want to never work out again, buy a gym membership. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I’ve had a gym membership, I’ve worked out less. You can jog, ride a bike, do push ups, pull ups, sit-ups, and various other exercises without ever stepping foot in a gym. This could save you up to $50 a person, per month.
- Replace the windows in your house. If you have an old house, you probably have a ton of air escaping through your old windows. The initial cost will be a good chunk of cash, but it will be worth it from years of energy savings to come.
- Increase your insurance deductibles. Build up an emergency fund and increase your auto and homeowner insurance premiums to $1,000. You’ll save hundreds per year in premium.
- Wash your car yourself. I now hate car wash places, because their sprayers chipped a piece of paint on our car. There was already a tiny chip there, so I couldn’t really argue with them about it. You car deserves personal attention. Don’t spend $10 for a machine that can’t get dirt in areas you can.
- Have your spouse cut your hair. Guys, if you keep your hair short, buy hair clippers with a set of clips and hand over the clippers to your spouse. You may have a couple of cuts that result in a buzzed head, but unless she’s got horribly unsteady nerves, she’ll figure it out.
- Wear your clothes more than once before washing or dry-cleaning. I wear jeans, khakis, and dress shirts at least 2 or 3 times before I wash them. They key with dress shirts is wearing an undershirt. Some of you may think it’s gross, but your clothes will not fade as quickly and you’ll spend less on detergent and dry-cleaning bills.
- Change your own oil. This is so easy whether your a guy or a girl. It’ll typically cost you $10 to change it, and you won’t have to wait at the mechanic for a few hours.
- Share a meal when you’re out to eat. Have you seen the portions that chain restaurants are serving up lately? There’s no secret why our society is so overweight. You’ll save your heart and your wallet by sharing a meal with your significant other. If you’re one of those people that feels bad doing it, make yourself feel better by tipping 25% to the server.
- Eat before you go to the movies. We all know that movie theaters make their money on their price-gouged food. Eat a filling meal before the movies, and it will help you pass by the concession stand.
- Avoid extended warranties. These are like pure profit for retailers, that’s why they push them so much. Best Buy and others will try scare tactics to get you to buy one, but don’t fall for it.
- Transfer your banking business to a free checking account. Washington Mutual Compass Bank, and many others offer completely free checking accounts. There’s no reason you should be paying maintenance and annual fees for a checking account.
- Buy electronics and computer peripherals online. Tigerdirect.com, Buy.com, NewEgg.com, and many others are always running deals for computer accessories and other electronics. Also, check out my favorite deal aggregator, Ben’s Bargains.
- Check craigslist for used furniture, used cars, and used electronics. You can find steals on lightly-used stuff at your local Craiglist.
- Buy clothes at consignment boutiques. Consignments such as Plato’s Closet are becoming really popular. They offer barely used, premium brand clothing for a fraction of the retail price. My wife has found great pairs of jeans, skirts, and tops at Plato’s.
- Get creative with your recreational activities. Go to the park, the beach, hike in the mountains, ride a bike, attend a festival or play a sport. Entertainment doesn’t always equal spending money.
- Buy motion-sensored exterior lights. It’s better than keeping your exterior lights on all night.
- Don’t play the lottery. You’ve got a better chance at getting struck by lightning.
- Quit Smoking. (I know, easier said than done) A pack a day at $4 per pack is $100 a month.
- Become a handyman or handywoman. Buy a book on minor repairs and have fun teaching yourself to do minor house repairs. Although, you might want to stay away from messing with plumbing and electrical if you aren’t gifted with being handy.
- Give the gift of time. For Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries, schedule quality time with a spouse, best friend, family member, or child. It’s more memorable and more special.
- Travel on off-peak times. Every vacation spot has a different peak time for travel to that destination, so research when their off-peak time is and you’ll save hundreds, maybe even thousands on your trip.
- Avoid gimmicky insurances like pet insurance, travel insurance, accident insurance (AFLAC), and rental car insurance. Add the rental car collision endorsement to your auto policy for about $6 to $10 per 6 months.
- Stick to a written budget. You know my thoughts about this. Stick to it, and you’ll feel like you gave yourself an instant raise.
I hope these suggestions inspire you to immediately start saving money around your house and in your life. Start documenting how much money each change saved you, and you’ll have a lot of fun seeing how much money you’re saving. Take the challenge, and start becoming a frugal Money Crasher.
