Money Saving Tips

Below I have compiled a list of Money Saving Tips to help you save money.  These tips offer a variety of different ways to save.  Some may work for you and some may not.  Take what you can and leave the rest. Every little bit helps.

1. Go to the movies early! AMC offers discount movies on the weekends before noon. This can help you save a few dollars and the theater may be less crowded.

2. Pack your lunch!!! Buying lunch every day can add up. Bringing a lunch to work daily is so much better for your budget!

3. If you plan on doing some online shopping, search for discount codes before you hit the “check out” button. Retailmenot is a very good site to check. You may be surprised how much you could save!

4. Set a budget for grocery shopping and ALWAYS make a list before you go. A list helps to avoid impulse purchases. It also saves you time in the store. The less time you’re there, the less money you’ll spend. Also, grab a bite to eat before going so your belly doesn’t determine how much you spend.

5.  You don’t have to spend big money entertaining your children. There are plenty of fun FREE things to do. Realize that what children want most is your time- not what your money can buy. Click here to see a list of free activities in St. Louis.

6.  Delay the purchase of expensive items at least 24 hours. You’re likely to realize you don’t really need it or you may find it cheaper elsewhere. Either way, you’ll save. Try it and see if it works for you!!!

7.  Wouldn’t it be nice if someone paid you back for some of your everyday expenses?  iSecretshop allows you to go undercover as a mystery shopper.  Don and I did this for a marketing class.  It was actually kind of fun and we were reimbursed for our food (FREE DATE). If you own a newer vehicle, NEVER pay for an oil change.  There are a lot of secret shops for them.  You can visit their website at isecretshop.com or download the free app.

8.  Take advantage of the reward programs at the stores you shop at most often.  Most stores offer discounts on products you need through their apps and will literally give you free money.  Combine this with coupons and you save even more.  Why pay regular price when you don’t have to?!?!  CVS has become my favorite reward program to use.  They’re always sending extra coupon and free money to get you in the store.

Other programs I like are Target and Dollar General.

9.  Ignoring your credit is never the right answer.  We avoided looking at our credit for years and found ourselves payer higher interest rates on auto loans.  Don and I downloaded the free app Credit Karma and really started paying attention.  We disputed a few things (most were legit); some were removed and some weren’t.  It’s worth a try.  In a few months, both our scores shot up 100 points.

10.  A financial planner shared this breakdown not long ago.  The direct deposit is split between two accounts.  Never touch your bill money.

Don and I have a similar setup except our direct deposit is split 3 ways with the additional deposit going to a savings account.  On the fixed checking account, we have all our bills automatically set to go each month.  We use bill pay through our bank versus allowing companies to auto draft.  We want full control.  We check the statement each month just to verify but that’s it.  If you have bi-weekly deposits, you’ll end up with an extra check deposit by the end of the year (two month out the year you are paid 3 times).  Save it or put it toward variable expenses.

To help us get started with the fixed account we added up all our bills and calculated what we needed to deposit in the account each check.  We put $500 from our taxes to ensure bills were covered until direct deposits caught up.

If you have any questions…PLEASE ASK.  We don’t mind answering questions.  We’re doing this to help others.

In addition to these tips, a few of my followers and I are doing the DIME challenge.  Save every dime you touch in a 2 liter.  Once filled it should come up to appoximately $700.  It’s a slow process but stick to it.  It will be worth it in the end.  Be sure to subscribe to our blog to get updates on Fun and Funds.  

What other small tips do you have for saving additional money?

Please feel free to share this post with your family and friends so we can all SAVE!!!!!!