57 Insane Money Saving Tips to Fast-Track Your Financial Success

Sometimes saving money and reaching your financial goals can seem like a daunting and time-consuming task. But I am here to tell you that is simply not true! By implementing easy and targeted money saving tips, you can save SO MUCH money with very little effort. Today, I challenge you to take a look at these 57 clever money saving tips below, pick your favorites, and find a way to implement them into your life.

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Number One Way to Save Money: Create and Stick to a Budget

Living life without a budget is like driving across the country without a map. You might know your destination, but you don’t have a planned route to get you there.

Once you create a budget and actually use it, it is like night and day! A budget allows you to tell your money where to go, help you identify and cut unnecessary spending, and so much more. If you don’t currently have a budget or are in need of a budget-revamp, check out my Budgeting 101 post. I promise it will be a game-changer!

Related: Budgeting 101 – How to Create and Stick to a Budget

Budget Planner Freebie

I truly want you to be successful. So, to help you out, I’ve created this easy to use budget freebie. Be sure to grab one to kickstart your financial path to success.

Grocery Saving Tips

Okay, now that we have gotten the most important money-saving tip out of the way, let’s dive into the rest. Grocery spending is probably something everyone can improve upon. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Create a meal plan and grocery list before you shop (learn how in this ultimate guide).
Plan your meals around what you already have at home.
Never waste food! Always store your leftovers and plan to eat all your produce before it goes bad. This video has some awesome food tips to help keep your produce fresh longer.
Set a WEEKLY grocery budget and keep track of your total cost as your shop.
Try online grocery shopping – it is much easier to watch your spending before you hit that “Purchase” button… plus if you use Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods they deliver it to your door!
Actually learn how to coupon – the Krazy Coupon Lady has some fabulous resources.
Purchase generic instead of name-brand.
Utilize rebate websites and apps. My favorites are FetchRewards and Ibotta. They make money by advertising certain products and split the profit with you… brilliant!
Plant a garden filled with produce. You can even find some small in-home gardens – my family is obsessed with this one, so clever!
Stock up on home essentials (soaps, seasoning, etc.) during major sales like Black Friday.
NEVER grocery shop hungry.
Only shop for groceries once per week. This will push you to plan your grocery shopping strategically, save you time, gas, and money, as well as force you to be creative when you run out of something.
Avoid eating out – pack your lunches and try meal prepping.
When you do eat out, always order water as your beverage.
Speaking of water, skip the bottled water. I just finished a water treatment engineering class and trust me, bottle water is not worth it… the tap is just fine!

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Save Money on Housing

Find a roommate to split the bills with.
Don’t be afraid to move into a smaller place or location further from the city.
Quit paying rent and actually purchase a home. Wouldn’t it be nice to be paying into your own pocket instead of a landlord’s?
If you aren’t quite ready to purchase a home yet, start planning now! Educate yourself on what it takes to buy a home and begin making moves to get there. Here is a fantastic book to get you started.
If you own your home, consider refinancing.
Become a landlord to help pay the mortgage.
Also, be sure to comparison shop for your home insurance!

Related: 21 Legit Side Hustle Ideas to Boost Your Income

Money Saving Tips for Utilities

Look at your utility bill and company website to learn more about your local utility costs and practices. They usually will share money saving tips on their website that are targeted to their own customers.
Install a smart thermostat… this will hands-down apply the largest possible savings to your home electricity bill!
Use your ceiling fans in the correct direction (air flow down in the summer, up in the winter).
Use wool balls in your dryer (replaces dryer sheets and cuts your drying time in half).
In the summer, hang-dry your clothes (this decreases your electricity bill and helps your clothes last longer).
Lower the temperature on your water heater.
Unplug appliances and educate yourself about the concept of standby power. For one of my college classes, I had to do a complete electricity audit and I found that my printer (my PRINTER of all things!) was sucking the most energy from my home. Once I unplugged it, my electricity bill tanked, it was awesome.
Switch to a water-saving shower head… even if you live in an apartment.
Change all your lightbulbs to energy efficient bulbs.
Turn off all unnecessary pilot lights (think- fireplaces you don’t use, etc.).
Always opt for energy and/or water-efficient replacements when you run into them.
Use thermally efficient curtains and window coverings.
If you own a home, consider switching out your windows (and/or caulking them).
Track down and fix water leaks.
Use smart power strips at your desk and entertainment center.

Make reaching your financial goals easier with these awesome and easy to use worksheets!

The top productivity tips and time management ideas that will change your life in college, work, business, or as a stay at home mom. Start staying organized and blast through your to do list by using a planner, becoming a morning person, and mastering your daily schedules, study habits, and writing. Even includes free printables to help you stay focused and utilize these life hacks. Pin this post now so you don’t forget these life changing secrets! #planneraddict #organization #college

Save Money on Car Maintenance and Transportation

Challenge yourself to take the bus, train, or light rail every once in a while.
Actually, if you are lucky enough to have a light-rail system nearby, be sure to check their website and utilize all of their great benefits. My favorite benefit in the Denver area is free parking! This means we can park for free for sporting events, airport travel, etc. as long as we travel by light rail to get there!
Organize a car-pool group, especially for long or daily travel.
Purchase a used bike… and actually use it!
NEVER purchase a brand-new car. The majority of depreciation occurs within the first year or two.
When purchasing a vehicle, consider one that is fuel efficient or electric to help save on gas.
Try decreasing your auto-insurance by negotiating and comparison shopping.
Speaking of cars, always stay up to date on your car maintenance schedule (oil changes, tire rotations, etc.) to ensure your car lasts as long as it can! And… don’t forget to actually read that owners manual!
Perform all of your own car maintenance (when possible)… YouTube is a great resource to learn the basics! For example, changing your own oil the first time cost about the same as bringing it in, but every time after that you only have to pay for the oil. Imaging all the savings!!!
Don’t speed, park in illegal parking, etc… the more tickets you avoid, the more you save! Plus, when you drive the speed limit and avoid accelerating/decelerating rapidly, your car is more fuel efficient.
Avoid using your car air conditioning as much as possible.

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How to Save Money on Entertainment

Fill your calendar with free community events. For example, in Denver we have a TON including free entry to the: Denver Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Art Museum, concerts in the park, and so many more. State and National Parks also offer free admission days!
Score free cable by using a digital antenna! I live on a hill and get over 40 channels including all the major networks… it is incredible! Before you purchase, I recommend checking out this website to see what channels you might get in your area.
Get a local library card and enjoy all of their amazing free services like free audiobooks, book rentals, movie rentals (yes, even all the new movies!), concerts, adult scavenger hunts and more. Our library even has a free online streaming service filled with movies and TV shows!
Opt outside and enjoy natures free activities- hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, bird watching, star gazing, river rafting… the list goes on and on!
Bundle streaming services.
Check each monthly bank statement and cancel any subscriptions you are no longer using.
Check out amateur, college, or other low-key sporting events.
Looking to purchase some new books? Check out your local thrift shop… I’ve found used books as low as $1 each!
Host a fun game night with friends instead of going out.
Instead of purchasing those pricey tickets to that concert next month, consider volunteering for the event instead!
Try season passes to your favorite destination. Some great ones include: US National Parks, Six Flags, local museums, and zoo/aquariums.

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BONUS: Tips to Save Money on Vacations

Opt for a fun camping-filled road trip across the country instead of an expensive hotel-filled vacation. Check out my Southwest USA road trip and Yellowstone summer road trip for some inspiration!
Stay at AirBNB locations or fun campgrounds instead of hotels.
Be sure to check out local transportation options before you leave on your trip. For example, we were able to travel around Australia for four months only using their amazing rail system… it was awesome and we saved SO MUCH MONEY.
If you must travel by plane, be sure to purchase your tickets early, book on a Monday or Tuesday, and try to be flexible with your travel dates.
Also, when looking for flights, be sure to consider multiple routes and/or red-eye flights with long layovers. This way you avoid paying for a hotel and get to check another city off your list!
When you can, bundle your travel (plane, hotel, car rental, etc.) with sites like Expedia.
While traveling, try grocery shopping and making your own food when you can.

Related: The Ultimate Monthly Budget Review Checklist

BONUS: Miscellaneous Money-Saving Tips

If you’re in college, you can easily save thousands per year with these 11 textbook saving tips, 17 dorm money-saving tips, and 62 general college money saving hacks!
Try a no-spend challenge.
Start a side-hustle to boost your income (here are 21 legit ides to get you started!).
Create an emergency fund and set it aside so you never have to worry about unexpected expenses.
Use re-usable tea towels instead of paper towels.
Setup automatic payments with your bank to easily move money into your savings.
Opt to create hand-made gifts and long, love-filled, hand-written letters.
Or, if strapped for time, try a meaningful gift under $25 – here are 99 phenomenal ideas to help you out!
If you’re a parent, create a baby-sitting swap group.
Pay off your debt so you quit owing interest.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Money in College

Save Even More by Educating Yourself

The art of saving money is an ever-changing subject. Because of this, adding at least one book to your yearly book list that relates to saving money, investing, budgeting, etc. will ensure you are continuously making great money decisions throughout your life! Here is a list of my favorite go-to money-related books:

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi: This book outlines a six-week plan on how you can change your financial situation and begin living a rich life based on your own terms.
The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach: In his book, Bach answers the question “What’s the secret to becoming a millionaire?” with a powerful one-step plan.
The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins: Have you ever wondered why we aren’t educated about simple finances during our high school education? This book bridges that gap by educating its readers on personal finances and creates a simple road map to financial success.
Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry: This is an ultimate guide on how to stop living paycheck to paycheck and building wealth as a young professional.