99 Easy Money Saving Tips

Posted by Madison on December 11, 2013
99 Easy ways to save money

We love easy money saving tips! To help you save some extra money I asked readers to share their favorite money saving (or money making) tips.

My Dollar Plan readers put together a fantastic list of money saving tips! Most of the money saving tips are easy to implement so you’ll be on your way to saving money in no time!

99 Easy Money Saving Tips

  1. Sell an old item before buying a new one. Anytime I want to make a major purchase, such as a new piece of technology, I force myself to sell the older model (or another item) on Amazon or Ebay to help defray the cost! – Geoff
  2. Use visual reminders. Favorite money saving (or money making) tip: My husband and I keep our grocery receipts on our fridge and cross off the items as we finish/use them to ensure: (1) we don’t forget what we bought! (2) we use everything we buy before shopping for more grocery items (3) prioritize our perishable items by making meals with them earlier in the week and saving the items with longer shelf life for later in the week/month. – Pathana
  3. Use every last drop. When I can’t squeeze any more out of a plastic tube (toothpaste, lotion, gel), I cut the tube open with scissors and scrape out up a few more uses (sometime as much as 10). The remaining amount will start to dry out, so cut the crimped end off and fold it closed with a clothes pin, or cut it open in the middle, then fold one of the open ends enough to slip it a half inch or more into the opposite opening. – Kay
  4. Save your change. Do it the old fashioned way… keep a jar where you throw in all your change and watch it add up. – Mami2jcn
  5. Use cashback sites. When shopping online I love to use cash back sites to save money as well as any coupons I can find! – misterjimmy
  6. Read My Dollar Plan daily. Love getting mydollarplan every morning. It’s helped with finances quite a bit as well as ideas on how to save money. – Carmela
  7. Grow a garden. Probably growing a good sized fruit and veggie garden! I’ve actually got goodies coming out of the garden every month of the year (So Cal climate really helps) – Suzannek
  8. Use gas rewards. I have a gas rewards card for my grocery store. I love building up my discount! – Noel
  9. Shop year round sales and clearance. One of my favorite money saving tips is to shop for birthdays and Christmas year round, buying items on sale and clearance instead of full price! – Heather
  10. Go hiking. Favorite money saving tip stay out of the stores and hike instead. good for the wallet and good for health. – Martha
  11. Enter sweepstakes. I enter “>sweepstakes to help with Christmas gifts. – Sarah
  12. Save for Christmas all year. Every Sunday I put all of my $1 bills and change into a jar in my closet. That money goes towards Christmas shopping. – Chris
  13. Use coupons. COUPONS! We probably save at least $10,000 a year in coupons. – Desiree
  14. Eat at home. My tip is to eat at home. It’s better for your wallet and your waist! – Melissa
  15. Stick to a budget. Set a budget and stick to it! Every month review the budget and make adjustments. – DelRae
  16. Use cash. I use cash when shopping so I stick to my budget. It’s too easy to overspend on a card. – Cynthia
  17. Make a list. Never go to the store without your list and stick to it. – Sherry
  18. Buy used. My favorite tip – buy used! Works for almost everything except consumables and is the easiest way to save lots of money! – Denise
  19. Buy low, sell high. Buy low, sell high. – Dan
  20. Do it yourself. My tip is to make use of DIY projects instead of purchasing everything. – Kyle
  21. Complete surveys. One way I make a little extra money is doing real surveys, got my first $50 check couple weeks ago – Rebecca
  22. Cut unnecessary expenses. My favorite tip is to cut out unnecessary expenses – Malia
  23. Avoid impulse buys. Favorite Money Saving Tip: Avoid impulse buys. – Michelle
  24. Price match. Always check to see if a retailer does Price-Matching. – Shemp
  25. Buy discount gift cards. My money saving tip is to sign up with the sites which sell gift cards at a discount — and then wait until they have a sale for even better value. – Catherine
  26. Pay yourself first. Pay yourself first out of your paycheck to build up your savings – Amie
  27. Use Bing. My tip is to use Microsoft Bing rewards – Xiaying
  28. Pay attention to small purchases. Little things add up. There’s no such thing as “only” $1. – Andrea
  29. Return unused items. My tip is search through the things that I can return for cash! – Matana
  30. Shop the dollar store. Home decor from Pier One? NO WAY! Go to a dollar store for diy projects. – Alexis
  31. Winterize your home. Apply plastic sheeting over all windows (except for my bedroom window. Need the air) During the winter. Use door pillows to keep out draft. – Olivia
  32. Use loyalty rewards. My favorite money saving tip is to save coupons, shop with loyalty rewards and use rebates. Combined you can get things for next to nothing. – Ashley
  33. Shop thrift stores. I shop thrift stores, craigslist and garage sales for large household items that would otherwise cost a fortune brand new. – Lisa
  34. Shop around for health care. My tip is to sign up for Affordable Health Care. I found out that I qualify for cheaper insurance which will save me money monthly! – Vista 9
  35. Make more at dinnertime. When I make dinner, I make one extra portion for my lunch at work the next day. Saves me at least $5/day and is much healthier! – Deborah
  36. Track your spending. Keep track of every penny spent and cut out the frivolous. – Jason
  37. Save automatically. Have money taken out of your paycheck and deposited in your savings account. – Cindy
  38. Don’t look at online stores. Stay away from zulily or amazon! the free shipping gets ya every time – Mary Lea
  39. Don’t spend money you don’t have. If you don’t have money, don’t spend money! – Maureen
  40. Sell your unused items . My best tip is to sell things when you are done with them, and cycle them through for other things – Molli
  41. Freeze your own vegetables. To save money I blanch and freeze vegetables myself, rather than buying them frozen! – Kathryn
  42. Buy secondhand. Try second hand stores when shopping there are a lot of nice things in there – Cynthia
  43. Avoid temptations. Do not touch what you don’t need while you’re shopping. Takes temptation away – Cecilia
  44. Make laundry soap. Making my own laundry soap! – Chelsea
  45. Compare prices online. When shopping online, I like to search for the best price using comparison websites, then get coupon codes to maximize my savings. I also try to shop through Upromise to get even more savings. – Tari
  46. Donate plasma. I am also going to donate plasma this year for some extra holiday cash. – Johanna
  47. Avoid disposable products. Get in the habit of using reusable products! That means no paper towels, paper napkins, paper plates, etc. It saves a ton of money! And if you have babies (or one on the way), look into cloth diapers. You’ll save thousands of dollars over the course of diapering your child! – Jessica
  48. Go to multiple stores. Favorite money saving tip…make sure to view all the local sale ads closely. If the store is within 1-2 miles of another, going to multiple stores can really save $20-$50 a shopping trip – Meredith
  49. Use sub-accounts. We set up several savings accounts on ING (Now Capital One) to fund vacations, car expenses and Christmas. We set this up on our main checking account to automatically disburse to those accounts on payday. It is a very painless way to save. – Julie
  50. Earn income on your savings. My favorite tip is to always generate income from your savings. There are some great investments available. In addition, there are high rate savings accounts that are no risk investments. – Katie
  51. Use prepaid cellphones. Don’t waste money on contract cellphones; go prepaid and save a bundle. While you’re at it, consider cancelling your landline phone; you can still keep the old phone hooked up for 911, but you will save quite a bit on taxes alone. – Talon
  52. Set goals. Keep a photo of your goal taped to the front of your credit card. You want to buy a house, travel to Italy clip a picture and tape it. Whenever you want to spend needlessly the picture will help remind you of your goal. – One Frugal Girl
  53. Use BeFrugal. Try befrugal.com – Dave
  54. Print online coupons. My money saving tip is to check online for savings coupons before shopping at the store, you can often find 20% off your total order coupons or more, for many stores. I just print them out before I go. – Kelly D
  55. Live within your means. Remind yourself that spending more money doesn’t always mean you’re better off. Living within your means is good because you can actually save more money. People with the mindset that they need to keep spending money beyond their means are the ones that live paycheck-to-paycheck and can’t seem to budget or save. – Joe
  56. Fund your 401k automatically. Make saving automatic, with automatic deductions from your paycheck into your 401k, HSA or any other type of savings accounts. – Joe K
  57. Use Wallaby. I like using wallaby to find out which credit cards will get me the most points for my purchases. – Mandy
  58. Unplug appliances. I save money by unplugging appliances when not in use. I never leave a room with a light on. – Ann
  59. Buy in bulk. I save money by making fewer trips to the stores. I save a lot by buying larger amounts less frequently and cooking at home. – Mary Beth
  60. Use Ebates. Shop online with Ebates.com to get credit card points PLUS affiliate kickbacks. – Jennifer S
  61. Use inexpensive alternatives. I don’t buy expensive shaving gels. I shave my legs using the cheapest hair conditioner I can find. Not only do I get an incredibly close shave, my legs are perfectly moisturized! – Maria
  62. Skip a week of shopping. Living frugally, occasionally I skip a week of grocery shopping and see if I can go a week or 2 without spending anything (except gas of course). – Robin
  63. Wait a month before buying. When there’s something expensive you are just dying to buy, put it on hold for 30 days – see if you still want it just as much in a month, then buy it. Usually, you’ll be over it! – Kate
  64. Buy gift cards at the grocery store. Favorite money tip: Buy gift cards at grocery store to get gas rewards. – Laura
  65. Join a co-op. I use a produce co-op to save money – Alecia
  66. Save 20% of your income. Always save 20% of your income no matter how much you earn and make it a habit! – Jonathan
  67. Use free samples. I enter sweepstakes and giveaways. Not only the big ones, but the blog giveaways like this. I have picked up a few Christmas presents that way. No big hits yet. Also I have tons of free samples. That saves on money. – Evelyn
  68. Use the envelope budget method. My money saving tip is to figure out how much cash you need per pay period for gas, groceries, wal-mart, allowance, etc and make pouches for each of them. When you get paid, put money in each pouch. Once money is done, so is spending! – Barrie
  69. Use target Cartwheel and red card. I use coupons and sales to save money. I have especially been enjoying stacking the new target cartwheel with coupons and the red card – V
  70. Shop online. I shop online to save gas and sales tax, but only buy when the shipping costs are free or very reasonable. – Ann
  71. Pickup change. Always keep your eyes peeled for change on the ground. – Harry
  72. Join market research panels. Money making tip- sign up for market research and make easy money by simply sharing your opinions. – ech
  73. Plan your meals. Meal plan. Helps me save so much at the store – Chelsee
  74. Make meals in a jar. We make $ stretch through making meals in a jar. We make dozens at a time – and it saves us money, time, and from eating out! – Sheree
  75. Buy on ebay. Any time I need to make a purchase I always check ebay first. – M.Clark
  76. Use Groupon. I’ve saved lots of money using daily deal sites like Groupon. – Diane
  77. Limit time spent shopping. Try to limit my time in the stores. Go in with a plan and get out. – Connie
  78. Determine needs versus wants. My best tip is to buy less ‘wants’ and mainly buy ‘needs’. It’s amazing how many things I want end up barely being used, and end up being just a waste of money… and the fewer ‘wants’ I buy, the more I find I value the ones I do buy. – kath
  79. Fund your investment account. I set up monthly automatic deposits from my checking account to an investment account. Helps me save my own money, and over time, make some money too. – Tony
  80. Use Swagbucks. I try to earn rewards on Swagbucks and other sites, and use them for things I need to buy anyways. – Candice
  81. Save for the future. I make sure I save money for the future and I don’t spend more than I have. – Michele
  82. Go on a spending freeze. People often ask me how I can afford to travel. I like to point out that most people have something they are willing to spend their money on- coffee drinks, video games, movies, etc. so my advice is to stop spending that money for a month and save it somewhere instead where they can see how much it amounts to…typically they can afford plane tickets somewhere in no time. – Danizilla
  83. Round up. Round up purchases in your checking ledger and just use the round up as an extra cushion – tina
  84. Buy off season. Make purchases in the off season! I just got my kids swimsuits for next summer at 97% off! – Jennifer
  85. Buy generic. Decide which items are really ok to buy the generic version. For example, Lucky Charms or the malt o meal version of it that gives you twice as much for the same price. The kids don’t care; they just want the marshmellows. – Danette
  86. Don’t let coupons guide your purchases. Do not buy things just because you have a coupon for them. If you have a coupon for something you probably will not use tape it on the product in the store for someone else. – BOBBI
  87. Slow down while driving. slow down to save gas and tire wear – ML
  88. Stop buying crap. Stop buying crap you don’t NEED – tada easy peasy – we don’t need 4 different kinds of bread, 5 kinds of mustard, 4 different kinds of pickles, 7 salad dressings, 6 kinds of spaghetti, etc… – Daniel
  89. Order water at restaurants. Drink water when eating out! – Calli
  90. Search sales history. I always search for the lowest price that the item sold at and try to find it for around that price or wait unless I really need it. – Andrina
  91. Join a warehouse club. Eat out less and belong to Sam’s or Costco. It’s worth it just for the savings on paper products. – Beth
  92. Make your own coffee. Drink your coffee at home and put 2 bucks in the jar for your savings. – Dawn
  93. Buy items on sale. My favorite money saving tip is to buy a lot of what’s on sale and freeze it. – Annalisa
  94. Use rewards credit card. We pay for pretty much everything on a rewards credit card which we pay off every month. We then use the rewards for presents at the end of the year. Groceries and gas really do add up. – Tara
  95. Live on one salary. When going back to work after having babies we put 50% away trying to live on one salary. We saved a lot! – Margaret
  96. Mystery shopping. Couponing and mystery shopping! – Caroline
  97. Skip one takeout meal. Cut back on one takeout meal or fast food meal a week and put the money you would’ve spent in a jar. You’ll be surprised how fast it adds up! – Brynn
  98. Buy produce in season and freeze. Buy fruit and veggies in bulk during the summer when they’re dirt cheap. Then freeze them so that during the fall and winter you’ll have a variety of fruit & veggie options without breaking the bank. – Alina
  99. Shop loss leaders. Shop the loss leaders and always stick to a list. – clynsg

More Easy Money Saving Tips





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Comments to 99 Easy Money Saving Tips

  1. I definitely agree on a number of things listed here. I certainly believe myself to be tentative when it comes to using products and energy as effectively as I can. Squeezing every last drop out of tubes is always a good one to remember.

    Another tip I have for you, which may work more in my mind than in reality, is to use kitchen appliances and electricity as sensibly as you can. For example, most oven-food labels instruct you to preheat the oven to a certain degree. Ignore this. Instead I only turn the oven on when I know I’m ready with all my cooking preparation, whatever it may be. Also when it comes to the food almost being cooked, let’s say after 20 minutes or so, you can turn the oven back off again and let the heat within the appliance continue to warm up and crisp your food. This may not be as advisable when cooking raw meats, but as a method of cooking general things it can reduce the time you use electricity by 5 or 10 minutes each time. So over a whole month you could be using the oven for several hours less.
    (30 days x 5 mins = 2.5 hours less usage)

    -Alex

    Alex


  2. #35 was a take leftovers for lunch at work. If I don’t want leftovers, I just make a sandwich and grab a piece of fruit. It still saves a ton over eating lunch out.

    Bryce @ Save and Conquer


  3. I like freezing bananas before they go bad. They make for excellent smoothies. And buying blocks of meat at costco, marinating in individual bags and freezing is a favorite.

    Chuck @ Tortoise Banker



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