100 Creative Ways To Save Money Every Day

This is a huge list of useful ways to save money. If you are trying to cut back on your spending, this list is essential reading.

Saving money can be difficult, especially if you haven’t left your job yet to pursue your own business, and are living paycheck to paycheck. But, saving money doesn’t have to be stressful or unenjoyable. It can actually be fun.

I really love trying to find creative ways to save money.

Check out the tips and tricks below on creative and fun ways to live frugally.

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How To Save Money By Making More Of It

Make Money Online

Before we dig into this massive list of ways to save money, let’s first get real about how you make more money.

Because honestly, you can save every paycheque you get, but it’s not going to get you very far if your job is your only revenue stream!

Check out some of my entrepreneur resources for how you can make money online:

• Good Side Hustle Ideas To Make Money From Home
• Start a blog to make money Enroll in my blogging course for free to learn how.
• Have a look at this list of work from home jobs that I’ve been successful with
• Explore these easy ways to make money online that don’t require blogging
• Sell an online course
• Discover how millionaires became millionaires (hint: its all things you can do!)
• Learn about creating passive income streams

Sell your unused items online

Ebay is a great place to sell action figures, video games, and other random things around your house.

There is an eBay course that suggests that the average person has about $1,300 worth of stuff just sitting around their house that they could sell on eBay.

Not sure if what you have will sell? Just take a look at the site and see if other people have sold similar items. If so, give it a shot!

Trade your skills with someone

I have done this before and it can be very helpful if you don’t have the money to spend on services. Like watching someone’s kids while in exchange for fixing my car.

Nothing special, but it helped us both out. You might be thinking, well I don’t have any special skills, think again.

Everyone is unique and has unique skills to offer-cooking, fixing a computer, changing the car oil, cleaning house-don’t underestimate yourself.

Take up a profit-making hobby

People build businesses off of their hobbies all the time.

Like to sew? Try making some doll clothes to sell online or at a local farmer’s market. Know a thing or two about graphic and web design?

Put it out there that you are looking for projects or start up some gigs on Fiverr.

Or go thrifting and resell your awesome finds on eBay, people make a ton of money doing that.

Write-Off Your Expenses

When you own a business, such as a blog or monetized Instagram account, you get to write off a lot of things. This can significantly bring down your tax bill. See what you can write off here!

Trade for babysitting

I really hate paying for babysitters. Unless it’s a teenager (who I know well) that is looking to make some extra cash.

I have plenty of friends with kids around the same age as my kids. Trade-off nights to watch each other’s kids. Or plan sleepovers for the little ones at their friends’ houses.

I have one friend in particular who is a lifesaver when it comes to watching my kids and even though she hardly ever asks me to watch her kids, she will gladly take mine anytime. You know who you are.

This ‘100 ways to save money’ article is HUGE! Click the image above to pin it so you can come back and read it again and again.

Ways To Save Money In General

Build up your emergency fund

This is important for so many reasons and can save you money in the long run!

If you have an emergency fund saved up-whether it’s $1,000 or $5,000, it will help you to avoid using credit cards in case of an emergency-like a busted water heater.

Track your finances

This is something I that talk more about in these posts:

• How To Permanently Stop Financial Stress, Even if You’ve Tried Everything!
• How To Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity!

But it can seriously help to realize where your money is actually going.

Just remember, you should control your money, it should not control you!

Invest small amounts

You don’t need thousands of dollars to start investing.

A few cents here and a couple of dollars there might not seem like a lot, but it can really add up! Have you heard of micro-investing?

It is easy to start investing with your spare change with several apps on the market that do all the hard work for you, you don’t have to worry about all that investing mumbo-jumbo!

Round up your spare change

My parents used to have this large wooden box that they would throw change in. I would guess at any given time there was probably $100 in there.

Your spare change can really add up. So why not put a jar on your dresser, to collect it?

This is also a great habit instill in your children. When they find extra change lying around, make sure they are putting it in their piggy banks.

You can also use the Acorns app to automatically round up and invest your spare change, every time you make a purchase with a card.

Create a budget and stick to it

If you don’t already have a budget, start tracking everything you are spending during the month. You might be surprised as to where your money is going.

You need to be in control of your money and tell it where to go.

Try out something like Personal Capital or Mint to track your spending.

These programs break down your spending into categories, such as entertainment, utilities, etc. so you can get a quick overview of where your money is going.

They even give you fancy little pie charts. I go a lot more in-depth as to how to create a budget in this post.

Avoid unhealthy and budget sucking vices

This can be a difficult one, but it will save you a ton of money!

These include things like cigarettes, alcohol, and in-app purchases. Cigarettes, tobacco chew and anything of the like.

Add up how much you actually spend on that stuff.

Now, I love my wine as much as the next girl but think practically here. Going out to drink at a bar, or having a few drinks when you go out to dinner, is fine once in a great while if you are celebrating with friends, but that adds up so quickly!

If you are going to drink, try and find some good stuff on clearance or have a get together at the house and ask everyone to bring something to share.

I have found on great deals on seasonal wine and alcohol, especially in the clearance sections.

In-app purchases are another one! If your kids play on your phone or can access anything that has an in-app purchase, make sure you have some kind of lock on there.

Get Amazon Prime

I know this post is about ways to save money, but hear me out. There are a lot of reasons that I love Amazon Prime.

I originally got it when I was going to college and needed to order books-they offer free 2-day shipping on college books. I use it now for free shipping.

I love the books, the streaming video services, cloud storage, and of course when ordering Christmas gifts online.

Prime, although there is a small initial yearly investment, is well worth it! Learn more about the benefits of Amazon Prime.

Get the most out of everything you buy

My kids are terrible at not using the last of everything in jars, tubes, and other types of containers. I make sure that I scrape the last little bit out of everything and generally just add it to the next container-peanut butter is a big one.

Now I purchase the mini toothpaste tube squeezers so that they aren’t throwing away half a tube of toothpaste when they think it’s empty.

Cancel unnecessary subscriptions

I’m sure if you really looked through your budget you could find a few subscriptions that you could cancel-magazines, newspapers, paid versions of things you can get free (with commercials),

Netflix, Hulu. We personally canceled those along with our cable a long time ago.

It was not worth the money when our kids were fine with just watching one of the 1000 movies we already owned.

• Related: How to STOP living paycheck to paycheck without losing your sanity!

Subscribe to freemium versions

To complement the previous point…

Although I despise commercials on Pandora, I normally listen to it while on my computer which has a mute button. There are other free versions of things like Amazon Prime (which I already pay for!) Spotify, and YouTube!

It’s not worth paying a couple of extra bucks a month to go without commercials when I can just mute them and save some money.

So make yourself a playlist and start saving.

Ways To Save On Clothing

Don’t buy new clothes

I am a thrift shopper through and through!

The one thing that I love about our Goodwill (and I’m pretty sure all Goodwills do this) is they get the clearance stuff from Target after it doesn’t sell.

I have bought many dresses and Target brand things from Goodwill. And they were brand new! So don’t be snobby about your clothes, buy used.

Ditch the brand name stuff

I have never really been one to stick to brand loyalty, I go with whatever is cheapest. I know people that spend 3 times what I do on laundry detergent because they like the smell of a certain brand.

Yeah, I like my clothes to smell nice too, but I would prefer to just buy the cheap stuff or make my own and save a few bucks.

Did you know that most of the time the brand name and generic stuff are made by the same companies, they just put different labels on them? Yep.

Save yourself a few bucks and buy the generic stuff, your friends and family will not think anything less of you for living frugally.

You may even inspire them to follow in your footsteps.

Tailor your own clothes

Should you just toss them? No! Fix the darn things rather than going out and buying a whole new pair.

Or better yet-upcycle the garment into something new. Don’t toss your outdated clothing

If you find that your clothes are outdated, a little stained or ripped, don’t throw them out. Wear them around the house or for pajamas.

I have quite a few random pants and shirts that I use for when I paint, dye my hair, or know that I will be working on something potentially messy.

Do a clothing swap

I heard about this idea a while ago and I have yet to try it. I have an entire room in my basement filled with clothes.

Everything from newborn girls to adult women’s to boys and men’s clothes. Instead of donating the things you don’t wear anymore, get together with some other moms (or dads) and swap clothes.

This can work really well for kids clothes especially.

But if you have some girlfriends that are around the same size as you, or you have clothes that you have grown out of (or maternity clothes) see what you can trade.

You never know what you might find!

Patch up your own jeans

Why go out and buy a new pair if you can fix the ones you already have…if they are fixable that is.

Make shorts out of old jeans

When the jeans start to get too holey, or too short but fit around the waist, make them into shorts.

Use old shirts as rags

I don’t know about you, but I have a ton of old t-shirts lying around. They are either ripped, too small or just never get worn.

If you have some old t-shirts that aren’t really wearable anymore, turn them into rags-cleaning rags, burp rags, rags for staining furniture, whatever kind of rags you might need!

Make your own bags

If you are the crafty type, you can get really creative with this one.

I have seen some pretty cool upcycled bags on Pinterest! Bags made from old t-shirts, or from plastic bags, and even old food bags-time to get creative!

Buy second hand online

When you are needing or wanting higher-end brand clothing and accessories, turn to Poshmark. If you haven’t heard of it, PoshMark is a great online marketplace and buy (and sell) second-hand, brand name clothing and accessories.

You can purchase some pretty high end, quality brands for WAY below the original price it would cost you at a regular retailer.

Learn how I save over $6,000 per year now that I streamlined my closet into an all-Season capsule wardrobe!

Ways To Save Money On Transportation

Use a bike or walk where you can

I know this can be a lot more difficult with kids, but there are times when it is nice out that we can bike to the store or walk to the playground instead of driving.

Carpool

This is one we try to do when going out of town for gymnastics meets. Gas can get expensive when you are driving 3 hours one way!

If you live out of town, see if your work has any type of carpool program. Plus if you’re not driving, that’s more time you can get in reading the latest posts on your favorite blogs. Like this one 😉

Ways To Save Money At Home

Start a compost

Even if you live in an apartment, you can start a compost for even the smallest garden with these cute little countertop compost bins.

Keep the heat turned down

Save a few bucks and keep the heat turned a little lower. Nothing a few layers of sweaters can’t fix!

Save water

I still have to remind my kids about this one. You don’t need to keep the water running when you brush your teeth!

Think about it. If you are brushing your teeth for the recommended 2 minutes, twice per day, 365 days per year, times 3 kids that is 73 hours of running water! Turning the water off will save more than a few bucks.

Make your own bread

This can be done with or without one of those fancy bread machines.

There are tons of bread recipes out there to choose from. I always like to try a variety of homemade breads, although sourdough is one of my favorites.

Limit The Use Of Your Hair Dryer

Even though the dryer may not use a ton of energy, when you are doing 20 loads in one day, that can really add up.

Try and use a drying rack of some sort.

I have pipes in your basement, that makes great I have a load of hangers that I hang clothes on from pipes in the basement. Simple yet effective.

Get handy at home

I’m spoiled because my husband is a carpenter/tradesman, so he can fix anything and everything. But this does make me a bit lazy by default when it comes to home maintenance.

For most people, when things around the house break, they’d need to call a handyman/woman who charges by the hour. That can add up quickly.

If you desire to learn how to become a woman of all trades, go for it! Or ask a handy friend.

Dilute your Conditioner

Did you know that you can dilute your conditioner and it will still be just as effective? You can.

Repurpose leftovers

There are plenty of ways to repurpose leftovers, plus it’s fun to get creative in the kitchen. Last night’s entree can be tomorrows sandwiches.

Get clever in the kitchen

Use small amounts of condiments to create new and exciting concoctions. Use them to create dips and sauces.

Turn them into marinades. If they are not oil-based, freeze them for later use. There are tons of things you can do with leftover condiments.

Get rid of cable

Ok, I already said I did this a long time ago, but seriously, do you really need cable services?

If you do find that you still need some kind of TV service, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime offer just about anything you need when it comes to your television entertainment needs.

Unplug the unused electronics and appliances

Even when you are not actively using your appliances, as long as they are still plugged in, they are using “phantom electricity.”

It might not cost you a lot per individual device plugged in, but think of how many things are plugged in, in your house at all times?

Fans, toasters, computers, random chargers. Now that can really add up.

Freeze your meals

I love being able to have meals planned and prepped in advance! Not only does this save time, it also saves money.

How many times have you been ill-prepared to feed hungry children after school or a long day of running around?

Which then results in either going somewhere quick to get something or ordering in. Which can really add up with a large family!

Don’t spoil your kids

I know we are all guilty of this once in and awhile. My husband and I both struggle with this because “we never got it growing up!”

But let’s be realistic. Do your kids need expensive toys and the latest gadgets? NO! They will use them for like 5 minutes and then they either wound up broken or just sitting in their rooms collecting dust.

If you are looking for toys and other gadgets, try looking at second-hand stores, online auction sites, Facebook buy and sell groups.

Buy a crockpot

Ok, I know we’re supposed to be saving money here, not spending money. But this will save you some cash, in the long run, I promise.

Remember those freezer meals I talked about earlier? Make sure you have a crockpot for those, it just makes life a whole lot easier.

Spend a few hours prepping everything, pop it in the crockpot after the kids leave for school, and voila-dinner is ready!

Pay your bills on time

Well, this one might seem like a no-brainer! However, life gets in the way and things get busy. Make sure you have a system for yourself to pay your bills on time so you aren’t racking up interest or late fees.

Something as simple as setting an alarm on your phone a couple of days before the bills’ due date. Or even better, use my free budget planner.

Give up your landline

Ok, even my parents did this years ago! Your 83-year-old grandmother may not even have a landline anymore. If you still have one, get rid of it.

You do even really use it other than to try and avoid telemarketers? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Change your own oil

I used to take my car in to get the oil changed, which would cost $100+.

So, I learned how to do it myself. Now, all I have to pay for is the oil and a new filter, which drastically cuts the cost.

Purge things that are taking up space

There are two advantages to this. You are decluttering. You can make a few extra bucks by listing these items on local Facebook buy/sell sites.

Find wellness clinics for your pets

Regular veterinary clinics are usually very expensive. Where I live, the SPCA offers veterinary care, spaying and neutering, and other pet health services at a huge discount.

Also, check to see if there are vet schools in your area that might offer discounted services from students.

Make your own cleaning supplies

Baking soda and vinegar can clean just about anything! This can be as simple as using vinegar or using essential oils. It both benefits your wallet and your health.

Be your own barista

It is a rare occasion that I actually purchase coffee from Starbucks or other coffee houses. It is crazy how much that stuff adds up.

Think about it, if you purchased a Starbucks drink-which generally runs about $5.75 we’ll say with tax, and you get that 5 days a week, that’s $28.75.

Take that times 50 weeks in a year (assuming you aren’t getting on any other days of the week or on vacation) that’s $1,437.50.

That could have gone towards paying off some debt or being put into your savings or emergency fund. I make my coffee at home with this espresso maker and it’s better than Starbucks every time.

Avoid using the central air or air conditioning units

I’ll be honest, this one is hard for us! LOL In the summer we like to keep it really cool in the house.

If you can open some windows and use some fans that will help to save on your electric bill.

Don’t create more garbage

It has become a pretty big trend now with reusable water bottles, straws, paper towels, and the like.

However, it is also minimalist living at it’s best.

I used to make “snack bags” for my kids each week so they could grab snacks on the go. Now when I make “snack bags” they are actually reusable containers. My absolute favorites are these ones.

They are also BPA free!

It’s also a good idea to purchase yourself a reusable water bottle rather than buying plastic ones all the time. The MIRA ones are great, especially for the kids, again durability it key here.

Ditch the paper products

Take a look at everything in your house that is a paper product. Paper plates, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper.

There is a lot and it can really add up! Although there is a large convenience factor to using these, they are costing you!

Up-cycle

Find old things and make them new again. People have made whole businesses out of this concept.

Up-cycle mismatched dishes

Do you have dishes sitting around that don’t match a set? Upcycle them! Use them to give gifts to others or make some cool yard art.

Also, if you have a habit of leaving dining ware at parties, put those Christmas cookies on that mismatched plate, it looks a little nicer than using a paper plate (which you have already done away with).

Buy used office supplies

You may love shiny new office supplies as much as the next entrepreneur woman,, but let’s get real here. You don’t actually need them!

Ways To Save Money On Groceries

Meal plan

Meal planning can save you a ton! It does take some advanced planning but is well worth it. Planning meals ahead save you both time and energy every month.

Read this helpful guide on how to save money on groceries with meal planning for more info.

Make a shopping list

Along with making a meal plan, make sure you include a grocery shopping list. It is so easy to go to the store, even more so when you’re hungry, and way overspend.

If you stick to your list you will be less likely to purchase items you don’t actually need.

Plan your grocery shopping around sales and coupons

Get on the newsletter list for your favorite grocery stores so that you get an alert every time they have a sale or price drop.

Eat seasonally

When you are at the grocery store, make sure you are looking for things that are in season. They tend to be cheaper that way.

Make simple and cheap meals

When you are meal planning, take into account your budget. If you are running low on your grocery budget, make sure you have a couple cheap and easy go-to meals.

There are a couple of go-to meals that we have in our meal planning rotation that are cheap and feed everyone.

Check out $5 Meal Plan for some inspiration.

Cook once, eat multiple times

Try to plan your meals so you have leftovers.

This saves time and money. Really…how many times have you been running around all day and not had time a cook a meal between everything else you have going on?

If you make enough and have leftovers, this will prevent you from spending extra and having to eat out.

Use Ibotta while shopping

Ibotta is another one of those stupid simple apps to use to save /make you some extra cash.

All you have to do is link your store card to the app, go shopping, take a picture of your receipt, and get cashback.

Easy peasy! Want to know more, check it out here.

Ways To Save Money Shopping

Don’t use credit or debit cards when shopping

When you go shopping, whether it’s grocery shopping or school shopping, try to use cash instead of using a debit or credit card.

When you are using cash, you have a limited amount that you can spend so you don’t have to worry about overspending.

Just make sure that you are adding up everything you buy as you are shopping so you don’t get to the checkout and realize you are short.

Annoying and embarrassing!

Don’t impulse buy

Have you ever heard of shoppers remorse? You get so excited about buying something and then a day or two later you wish you wouldn’t have made the purchase.

If you see something that you really want to buy, whether it’s a new TV or the latest “business opportunity” that your friend has been talking to you about, wait on it.

Wait at least 72 hours and seriously consider if it is something that you really need.

Use store loyalty cards

Now I’m not a huge advocate of using credit cards. However, when you use store credit or loyalty cards, you can get some pretty amazing deals.

Don’t forget to price match

Many times stores will price match a lower price to their competitor.

Shop at the dollar store

You might be amazed as to what you can find at the dollar store.

Shop seasonal

This takes a little more advanced planning on your part, but it is worth it, trust me!

When I say shop seasonally, I am referring to shopping after the season is over. This works for just about everything. Back to school, Halloween, Christmas, you name it.

When it comes to school supplies, save the list from the previous year and get as much as you know they will need for the following year. It generally stays the same.

For Halloween, purchase costumes for the next year when all the costumes are deeply discounted.  This tactic can be used for bigger purchases like a new Christmas tree or smaller ones like greeting cards.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

When you put it out there that you are looking for something you might be surprised at the deals you can get.

You can also post in local buy/sell/trade groups that you are “ISO” or “in search of” to try and find good deals!

Sometimes people are just looking to get rid of things and you can get amazing deals of even stuff for free. Just don’t be that annoying person that is obviously asking for handouts.

Hit up local rummage sales

Rummage sales can be a hit and miss kind of situation. There are times that I have found some great deals at rummage sales, especially on books.

Rummage sales are also a great place to look for kids clothing or other things your kids might need, high chairs, cribs, beds, generally in good condition for very affordable prices.

Stockpile great deals

Find any amazing deals recently you can get a bunch of stuff for really cheap? Like toothpaste for $1 a tube? Stock up on it!

This is where couponing can come in really handy! I have found this particularly helpful when it comes to donating items.

Homeless or Women’s shelters are always in need of personal care type items.

But frugal, but give back. Even though you think you may have it bad, there is always someone out there who has it worse.

Buy in bulk

One of the things that I absolutely love that stores are doing now is putting how much the cost per unit or ounce is on the labels on the shelves. Saves me from doing any math.

When you are buying in bulk you can save quite a bit. As long as you are purchasing things that aren’t going to go bad.

Don’t forget about warranties

Sometimes it pays to pay a little extra upfront for a warranty if you think you might need it.

For example, any kind of techy stuff for the kids, I generally try to get a warranty with it, especially if it is on the pricer side.

You know, considering how kids seem to break everything!

Lots of things come with warranties that you don’t have to pay extra for. Make sure you are keeping track of these and using them if needed rather than running out and buying a new replacement right away.

Buy quality products

When you are looking to make a larger purchase, make sure you look at the quality of the item rather than the overall price of the item.

Don’t buy something just because it’s the latest thing or all your friends are buying it. Make sure you are checking online reviews of things.

There have been plenty of times that I have passed up a purchase after doing some due diligence on a purchase. Yes, it may look great on the outside, but after reading reviews you realize that it’s only the packaging your paying for.

When you are purchasing larger things like appliances, it is better to spend a little more money upfront. Rather than buying cheap and having it break down on you in a year.

Get A Subscription Box Membership

Having one or two memberships to a quarterly subscription box that includes all the self-care and seasonal items you need is not only convenient, but it can also be very cost-effective.

I’ve saved a lot of money by having my FabFitFun membership, as they deliver a box to my doorstep every season, with $200 worth of full-size products that last, for just $49.99.

I also appreciate the time I save by not having to shop around, research and go buy things individually. FabFitFun just makes it super easy.

Join Honey

I just recently discovered this money-saving chrome extension, Honey and I love it! When you are shopping online it works in the background to find you money-saving coupons.

What’s even better than saving money while you shop? Making money while you shop! You can combine Honey and Ebates while shopping online.

**MIND BLOWN**

Groupon

Groupon is great for so many things. Spas, going out to eat, singing lessons, you name it! I also love that they have physical products and online courses. You never quite know what you will find on there.

You can even combine Groupon and SwagBucks to earn cashback on top of your savings.

Use Swagbucks for your search engine

Who doesn’t love a little extra money in their pocket? Using Swagbucks as your search engine and to complete other various tasks to earn real money.

2500 Swagbucks equals a $25 Paypal payout. Not too shabby for doing things you already do online. And of course, invite your friends and earn even more.

• Read the Ultimate Guide To Earning Money On Swagbucks.

Don’t buy emotionally

I’m sure this has happened to all of us.

You get in a fight with your significant other, or your kids have been driving you nuts all day, or you just had a bad day at work.

You pop into Target, buy that Salted Caramel Mocha and before you know it you walk out with a new pair of boots, jeans, lamps…

Well, there went your grocery budget for next week.

Instead, if you need to de-stress, try something that is not going to ruin your budget you worked so hard to keep on track.

Ways To Save Money On Gifts And Holidays

Volunteer your time instead of purchasing gifts

If you can, instead of purchasing gifts for people, give your time instead.

Go volunteer your time at nursing homes, homeless shelters, animal humane societies, or other organizations that tend to be short on volunteers.

Especially during the holidays. For many people, giving your time is priceless and means so much more to them over a physical gift.

You don’t have to buy gifts for everyone

How one mom cut down her ‘nice list’ at Christmas:

When my partner and I first got together we would buy gifts for everyone in our families. There were his 6 sisters, about another 6 nieces and nephews, my brother and his girlfriend, my 7 aunts and uncles, a bunch of cousins, their kids, the list went on.

It would cost us a fortune just trying to be nice to everyone during the holidays. Not that I don’t like being nice and giving to others during the holidays, but let’s get real here!

Now, our list is very limited: parents, grandparents, and kids. Plus we have 5 kids to buy for of our own, now so that is enough right there!

And again, my parents and grandparents would prefer something more meaningful that the kids and I make over anything we can buy.

Shop for Christmas early

Maybe it’s weird when I am shopping for Christmas gifts in July. Hello, I can’t pass up a good deal.

I personally think it is a lot less stressful to get gifts for people early, that way I don’t have to worry about crazy, busy stores.

Amazon Prime Day is in July, after all!

Need some gift ideas? Check these out:

• Top gifts for photographers
• Useful gift ideas for bloggers

I can take advantage of savings (and making a few extra bucks) in other ways, like shopping online through Ebates.

If you haven’t heard of Ebates, check out my post on it here. which shows you how to earn extra cashback while shopping online. They have recently changed their name to Rakuten, but it’s the same thing.

Without any extra work on my part, I earn cold, hard cash back for shopping like I normally would online.

Read: How to have a debt-free Christmas.

Consider giving personal gifts for Holidays

I used to do this all the time when I was younger and seemed to have more free time (free time? What is that?!?) And this was before Pinterest was a thing! I would DIY my Christmas gifts.

Make your own gifts

You don’t even have to be “crafty” to make your own gifts, especially if you have kids! Grandparents generally love to get homemade gifts from their grandkids.

It can be as simple as a picture of the kids and their handprints in a frame. I did this one year with my two younger kids and my parents and grandparents loved it!

This doesn’t apply to just Christmas either. Think Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving…

Ways To Save Money On Life

Leave some room for fun

Saving money is no fun if you have to live as a hermit forever. Make sure you are setting aside a little bit to spend on new clothes, entertainment, a date night.

If you are saving it specifically for fun money, that is guilt-free spending.

Find free entertainment

If you look hard enough I am sure there are things in your community that you can find to do, for free.

Just search around the web or find a Facebook group in your area that keeps track of free events in your area.

Go to the local cosmetology school

Cosmetology students need hair to work on. You could get your nails done, hair cut and colored, spa treatments all for steeply discounted prices.

But just beware that they are still learning, so that cut and color you wanted might not turn out exactly like the picture.

Dry clean at home

I try to avoid buying things that are dry clean only when purchasing clothes.

However, there are those super cute pieces that I have found while thrifting that are dry clean only that I just could not pass up.

So instead of taking them to the dry cleaner-besides, who has time for that anyway!

You can actually just get at-home Dry Clean sheets, nowadays!

Don’t trash the leftovers

It has always baffled me when people eat out and they don’t take leftovers.

Um…hello, you paid for that! Take it with you!

When I worked in restaurants it would drive me nuts how much food was wasted that people would just throw out. (Same goes for just about any place that deals with food).

When I take leftovers home from a restaurant, you better believe they are gonna get eaten! Especially from Olive Garden. Always good the second time around!

Do your nails at home

I love having my nails done, but I hate paying for it! A while ago I had purchased a UV light gel kit, as they have in nail salons.

It was very economical and easy to do myself. For the price of ONE nail appointment in a salon, I can do my nails at home multiple times.

Workout at home

There is a quote that I really love:

“If you really want to do something you’ll find a way. If you don’t you’ll find an excuse” by Jim Rohn.

I could find a dozen different reasons to keep my gym membership and not workout at home:

• Not enough room
• the kids are in my way
• the dogs get in my way
• I don’t know where to start
• blah blah blah.

But let’s be real, these are excuses, and ditching the gym membership to save like $65 a month is worth it.

Especially if I’m not using it every day.

Spend more time at the library

If you have kids especially, start going to the library more. My kids personally LOVE going to the library and checking out books and movies.

Sometimes we can even get games and there are always free events going on. Like family Lego nights, STEM-based events where they get to build things, and movie nights.

For adults, there are tons of resources.

Books, audiobooks, videos, and I know at our library you can even rent certain equipment. Pretty awesome and FREE resources.

Plus it’s always a nice, quiet place to go work when the hubby is home with the kids.

What creative ways to save money have you tried?

When it comes to taking steps to find ways to save money, never give up. This is probably the most important of all the tips!

It can be difficult to stick with money-saving tips and tricks when it feels life is against you. Just remember to take it one day at a time and keep your head up!

• Related: How To Save Money As A College Student – 6 Things Every Student Needs To Know

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