In an age where spending money frivolously is idolized it can be hard to remember the long, gruesome hours you spent earning your dollars.
To quote Ariana Grande, “I want it, I got it”.
No, I am not hating on Ariana (low key we are mega fans). However, we wanted to shine some light on how instant gratification has become normalized. Justification for excessive spending is easily obtained through social media feeds that show the luxurious cars, fancy watches and expensive vacations of those who are put on a pedestal by our society. In today’s social media dominant culture, it’s hard not to lust after those same flashy material items.
It is easy to make excuses for these purchases. They provide you that immediate sense of relief that unfortunately will soon be fleeting and will just leave you with that same feeling you’re trying to put a bandaid over.
Think about it. How many times have you heard someone or even caught yourself saying “I worked extra hard this week. I deserve this.”. Trust me, it is easy to throw this line after any purchase in attempt to not feel guilty about it.
While it is important to celebrate wins, it is even more important to realize that celebrating does not have to mean breaking the bank. This is a learning process and we are all here to not only work together but to learn from each other. Which is why we have compiled some of our favorite saving hacks to help keep more of your hard earned money in your own pocket and out of someone else’s.
As the title hints at, these are incredibly hacks to save money that will take you little to no time at all. Therefore, you won’t be seeing things like househacking, credit card arbitrage or other methods that consume a bit more of your time. That being said, if you have any other hacks you want to point out, please feel free to do so in the comment section.
It is also important to know that we are not on the extreme side of frugality however we do believe it plays an important part in financial freedom. Realizing the impact of your purchases and learning to control your spending habits will only benefit you and your financial health.
On that note, lets get saving!
#1. Free Books, eBooks and Audiobooks:
Want free hard copy books? It’s as simple as joining your local library. I know, this is an obvious tip however it is amazing how underutilized library’s are. All you have to do is sign up and then you have access to borrow from their endless supply of books. It is really a no-brainer.
Don’t have time to go all the way to the library? That’s fine too. All you have to do is download your local library’s app and join online to have access to all of the ebooks and audiobooks on your ever-expanding reading list.
For example, I use an app called OverDrive that gives me access to my local library’s audiobooks and eBooks. All I had to do was sign up for an e-library card and boom, instant access. I can’t remember that last time I bought a book. This app has saved me countless dollars.
If your local library isn’t on OverDrive, try googling or calling your local library to find out what app they are using. Most major cities and larger towns utilize these platforms now.
The only con, and a very small con if that, is that in rare cases the library might not own the rights to that specific audiobook or eBook yet. In which case, you can put in a request for them to purchase it. I had to do this once and the library purchased the audiobook within a two week period and I was notified once it was checked out for me.
It is a game changer. You can check out multiple books at a time for a 14 day period and always request to extend the period. Also, in some cases you might be places on a waiting list if a book is in high demand. But that’s fine because you can place multiple “holds” at a time on books that are next on your list.
Continuing to educating yourself throughout your entire life is not only crucial for cognitive function but also of course for becoming knowledgeable in fields that interest you. Not to mention the Marie Kondo effect of not compiling masses of books into your house, utilizing the audiobook and eBook method helps you save money and space.
Try it! Let us know about your experience in the comment section.
#2. Cheaper Used Cars
If you are reading this blog, odds are you have an interest in personal finance and financial independence.
And if you have an interest in personal finance and financial independence then you probably already know you should never buy a car brand new. So you won’t hear us repeating that here.
This tip is for buying used cars.
A lot of people will go to a dealership and buy a used car instead of brand new thinking that they did a great job on the purchase. Which they did, however, there are always ways to improve.
Try buying a used car from Craigslist or even your local newspaper. More often than not, your dollars will go further when doing this. Yes, I know. How can you trust someone selling on Craigslist? Well, if you don’t have enough experience or confidence in buying a used car from someone and you don’t know anyone who does have the experience, try hiring someone.
For example, try using the app Your Mechanic. Often called the Uber of mechanics, this app links you with a mechanic who will come to you and help fix whatever issue you are having. So why not hire a mechanic to come with you for an hour to check out a car you wanted to see on Craigslist?
Yes. This means you have to spend the money on the mechanic but this could save you thousands in the long run. Used cars in dealerships are marked up incredibly high and more often than not you can find cars in equal condition if not better on Craigslist for WAY less.
Or even ask your local mechanic to keep an eye out for a specific make and model that looks like its in decent condition. If you have a good relationship with your mechanic, they likely will help you.
This is not to say that buying a used car from a dealership is the worst idea on the planet. This tip is just meant to point out a valid response to an often used excuse.
If you try this, be sure to let us know in the comment section!
#3. Free Gym Membership
Love working out but hate the monthly cost of your gym membership? Then why pay? Next time you are at the gym, go up to the front desk and apply for a job! No, this doesn’t need to be your full time job but try to pick up at least one shift a week. More often than not when you are an employee you get the benefit of free workouts.
This hack is especially beneficial if you are looking to join a high cost gym. For example, a gym that offers group boxing classes can run up to $80+ a month per membership. However, if you pick up a shift a week you can cut that cost AND earn some extra cash.
Give it a go and let us know where you are cutting corners on your gym budget!
#4. Free Clothes
Coming from someone who used to seriously have a clothes shopping addiction, this tip was pivotal in helping save more money.
Step 1. Grab a box
Step 2. Throw those shirts that you never wear and pants that still have a price tag on them in the box. Really just throw any clothes that aren’t a staple in your closet or that you haven’t worn in a while into the box.
Step 3. Put the box someplace where you won’t see it everyday. Now this is important. The phrase “out of sight, out of mind” could not be more relevant.
Step 4. Once a couple weeks or months have passed and you haven’t needed any of the items, it’s safe to say that you likely don’t need them at all. It is up to you whether you would like to donate these items or if you would like to try to sell them on a resale site such as ThredUp.com.
The money you make on ThredUp provides you with the option of buying more clothes (hence the “Free Clothes” title of this tip) or taking the money and reinvesting it in an asset that will in turn make you more money… you know what has my vote 
.
#5. Cheaper Groceries
Now there are quite a few ways around this. Each paragraph below explains the methods we have used in the past that have helped us save big on groceries.
Method 1: Order your groceries online.
This hack is so beneficial especially if you are an isle shopper like me. I tend to drift down isles where I know I might not need anything and somehow end up with way more items than what was on my list. By ordering your groceries online, you order exact amounts of everything you need and avoid lurking down isles. There is normally a fee associated with this however we have found a coupon in our weekly newspaper this fee. So every week, we get our coupon to waive the fee and get our grocery shopping done for us by someone else. There are definitely cons of this, like someone else picking your produce but if you are specific in the directions section then you should not have any issues. We still have to go to the grocery store to pick up the groceries but they are all bagged and even loaded into our car for us. It’s saved us so much time and energy.
Keep your eyes peeled for a coupon to your local grocery store!
Method 2: Meal prep.
I am sure that you have heard of meal prepping, it is all the rage in today’s fitness realm. However, it does have its financial benefits as well. By meal prepping and planning your nutrition a week in advance, you know exactly what you need to buy. This leaves no room for error, as in no room to splurge on something that isn’t within your plan. We’ve found that meal prepping tied with online grocery orders have been an amazing combo for us to stick to our budget and fitness goals.
Method 3: Buying in Bulk.
Costco’s, BJ’s and Sam’s Club are great options for discounted groceries. Yes, you will need to have a membership with the store however most offer discounted memberships. For example, we received a coupon in the mail from BJ’s giving us 3 free months of shopping at BJ’s or a year long membership for only $25. Of course in some cases this may not be economical but do the math for yourself and see if you are using enough of certain products where stocking up may be the wiser option.
Some of our favorite items to buy at these bulk stores include: toilet paper, paper towels, coconut oil and frozen fruits.
#6. Free Tickets & Events
If you aren’t following your town/city’s Facebook page I would highly recommend doing so. This is where you will find a remarkable amount of free events and things going on where you live. This is a great option when you want to get out and experience something different but are really trying to stick to your budget. We have seen free chocolate tours, concerts and yoga classes in our city’s Facebook page.
You can also research towns and cities bordering where you live and see if there are any events going on that interest you.
Ask you employer if there are any free tickets or coupons sponsored by your employer. For example, I have heard of employers giving out free museum passes, discounted lift tickets, sports tickets and even movie passes. All you need to do is ask!
#7. Free Wifi
Jake and I are trying to decrease the cost of our WiFi from $50 a month to $20 or less. We have done some extensive research to see the most cost effective methods out there and this is what we found.
- WiFiMap – This is a life changing app. Download it so the next time you are out and about you can test its capabilities. This is an international service so it is especially beneficial when you are traveling to countries where your phone plan might not work. Test it out and let us know how your experience was!
- Unreal Mobile – For $10 a month you can get unlimited service. This is an incredibly cost efficient way to still get your internet service. Check them out and let us know in the comments how you like them!
- AT&T Access: This is a lower cost version so not free but still chops your normal WiFi bill significantly. You could be paying as little as $5 per month for your internet services. Check out their plans and see which one fits your browsing profile.
#8. Free Cable
Does anyone even pay for cable anymore?
We just use netflix and Amazon Prime. This means we have access to all of the netflix shows as well as anything on amazon prime. It has been more than we will ever need.
That being said, I have heard of people watching everything they want to watch on a mixture of YouTube streaming and also antenna TV, which of course are both free (once you purchase the “antenna” that is).
Check out Jake’s article on 6 Ways to Cut Your Cable Bill!
#9. Cheaper Laundry Detergent
I know. This one is a little wacky. But laundry detergent can seriously get expensive! Especially when you are using greener brands. One of my coworkers introduced me to Norwex. At first I thought she was lying, but then I did my own research.
With Norwex, you pay $25 for a bag of laundry detergent and it says there are 100 loads per bag BUT after reading many blogs who have tested out its abilities, you only use a teaspoon of the product per load. Each bag has 1kg (2.2 lbs) in it, which equals about 200 loads of laundry.
Let’s compare this to the more commonly known laundry detergent, tide. For comparison purposes, we are comparing the largest powder option available for tide which is about 143 oz (just under 9 lbs). These tide option 102 loads for $19.99 and after doing research many bloggers say that you need the full capful to really feel like your clothes are getting cleaned.
Tide: $19.99/102 loads = $0.196 cost per load
Norwex = $25/200 =$0.125 cost per load
So not only are you using a green option that’s biodegradable, it’s better for your washing machine and clothes, plus you’re saving money. Norwex offers double the amount of loads than the traditional detergent. Truly an all around win if you ask me.
#10. Pay Less Towards Loans
If you have loans with high interest rates, it would be wise to look into refinancing. SoFi has a very user friendly website and makes refinancing simple. You could save hundreds or even thousands over the span of your loan by just shrinking the interest rates. I had to do this for some smaller private loans I took out for school, these had an 11% interest rate on them! Just by refinancing I was able to get it to about 4% which will save me so much money in interest payments.
#11. Get an Accountability Partner
Jake and I are each others accountability partners. We like to play savings games and share all new tricks we learned to save more money (we’re nerds, we know 
) For example, we will play the 5 transactions a week challenge where you can only spend money 5 times that week. Who ever has the lowest amount of transactions wins AKA in our house means they don’t have to do the dishes for a couple days.
You could also do a challenge with yourself and go one for one with everything you buy. This means every time you buy something, you donate something. It really helps when you are trying to make more purposeful spending choices.
Final Thoughts
And that is it, 11 easy ways to save money. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please be sure to share what you have implemented or any other tips in the comment section. Thanks for sticking around til the end!
