You may not realize it, but there are a lot of ways to save money. Furthermore, many of these opportunities require minimal, if any, sacrifice. In an online forum, commenters shared life hacks they use to reduce spending. There are 13 of our favorite choices to keep more money in your pocket.
Table of Contents
1. Clean That Dryer Vent
Your clothes dryer works hard for you. When was the last time you gave it a little attention and cleaned out the vent?
It’s easy to do, and cleaning it out frees it from blockage. The result? The appliance runs more efficiently, not to mention a reduced risk of fire.
2. Use The Library
With a library card, the world is your oyster. Passionate comments from many library advocates list all the benefits, including books, CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks.
But there are also many activities for kids, like story time, crafts, and educational toys. One library lover shared that libraries sometimes even “lend musical instruments and cookware.”
3. DIY Handman Tricks
No need to hire a handyperson for cracks, dents, and holes! One creative commenter suggests, “Dusting baking soda on top of super glue hardens it almost instantly, making it a resin-like substance that can fill cracks, dents, and holes and be painted and sanded. Saves cracked plastic totes, soles of shoes, even car upholstery dings and glass chips.”
4. Check Warranty Paperwork
One supersaver did just this and got a “brand new shark vacuum after seven years a few weeks ago.” They only had to pay $20 for shipping. Another commenter had an 11-year-old car with cracking in the tint of the windows. After finding the paper copy of the lifetime warranty, they got the window tint fixed for free!
5. Buy Children’s Sneakers
This life hack saves many people many dollars. Most of the time, kids’ shoes are cheaper than adults. One woman who wears an adult size six shoe bought “sneakers in kids sizes and saved $30-$50.”
Another woman who wears a size 6.5 shared she’s been able to wear her son’s size five youth footwear.
6. Make Coffee At Home
It’s a pretty universal opinion that people save more money when they brew at home. One coffee connoisseur suggests you “buy yourself a machine that directly takes coffee beans and grinds it right before brewing.”
Claiming the coffee tastes so much better, the coffee connoisseur further adds that “you’ll save a ton of money and never look back.”
7. Compare Auto Insurance Rates
When was the last time you compared your car insurance rates against what’s available through other carriers. In fact, you could be leaving several hundred dollars annually on the table.
Reports indicate nearly 50 percent of drivers haven’t compared rates in the last three years. If that’s you, a few minutes of comparison shopping could save you some cash.
8. Spend Two Years At A Community College
One commenter who got his general education credits in community college saved money in the first two years of college and was able to focus on a major after transferring.
Offering words of advice, the commenter added, “Counselors are there to help navigate this. It’s what they do; utilize them for it.”
9. Meal Prep Like A Champ
Creating a list of weekly meals is an easy money-saving hack, especially with apps like the very popular (and free!) MeaLime. One user claims it helps to “plan recipes, and it creates a grocery list.” Simply put, the app helps shoppers to stick to a list, which is sometimes challenging.
Checking out the coupon codes at local grocery stores is also great. By doing just this, one shopper saves “30% continually.”
10. Think Like A Butcher
“Look for sales on meat and buy in bulk,” one money saver suggests. “Then portion that out into baggies/meals at home. Freeze and thaw as needed.”
A fellow contributor elaborated on this idea by suggesting buying meat at the start of every month and fresh produce every Sunday. They explained, “You’ll reduce the amount of food that spoils…, plus your weekly shopping trips are much faster and less costly.”
11. Use Free Streaming Services
Cable and expensive live TV streaming services are great, but they’re often not needed to watch your favorite shows. If you don’t watch a lot of live TV, but just want something on in the background, free streaming apps are a fantastic solution.
You have to put up with ads, but it’s free. Who can complain? Better yet, you can pocket the savings and apply them to other needs.
12. Use Coupon Apps
Couponing is a hallmark for many who like to be frugal. However, who wants to spend time clipping coupons and searching for deals?
You can get similar deals right from your phone. Choose a grocery rebate app, do your shopping, and take a picture of your receipt with the app. It identifies available rebates and credits your account. You save time and money. Win-win!
13. Switch Cell Phone Carriers
Legacy cell phone carriers make you think you need an expensive contract and lots of data to get by. You don’t.
Thanks to prepaid phone carriers, you can get the same coverage, for a fraction of the price. Think of it as the streaming equivalent for cell phones. You can even get unlimited data service for $30, or less, a month.
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This thread inspired this post.
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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