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Last Updated on January 3, 2021 by karissa ancell
My husband and I have been working on getting our finances I order for some time now and it hasn’t been going fast enough so we are kicking it up a notch. I really want to start the year with fewer money worries and a little saved up. So here are ten realistic ways to save money. These tips should be easy to put into place and save you money.

1. Meal planning
This is still something I’m doing and working to get better with. I know that food is one of our biggest spending areas and that I can get that number cut down. Since doing the No Spend August challenge we have only gone out to eat a few times and are still watching what we spend on food outside the home. I’m also doing a lot of research on coupons and getting a plan in order to start using them. We have a little bit and we have tried to stock up on things we use a lot during big sales.
Food costs can really eat up your budget and therefore learning to cut costs on food is one of the best realistic ways to save money
related post: How to Meal Plan

2. Buy used and sell what we don’t need anymore.
We had an x-box that my husband and daughter loved playing with all the time. Unfortunately, it recently broke. Now I didn’t play with so it didn’t affect me but I know how much they loved spending time together playing games. So my husband wanted to get a play station to replace it. We have Disney Infinity which you can use on both systems but we don’t have $250+ for a new system. So we did some research traded in all the x-box games and equipment and will get an Amazon gift card through Amazon for those. Then we looked into used systems on Amazon and found that with the gift card we would only need to pay around $50 or so. That will make it a great birthday present and we still get to use the infinity which we have. Sometimes you have to look into creative ways to get the things you want.
So if you are looking for a big or expensive item check to see if you can get used it used in good quality. Also look into selling items you don’t need any longer or trading them. You might as well earn some money for stuff instead of just having it sitting around your house.

3. Check your Bills
Read through your bills and see exactly what you are being charged for. You may end up finding things you can cut out or even mistakes made by the company, then you can give them a call and get it fixed and lower your bill.
We’ve had that happen a couple of times and it’s up to you to catch the mistake. Same thing when you are out shopping. Watch them ring you up. Occasionally an item will be scanned twice or show up as an incorrect amount and you want to catch that.
4. Don’t pay for what you really don’t need
A few months ago, we got rid of my cell phone. I am either home or with someone due to the fact that I can’t drive. I realize most people don’t have that situation but look for what you pay for that you really don’t need. So we dropped to just a cell phone for my husband and a house phone for me. This ends up saving us about $50 a month. It will be nice to have a cell phone again but it’s not worth the extra cost right now.
5. Shop for the best deals.
This one I had to start doing. I’ve always liked name-brand products for food, beauty and home but they just really start to add up. So we started trying store brands of certain products and finding which products worked just as well as their name-brand counterparts. There are a few things that I like the more expensive name brands but most things were of similar quality so we started getting those products. It really helps cut down shopping costs and is a very good and realistic ways to save money.
6. Spend more time at home.
This was another lesson that we really learned the importance of during our no spend challenge. We have tons of movies to watch, games to play and other activities we can stay home for free and do. It’s also much cheaper and better for you to eat home cooked meals than to get fast food or take out. So we stay home a lot more.
7. Search for thebest deals.
If we do go out though we are careful about how we spend our money. We use gift cards to eat if we have them, go to free events, and discount movies. We have a discount theater not too far and the other theaters have a cheaper price for the first showing of the day. At that price, the 3 of us can all go to the movies and get a snack for the evening price of two of us. We also try to pick less expensive places to eat if we do eat out. I find great deals over on Money Saving mom so you might want to check her site out if you want to save more money.
Decide what’s important.
We love watching TV in this house. The thing was that for $100 a month it was just getting too expensive so we have Netflix and Hulu. Combined that is only $15, that’s a big savings each month. Netflix gives us tons of movies and kids shows and Hulu lets us watch new episodes of shows. We knew TV was important so we had to find away to make it work for us.
8. Learn to live with less.
This was not easy one but after seeing how much we saved in August I realized that living with less is not actually that hard and you just have to make the commitment to not make impulse buys. I still have bad moments but they are getting fewer and fewer and we are saving a lot and acquiring less stuff we really don’t need anyways. I also think it’s a good example for our daughter to see us not be so materialistic and use what we have. Also I think it feels good to use things we already have and appreciate them instead of getting something new.
9. Increase your income
Try to work overtime if possible, get a second job, find some part-time work to bring in a little extra money. I’m on disability so we are really a one income household plus my disability. So I use part of what I make from blogging for birthday’s and holidays so we don’t have to use my husbands paycheck. My husband is also looking into possibly getting a second job or another job that pays a little better so we have more money coming.
Blogging is a great way to earn some extra money. Here are ways to earn money blogging
10. Create a budget
We have a very loose budget that we follow and most expenses are just our monthly bills. We rarely spend on things like clothes or special things and just wait till birthdays and holidays. I am working on putting together a more strict budget to get us to save more money each month. This is one of the best realistic ways to save money. Living on a budget is not always easy but it’s a great way to save money
I have a recent series on my budget and debt for you to check out.
Anne - Just Only Home says
Great tips! We’ve started doing most of these over the last 2 years and have really noticed a difference!
Anne – Just Only Home recently posted…Coupon the Lazy Way – Get the Deals with Less Time Investment
GiGi Eats says
Whenever I leave the house. I know I am going to spend money! Ha! Ugh. Annoying actually. One of my favorite things is when I stay home and night and make dinner with the foods I ALREADY HAVE in the pantry!!!! So canned meal dinners, sometimes I just adore them 😉
GiGi Eats recently posted…Marvel Over These Superhero Superfoods
Lauren says
You have some really great DOABLE tips here! I hate when i read these money saving tips and it is suggestions that would only work for a select few. This is stuff anyone can do! Glad to connect through the social media mixer this week!
Lauren recently posted…Jake & the Never Land Pirates Battle for the Book & the Epic Battle Build Sweepstakes!
Karissa says
I try keep things doable or I wont do them.
Cindy says
We just recently started doing the meal planning and it makes life so much easier. We no longer come home from work and ask each other what to make for dinner and eventually run out of time and end up going out. By meal planning we are eating way healthier as well as cutting our grocery budget.
Cindy recently posted…Franconia Sculpture Park
Karissa says
It’s still my weakness, but things go better when I meal plan.
Natalie says
Great list! I’ll have to keep some of these tips in mind for myself. I need to start budgeting better and saving money for after I graduate!
Chloe Logan says
So useful, especially now that I’m starting to pay off loans. I also find mint.com to be a great tool!
Chloe | Wanderlust in the Midwest
Erica Brooks says
Smart tips. I keep a look out for local festivals and family fun activities that are are free to attend. The library has so many free family friendly programs and activities that I think a lot of people overlook too.
Erica Brooks recently posted…Wintergreen and Aroma Siez Essential Oils for Lower Back Pain Relief
alison says
Great tips! I could not live without my cell as i use it so much in business and blogging. Meal planning is a winner for us!
Karen says
I rarely eat out as I have many food allergies, but when I do, I try to have a coupon for that restaurant. I have found that if you go to the restaurant site webpage and sign-up for their newsletter, they send you coupons! 🙂 and/or Sunday Inserts from the newspapers also have many coupons for the restaurants as well! I like making home meals more (healthier n save some bucks). Also the library offers free movie/dvd rentals! 🙂
Karissa says
God tips thanks!
Celeste says
These are some great tips! Thanks for posting.
Elle says
Love this. I especially think “stay at home” is one that many overlook. The more you are in the store and out and about the more you spend, even if it is only in gas money. Great post.
Elle recently posted…5 Important Lessons Adults Can Learn from Pee-Wee Soccer
Ashley LaMar says
We’ve really been working on saving money too. We’ve done a good job of it lately but at first it was a struggle.
Ashley LaMar recently posted…Your Confidence is Your Greatest Asset by Ashley LaMar
The Accidental Mama says
Husband and I really need to reign in our spending. We keep saying we will but don’t. We are the worst on budget and sticking to it. We definitely need to get this in check!
xoxo
The Accidental Mama
http://theaccidentalmama.com
The Accidental Mama recently posted…10 Reasons Why I Love Veronica Mars
Karissa says
We are not good at it and have been working on getting better.
Justine Y says
#4 and #10, so important! Without a budget, how do you know where you stand? Great tips!
Justine Y recently posted…cookie dough truffles
Lani @ Life Anchored says
Meal planning has made such a huge difference in our household. I have a new love for cooking and we are eating a lot healthier too.
Lani @ Life Anchored recently posted…Favorite Baby Apps
Karissa says
Great! I’m better than I was but still room for improvement.
Jen @ Save to Splurge says
I’ve always checked my credit card statements and have caught several mistakes over the years! One time it was a recurring fee for I-don’t-know-what! Great tips!
Jen @ Save to Splurge recently posted…6 Tried and True Ways to Make Extra Money
Candace says
This is such a great list. Im so terrible at budget but my wedding actually taught me a ton about money. And how quickly it goes haha. Moving to an island also taught me so much about what you need vs what you just want because you are bored.
xoxo
Candace
http://www.FromCtoC.com
tianna says
lovely tips! thanks for these – super helpful!
tianna recently posted…Fairy Tale Beauty: Ariel
Holly says
I really, really need to start meal planning. It helps save money AND help me cook healthier foods!
Ashley says
Spending more time at home and meal planning have been huge for us to save some money!
Ashley recently posted…How to Get Started with Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Erica says
Awesome tips and some that I actually use 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Erica recently posted…What helps you with the eye lines you get from not sleeping? Day Cream does it for me. #RevuvaLabs
Karissa says
You are welcome!