15 Totally Genius Money Saving Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

in LIFESTYLE, MONEY on 05/31/17

Here’s a few incredible ways to save more money and live frugally with ease.

From saving big bucks at the grocery store to sneaky ways to earn more money on things that you have right in your home, these money saving tips and tricks are mind-blowing and will help to alter your course from rags to riches in no time!

Keep reading below where I share with you the top 15 money hacks that can help you save $500 or more starting this month!

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15 Of The Best Ways To Save Money

Affiliate links included. Full disclosure here.

1.Eat 10 Meals Or More At Home A Week.

According to my friends over at Smartnancials , the BLS has reported that the average family spends over $3,000 a year eating out! That’s about $250 a month that is spent on food that is at least 3 times cheaper to make at home. You can maximize your savings by deciding to eat out at a minimum of 1-2 times a month. At the very least save you could save about $1,500 this year following this money saving hack.

2.Use As Many Cash Back Programs That You Can Find.

I currently use Ebates to find great cashback deals online and I must say that they are the bee’s knees! I’ve been using Ebatesfor a little less than a month now I have saved over $50 on things that I buy every single day.

On top of their cash back savings, I use my personal cash-back reward credit cards to make these purchases thus saving even more. If you think this is a good deal you should definitely give Ebates a try plus it’s free to sign up so you can start saving literally right now. Click here to saving more money right away!

3.Execute The $5 Savings Plan.

Source

I stumbled across this wonderful savings plan a while ago and I still think it’s incredible. This person saved every single $5 bill that they came across over a course of a year and ended up saving $3,335! It’s a simple strategy that doesn’t requires a a huge commitment. You can easily do the same with $1, $10, or $20 bills! You can get completely creative as you would like but saving money should be fun and challenging.

4.Use A Cash Envelope System.

Photo Courtesy of The Budget Mom

Kumiko over at the Budget Mom uses an amazing cash envelope system that helps people learn how to budget the smart way. She uses colored envelopes labeled for every single household expenditure such as food, gas and groceries. She sets aside enough money in each envelope to cover each cost and only spends the money that is dedicated to each category. It’s a great way to keep an eye on your savings all the while creating money discipline.

5.When Select Items Go On Sale, Stockpile.

Photo Courtesy of Living Well Spending Less

Living Well Spending Less states that to have huge success in stockpiling you have to catch deals when they are at least 30-50% discounted. That’s when the magic happens!
When you buy in bulk while it’s on sale you will have enough to last until the product goes on sale again so it’s like you will never pay full price for that item ever! It’s truly a money saving sales cycle that could save you thousands over a course of a few years or months.

6.Sell Old And Unused Books/Textbooks For Cash.

As I side eye some off the most expensive books I have purchased in my lifetime but now used as paperweights, aka college text books,  I wish I had known about this service a lot sooner.

The BookScouter is a website/app that allows you to scan the barcode of your textbooks and you will instantly receive bids and several offers from people who are looking to buy that exact book. Plus shipping is free and you get paid. How awesome is that?

7. Use Facebook To Get Exclusive Coupons And Catch Good Deals From Your Favorite Brands.

This awesome money saving tip from A Cultivated Nest suggests following your favorite brand pages on Facebook. Sometimes brands will send their followers deals that are Facebook exclusive and will go directly to your inbox or timeline.

8. Go To Your Local Dollar Store To Purchase Household Goods.

Photo Courtesy of The Krazy Koupon Lady

Why spend so much at retail stores for items such as bread, cleaning supplies and medicine when you can find the same items at your dollar store for way less? The Krazy Koupon Lady has a list of 13 items you should always buy at dollar stores here. 

9. Meal Plan Like Your Life (And Bank Account) Depends On It.

The Practical Saver has found an amazing way to feed a family on a budget of $150 a month! Creating a simple and consistent meal plan that includes crockpot meals and leftovers has proven to be a huge money saving strategy. You can check out some of their money saving tips here.

10. Get Free Stuff By Shopping Smarter With Coupons.

I love this money hack! Easy College Coupons has a list of 13 items that you can almost always get for free with using coupons.

How does this work you may ask?

As College Life Made Easy describes it, you find a coupon whether online or in your newspaper for air fresheners for $1 off. Well, Walmart may have their air fresheners priced at .94 which means that when you use that coupon to make a purchase you get that item totally free! Get the entire list of items you can get for free with smart coupon techniques here. 

11. Save All Of Your Spare Change.

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I have tons of spare change jars everywhere but yet this savings challenge has a unique twist. Instead of saving any and all change you will only save every dime that you come across. With the ultimate goal of filling an entire 2 liter bottle you will have saved about $700. Wow! I think this is definitely another fun challenge worth trying out.

12. Save Money By Buying Things When They Are Out Of Season.

If you need a guide to know when it is the best time to buy certain things throughout the year then this is it.

The Budget Diet created a guide of all guides filled with items that you should purchase at certain times of the year to receive amazing discounts and the best bang for your buck. From January all the way to December you can save a boatload of money year after year knowing your favorite retailers sales cycles.

You can check out the full list here .

13.Make Some Of Your Favorite Household Products From Scratch.

Instead of going to the store to buy expensive make-up or stain remover, how about using a few household items to create them yourself? You can save a ton of money throughout the years by being extra thrifty and coming up with your own household cleaners and supplies.

Click here to check out the full list of household supplies and how to make them here.

14.Try This Super Creative 12-Month Money Saving Challenge.

I love this creative money challenge because it helps you save money without taking huge chunks of money out of your account. You simply cut out one bad habit or other utility for that entire month and used the money saved by not engaging in said habit and to put it away in savings! Simply genius! You can check out the cool infographic here.

15.Keep Track Of All Of Your Expenses By Journaling Or Using Budget Printables.

Remember the days when your parents or grandparents would whip out the good ol’ checkbook to “balance” it?  A traditional accounting habit that many continue today, writing down your expenses can help you save a ton of money.