Nowadays, we all have to start thinking of ways to save money for a rainy day. With all that has happened the past 2 years, we need to think about what can happen that will prevent us from keeping up with the everyday expenses.
It is scary when you find yourself in a situation where you need something and can’t buy it. It puts your previous decisions in perspective, no!
Today, I’m going to talk about 9 ways to save money everyday. With just these small things that we can do to save money in our everyday lives. I’m not a budgeter nor a financial advisor, and I love ordering and buying things that I want and not necessarily need.
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We are adults and have wants and needs. And also I work now and have adult money and can buy anything I want. splurge yourself in moderation. As adults, take care of the needs first and then get your wants.
Bring coffee from home
Going to a coffee shop everyday is cool and all, but it adds up at the end of the month. If you work away from home and buy a cup of coffee every morning that costs you $4.50, that is $90 a month if you work 5 days a week. It is $1080 at the end of the year. That is a lot of money when you see it that way.
You can buy a to go mug from Target and make coffee at home and bring it with you every morning, you can put those $1080 in your savings account at the end of year.
I have a full-time job and I bring coffee from home most of my days. When I don’t, I make coffee at my job. I bought a small Keurig coffee maker and bought the coffee pods and made the coffee there when I’m running late, which is frequently.
It’s convenient and easy. Anyone can do it. It doesn’t take you too much effort to change your routine to do this instead.
Bring lunch to work
Same concept of the coffee, you can bring lunch and/or breakfast to work. Buying breakfast is about $7 a day and lunch is $12 on average. $7 plus $12 is $19 daily. A 5 day work week is $95, a month is $380 and a year is $4560. That is a lot of money that you can save every year.
This is a way to see and analyze where we can use our resources better. And you don’t have to do this everyday. You can do this 3 or 4 times a week and can buy lunch the rest of week, but at least you don’t save some of that money for something else that is necessary.
Join loyalty programs and weekly flyers
Loyalty programs are useful to get great deals on things that you are already buying. Most stores have a loyalty program that you can take advantage of.
Target has the Redcard and weekly sales. Your local supermarket always has sales on products you are already buying. Your local pharmacy (Walgreens, CVS, etc) have tons of sales and loyalty programs that save you money every week. Just look for the flyers in the store or their app and take advantage of it.
I’m not telling you to buy something just because it’s on sale. I don’t do that. I like buying what I want and what I crave to eat at that moment regardless of if it is on sale or not. However, you can find bargains and save a few bucks like that.
Use cashback credit cards
When applying for credit cards, choose the ones that have the best benefits for your lifestyle. There are plenty of cards out there to choose from, but not all of them give you benefits that you are going to use.
I love my American Express card because I can pay my bills and everyday things with it and I earn points. Those points I can use for my Amazon purchases or get gift cards and many more things that I can use them for. That card is useful for my lifestyle. I have other ones, but that is the one that I use the benefits more from.
Be smart on choosing your credit cards or bank cards. Cards are great if you know how to use them. Do your homework and get the one that fits your needs best.
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Buy things in bulk
I used to buy a lot more in bulk before, but not now. This one is great for big families. Buying in bulk saves you a lot of money, but it also comes with a membership program that you have to buy to do this one. If you are willing to purchase the membership and it’s worth it for you in the long run, go for it. I still buy in bulk but at Target. Target has bulk items too and sometimes for the same price than the wholesale store does.
This one is a recommendation depending on your needs and lifestyle.
Think before you buy something big
We all have to make big purchases. When making a big purchase, think about if it is a need or a want. If there is a need, do it. You have to buy that item in order to continue your life. If it is wanted, verify that you have the funds for it. If you don’t have the funds. Make a budget and save every paycheck to gather the funds to purchase the item.
As adults, you can buy it with credit. However, you have to pay the bank to use that money with interest. It is an option. Try to buy with your money as much as possible to avoid those pesky interest fees.
Buy what you need
When buying something, buy what you need and nothing more. You don’t need 2 if one thing. I tend to buy extra just in case. Then I ask myself, just in case what. You go to the supermarket every week, you can buy that second item if you end up needing it on your next trip. It is important to see what you are going to use until the next time you go back to that store to purchase again.
Make a budget
Making a budget is great if you have self control. I am impulsive and just buy what I want at the moment. That’s ok, but if you want to achieve a goal you need to exercise more control in this department.
I’m bad at this one. I try to keep a budget as much as I can. Every week, I take my kids food shopping and buy what we need. The kids just buy their snacks and stuff and the cashier runs everything and it’s a lot of money. As long as we are going to use the items we purchase, it’s ok to buy.
Automate money to savings account every paycheck
This one depends on your situation. It’s good to have an automatic money transfer from your checking to your savings account every paycheck. This money is there in case you need it or just to use for the future.
I do this, but depending on the month I end up taking money out of the savings to not overdraft. It happens, but the money is there for what you need it for. Also, it gives you interest back.
In conclusion
Money is a tricky thing. We need it to survive and we work hard to get it, but it is not everything. At the end of the day, you work to get money to live your life.
Save money to make your life easier, not harder.
These are tips to help you to have a better life within your means and not fall into debt. I know the feeling of debt when you can’t catch a break.
If we do something everyday to save money, it changes our way of thinking. It makes us change our routine to have better behavior when it comes to spending money. If you change your behavior on how to spend money, it doesn’t feel as if you are saving money. It’s just something that you do everyday. Just a thought!
Be your better self!
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