10 Surprisingly Easy Life Hacks to Save Money

Want to save money, but don’t know where to start? Follow these life hacks to save money, and you’ll find saving money is simpler than you ever thought.

Save Money with These 10 Simple Life Hacks

1. Shop with Grocery List

Unplanned purchases at grocery stores are frequent – and we usually don’t pay attention. We just see something we want and grab it. These “grabs” not only add up to a considerable sum at the end of the month, but likely contribute to food waste.

So, before you go shopping, carefully review your fridge, pantry, and freezer and write down everything that you need. Then, at the store, just stick to your grocery list without sparing anything else a glance – this will help you cut down on grocery spending and put these life hacks to save money into use.

2. Meal Prep (Partly)

I know, I know, meal prepping can be hard. Not only does it take time (but not that much if you’re smart about it), food can also get boring over the week.

Which is why you should try preparing a base – and switch additional ingredients up over the week. Say cook pasta in a big pot that can last you several meals: but add cream-based sauce the first day, a tomato-based one next, a fried egg on top if you’re not feeling a sauce that day, etc. Rice, potatoes, even meat can be switched up like this as well.

3. Stock Up Freezer and Pantry

Try to plan your meal prep around the ingredients you have. And get your ingredients on sale so you can take advantage of life hacks to save money. This goes for meat and fish especially – these are usually more expensive ingredients, but you can get them cheap if you catch a sale. Its better to spend more at once and stock up.

Note: if your pantry and freezer are already stocked up – think twice before adding. You don’t want to buy anything that will spoil, no matter how cheap – that’s still lost money.

4. Switch to Cash

This may not work for all, but it’s worth a try and can be a good way to use life hacks to save money. Some people (not all, but some) are heavily influenced by visuals – so when they see how much money they hand over to the cashier, and how little is left in their wallet, they automatically start cutting down on expenses, so that they’re left with more money.

Using cash, instead of cards isn’t always easy, but if you can try it and stick to it – it might help you save.

5. Quit Smoking

Someone, who’s smoking just half a pack a day is spending up to $100 on cigarettes per month. And most smokers can easily go up to 2 packs a day. That’s over $350 a month – and over $4000 a year.

And if that isn’t enough, typically a smoker pays more for their life insurance policy than a non-smoker.

Not only is it a health hazard, but a wallet hazard as well. When thinking of life hacks to save money, some may not want to use this because it can be hard to cut out overspending, but even harder to quit a smoking habit.

6. Negotiate Your Bills

While your utilities cannot be negotiated, some of the other bills – like car insurance or credit card payments – can. Use an app like Truebill or Clarity Money to figure out which bills you should negotiate and get on it.

7. Cut Subscriptions – and Visit the Local Library

While subscription services might seem cheap all on their own, together they add up. They could even be sucking over $100 a month out of your wallet. Cut all, but the one you’re using most often (it’s likely Netflix or Hulu).

Also, did you know that libraries hold not only books but movie and tv show collections as well? If what you want isn’t on Netflix – try the library, you might be surprised by the wide variety of choices.

8. Thrift

Treat what you buy as an investment – they should be cheap, but they should be something that will last. Thrift stores are the best choice if you want to buy something new (or new to you). Not only do they have clothes, but dishes, books, even toys.

This is good for the environment and allows the utilization of life hacks to save money.

9. Consolidate Debt

Consolidation is a process that allows you to combine your debt and put just one payment towards the bunch, typically lower than all the minimums combined previously, which should help you free up some money.

Just make sure you aren’t rash while consolidating – ask around and compare multiple options before settling on the one that fits your needs the best. Options like these are great life hacks to save money.

10. Automate Your Savings

Pay yourself first when your paycheck comes in – and deposit a certain percentage into your savings account before you go do anything else.

The first thing you should do with it is set up an emergency fund – then you can switch to your retirement savings and investments.

What Makes an Emergency Fund So Important?

A financial emergency is the most likely culprit that’ll bust your budget and cause you to overspend. If you need to pay for an unplanned doctor or vet visit, a mechanic’s service, or call in a plumber – your emergency fund will help you pay for it.

If you don’t have an emergency fund – you might want to consider taking out a short-term payday loan instead of postponing dealing with it.

Consider Taking Out a Payday Loan

Payday loans near me are a fast and easy way to acquire several hundred dollars when you’ve got an emergency breathing down your neck. The lenders will typically accommodate all types of incomes and won’t be considering your credit – so you could qualify even if your credit is bad or outright non-existent.

How do I take out a payday loan?

• You could easily get started by visiting Fast Payday Loans of Kentucky LLC.com and filling out the form.
• You’ll be contacted by the store representative, who’ll answer all your questions and set up a meeting.
• You’ll need to bring in your government-issued ID, the most recent pay stub, and a blank check from an active checking account for the store representative to assess them and determine if you qualify for the loan.
• If you’re approved – you’ll get the cash.

Using these life hacks to save money can help when trying to start an emergency fund, or trying to resolve a financial emergency you cannot afford. If you need assistance with a loan, a fast cash payday loan can help you to settle the crisis with ease. Simply contact Fast Payday Loans of Kentucky LLC to get more details.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.