We all want to save money where we can, but there are so many money-saving tips out there, it’s kind of ridiculous. It gets hard to wade through what’s legit going to save you money and what’s just a massive waste of time.
Your best bet is to follow tried-and-true advice from someone who’s been there, done that. On that note, here are some real-life tips from the ladies of SheKnows — this stuff worked for us, so it can for you too.
More: Why Saving Money Is Harder for Millennials… and How to Change That
Money-saving tips
“I use the public library a lot for both books and movies. But rather than going in and browsing (which is great too), I look the items up on the online catalogue and have them sent to my local branch. That saves money and time.” — Elizabeth Yuko, SheKnows health and beauty editor
“As much as it pains me to do it every month, I double up my student loan payments. The interest rates on my loans are high, so my goal is to pay them off as quickly as possible. If I didn’t, I would be paying thousands and thousands of dollars just in interest alone. I won’t lie; it’s hard, but I try to cut back on smaller expenses during the month so I can double up my student loan payments instead.” — Kenzie Mastroe, SheKnows branded content editor
“Take public transportation, carpool or even bike to work. I did this — took the bus and biked to and from work, even though I lived 20 miles from work — for about four months when the weather was beautiful in Arizona and saved a lot of money on gas. At the time, I was spending maybe $10 a week or less on bus fare versus about $40 a week on gas.” — Kristine Cannon, SheKnows entertainment editor
More:The Easy Trick to Cut Your Grocery Bill That You Might Actually Try
“I have automatic monthly deposits set up from my checking account to a high-interest savings account, so I don’t even have to think about saving — set it and forget it!” —Cristina Velocci, SheKnows director of editorial operations
“I automatically transfer the money I want to save to another checking account. I also find that having a purpose to save— a vacation, a car, a dollar amount as an emergency fund — helps me stick to it. I can ask myself, “Would I rather have a $10 lunch or a vacation?” Also, fill your time with things that don’t require money spent or are cheap. For example, I spent $100 on a dance class at a community college that takes up two nights of my week for a semester. I like to change it up and come up with new low-cost hobbies.” — Colleen Stinchcombe, SheKnows community editor
“I make a stew or some kind of casserole on Sunday and bring it to work for the rest of the week. This is the one money-saving habit I have.” — Alice Bradley, SheKnows parenting editor
“Most cities have at least one email list or website that lists free (or very cheap) activities in the area. Sign up for that and you’ll always have ideas of fun things to do without spending a lot of money.” — Elizabeth Yuko, SheKnows health and beauty editor
“I renegotiate the rates of my regular utility providers a couple of times a year. I’ll review my bills and call companies to ask them if they can give me a better deal to prevent me from going to a competitor. It only takes a few minutes and often works!” — Hannah Hickok, SheKnows lifestyle editor
More:If You Haven’t Frozen Your Kid’s Credit, You’d Better Get on That
This post was sponsored by Cricket Wireless.
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