10 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

Hi everyone!! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Since I never seem to have enough money to buy all my gifts closer to Christmas, I have been buying gifts throughout the year. So, whenever I see a deal, I pick it up. This has been working well so far. Until I can save more money, this option is the best for me right now. Since saving and not over spending money can be a struggle, I’ve put together this post of, 10 Ways to Save Money. Hopefully this will help keep more money in our pockets.

*Note: This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

1. Cook with friends – Then swap meals

What a great idea this is. To get together with friends or family and each prepare the items of your choice making enough for everyone there. Then giving each person cooking a portion of your meal. This is great because you get to spend time with the important people in your life. Another awesome benefit is, you get a few different meals for the week. Try and find deals on the food items and don’t pick meals that cost a lot of money.

2. Bring a lunch to work – Stop using vending machines

At some of my previous jobs, I never took the time to pack a lunch and would spend a good chunk of money on the vending machine. A few dollars every day will add up fast when you use the vending machine 5 days a week. Also, from my vending machine experiences, the food choices were never really that great. Taking the time to pack a lunch will save a lot of money and will taste much better.

3. Cook at home more – Eat out less

Eating out is a lot of fun, but, it can cost a lot of money. Try and cut back on the number of times you go out and start cooking at home more. This is a good way to save money.

4. Homemade gifts

Personally, I love giving homemade gifts and I love receiving them. My daughter and husband have made me some of my favorite gifts I’ve received. With the holidays coming up, handmade gifts will save a lot of money and will be more personable. Here are a few gift ideas to help save money.

Fortune Cookies with messages inside – I did this for my husband when we first met. The cookie shapes didn’t turn out very well but they did taste good. It was a pretty neat thing to do that didn’t cost a lot to make.

Coupon Book – Give them coupons for a back massage, a car wash or a night of changing the remote. How can you go wrong?

Love Letters – My husband and I met through an on-line dating service and wrote a lot of letters while getting to know each other. I kept all the letters we wrote each other from e-mail and printed them off to make him a memory book. I also included some poems we wrote and pictures we sent each other throughout the year. Your handmade book can be whatever memories you have from your relationship.

Personal Music Mix – My husband made me these Cd’s shown of some of our favorite songs. I love looking back at these and remembering songs from years ago that I haven’t listened to in awhile.

5. Clothes swap with friends

Another fun thing I want to do but haven’t yet, is to have a clothing swap party with friends and family. I’ve been reading about how others are doing it and think it sounds like a lot of fun. Another way to change up your closet is to individually trade clothes with family and friends. My sister and I have been doing this for years and I always look forward to what she’s giving away. Either way you choose is great for clearing out your closet and adding some new pieces to it.

6. White Elephant Gifts

Last year, my husband’s family thought it would be fun to do White Elephant Gifts for our Christmas exchange. We gathered a bunch of things around our house and wrapped it up for our white elephant gifts. Another option is to check websites where you can find silly gifts intended for a White Elephant Christmas for a reasonable price.

7. Download Audio Books for free

If you love to read but don’t want to spend money on books, try using the Audiobooks.com app and listening to a book read to you while you are doing housework, gardening or exercising. I put the app on my phone and listened to Benjamin Button while I took a walk. This book took about 1 hour to listen to. So, I was able to finish it while on my walk which worked out perfectly. I picked from the free books so I didn’t have to pay anything for this.

8. Clip Coupons

Remember that show, “Extreme Couponing”? I watched it a few times and thought it would be really cool to try. After multiple attempts, I found out, it was definitely harder than I thought. For those who don’t have the time to go extreme, any coupons we can use will help save money. Check the Sunday paper for coupons or newspapers that come during the week for free. They usually have good deals in them.

9. Penny Hoarder Tips

At some point in time I came across a personal finance website called “The Penny Hoarder“. Here you can find personal stories, job opportunities, freebies and so much more. This website can help with saving money and give tips on money situations. It’s definitely worth checking out.

10. Make budget and stick to it

Sometimes, the best way to save money is to make a budget. Writing down what we spend our money on and not over spending is a good way to stop making unnecessary purchases.

Good luck everyone with saving and spending. I hope these 10 Ways to Save Money ideas help you!!

Here are some Gift Ideas that won’t break the Bank.