Easy Ways to Save Money

How can I save money? From food to shopping to household items and everything in between, keep more money in your pocket with these simple, practical ideas to save.

Most people make resolutions or goals about one of 3 things: food, health, or finances. Or all of the above.

It’s easy to have big, lofty goals. The hard part though, is finding ways to implement change in our daily lives to ACHIEVE the big goal.

I totally get that. When I ask new subscribers what their biggest challenge is, 80% of the time it’s related to saving money.

But where do you start? How do you save money?

To help you kickstart your savings, I’ve rounded up over 100 of the top money saving tips that I’ve shared over the past few years. Trying even a couple of these will keep more money in your wallet!

125 EASY WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

Whether your savings goal is to build wealth, create an emergency fund, stop living paycheck to paycheck, or get out of debt, there are lots of easy ways to start saving money. We’re focusing today on saving money on food, shopping, and at home. Turn your spending habits into savings habits!

HOW DO I SAVE MONEY ON FOOD?

Your grocery spending can be one of the more flexible items in your budget. These money saving tips can help you with saving money on food: everything from meat to coffee to cheese to convenience foods, a variety of foods you can make yourself, plus tips to eat intentionally and avoid food waste.

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON MEAT?

• Carve whole chickens into parts instead of buying pieces pre-cut (follow this step-by-step tutorial to cut a whole chicken).
• Save all the bones – from raw meat and from dinner plates – and make your own bone broth (Slow Cooker Chicken Broth or Instant Pot Chicken Stock).
• Buy whole roasts or larger cuts of meat and stretch them over several meals (like I did for a whole chicken and a pork loin).
• Treat meat as a side dish, not the main dish.
• Stretch meat with whole-food fillers (see my tips for stretching ground beef and stretching meat in general).
• Eat soup for dinner once a week (I have lots of great soup recipes).
• Know the common cuts of meat and buy the cheaper cuts.

SAVING MONEY ON COFFEE

• Buy whole coffee beans and grind them yourself.
• Brew just enough coffee each morning (see other ways you can save on coffee here).
• Make your own flavored coffee (like this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Blend).
• Freeze or refrigerate leftover coffee.
• Make Homemade Coffee Creamer.

SAVING MONEY BY EATING INTENTIONALLY

• Eat leftovers. (This is one of the best ways to save money!)
• Eat out of the kitchen like you’re going on vacation every other month.
• Cook with less expensive produce (carrots, potatoes, onions) more often.
• Cook with more expensive produce (rhubarb, berries) less often.
• Use Gorgonzola instead of blue cheese (it’s cheaper).
• Swap sharp cheddar for mild cheddar (the stronger flavor means using less).

MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH

• Make food from scratch when it’s worth your time.
• Make food from scratch only when it saves you money and quality.

DIY PANTRY STAPLES

• Stop buying jelly and make fruit butter with affordable seasonal fruit (use this tutorial for Homemade Apple Butter or make Strawberry Freezer Jam).
• Cook dry beans from scratch (here’s how).
• Make condiments on an as-needed basis (my favorite sauce and condiment recipes here).
• Bake bread from scratch (our favorite bread recipes).
• Make buttermilk from scratch or use a buttermilk substitute (10 ways to do it).
• Make your own almond milk (Almond Milk Recipe).
• DIY coconut milk (Coconut Milk Recipe).
• Make your own rice milk (Rice Milk Recipe).
• Homemade peanut milk (Peanut Milk Recipe).
• You can make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar using the peels and cores.
• Make a big batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract for baking or gifts.
• Make your own pumpkin puree when pumpkins are cheap (here’s how).
• Mix up your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
• DIY Dry Onion Soup Mix.
• Make your own Montreal Seasoning for chicken or steak.
• Make your own salad dressings – we have several easy dressing recipes here.

MAKE YOUR OWN CONVENIENCE FOODS

• Make your own Snack Crackers.
• Make your own Instant Oatmeal Packets.
• Stop buying cereal. Make Cranberry Orange Granola or traditional oatmeal instead.
• Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup and freeze it. Then pull a portion out of the freezer instead of pulling out a can.
• Create your own customized Homemade Smoothie Packs with your favorite combinations.

PRESERVE FOOD TO AVOID FOOD WASTE

• Save produce scraps (cores, peels, and odds/ends) for smoothies or Homemade Chicken Stock.
• Use a spatula to get the last bit out of jars and containers.
• Save bacon grease and use instead of butter or olive oil in cooking.
• Buy about-to-expire milk and make yogurt.
• Freeze leftover tomato paste.
• Wrap foods well to prevent freezer burn (read more about freezing baked goods here).
• Save butter wrappers for greasing pans.
• Use leftover pickle juice as part of a marinade.
• Freeze extra produce: strawberries, raspberries, avocados, citrus, herbs
• Freeze extra yogurt or eggs
• Dehydrate extra fruits like apples or cranberries

HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON SHOPPING?

Part of saving money on food is shopping strategically. That means planning beforehand, knowing specific things to do (and not do!) at the store, making a monthly budget, and choosing the right places to shop. Try one of these tips the next time you ask, “How can I save money shopping?”

PLAN BEFORE SHOPPING

• Shop the kitchen before you leave for the grocery store.
• Keep an inventory of what is in the kitchen.
• Cook in bulk and freeze to reduce temptations to eat out.
• Keep a well-stocked pantry (how to do this).
• Create a meal plan or buy one ready to go. (Or try one of my meal plans – all FREE!)
• Shop the Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen for organic purchases (find the current list here).
• Instead of buying an ingredient, substitute what you already have (use these substitutions to start with).
• Put off grocery shopping for a day or longer…(our experience with 30 days without spending money).
• When a pantry staple goes up in price, find ways to work around it.
• Buy quality foods when it counts (for example using olive oil).

SAVING MONEY WHILE AT THE STORE

• Stick to your shopping list and avoid impulse purchases.
• Bring your calculator to track expenses as you go.
• Weigh fixed-price, pre-bagged produce and choose the heaviest bag.
• Grocery shop with a flexible list, substituting for what’s on sale.
• Know what’s in season.
• Walk the entire produce section, or entire supermarket, before deciding on a purchase.
• Know when your stores mark down foods each week.
• Buy marked down, clearance, bruised, or “seconds” produce instead of pretty produce.
• Buy extra food when it’s a good deal, then freeze or dehydrate for later.
• Don’t buy a lot of an ingredient you’re trying for the first time.
• Aim for $1 per pound for conventional produce.
• Aim for $2 per pound for organic produce.
• Whenever you bring kids with you to the store, have a plan to keep them occupied and avoid buying unplanned snacks to keep them busy.
• Compare fresh versus canned versus frozen every so often.
• When you find a good deal on cheese, buy it in bulk and freeze it.
• Compare prices of items in multiple places in the store, like cheese in the dairy case versus cheese in the specialty section.
• Buy generic over name brand (but always read the ingredients).
• Be intentional and strategic with shopping and driving.

BUDGETING MONEY SAVING TIPS

• Keep your grocery receipts.
• Create a grocery budget (here’s how).
• Compare different stores and different markets in your area by creating a price book.
• Continue to add to and use the price book.
• Categorize your spending to see where your money is really going,
• Create budgets for the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Halloween).
• Maximize your savings when shopping online (how to do this).

WHERE TO SHOP MATTERS

• Review the circulars each week.
• Purchase family-favorite items in bulk from Amazon or Thrive Market.
• Know where you can get the best deals on items you buy on a regular basis.
• Know how to save at your favorite store (Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Dollar Store, Aldi, Sprouts).
• Compare in-store prices to online (Amazon or Thrive Market).
• Subscribe to a CSA (things to consider).

HOW DO I SAVE MONEY AT HOME?

Along with saving money on food, you might be wondering how to save money on other things around the house. From self-care to toiletries to household items and even gardening, we’ve got you covered here too!

HACKS TO SAVE ON NATURAL SELF-CARE

• Keep bars of soap out of water so they dry thoroughly.
• Cut bars of soap in half (more tips here).
• Cut the ends off tubes like toothpaste to get the last bit out.

MAKE YOUR OWN DIY TOILETRIES

• Make your own toothpaste (Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe).
• Make bars of soap out of soap scraps (tutorial).
• DIY Foaming Hand Soap.
• Learn how to make foundation at home.
• Use one of these natural makeup removers.
• DIY Homemade Hair Conditioner.
• Make your own lip balm.

HOUSEHOLD WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

• Stop using paper towels.
• Start using cloth napkins.
• Switch to a cheaper cell phone plan (this is what we use for $10/month).
• Create a water displacement system for toilets (tutorial).
• As you wait for water to get hot, catch it and use it for cooking or watering plants.
• Keep glass jars for storage (how to remove the labels).
• Turn off the hot water to the bathroom sinks.
• Unplug appliances and electronics when they’re not in use (proof of savings).
• Create a household budget separate from your grocery budget.
• Use an indoor clothesline to dry clothes.
• Review streaming services and subscription services and whether you need all of them. (This includes things like a gym membership!)
• Reduce restaurant spending
• Shop around for better internet, utilities, cable, cell phone, and other services.

HOUSEHOLD MAKE YOUR OWN

• Use citrus vinegar for daily cleaning jobs (tutorial).
• Make your own Carpet Deodorizer.
• Make your own Bleach Alternative.
• Use this DIY Homemade Stain Remover.
• DIY Flea and Tick Collar for dogs

GARDENING

• Start a garden, even if it’s just one item (everything for the garden).
• Fertilize the garden using items from the kitchen (50 ways to do this).
• Regrow food in water (tutorial).
• Compost kitchen scraps you would otherwise throw away.

Building a good savings habit will help you with long term and short term financial goals!

How can I save money? Try one of these money saving tips today!