How many times have you thought you’d like to be saving money for the future, but you just don’t know where that money is going to come from? You’re already stretched thin. You’re living modestly, you’re paying the bills you have to pay and there just isn’t anything left. I have some good news! There are many ways to save money that you may not have thought about. I’m going to share 15 simple ways to make it work!

Here are my tips:

1. Have a budget, and stick to it. Just planning out where your money is going to go each month is the best place to start. If you don’t have a plan, you’re going to find that you never start saving, because it won’t happen on its own. You are driving this vehicle in life! So take charge, and commit to it. You’ll be happy you did.
2. Cut something out. If you enjoy a fancy Starbucks drink or pedicure on a regular basis (or insert whatever extra activity you do that isn’t a necessity here) then think about deleting one coffee per week and saving that money. It adds up fast! You would be surprised how those extra dollars fly out of our hands without intentionally thinking about it.
3. Take on an extra job. This doesn’t have to be something super serious guys! It can be as simple as babysitting your family or friend’s kids once a month and saving that money. Creating new income to save doesn’t effect your other bills or lifestyle, so that’s nice.
4. Sell things online. You could sell a crafty item on Etsy that you’re talented at making or sell baked goods at a local event where you can have a booth.
5. Have a yard sale. You could have a physical yard sale at your house or even have one online through Instagram or Craigslist. Boom, extra income!
6. Save all of your loose change in a jar. Put a pretty jar on your kitchen counter and empty your wallet out every night. Your adult piggy bank and your back that’s being broken by your heavy handbag will thank you! 😉
7. Bring lunch to work. Instead of going out to grab lunch, plan your meals ahead of time for work and bring your lunch a few days a week. Figure out how much money you’re saving by doing this and set that extra savings aside.
8. Cook dinner at home an additional time per week. If you eat out every meal or a few meals a week, plan a cost-effective meal to cook at home like pasta and chicken or hamburgers and save the money you didn’t spend on dining out that night.
9. Write a grocery list and stick to it. It’s tough, I know! If you can make a list of what you REALLY need and stick to it in the store, you could save so much money. Even picking up a few extra snacks can easily add on $10.00. Stick to your list and toss that $10.00 you saved into your savings account.
10. Cancel your subscriptions. Do you subscribe to a magazine that you don’t even look at? I’ve found myself mindlessly subscribing to pretty things before and then I end up not even really using them or reading them later. Cancel them. Save the money.
11. Plan gifts ahead of time. Of course we all love to shower our loved ones and friends with gifts on their special days. Write out a list of everyone you buy gifts for on a regular basis and put money aside for those purchases before it’s a last minute ordeal. You will be more in control of how much you spend and can save that extra money that you didn’t spend in a hurry.
12. Find free events to go to for entertainment vs. spending money when you’d normally go to a paid event like sporting events, etc. If an event comes up that you would go to usually, put the money in your savings that it would have cost you anyway, and take a gorgeous trip to the beach/park/local free event.
13. Cancel your cable. It’s amazing how addicted we become to our TVs and shows. I am guilty just the same y’all! But, if I wanted to save an extra $120 a month that we currently pay, it’d be going bye-bye quick! Even if you give it up for a few months, imagine what you’d be saving. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
14. Move to a smaller place. This one is if you really, really want to save a huge chunk for something, and we’ve considered it before buying our first home in a few years! Do you live in a house with extra rooms you don’t use? Moving to a smaller house or apartment for a set number of months can really help you save some extra dollars.
15. Create a capsule wardrobe. I know these are all the rage right now, but they really are a great way to save money. Put together a wardrobe of classics that you absolutely love and can coordinate with the pieces in multiple ways. Then, you won’t feel compelled to purchase clothing items on impulse. If you have $20 you were honestly willing to spend on a new shirt at the mall, tell yourself no and put that $20 in your savings. If you were going to spend it, then you can save it. It would be gone otherwise.

I hope these tips were helpful to you guys! These are some of my favorite ways to help myself save money when I feel like I really can’t. We can always find a way to make things work. There are so many options. So pick one that fits your lifestyle and go for it. Save that money! 🙂

-Ashley

If you’d like to start your budgeting plan and want a pretty way to keep track of it all, check out my Budget Notebook to organize your finances in style. It can be pretty and even fun with this tool! “Bows” Budget Notebook shown below.