Everyone wants to save money, but if you need to do it quickly, there are a few quick tricks that will help manage your budget. To save money quickly, you should pay attention to how much you spend on transportation, groceries, and entertainment, as well as make small adjustments in your daily life. If you want to know quick ways to save money, just follow these easy steps.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Save Money at Home
Step 1. Unplug any household appliances that use electricity when you leave the house
This will save you a lot of money, especially if you are going for a long vacation.
Step 2. Turn off the thermostat (heat regulating device)
If you're cold, get in the habit of wearing extra clothes. If your house feels hot, open the windows and let the air in instead of buying an air conditioner.
Step 3. Save money when shopping for furniture
Instead of spending a lot of money on new furniture, you can save money by going to the Good Shop website and choosing old furniture that is still in good condition. You can also take the time to go on sale to check out reasonably priced furniture.
- If you have a chair/sofa that is starting to break down, replace the damaged material instead of buying a new one.
- If you're trying to get rid of old furniture that's still in good condition, don't leave it in the shed. Sign up for a Good Shop and maybe you'll find someone who will buy it.
Step 4. Flush the toilet with bath water
Did you just take a bath in the bathtub? Empty the water into the bucket and flush it down the toilet when you need to flush it. This is an extreme step, but it will save you money if you pay for water usage.
Step 5. Spend more time staying at home
You don't have to go to a fancy bar or restaurant to have fun. You can save a lot of money if you make a habit of spending more time at home than paying for anything outside.
- The next time a friend asks you to come to the bar, better invite them over to your house for a drink.
- Try to eat at home as often as possible. Try ordering food only once or twice a week if you order food from outside a lot. If your friend is asking out for dinner, it's better to invite her over for a delicious meal at home or ask if she'd like to cook together.
- Do you have to watch every new movie in theaters when it's released? If you have the patience to wait for it to come out on DVD, you can enjoy a comfortable movie night at home and save money not only on tickets, but snacks as well.
- If you often buy coffee drinks every morning, make it a habit to make coffee at home. You can save quite a bit of money each week just by doing this.
Method 2 of 4: Save on Transportation Spending
Step 1. Save money when using a vehicle
While you'll save a lot more money if you don't drive at all, driving to work or to an event is sometimes unavoidable, so if you drive often enough, there are some adjustments you can make to save money when you're driving. You use the vehicle.
- Travel by car together. Traveling by car together to work or to a party with friends is a great way to save money as long as everyone pays their own dues.
- Save car fuel. Look for discounts or promos from gas stations (gas stations). That way, you can get fuel at the cheapest price. It's true that what you save doesn't seem like much at first, but over time it will accumulate.
- If the weather is cool enough, don't be wasteful by using a car air conditioner. Better to open the car window.
- Wash your own car. Instead of spending money on a car wash, gather some friends with a sponge and a bucket of soap and water. You will have fun and save money.
Step 2. Use public transportation whenever possible
Try to always take the bus, or train if possible. This will save you a lot of money and can get you to work or wherever you are going much faster than driving a car. Here's what you can do:
- Know local bus schedules. Buses can get you as fast as a car, and you can save money by not having to pay for parking.
- If you take the bus/train, use a monthly card. If you wear it often, it will save you a lot of money.
- As much as possible avoid using taxis. If you know you're going out for a drink and won't be able to drive, pre-book a designated driver at the bar on duty to take you home.
Step 3. Save money on airplanes
Even if you only fly a few times a year, you can save quite a bit of money if you know about when and how to book your flights. Here's what you can do:
- Don't wait until the last minute to book a flight ticket. Your ticket will be much more expensive.
- Don't book your flight tickets too early. If you book a domestic flight more than four months in advance, the price can be more expensive because the airline has not yet determined a ticket selling price strategy.
- If you're only going on a weekend getaway, try to bring only enough contents to avoid high costs when checking your bag's weight.
Step 4. Walk or cycle whenever you can
If you live in a place where public locations are quite close together, walking or cycling is a great way to save quite a bit of money. Not only will you save money on the basics, but you'll also be exercising.
- You may be able to bike to a place that seems far away. It only takes twenty minutes to cycle two or three kilometers.
- Replace one of your weekly exercises with walking for an hour. You can spread this one hour time over the time of one week.
Method 3 of 4: Save on Grocery Shopping
Step 1. Plan before you shop
Planning ahead of buying groceries will quickly save you a lot of money. This ensures that you only buy what you need and don't buy things on a whim.
- Write down whatever you need for the week. The less time you go shopping, the less likely you are to buy something you don't need.
- Plan on shopping for an hour or less. Try to race against time when shopping, so you don't spend time hanging around buying things that look great.
- Plan to go shopping immediately after eating. Everything will look less attractive if you shop with a full stomach. If you shop when you're hungry, you'll be more passionate about what to eat.
Step 2. Be a smart buyer
After creating a plan, you need to execute it in an experienced way. There are several things you can do to continue to save money once you head to the grocery store.
- Shop at a reasonably priced store that still has high-quality items. Don't go to a grocery store you like just because it's cheaper. The amount of money spent on more expensive products at the grocery store will continue to grow.
- Look for products with regular brands. The product will taste as good as a well-known brand product and will save you a lot of money.
- Use coupons. Using coupons that you get from the internet, mail, or local stores will save you a lot of money. Make sure you only use coupons for items you need.
- Save money by preparing your own food at home instead of buying pre-prepared food at the store.
- If an item you buy frequently is on sale, buy as much as you can save.
- Buy in bulk. You will save money if you buy paper products or other items in bulk, as long as you can store them properly.
Step 3. Be wise in the kitchen
Saving money on grocery shopping is something you can do even after you leave the store. You can still save money by paying attention to how you prepare and store things. Here are some things you can do:
- Use whatever you have. Cook everything you bought at the end of the week, and don't buy more if you still have fresh food in the fridge.
- Use things wisely. Make sure to take the food out of the fridge once it's cooled and they'll last longer. Strawberries will last longer if you store them on paper towels in an open plastic container, while dill and other medicinal herbs will last longer if you store them in paper wrap.
- Freeze the bread and bake it while making the sandwich. This will prevent you from wasting some of the bread each week.
- Be sure to cook items that are about to expire, such as pasta that has been in your cupboard for a while.
Method 4 of 4: Making Other Minor Adjustments
Step 1. Become an experienced clothing buyer
You can still look good on a budget when you go shopping for clothes. Stop buying clothes in expensive stores and notice that you will save more money in the bank.
- Look for affordable stores where you can still get great clothes. Don't think that you will only look good if you buy things in expensive stores.
- Wait for the sale of goods. You don't have to buy elegant clothes when you see them – come back to the store in a few weeks, and get them when they're pretty cheap.
- Some large department stores will refund the difference in the sale price you purchased, so keep all your receipts.
- Learn to like thrift stores. You can find some cool and interesting clothes at a thrift store instead of at the mall.
Step 2. Save money when you exercise
You can save a lot of money if you don't spend a lot of money each month on the gym or paying every time you take a yoga class. Here are some ways to save money when you exercise:
- Run outdoors. If the weather is nice, running is one of the best sports you can do and it's completely free.
- If you take yoga or dance classes, buy a monthly card to save money, or take a donation-based class where you can pay what you can afford.
- Purchase online videos or DVDs that will teach you how to do a good workout in the comfort of your own home.
- Exercise at home. You don't need a gym at home to do some serious push-ups, sit-ups and abdominal exercises. Buy some barbells and do a full body workout right at home.
Step 3. Spend wisely when you go out to eat or drink
You don't have to spend all your time socializing at home to save money. There will be times when you go out to have fun with friends, and you can still act wisely and save money in a variety of circumstances.
- If you're going out to eat, eat something a little at home first so you're not so hungry that you order whatever is on the menu.
- If you're having dinner with a larger group, see if you can get separate notes. This will be a bit painful, but it will save you the trouble of estimating how much you owe the large group and paying the inevitable excess.
- If you're going to a bar with a group of friends and you're not the one driving the car, have a few drinks at home so you don't end up spending so much money at the bar.
- If a friend asks you out for a drink, choose a place that offers a discount so you can save some money.
