There goes another bill out the door and you’re left feeling so frustrated.
You don’t know what to do.
The world seems to be spinning around. Bill after bill after bill and you’re fed up! You’re so sick of it but you don’t know what to do. Every time you TRY to save money, it ends up costing you MORE and you feel like you just can’t seem to catch a break.
If it’s not one thing it’s another and they come faster than you’re willing to admit.
What do you do?
How do you stop this hemoraging?
You feel BAD in your gut. You want to stop it, but HOW?
If you’re feeling like this right now, take hope. You’re not alone. Many people are hurting from the economy that seems to have gone wild and prices are going up and up and up as more and more people are getting greedier by the second.
In a world full of chaos, you can find hope! I promise….there’s a better way.
Keep reading to learn 20+ ways to stop your money from flying out the window once and for all. Because the more you get a handle on what’s leaving your wallet, the more CONTROL you have over your future!!
20+ Ways To Stop Your Money From Flying Out the Window
Earning money and saving money can both be very tricky if it’s something you’re new to. Luckily, I’ve been making money online for over 24 years now (and God directly taught me how to save money HIS WAY over 11 years ago)! It’s something that is so vastly EASY for me and I want to teach you all my tricks and secrets over time so that you can speed up your process of making legit money online and that INCLUDES saving money.
Why?
Because what’s the point of making MORE money if what you currently have flies out the window?!?!
Before you can earn more money at all, you need to stop the seepage that’s going OUT of your wallet and right now, especially in this economy, everyone’s hand is out and prices are HIGHER than ever!!!! It’s super frustrating. I know. But there ARE some tricks that you can do, even right now, that will help!
Let’s plug up those holes!!! Here’s what to change…
You don’t take advantage of special offers
Missing out on a deal is wasted money! If you will be shopping anyway, why pass up the good deal? If it’s something you are looking for and use, and you have the money for it, take advantage of good offers when you see them.
This DOESN’T mean buying something “just because” it’s a good deal! You’ll waste money doing that too, so be careful that it’s only something you’re ALREADY wanting to buy!
Scout around online and look for coupon codes. Today, I wanted to buy a welcome rug for my home online and it’s something that I wanted personalized and so I can’t buy it used or anything (which is how I like to buy as much household decor as I can!) But this one has to be new and so I searched for what I wanted and found it. Then, I waited over 24 hours to make sure it was STILL something I wanted (another good trick) and then before buying it, I searched online to find a coupon code and found a 20% off code! That one action, saved me over $33! 🎁
You’re paying for insurance you don’t need
Look at everything from your home to car insurance and everything in between and see what you’re paying for. You may have overlapping coverage or too much coverage without knowing it. If you don’t understand your policy, call the company, and someone will be more than happy to talk you through it.
Tip: I’ve worked a lot in loans and banking and stuff for 10 years of my life…for your car insurance, set those comp and collision deductions up to $1k instead of $500 if you are able to (meaning, if you don’t have a car loan that requires $500 comp and collision). It’ll save you quite a lot for something you probably will never need.
Also, think about when you rent a Uhaul or something like that. Before paying the extra $150ish insurance on the truck, call your car insurance policy holder and find out if your current insurance covers it. Usually they do and it’s just double paying if you get it.
You’re only making minimum payments on a credit card when you can do more
The goal should always be to pay off your credit cards each month (if you have them), don’t leave a balance if you don’t have to! Only making the minimum payments is costing you valuable money in interest! Money that you can set in a savings account at a credit union and earn interest ON, not PAY interest on!!!
When I was buying my house, I checked into savings account rates. I knew it would take me a couple years to save up for the down payment and so I started putting all the extra money into savings. I looked up the interests rates and found that the best rates were if I kept the money all in ONE savings account and not in my checking.
So, I moved all the savings money to one savings account (I have several savings accounts) and out of my checking to savings to hit those higher thresholds. As the years went on, I earned more money (FREE MONEY!) in interest by doing that! I was earning about $30/month free money just doing that and it was increasing every month! So cool!
You only buy “woman-specific” items
Obviously, God made us women and we should be distinctively WOMEN. But there ARE things that you can do to save money by purchasing a gender neutral or man’s stuff. One example for me is that I purchase a man’s razor (Gillette). It works better and is cheaper than a woman’s razor long term because it’s made better and lasts longer.
Another example is for my kids. My daughter was looking for sweat pants, just to wear around the house as jammies in the winter. We couldn’t find any in the girls section, so I was in the boys section looking for my son and found some “boys” sweat pants. They were $5 cheaper than the girls rack (no joke!) and they WERE in stock!!! So, I got her a couple of those pairs and it hasn’t been an issue. You honestly, cannot even tell.
I’m not saying go around looking like a dude. That’s not biblical at all. But there are a few areas that you can conservatively cut back and those are a couple good examples of them. 😊
You shop impulsively
Buying things without a plan (a good rule of thumb is to wait 24 hours before purchasing anything over $30) and on a whim means you’re likely not getting the best deal, and you’re busting your budget.
Be sure you’re shopping around. YES, absolutely buy the best QUALITY of something, but shop around at who has that best quality cheaper!
A really good example of this is Costco. Man, I LOVE Costco, okay. I will admit it. But I usually only buy the bigger ticket items there (rugs, a TV, things like that).
Things like groceries or household goods (think: paper towels, zipper bags), for example, are often times cheaper at other places. While I like Costco’s baby wipes, I find them cheaper for Huggies brand on Amazon rather than Costco’s brand. I find 13 gallon trash bags cheaper at Fred Meyer with their brand than Costco’s brand. Also, I have an entire post on my blog about how I get most all of my household goods FREE (without couponing) here. Check it out!!! I’ve licked the system and I go into all about how I do it! 💣
You’re afraid to make substitutions
Don’t have something? Try and see if you can use a substitute before you run out to the store for “just one thing.” There are so many substitution guides out there that a simple Google search can give you a plethora of ideas. You can make just about any of your beauty supplies with some very simple ingredients.
You subscribe and forget about it
Regularly go through your subscriptions (double check your Paypal automatic payments also!!!) to ensure you are getting your money’s worth! Sometimes you might find something that you can cancel or don’t need or don’t even realize your paying for. That reminds me…I’m not using Hulu now, I need to go cancel it! Thanks. 😉
You shop when you’re hungry
Never shop when you’re hungry, your cart will reflect the lack of food in your stomach. A full cart of things you don’t need is never a good idea. It’ll kill your budget so fast! Be sure to keep snacks/juice in the car for when you’re running errands or out and about too. In case you go grocery shopping or to avoid having to get fast food.
Idk about your kids but mine are super sneaky. They purposely do NOT eat before going shopping, knowing they will say they are hungry and I’ll have to stop and get food. Ugh!
Know what I did?!
My clever little self, put CapriSun (found them on sale and grabbed a couple boxes) and some crackers/snacks in the car when they weren’t looking for the next time they did that. Funny thing….they eat now before running errands! 😉 But even if they don’t, I’m covered! 😜
You use your card too much
Using a card is fine, especially if there are cashback benefits, but you’re using it too much if you overspend. This can also lead to credit card debt, so make sure you’re aware of how you’re swiping your card and how much you’re spending. Some people use cash envelopes and cash. I have a bunch of free cash envelopes on the blog, you can grab here. And if you deal with bouncing because your husband forgets to give you his receipts so you can balance, you can read that post here too!
You don’t compare prices
This means you could be missing out on potential savings from just making a swap to a different store! Get to know the prices of the items you buy and where they are the best deal. I always shop at Target for some things and Costco for other things and Fred Meyer for other things and even Amazon for other things. I’m purchasing from several different places and I know where to get the best deals on the products that I buy! You want to do the same! 😊
You are overpaying for the products you use
This goes back to my garden hose story and Walmart that really made me realize, I was overpaying by buying the “cheap” stuff.
Sometimes, granted, the cheap stuff WILL work for you, but many times, it’s better to buy the quality stuff. You’ll replace it less often.
You don’t look at what you have before you buy
Not knowing what you have at home already means duplicate purchases, wasted money, and guilt! Not a fun combination. Make sure you know where everything is in your house and have it organized!
Don’t replace things like beauty serums till you’re almost going to run out. Oh the amount of beauty creams/serums I have in my bathroom that I’ll never use (they are already opened) because I found something that works BETTER. 😥 Don’t do that. Replace it only when you are actually running out.
You are buying products too cheap
Buying a $5 shirt is a great deal until you find yourself unable to make that $5 shirt last for more than a season. This also goes to say for supposedly high quality items too. I purchased 5-6 jammies shirts at Lane Bryant when they were on sale and all of them have a hole right in the tummy where the seam is and I’ve only had them about a year! So frustrating!!!
Spend the money to buy on truly high-quality products upfront for long-term savings.
You go grocery shopping more than once a week
While going more than once isn’t the real problem, the problem is that we often are tempted by impulse buys or forgetting what we have at home, OR we just get too non-motivated to eat the “not as appetizing food” as the “new” food. Does that make sense?
Sometimes, we get lazy. We don’t wanna cook, so we go grocery shopping to buy more food to avoid having to cook.
My kids are real good at this. When I go grocery shopping, they don’t wanna eat the “older” food suddenly and then it goes bad because they are too busy eating the newer, better foods that I just shopped. Really is frustrating!
So this past month, I’ve been telling them, LOOK: we need to eat what’s there and when this certain amount of food is gone (so it doesn’t go bad), THEN I’ll buy new food. So far, this is REALLY working out. Who knew we had SO MUCH MORE to eat than I thought and we’re getting creative to eat up all the food in the fridge and freezer before it goes bad!
Spacing out your grocery shops will help ALL the food be eaten that we’re wasting!
You pay for things you can do yourself
DIY and learning how to take care of the things you own and your home will save you so much money in the long run. Using YouTube or even reading the manual can help you solve a lot of problems without the need for a professional.
In my home I just purchased, I got a REALLY good deal on the home because no one else wanted to fix up the things that it needed fixed up. The owners dropped the prices a whopping $200,000 because of that! Can you believe it?!?! 😮😮😮
Things like, the sink faucets need to be replaced. One of the garages was turned into a gym and bold, bright red paint everywhere, giant mirrors stuck to the walls, and interlocking gym floor tiles.
So I had painters come out and paint. They took off the mirror for me (for free), and I removed all the floor tiles and now it’s a garage again. 😊
I’m replacing the sink faucets. The door handles I learned how to fix myself. A lot of the things like that, I’m fixing myself and then whatever I CAN’T fix myself, I have my handyman do (he’s only $60/hour, which is amazing because he works fast too).
He’s doing things like replacing chandeliers, removing a couple trees that needed taken down, etc. A Pottery Barn chandelier that I got off Facebook Marketplace, instead of paying $500 for it, I paid $127.20 on Facebook (they shipped it to me) and having it installed by my handyman.
The house is looking SOOOOO luxurious and amazing and I’m not even spending a ton! I found some Z Gallerie couch/chair set for my font room off Facebook Marketplace also. I put them in my SUV in a couple trips (the seller helped me load them 😊) and saved over 50% off retail plus didn’t have to wait for shipping time or pay the really expensive shipping costs!
Last week, I found a Pottery Barn mirror off Facebook Marketplace for only $50 and it retails for $200! Looks brand new.
I’m doing everything I can possibly do MYSELF FIRST, then I have my handyman do what I can’t, which saves me a lot of money, not to mention, I got the house a LOT cheaper because things needed to be fixed!
I’m saving money all around and it’s looking so awesome! 🤩
Lemme show you more step by step, so you can replicate this process for yourself too!!! 💎
Here’s a sneak peek of an example (a quick pic I took just now of the front room I am working on decorating):
Just about everything in that room is used, believe it or not. The couch and chair I got used off Facebook Marketplace, like I mentioned. It came with another chair that I’m using in another area of the house. I just purchased a CB2 rug for only $100 and it retails for $400, to put in that room, again off Marketplace:
The Z Gallerie table there, I paid $200 if memory serves (somewhere around there) and it is $799 retail + like $100 shipping (Sophie Mirrored Console Table). The candle stick is used. The candle is used! haha. The Z Gallerie silver vases on the right side of the photo, I got used for around 70% off of retail.
All the gray pillows and blanket I already had.
Listen, you can HAVE super nice stuff and live like a QUEEN, if you shop around! I’ll prove it.
Here’s an ad I found for a Pottery Barn coffee table. I actually have this one in my home, so I know it well. 😊
They are asking $175 and it retails on the PB website right now for $699 plus shipping and tax:
Just on this ONE purchase, you save $600! 👏 Now imagine for a moment, you do this with EVERYTHING you need to buy!!!
👉 Listen, I’ve always been really good at having super nice stuff on the cheap, and this is how I do it!!!
Shop around.
Do things yourself instead of hiring it out or paying someone else to do it. If you CAN’T do it yourself, have your husband do it or if he’s not good at that sort of thing, hire a handyman. You can find a handyman referral from friends, at your church, or check with real estate agents too. They know who’s good. That’s how I found mine (through my realtor) and he’s amazing!!!
Just search google and places like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, ebay, etc. DAILY to score the things you’re looking for on the cheap!
Start with getting everything you can used and then buy the stuff you need new (but on sale). LAST priority is paying retail for the things you need and use. LAST!!!
You waste money on in-app purchases
In-app purchases are fine for fun, but they are likely not necessary to either play a game or use an app! Save that money for something else and enjoy the free or included content that your app provides.
A good example of this is with my kids and Roblox. They really LOVE that game and spend a lot of the money they earn on it. It’s such a waste of money so I bought them a Sims game and Animal Crossing for their Switch. They really like those games since learning about them and while they may not completely REPLACE Roblox altogether, at least it saves them a LOT of money! 😊
You are buying TOO much in bulk
If you can’t use up all of your bulk purchase, it is money wasted to buy it in bulk! While some things are a better deal when bought in bulk, sometimes the per unit price doesn’t make sense for the larger packaging.
Look at the total amount you’ll save by buying in bulk too. It never ceased to amaze me. My ex-husband will drive half-way across town to save 5¢ a gallon on gas.
Sounds great, right. Saving money is good.
But honestly, the tank holds 13 gallons. At 5¢ a gallon x 13 = a whopping 65¢. Now, let’s use our brains here. 😜 How much money does it take to drive half way across town?
Probably at least 65¢, depending on current gas prices.
See my point. He wasn’t really saving ANYTHING at all. He just THOUGHT he was and maybe that made him feel good about himself, Idk. But it’s more “work”, more time spent on nothingness, and we all only have a certain amount of energy for the day. Once that energy is gone, we’re done. So why not use it to do stuff that ACTUALLY makes a difference?
Sometimes, the amount you’ll save will only be a couple dollars and that may not be worth your time/energy/effort in buying, storing, trying to use up all of it. Plus, if it’s food, buying in bulk can attract things like mice if not stored properly and TO store things properly, you need to spend money into plastic containers, etc. and those things AREN’T cheap. 😬
You need to ask yourself, “Am I REALLY saving money here?”
Even things you THINK you love and you’ll never, ever in a million years, use another brand for the particular item, I’ve often found something that comes along that works better and switch and be stuck with a bulk load of the old stuff. So sometimes, buying in bulk doesn’t make sense. Use your best judgement here and really think it through, to get the best deals.
You don’t meal plan
Not planning your meals often leads to wasted food, unused ingredients, and wasted money. You should have a meal plan in place before ever heading to the store.
If you don’t have a meal planner, I have one free on the blog here (tip: laminate the “dinners this week” printable to save even more). 🥰 You can also learn more about meal planning here.
Be sure as you’re meal planning to use up all the things you currently have before buying new things. For example, if you have 3 cans of tomato sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 can of jalapeno diced tomatoes, all you have to get is noodles and you can make spaghetti that’ll last several meals! If you’re looking for a new spaghetti recipe, here’s the ONLY spaghetti recipe my daughter and I will eat; yup, it’s the best on the planet: no joke! Try it and see for yourself!!!
You procrastinate
Booking last-minute flights and hotels are usually more expensive. If you wait until the last minute to buy things, you are at the mercy of whatever price is available! Sometimes you can snag a last minute deal, but these are rare circumstances.
You really have to use your smarts here too. Because like, take Christmas for example, there ARE a lot of fantastic deals at Christmas-time and Black Friday, etc. but there’s also a lot more competition. Others looking for those same deals and the stock being sold out.
I like to shop for Christmas all through out the year. I feel like I get better deals and don’t have to worry about trying to fight crowds or things being out of stock!
A great example is the other day I was buying something on Z Gallerie and saw a few things that I added into my cart for gifts.
Look at how cute these are and they would make a really GREAT stocking stuffer or gift for a friend.
And since it’s a quality brand, people will think you paid a fortune and they will feel super special. 🥰 Like you’re giving them the most awesome gift in the world. And you know your secret…you only paid a fraction of the price so you CAN GIVE MORE! 💯
Think that’s not a good enough deal? Okay…how ’bout this one:
I bought 4 of these robe sets. They are…WOW!!! They retail at $99 EACH and I only paid $28.97 each. That’s around 75%-ish off retail! I’m saving them out for Christmas presents. I mean, what girl wouldn’t love to have an amazing robe and mask set like that?! SOOO cool!
And the erasers I bought as a gift to share with my daughter. They work really good too (I have the purple one on my desk). They retail for $15.95 and were $11.89 on sale. Not the best savings in the world, truly, but still a really cute thank you gift for her at a fraction of the price and we both love ’em! 🤩
Also, if you DO buy from Z Gallerie a lot (they, Pottery Barn, and CB2 are my favorite companies at the moment), they have a club where you pay a yearly amount (much like Costco) and you get a percentage back on all your purchases. I just bought some Ostrich feathers for a vase that were already on sale AND I used my money earned from previous purchases and ended up getting them free. I just had to pay shipping.
Maybe that won’t apply to you and that’s totally fine. The point is that the places you DO shop at, most likely have some sort of savings system set up and you just need to dig a little to be able to find it and save more!
Maybe you shop at Target a lot. If you get their Red Card, you save 5% off all your purchases and get free shipping on orders over $35 (saving you time in the store, less impulse buying, and gas money!) If you bring your own reusable bag to Target, they pay you 5¢ per bag they use that is your recyclable one.
Wherever you go, there are deals. You just have to look for them!! 💎
You still pay for ATM fees
You are literally paying the bank to take your own money out if you do this! Stop using another bank and find one closer to you or change banks if your current one isn’t close enough.
Another idea is using Paypal’s debit card. I’ve been with Paypal since they opened because I been selling on ebay for 24 years now and I really LOVE my Paypal debit cards. It’s like a checking account and I can get cash off of it from an ATM and not have to pay Paypal to do so.
On occasion maybe the bank I’m getting the money FROM has charged me a small fee, but that’s not usually the case. It’s usually YOUR bank charging those fees and Paypal doesn’t charge for it (at least, they don’t right now). 😂
You choose convenience over savings
Sometimes convenience is a good thing, but if you’re really looking for savings, things like chopping your own melons or cutting your own bread can save you tons of money.
My kids really the crackers Lunchables, but you can literally buy a box of Ritz crackers, some deli meat and cheese for SOOO much cheaper.
Think about all the things you can do to save money like that. Really think through your purchases!
You only shop at one store
This isn’t always a bad thing; it can limit your impulse purchases and get your shopping done fast. However, sometimes it’s worth visiting multiple stores to get the best deals. Check out their flyers online and see how many items you need from each store and if it’s worth a visit.
If you eat a lot of one thing, you can stock up on it. Just make sure to follow the tips in the sections above to make sure you’re not going overboard or wasting money in either gas or buying too much of something.
This isn’t just limited to stores too. Think of it with everything you do. For example, this week, I needed my sprinklers turned on at the outside valve. We’re in a new house this year, so I have no idea where the box outside even is! I talked to my lawn care company and they want 70 bucks just to come out and turn it on. Wait…WHAT?! To turn a stinkin’ dial? You have GOT to be kidding me!!!! 🤯
To say I got frustrated, is a massive understatement. But I didn’t take it lying down. I called my local handyman (that I really love to work with- he does quite a bit for me in this new house) and asked him to help. He spent about 30 mins trying to figure it out. We didn’t actually get it figured out but it happened that I was just asking the previous owners where it was and they offered to come by and turn it on for me! WOW. So nice, right?!
So, the previous owner showed me where it was and turned it on and now I know for next time. Now THIS TIME, it saved me about $40 (my handyman is $60/hour so $30 for half an hour and it would have been $70). PLUS, next time, now it’ll only take a few minutes because I know exactly what to do and where it is. I am paying attention!
Not only that but while I was here outside with the handyman, my fertilizer lawn care guy came by and because I was right there and ready, he did some extra work for me FOR FREE that I talked to the first company about doing (the one that wanted to charge me $70 to turn on my sprinklers; well they wanted $60-$80 to spray all my rock beds and concrete sidewalks with weed killer) and the guy showed up and did all THAT for free for me! 💎👏 So just in this one instance, I saved $40 PLUS the $60-$80 for the weed beds, which just happened to happen.
Listen, God is sovereign okay, and as we strive to spend HIS money wisely, He will honor that! It’s not JUST saving a little bit here and there, it actually adds up even MORE because He is good to us, loves us, and blesses our humble, obedient hearts. 💖
The more you TRY to do your absolute best, even though many things might fail and crash and burn, your loving Father sees that and He will honor your attempts! You can find hope that He will bless your faithful commitment and obedience, even when things seem to not go right. They will eventually get better and He will help! Just keep trying your absolute best. That’s all He asks. 🥰
