Want some great tips on how to save money this month?
With three girls I know just how fast the bills can stack up.
That’s why in this post, I’ve asked some of the smartest ladies on the web to share their best ways to save $500 to $1800 per month.
But here’s the thing…
These aren’t your typical “fluff” tips. Follow this guide and you really will save some big bucks. 🙂
Our tips come from…
The Average American Spends About $992.00 on Christmas Presents!
Yep. It’s hard to believe but people shell out a serious amount of dough for Christmas presents. If you start using our tips now you could save money and avoid the post-Christmas crunch! It’s never too early to plan.
Extreme Couponing
I remember being a child and watching my mom cut out coupons at the dining room table. She knew how important it was to save money and she was great at it. Her efforts translated into family vacations and fantastic holidays on a moderate income.
Needless to say I have a strong connection to managing funds so you can enjoy the best parts of life.
So what if I told you there was a way to slash your grocery shopping bill by at least 50%!?
…maybe more?
Money Crashers has a fantastic guide on “extreme couponing”. They were able to cut their spending by as much as 88.43%!??
Don’t get me wrong, to obtain the kind of savings achieved in his article you have to be committed, but the monetary rewards are most definitely worth it.
With a little planning, you could save $385.00 per month or more on your household purchases alone.
The Average American Family Spends $770.00 Per Month on Food!
According to the Simple Dollar, this is how much a family of 4 spends on food. So if you want to save some serious cash in this department, extreme couponing is an awesome tool.
Guide to Extreme Couponing – $385.00 OR MORE!
Prepared Meals!
How many of you fly by the seat of your pants when it comes to meal planning and preparation?
Guilty!
Our family used to do this as well. You know the scene. Everyone’s home late, the kids are running around, life is stressful and guess what?? There is nothing in the house except eggs, milk and some stale bread. Whomp, whomp.
Now what?
Call up the local Thai restaurant of course for some super easy delivery to your door!
Nope. Don’t do it says Rosemarie Groner, The Busy Budgeter.
The easiest way that I know to save money quickly is to reduce your grocery budget. Most people spend much more than they need to here and can cut $100-$500/month with little effort. The best way to do this for a short time is to switch to pre-prepared meals. We make 74 healthy freezer meals in about 3 hours on a weekend, which lets us spend about $100/week on groceries and eliminates dinner stress. Plus, we’re eating healthy foods like steak, chicken, sweet potatoes, and vegetables instead of the usual dishes heavy on cream and sauce that we prefer.
How Much Does Your Food Really Cost?
The Simple Dollar did a cost comparison for grabbing meals outside of the home vs. making them from scratch. I think you will be shocked by the difference in cost.
Trent estimates that eating out costs approximately $13.00 per person, whereas eating at home costs only about $4.00. With a little planning, he managed to get that figure down to a mere $2.00 per meal per person!
It’s amazing to see how much of an impact eating out has on your bottom line.
So, let’s say you eat out with a family of four once per week. That’s about $208.00 per month and this doesn’t count lunches when you’re at work. So cutting out restaurants could save you $144.00 per month if you were to use Trent’s average numbers.
If you use Rosemarie’s freezer plan alone (because you always make your own food) you could easily save $180.00 per month with little or no effort. Wow! Just think what you could save with some real elbow grease.
Leave Your Plastic At Home & Shop with Cash
How many times have you been shopping, only to be lured into purchasing something you absolutely didn’t need?
Come on! Be honest, it’s happened to us all and unfortunately the plastic in our wallets makes it all too easy to access things that we should not purchase.
My solution? Use cash instead of credit.
Yep! This is an awesome tip that will help you keep impulse spending at bay.
A package of cookies here, some pastries there and maybe even some pre-made meals to make our lives “easier” can easily tack on $20.00 or more per weekly shopping trip.
Leaving the credit cards behind and using cash has saved Brenda and me about $80.00 per month since we implemented this policy.
Credit Cards Are Evil
Ok, maybe that’s a little bit of an overstatement, but you know what I mean. With high-interest rates short term gain means long term pain.
According to Nerd Wallet, the average American family has more than 15K of credit card debt!
Waste Not Want Not!
The average American family throws away an incredible $2000 per year in spoiled food! This is about 20% of all the food you purchase or an shocking $166.00 per month!
Whaaaat? To say nothing about the moral implications of wasting food – you are basically burning cash each and every month.
So do you see a trend here? Planning is essential if you truly want to save money. Make sure that you schedule your meals before you leave the house to go shopping.
ABOVE ALL BE REALISTIC: We all think we can do more than is possible. I don’t know about you, but when I’m fueled with caffeine I feel superhuman…then comes the crash. Ha!
If you are in doubt and think that cilantro won’t last three days until you make a curry – then put off the purchase until you really need it.
Adopt the European approach to food and go shopping every few days for fruit, vegetables, herbs, fish and meat. It’s a much better way to make sure that things don’t go off before you use them.
Planning leads to more money in your pocket and less waste.
Eat Real Food & Save $ On Trips to the Doctor!
Real food is real healthy! Processed garbage is an expensive habit in the long run. The most valuable thing you have is your health. Remember what they say. An Apple a Day Keeps the doctor away.
100 Days Of Real Food – $166.00 OR MORE!
Calling All Cell Phone Users
Call or use the internet to get several quotes on your cell phone. By looking at our options at the end of each contract period, I’ve been able to keep our bill at super low rates for more than 10 years. Ting for our cell phones is $70-$85 a month instead of the $150+ a month we were paying with Sprint. Crystal Stemberger, Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
Is your cell phone plan the cheapest for your needs? Are you watching your data and talk time?
I think most people are unaware if they have the best deal available and this changes from time to time.
The average cell bill is $100.00 per month with 13% of customers paying up to $200.00 per month!
So let’s say you eat through data and love using your cell phone. A $150.00 bill per month would not be out of the question.
Crystal Stemberger of Budgeting in the Fun Stuff thinks you can probably reduce one or more of your monthly bills by the end of the week. She was able to reduce hers by $65.00!
Wearing A Sweater Saves Some Serious Cash
Brenda and I are pretty lucky to be living in sunny San Diego. Thankfully, cold blustery weather is pretty rare – but for those of you get all four seasons – this tip is for you!
Did you know that you can save 3% on your heating bill for every degree you lower the thermostat? Most people keep the temperature at a toasty 75 degrees.
If you were to lower it to 72 degrees you would save 9% on your total heating bill!
Let’s go even further if you pay $150.00 per month and you were to lower the thermostat to 68 degrees and wear a sweater it would save you $31.50 per month.
Now that’s a reason to layer up.
Have a Water Heater – Turn It Down!
Wanna reduce your water heating bill by up to 10%? Simple. Turn it down a notch. It’s usually set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit and this is far more than most people need. Dial down to 120 degrees and voila!
Popular Mechanics: Tips to Winterize Your Home
Thrifty Way to Save on Clothing
Did you know the average American family spends about $2000.00 per year on clothing? If your kids belong to a sports team, this figure will jump even higher!
We are in complete agreement with top family blogger Scarlet Paolicchi:
My best tip for saving cash before the end of the year is shop thrift stores. You may want to try a few different thrift stores in various parts of town to find the one that has the best quality stuff.
Kids under 10 don’t know or care if it is brand new, so go save a ton of money that way on your Christmas shopping. You can get a whole new wardrobe for your growing child at the thrift store for the same price as a new outfit at retail prices.
Brenda and I found out a long time ago that you can save 50% on your clothing and expenses and MORE if you learn to shop smart.
So how do we personally save money on clothes?
First of all, we never buy clothing that is not on sale. Why pay top dollar when the sales racks have tons of bargains? It’s like giving your money away.
Secondly, consignment/thrift stores hold a world of wonder for those willing to wear gently used clothes.
Finally, hand me downs are the bomb. Yep with three girls we definitely learned to repurpose our clothes.
All things considered, this is one of favorite ways to save money.
$80.00 OR MORE PER PERSON
Blend Your Own Baby Food
Do you have a baby? If so, you know just how expensive feeding your bambino can be.
Formula is unbelievably costly. You may be looking at as much as $100.00 per month. Breastfeeding for longer can take it off your ledger altogether, so there is a lot of monetary incentive to continue for as long as you can.
Baby food is costly too. Up to $100.00 per month depending in the quality of the food.
We made our own baby food and were able to save money.
Mint Life broke down the numbers to illustrate the savings. It appears that organic homemade baby food is about 45% cheaper than store bought organic baby food.
That’s a savings of about $45!
An added bonus is, if you make your own organic baby food, you know exactly where the ingredients are coming from and you can source them wisely.
Above all, our kid’s health is what’s important and there is no better food than wholesome homemade food.
The Average American Family Spends 12K on their Baby the 1st Year
Babies are EXPENSIVE. But there are tons of ways to save money. 51 Ways to Save Up for Baby!$45.00 OR MORE!
Christmas In July?
Shop early but keep receipts. This ensures you don’t miss out on that #1 toy on your child’s list and that you won’t have to pay a high price from a retailer such as eBay because it is out of stock everywhere else. Keeping your receipts is important because many stores will price match and price adjust your item if it goes on sale.
Cherise Kachelmuss, Mom and More
We’ve all seen the Christmas in July ads.
The first time I became aware of them, I was like Whaaaat? It’s Summertime, can’t the marketers give us a break?
But to be frank, my thoughts have changed quite substantially. You can save money if you go shopping before the big holiday push.
In fact, we go even further. Brenda and I wait until the January sales to buy one another gifts. This saves us up to 50% on presents. We have found this can be done for the kids too with enough planning.
Total monthly savings for us has been about $70.00 per month.
Consequently, our Christmas bills are substantially lighter 😉
Swap Cable for Netflix
Two years ago we ousted cable, opting instead for Netflix. Truth be told, we love it and will never look back.
Cable is a luxury not a necessity. Hey, I feel you. We miss HBO as much as the next family.
But what is it REALLY worth to you?
Let’s look at the numbers. The average American pays $100.00 per month for cable and Netflix costs a meager $9.99.
That’s a savings of about $90.00 per month, which is a no brainer for the Huntley family.
Shibley Smiles has an awesome post about cutting the cord to save money.
The Average American Adult Watches 35 Hours of TV Per WEEK!
Yep, you heard me right. This means that watching TV is almost a full-time job!
True Story! $90.00 OR MORE!
Get Your Side Hustle On
My top money saving tip is to find a way to make extra money. Whether you ask for additional hours at work, find a part-time job, start a side business, or something else, there are many ways to make extra money.
Plus, you have the time to find ways to make extra money, even if you think otherwise. The average person watches an average of 35 hours of TV a week, and loses time in many other ways as well, such as spending time on social media. You should find where you are wasting your time and instead use that towards making extra money so that you can save more money.
I cannot say enough about side hustle. You may have seen the figures I quoted for the average American’s TV time.
35 HOUR PER WEEK!!!???
Yep. If you decided to work instead of vegging in front of the TV, you could hold down another full-time job.
Although these numbers may sound shocking, Brenda and I were even more baffled by how quickly they pile up when you start monitoring your behaviors.
If you find you are short on money, why not pick up a part-time job to make some extra cash?
If you made $15.00 per hour, working 10 hours per week (allowing 25 hours for TV) you would make all the money you need for the holidays in less than 6 months.
$150.00 OR MUCH MUCH MORE
Generic Drugs Save You a Bundle
Do you or someone in your family depend on regular medication? If so, you know just how expensive it can be.
You can save some serious money by going generic. According to the FDA, the average cost of generic drugs is 80 – 85% cheaper than their name brand counterparts.
So let’s say you suffer from hypothyroidism and take Synthroid (the brand name). This would cost you about $35.00 per month. The generic version would cost you about $3.35 per month! That’s a savings of nearly $32.00 per month.
The difference really is staggering! I wish more people knew this so that they could decide what’s best for them based on need and finances.
$32.00 OR MORE!
Diet & Exercise is Healing, Which Can Save Money
Don’t forget, lifestyle plays a huge role when it comes to your health. Far too many people live sedentary lifestyles which contribute substantially to circulatory problems, diabetes and more. I personally turned around my health with a strict diet and exercise program. You can do it too! If you are looking for life insurance, I wrote a great article helping you understand how your health can save you money on life insurance by qualifying for a better health classification. Click below.
The Importance of Knowing Life Insurance Health Classifications
Download Coupon Apps!
Download free coupon and deals apps on your phone before you go shopping so you can get the most bang for your buck. We’re all busy, so it can be hard to find time to look through paper flyers and clip coupons out of newspapers. Mobile apps will do all of that and more for you these days.
Chonce, My Debt Epiphany
Chonce has some very specific suggestions for those of you that want to use apps:
“If you like to shop at Target, the Cartwheel app is a must and the cashier can scan coupons directly from your phone and knock money off your final total.
Flipp is another app that gathers digital flyers and weekly circulars so you can compare deals straight from your phone.
Ibotta is also very popular because it allows you to earn money back from your purchases. With Ibotta, you take a picture of your receipt, then you receive rewards and cashback.”
It’s easy and the best part about these apps is that you can generate savings while on the go.”
Brenda and I have decided to check it out.
How much you save truly depends on how much you shop at the locations that have the apps, but I am fairly certain that you will be able to knock off at least $30.00 per month by using these apps.
Balancing Finances & Motherhood
Chonce is a freelance writer who’s obsessed with frugality and passionate about helping others to increase their savings rate, eliminate debt, and work toward financial stability.
$30.00 OR MORE!
YouTube DIY!
How much do you spend per year on home maintenance? Fixing the deck, windows or repairing appliances is expensive.
Many people recommend the 1% rule when estimating how much it will cost to keep up with home-related repairs.
If you have a house that’s worth $300,000, that would be about $3,000 in repairs per year. For obvious reasons this figure waxes and wanes depending on life circumstances. For example, you may have one year where nothing needs to be replaced followed by another where you have to replace your roof!
Although Sometimes You Do Need a Pro
Brenda and I found out long ago that DIY is your friend. Don’t misquote me though. There are obviously times when you need to consult a professional.
Plumbing and I do not mix. That being said there are a ton of things you can do yourself that will save a bundle.
A great example was when my dishwasher was not working properly.
One day after a full cycle our glassware still looked cloudy. So I decided to take a few minutes to search YouTube. It became clear that the dishwasher needed to be cleaned out.
I found a video that described the process to clean our particular model and within 60 minutes the dishwasher was running perfectly saving us $125.00 in repairs.
How much you could save per year really depends on how handy you are.
In short, if you feel comfortable with a toolbox you could realistically save 1/3 of your home maintenance costs which would turn out to be about $83.00 per month.
It’s Worth Getting a Pro for some DIY
If you are thinking about painting rooms on your own, you may want to think again. After buying materials you might shell out almost as much as you would to hire someone. A pro costs approximately $235 plus tax vs $176 plus for your DIY project (12×12 space). Hmmm…is the savings worth it? Click below for more information on making the right choice.
Do It Yourself or Hire a Pro? $83.00 OR MORE!
Life-Saving Life Insurance Tip – Staggering Term Maturities
Did you know that you can save 10% – 70% on your life insurance premiums if you use an independent agent? Imagine going car shopping needing something affordable and dependable, but every dealership you visited only sold Mercedes…
That’s what happens if you work with a “captive” insurance agent, an agent who only sells policies for one insurance company. Most agents for State Farm, Farmers, and Northwestern Mutual are captive. If you go to a State Farm agent, he or she will only be able to sell you a State Farm policy, even if another company has a cheaper alternative. hmmmm….makes you think, doesn’t it?
Examine Your Future Needs
People are always asking me for tips to save money on life insurance – and yes you need some if you don’t already have it! It’s baffling to me when families with young children don’t carry life insurance, when in fact there are few things that are more important.
One of the best pieces of advice I have to offer is to stagger your term maturities. This can save you 10% – 30% on your premiums. If you believe you need to be insured for a longer-term such as 20 or 30 years, typically you may not need the full amount of coverage for the entire time.
For example, let’s say you have a $500,000 policy for 20 years to help pay off your mortgage and other debts, chances are, 10 years down the line, your mortgage balance will be much lower as well as your debts.
To save money, instead of buying a single $500,000, 20-year term policy, you can purchase two separate policies totaling $500,000, by using a shorter term and a longer-term. For example, you might opt to purchase a 10-year policy for $250,000 and a 20-year policy for $250,000.
If you need to protect your family with life insurance, or even if you already own life insurance check out the savings tips we shared in our guide: 25 Best Ways to Save 50% (or More) On Life Insurance.
Chris Huntley
Tough medical issues? Save up to 73% on life insurance by working with Huntley Wealth. From bad hearts to missing parts, we’ve got you covered. Give us a call to save you 10% – 70% on your life insurance. We’re not just independent agents; we are savings pros.
$50.00 **MORE OR LESS – Based on 33 Year Non-Smoking Old Male in Preferred health with 500k in coverage with 20 Year Level Term
Take a Stroll with Your Stroller and Give the Gym a Miss
Who needs a gym when you have the great outdoors?
I think far too many people clock in mindless workouts in a fitness center when they don’t have to.
Do you live close to a park? Go for a nature walk or run. If you have a baby that is stroller age, this would be even more of a workout. Running strollers allow parents to tote their kiddies while getting some great cardio.
Check ’em out. It’s something to think about when you purchase your baby gear.
The average gym membership in the US is approximately $50.00 and you could save money simply by quitting. Initially, you may miss it, but over time you will see the value of spending time outdoors.
Aim for 75 Minutes of Vigorous Exercise Per Week
Yep we are not meant to live sedentary lifestyles. Pounding away at the computer for hours is the norm, but it doesn’t make it healthy. Click below to read a piece in the New York Times about how we are born to move. Get fit, lose some weight and you may even save 25% on your life insurance premiums!
$50.00 MORE OR LESS
Buckets o’ Money
A money bucket is just an online only savings account that allows you to easily save and measure your money, like rain in a bucket. The beauty of having an online only savings account is you can create as many categories or buckets as you want or need. I have one for my travel, one for my house and one for a car. You could have one for birthdays, vacations and if you are a mommy, you might have one labeled sports for your kids’ activities. Open as many savings accounts as you would like and then name them so that you would know exactly what the money is earmarked for.
Stop the Slow Drip of Funds
I absolutely LOVE this tip. Brenda and I started to implement it as soon as Tiffany sent it in.
“Catching” your money before it leaks out of your wallet is key.
I speak from experience. With 3 young daughters, it’s all too easy to buy things impulsively. Who hasn’t had their child look up at them with plaintive eyes and say “But Mommy (insert Daddy – they are interchangeable) I really, really want x-toy!”. Sigh.
We all want to give our children the world – but there are priorities. This year we are starting money buckets for a trip to Disney and our family vacation.
Brenda and I have also decided to include the girls in the planning, so when they don’t get exactly what they want they can see how it affects the money buckets. It’s a direct line to their contribution to family fun.
This month we saved $40.00 of superfluous spending! Cheers Tiffany.
Scrutinize Your Internet Bill
Note: If you are looking to stream HD videos in multiple rooms, this tip may not be for you.
…but if you are like most people you are watching Netflix with the kids, having a gold standard internet connection may mean you are chucking cash out the window.
Do some research and I guarantee you will be able to find a great deal.
The key is competition. There are always companies looking to establish a customer base.
For example, if you have fiber optic internet service you could be spending up to $140.00 per month.
If you are willing to consider DSL high-speed internet Netzero is offering plans starting at $26.95 per month that include your modem, firewall, and free Norton Antivirus.
This is a potential savings of up to $116.00 per month!
It really depends on your personal needs, but the savings are well worth looking into.
Toddlers Should Have No More Than 1 Hour of Screen Time
In our changing world screen time takes up a lot more of our day than one would think. New recommendations for Toddlers ask parents to curb their time to 1 hour. Get outside and play! Click below to read more.
$116.00
Save Money By Avoiding BOGOs and Bulk Purchases
So what if I told you there was a way to slash your grocery shopping bill by at least 50%!?
…maybe more?
Money Crashers has a fantastic guide on “extreme couponing”. They were able to cut their spending by as much as 88.43%!??
Don’t get me wrong, to obtain the kind of savings achieved in his article you have to be committed, but the monetary rewards are most definitely worth it.
With a little planning you could save $385.00 per month, or more on your household purchases alone.
Who isn’t lured into a “buy one get one free” sale? Come on, we’ve all been there.
But if you sit down and do the math, quite often you are getting the short end of the stick.
Stores are nobody’s fool. Often the cost of the “free” item is simply added to the product you are buying.
The issue that comes to play, is you are getting something you simply don’t need or wouldn’t have purchased anyway. If the item is perishable and it spoils…what’s the point? This is especially true when you buy bulk.
Brenda and I originally thought that purchasing large quantities of items we needed at Costco would save us loads of money. The truth is, this was not always the case. Sometimes we would burn out on that awesome seaweed snack, yet we still had another 40 packages cluttering up our cabinets.
We stopped doing this when we started to get overrun by boxes and containers.
$20.00 is the figure we saved. To be determined by your personal habits
Go No ‘Poo
Yep you heard me right. Haircare products are expensive and many even contain some seriously scary chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic.
This tip is obviously not for everyone, but I have a cousin who went from a hair product addict to no ‘poo and swears by it.
So what is no poo?
Basically, you give up shampooing your hair with over the counter brands.
My cousin uses baking soda to loosen dirt and apple cider vinegar to condition. This method costs only cents per month.
It is estimated that going no ‘poo on average costs about $4.00 per month for her family.
The Average Person Spends $1,800 at Salons!
Wisebread wrote a very interesting post about this. It’s hard to believe how much we spend on personal care. Obviously, there’s lots of room for savings here! Click below to read more.
$56.00 OR MORE!
Create Your Meal Plans & Shopping List Based on Sale Items
Clipping coupons is a tedious task and not always ideal for busy moms like me. To ensure that I’m still saving money on my groceries, I look through the store circulars and base my shopping list on the sale items for that week and stock up when there are meat deals, repackage into freezer bags and pop them into the freezer for later use.
Brenda and I completely agree with Melissa Hagen about this.
We just started to plan and freeze our meals for ease and savings. Check out Rosemarie Groner’s tip above, it’s gonna help us to save a bundle.
Before we started this plan we would sit down on Sunday night with a list and plan out what we would have the coming week. Brenda would always scout the local deals and this would strongly influence what we made that week.
If you know there is an incredible sale on pork chops – it makes perfect sense to incorporate them into your planning.
We average about $30.00 per month doing by planning. I am sure this figure could be much larger with the proper execution.
Calendar of Overall Savings
$1,849.50 in Savings Tips!!!!
#1 Extreme Couponing
Save some serious money – with some serious effort.
$385.00+
#2 Pre-Prepared Meals
Planning is key. Freeze meals for the coming week.
$180.00+
#3 Ditch the Cards
Bring cash to avoid impulse purchases!
$80.00+
#4 Eliminate Food Waste
Manage your food shopping to avoid waste.
$166.00+
#5 Cut Cell Phone Bill
Check out competing companies for a better deal.
$65.00+
#6 Keep the Thermostat at 68!
Keep the temperature at 68 and wear a sweater!
$31.50+
#7 Go Thrifting
Second hand clothes are the bomb!
$80.00+
#8 Make Your Own Baby Food
Whip up your own and save! Even if it’s organic.
$45.00+
#9 Christmas in July
Shop before the holiday season and save!
$70.00+
#10 Cut Cable Get Netflix
Yeah HBO is great but is it really worth the price?
$90.00+
#11 Side Hustle
Get a second job and sock away the cash!
$150+
#12 Buy Generic Medication
Sooo much cheaper than the name brands!
$32.00+
#13 Use Coupon Apps
Simplifies your life if you are looking to save!
$30.00+
#14 You Tube – DIY
Some projects you can do yourself to save big!
$83.00+
#15 Layer Your Life Insurance
You may not need 500k, 10 years into a 20 year policy.
$50.00+
#16 Quit the Gym
Work out in the great outdoors. It’s amazing!
$50.00+
#17 Set up Savings Buckets
Stop the slow monetary drip by using savings buckets.
$40.00+
#18 Compare Your Internet
Competing companies often offer great rates.
$116.00
#19 Avoid BOGOS & Bulk
Unfortunately the offers often aren’t as good as they appear.
$20.00+
#20 Ditch the Shampoo
Luxury shampoo and conditioner. Ditch ’em.
$56.00+
#21 Shopping Lists
Create them with sale items in mind!
$30.00
*While we make every effort to keep our site updated, please be aware that "timely" information on this page, such as quote estimates, or pertinent details about companies, may only be accurate as of its last edit day. Huntley Wealth & Insurance Services and its representatives do not give legal or tax advice. Please consult your own legal or tax adviser.
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