30 Easy Ways to Save Money Every Month

Managing your household budget can be challenging. Check out these 30 Simple Ways To Save Money Every Month. Some are easier than you think!

30 Easy Ways to Save Money Every Month

Managing your family budget can be tough. It seems like there is always a new expense. However, being frugal and watching where you spend money each month can lead to dramatic savings over the long run.

It's true what they say, being organized saves time and money,

Let's look at 30 Simple Ways to Save Money Every Month around your house.

Get Rid Of Cable

Nowadays, there are several choices outside of your cable company to stream your favorite channels at a much lower cost. It's worth your time to investigate and see if you could be saving every month.

Check this guide to see what some of the cheaper alternatives are to cable TV.

Use the Library for Books and Movies

The library is an amazing resource for books and DVDs to watch for you and the kids.

Kids love to browse the shelves and find books and movies at the library. Plus, if they want something that is unavailable, you can request the title, and it’s waiting for you next time you go.

Our advice is only to buy books you truly love and use the library for new and exciting ones whenever you need them. You also have the download option, so you can read on your device.

Also, libraries often provide free entertainment for your young ones that can be just as good as the entertainment you pay for like toddler music or exercise classes. 

Review Your Cell Phone Bill

The reality is you could be overpaying for your cell phone service on a monthly basis. It's a good idea to review your bill and ask a customer service representative if you're on the right plan.

To save even more, consider going with a smaller cellular carrier.

Cut Hair at Home

Invest in a hair trimmer, and it pays for itself after 2 uses!

If you have boys, this can be very economical and take the stress out of heading to the salon every month or so with your kids in toe.

Use Ebates

Why not get cashback for shopping at the stores you normally go to? Target, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, and Overstock all pay you cashback to shop with them.

It’s easy to sign up, and you get a check depending on how much you spend on your regular purchases.

Try Ebates and see how easy it is!

Shop in Bulk

This one you have to manage wisely. Buying in bulk can be a bad investment if it's not something you need and you're just buying it because it's a good deal or you think it looks tasty.

If your family is large enough, buy commodity items in bulk. Milk, eggs, toilet paper, and soap are all good to buy in large quantities, but skip the large bag of chips if you can!

Bring a Lunch

Think about it.

A typical lunch out during work can cost between $8 and $10 per meal, and let's assume you can make lunch for around $3.

If you can save $5 on lunch every day by bringing it from home, you can save up to $1,200 per year ($ x 240 workdays per year).

Related: The Best Meal Prep Containers

This way, you'll be well on your way to saving for your emergency fund or our next vacation in no time!

Meal Plan

Meal planning is one of the smartest things you can do to manage and stick to your budget.

If you have a plan, you are less likely to stop for fast food, make bad food choices, or head to the store more than once a week.

The fun part? Get the kids involved and have them pick a meal to make every week! They'll enjoy being included in the process.

Shop the Dollar Store to Look for Ways to Save Money

Dollar stores are great for non-perishables, seasonal items, party favors, and home decor.

Can you believe these succulents came from the dollar store? You’d never know!!

Every year we enjoy a spooky good time by getting the kids some Halloween decorations to put in the yard and around the house.

Refill Ink Cartridges

Printer ink can be really expensive.

Did you know you can bring your empty ink cartridges to Costco, and they will refill them for a fraction of the cost? Like $8 compared to $45 for a new cartridge!

That's our kind of savings. Not to mention it saves the environment as well.

Shop Used

A great way to save money is to shop second-hand at thrift shops or look for deals in online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace.

Cook Once, Eat Twice

It's much cheaper to buy something on sale and pop it in the crockpot and have it for several meals.

Mexican chicken makes great tacos, salads, or burritos.

Pulled Pork makes great nachos, sliders, or tostadas.

This saves time and energy...and makes life that much easier. Check out these other tips and tricks for saving time around the house.

Teach Kids to Turn Off Lights and Electronics

You may feel like your parents when you tell your kids to turn off the lights when they leave a room and electronics when not in use, but life does come full circle 🙂

Make it fun! Create a jar that houses the coins your kids will have to pay when they leave items on. Use it for a family night when it's full.

And don't stop there. Really become your parents and tell them to shut the refrigerator door once they're done!

Every little bit helps!

Make Your Own Coffee

It may take a couple more minutes in the morning, but brewing your own cup of coffee versus buying it is such an easy way to save money.

Think about how much you spend on each cup and how much that adds up over a month. We imagine it could be as much as $50 per month.

Turn Your Heat Off at Night

Now, this may not work for everyone because temps vary depending on your location, but in milder climates during the winter, don't use your heat while you're sleeping. Or at least turn it down.

Pile on the blankets instead, and you'll sleep better.

Set the heat is set to come on just before you wake up to bring the temperature back up.

This not only saves on our energy bill, but it's healthier for you too!

You can also invest in a new smart thermostat, like Nest, which learns how best to moderate the temperatures in your house based on your movement throughout the house - very cool!

Eat at Home

Yes, life is busy, and it's easy to stop and grab something on the way home but resist the urge to eat out.

This is an absolute must in order to cut your costs on a monthly basis.

Plus, it’s healthier to cook whole, unprocessed food for the family.

Only Do Full Loads of Laundry

We know this sounds simple, but it does take a little thought to plan ahead and not just wash whatever's in the hamper.

It can save on your water and electricity bill, so it's worth it. It's just as expensive to run a load that's half full, so why not save on energy and only wash full loads.

Washing certain loads in cold water will also help your keep your energy bill down.

Don’t buy Bottled Water

It's not only bad for the planet, but it costs a lot of money to buy bottled water day in and day out.

The solution? Buy each of your kids and yourself water bottles you fill up when you go out, so you don’t need to buy water. It saves the environment and money!

Trade Pet Sitting

This one is great when you have a pet.

When you’re going out of town, instead of paying to board your dog or cat, try trading with a friend or neighbor. It saves a ton of money with little effort on your part.

Shop With a List

Heading to the store unprepared can be disastrous for your grocery bill.

You come away with items that look good, but you didn't exactly need them. Having a plan and sticking to your list helps you buy less and keep impulse purchases to a minimum.

Grab yourself a countertop assistant, like Amazon Echo, which is a simple and easy way to keep your shopping list up to date. Then access it on your phone when you're at the store.

Plus, she's full of other useful tricks too.

Never Pay Full-Price When Looking for Ways to Save Money

Whether it’s clothing, pictures, electronics, or kid shoes, you never need to pay full price.

Watch for sales or wait for coupons and then make our purchase. We never pay the ticket price for our back-to-school clothes or shoes.

Shopping sales usually helps get the Christmas shopping done early, too!

Shop Off-Season

It’s great when things start going on clearance, and you can get a swimsuit for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Or when you need a winter coat and can purchase it at the end of the previous season, you can get a steal.

With a little planning, you can really save a lot of money.

This tactic works really well when your kids are young. Look for out-of-season items that are on sale in a larger size and save them for your kids when the season rolls around again.

Plant a Garden

Even without a green thumb, you can plant a garden that will grow beautiful produce.

It's so fresh and flavorful...and way less expensive than the organic produce you can buy from the store or farmer's market.

Tip: Have your kids pitch in and keep it watered so it's a family project that everyone enjoys.

Buy Generic

With the exception of a few notable items (Nestle chocolate Chips come to mind), the generic version is usually just as good but a lot less than the name-brand equivalent.

All that marketing costs money, so save a few pennies by buying generic both at the grocery store and wholesalers like Costco.

Have a Bi-Monthly Pantry Party

There are probably a few canned or packaged items in your pantry or frozen items in your freezer you forgot about.

Take a week every other month and do a pantry party.

Don't do any shopping....get creative...use what you have on hand to plan your meals. You may be surprised at what you can come up with for a tasty recipe when you can use only items you have on hand.

We've made some great meals with a package of Lipton soup pushed way back in the cupboard!

Use Your Crockpot

It's super easy and very economical to use your crockpot to cook family meals. Plus, it's so nice to turn on the crockpot in the morning and have dinner waiting for you at the end of a long day.

Some of our favorite recipes are made with our crockpot like pulled pork, which is great to cook once and eat twice. Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken that has flavor galore. 

Nowadays, slow cookers are inexpensive too, so investing in one will save you money in the long run.

More Economical Crockpot Recipes

• Crockpot Tater Tot Casserole
• Healthy Crockpot Taco Soup
• Crockpot White Chicken Chili
• Crockpot Vegetable Lasagna

Install LED Bulbs

LED light bulbs use 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Switch out the most widely used bulbs in your home. Then, replace the rest as they burn out. Often you can find LED bulbs at a steep discount at your local bulb store because of energy rebates that are likely available.

Tip: By replacing your home's five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with models that have earned the Energy Star, you can save $75 each year!

Lower Your Water Heater’s Temperature

More than 10% of your home's electricity bills go toward heating water.

So, setting your water heater to 120° will reduce your energy expenditure—and lessen the risk of scalds, especially if you have small children in the house.

Close Your Curtains

Cut down on your air conditioning use by closing curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your house. For example, if your bedroom gets sun all afternoon, by shutting the curtains, you keep the room much cooler, and you'll run the air conditioning or fan much less.

This also works in the winter. Keeping curtains or blinds closed helps keep drafts out and heat in. Therefore, cutting your heating bills down.

What are some of the ways you Save Money each month?