30+ Money Saving Tips

I consider myself a frugal person. I like to save money in ways people may not have thought about. For instance, I don’t buy dog treats, I buy a giant bag of baby carrots ; it’s multi-use and healthier! Whether you’re saving money to use as a down payment on a house, or you want those cute shoes you saw at the mall, i’m sure some of these money saving tips will be of use to you!

1. Price Match – I have this app on my phone called Flipp and I can see all the flyers that are local to me! Walmart takes Flipp flyers when price matching, so just tap on the item you want to price match before shopping, and then show it to the clerk at check-out!
2. Extended Warranty – opt out. The chance your TV is going to die in the first year is extremely low. So low that the 89.99$ extended warranty fee is a huge money grab by companies. Same with Ipods, tablets, and other electronics.
3. Soda – I know some people who need their Pepsi to fuel their day, but switch to water! Coffee is actually even cheaper. Soda is so expensive, and really unhealthy.
4. Juice – Kids like juice, but it doesn’t mean they need to drink juice 24/7. Use juice as a treat, and when they do get some, water it down 50%.
5. Laundry – Do laundry after the peak hours. Check out your local hydro’s website (or call them) to see when the cheapest time to use electricity is, and do your laundry then! Same with dishwashers.
6. Costco – Get a Costco membership, and use it! The cheapest membership is 50$, and I can honestly say I saved the price of the membership during the first month of shopping there. Items may be more expensive to start off, but you have it in bulk. (example, Lipton chicken noodle soup. 4$ for a 4 pack at grocery stores, or 8$ for a 24 pack at Costco).
7. Buy meat in bulk – whether you buy your meat at Costco (which you should!) or you find an even better deal at a grocery store, stock up as much as your budget allows! That way, you don’t need to buy regular priced meat during the rest of the month.
8. ATM Fees – Plan ahead your cash needs. Take cash out only at your own bank institution to avoid ATM fees, which is pretty much just throwing money out the window.
9. Cable – How much do you really watch cable television? Cancel it and subscribe to Netflix to save a lot of money! Most cable shows you can actually watch online on the stations web page (like Big Brother Canada)
10. Customer Rewards Programs – Sign up for them all! Even if you don’t regular those specific stores, because just a few trips a year can give you great perks! (for example : Shoppers Optimum, Air Miles, PC plus, Indigo Rewards)
11. Travel Sized Products – don’t. I see a lot of people buying these for hospital stays, like when they have a new baby. A travel sized shampoo is 1.50$, and the full sized version is 3$, but you get so much more product. Yeah, it takes up more room in your bag, but you can continue to use these products once you go home. Same with buying travel sized products for vacations, just make sure you pack them into your luggage, not your carry-on.
12. Movies – Unless it’s a movieyou know will be watched until the DVD starts to wear, don’t buy any. Netflix, Redbox, Amazon, Itunes, On Demand services are all ways to pay very little. If you have a friend who buys the new releases, just ask them to borrow the DVD once they’re done with it. Free!
13. Gift giving – you don’t need to go all out for gifts. Give yourself a budget, 20$ is usually my go-to. If you plan ahead and shop for deals, you can get a lot for your money! For Christmas I usually do this, for close family and friends. “Something to wear, something to read, somethingyou want, something you need”. Four gifts, that’s all!
14. Toothbrushes – It’s recommended to go to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning. You always get a toothbrush while there. If you switch out your toothbrushes more often than twice a year (which you should do) just ask your dentist for one more toothbrush. It’s really not a huge deal to them, and i’m sure they’d appreciate knowing you use a fresh toothbrush more often.
15. Credit Cards – As much as I say ‘cancel your credit cards’ I know that’ll never happen. Heck, I have two, and I wouldn’t cancel them, they’re great for emergencies and online shopping. But, there are ways you can save money while using them. Call your credit card company and ask for a rate reduction. Interest can be a killer, but if you’re in good standing with your credit card company, they’ll work with you, and more than likely reduce your rate, you just have to ask nicely. Another tip is to never pay just your minimum. I was looking at my credit card bill the other day and saw my minimum payment was 25$, and 20$ of that was interest alone. So if I paid my minimum payment, only 5$ will go towards my balance. That’s crazy!
16. Spring (summer, fall and winter) Clean – Go through your house, closets, and even your yard to find items you can sell to make extra cash. Join facebook yard sale sites and post your items for sale, and also use Kijiji. Even if it’s 5$ for an item, if you sell 4 items, that’s 20$! Every dollar counts.
17. Get a blind spot detection device installed on your vehicle – this will save you money in the long-run.
18. Fast Food – Sometimes we just don’t want to cook. Those ruts can make us eat chips and snack cakes for dinner, but if you live near fast food restaurants that may be an option for you. For my boyfriend and I to go to Mcdonalds, it’s around 20$. You may think i’m about to say “don’t eat out” but i’m not! I know it’s not reality. I am going to say, eat out responsibly! We can get Subway for less than 6$ a person. Never add the ‘meal deal’ with chips and soda, because you’re adding on 8-10$ (for 2 people) for nothing, that’s almost another Subway trip!
19. Expensive habits – Alcohol, cigarettes, and recreational drugs eat up money. ’nuff said.
20. Electricity – Another way to easily save money with electricity. Get into the habit of unplugging your electronics when they’re not in use. Unplug your phone chargers when not in use. Even though your computer is off, your toaster isn’t in use, it still draws electricity!! Also, get into the habit of turning off lights when you leave a room.
21. Shop sales – Plan your meals around the sales, or around what you know is always cheap to buy.
22. Don’t pay for shipping – I try to avoid shipping costs when shopping online, one way to do that is to shop on Amazon.ca. For example, Petsmart.com charges for shipping if you spend less than 50$ but if you buy your item on Amazon, there’s a great chance it has free shipping!
23. Freezer meals – With just a bit of time and money, you can make your own freezer meals. These are perfect for days you don’t feel like cooking, but wants hearty home cooked meal. Beats ordering in!
24. Swap Babysitting – Swap babysitting with neighbors, friends and family. They need you to watch their kids this weekend? Well, you have a wedding to attend in two weeks, so it’s even! Becoming an au pair would also be great way to help you save money. Using a service like Cultural Care Au Pair creates an opportunity to help a family in need as well as help save some much needed pennies.
25. Coffee – You can save around 15$ a week, 60$ a month, 720$ a year by not buying coffee while on the go. Buy yourself a travel mug, and make your coffee at home before you leave! Another way to save money with coffee, is to invest in a reusable K-cup like a My K-Cup. Instead of having to buy K-cups for your keurig, you can fill this reusable one with your own ground coffee! This way, a dozen coffees will cost you just pennies, opposed to the 8.99 box from the store.
26. Water – A Brita filter on your tap, instead of bottles. A reusable water bottle for on the go water needs. Why pay for something you have running through your taps, for free?
27. Meal Planning – Like I mentioned in #19, plan your meals around sales. Meal plan. You’ll save a tonne of money by buying things you know will be used, rather than buying whatever looks good at the store, and ending up with a bunch of ingredients, rather than ingredients to make meals.
28. Insurance – If you’re able (try really hard!) pay your insurance yearly, opposed to monthly or bi/weekly. You’ll save hundreds. You could check out someone like Money Expert who might be able to provide you with cheaper insurance
29. Walk – Going down the road to pick something up from the store? Going to meet a friend at the park? Walk! You’ll save money on gas, and it’s healthy for you. Public transportation is also a good idea.
30. Buy used -Join your local yardsale facebook pages, freecycle pages, scout kijiji or craigslist, or even stop by your nearest thrift store before buying new! Things like decorations, clothing (especially childrens clothing!) can be so much cheaper, or even free, used.
31. Portion control – I’m not going to tell you to not eat out again. But I am going to tell you to watch your portions! Restaurants always give way too much food. So don’t be shy to ask for a doggy bag to bring your leftovers home! You can have a snack, or your lunch for the next day. I know i’m only going to eat 1/3 of my pasta when we go to East Side Marios, so I bring it home! I get a whole midnight snack, AND a lunch out of it. I was once too shy to ask for a doggy bag.. and all that food would would have went to waste!
32. Coupons – You don’t need to be an extreme couponer, but using coupons here and there can really add up. So far this year I haven’t used a whole lot of coupons, maybe 30-40$ worth total, but that’s still extra money in my pocket that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t cut those coupons I got in the mail!
33. Heating/Cooling – If it’s a little chilly in your house, before you turn the heat on, try to get by with just a sweater and some cozy clothes. Same with Summer, instead of turning your air conditioning right away, open windows and set up fans to blow in the breeze.
34. Man and a Van – If you’re looking to hire a Man and a Van the best way to find the cheapest but reliable is to use the comparison website Shiply, you’ll find competitive prices to suit any budget, saving yourself time and money.
35. Library – Borrowing books aren’t a thing of the past. Instead of buying a brand new book, get it from the library, or ask your friends if they have a copy that you can borrow.
36. Homemade Cleaner – Homemade laundry soap, vinegar & water in lieu of windex or all purpose cleaner, and even baking soda can replace a lot of expensive, toxic household cleaners.
37. Wifi – Ask for wifi passwords! You’ll save so much money on your data bill for your phone. If you’re visiting a friend, or family, ask them to set you up with their wifi. Take advantage of free wifi at clinics, stores, hospitals, and even restaurants while you’re there.

What are some ways you save money, that you would like to share with us?