10 Simple Ways to Save Money

Monday May 15, 2023

Julia Van Huizen

3 min read

Since Covid, costs have skyrocketed. But, unfortunately, for many, their wage has not. That’s why it’s becoming more and more important for folks to find ways to pinch those pennies.

Do you feel overwhelmed by the bills? Here’s 10 simple practices that could help you save a little moolah each month, helping your family thrive during difficult financial times:

1. Plan Those Potatoes! – Strangely enough, spending 5-10 minutes each week planning out your meals for the week will help you create a straight-forward grocery list. When you take time to look in your freezer and fridge, you’ll hopefully eat out of what you already have in the house and buy only what you need. Similarly, if you order your groceries online and do a grocery-pick-up, you won’t be tempted by all those “extras” you see.

2. Move Out Those Memberships – Many people sign up for a monthly membership, then don’t realize, or are too tired, to cancel those memberships. But every subscription you are part of costs money. So, take a few moments to evaluate which memberships are most important and cancel the rest.

3. Shorten Those Showers – By taking shorter showers, you save money on both water and energy. You may also want to consider taking COLD showers! Not only do they wake you up, but they wake up your wallet too! If cold showers aren’t your thing, consider washing your clothes in cold water, fixing any leaky pipes or changing your bulbs to LED to help keep your house energy-efficient.

4. Knock-off the Name brands – Paying extra for that trademarked label can cost you money. Whereas many people think that a name brand is always better, often it’s just the marketing that’s just better. So, if you're open to it, try some “generic” brands of food or clothing, and see if it makes a difference.

5. Collect from Your Credit Cards – Find a credit card that gains you points for every transaction. Many people can buy groceries, gas, hardware or the like simply by collecting points. Freebies are great!

6. Snag Second-Hand Sales – Buying “new” is nice but wash a shirt once and your “new” shirt has lost its luster. Buying second-hand can be fun—there is so much variety; plus, it can boost the budget.

7. Sell Your Second-Hands – Decluttering your house is a great way to find treasures that are no longer valuable to you, but might be valuable to someone else. You could have a garage sale, or easily sell your stuff on apps like Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark or Kijiji.

8. Hack Your Apps – Talking about Apps, using a budget-tracking App on your phone or desk-top can be a handy way to see how much you spend each month—and keep you on the straight and narrow for your spending.

9. Curb the Coffee – Did you know that regular Canadian coffee drinkers consume almost 3 cups of coffee per day? Now imagine if they bought each of those. At approximately $2.00 per cup, that’s $6 per day, $42 a week, and over $2,000 a year! So, if you love your java, maybe limit how often your buy your coffee and opt to make it at home instead.

10. Decrease Your Debt – Debt can be one of the biggest money drains. Rather than paying interest on your debt, slowly pay off your debts so that those monthly payments can work FOR you, instead of against you.

Changing your money-spending habits sounds hard, but with simple, easy shifts, you might be able to save hundreds of dollars each month, helping your family to not just strive but thrive.