5 Easy Ways To Save Money - Meredith Rines

Today I’m sharing 5 easy ways to save money with you.

Money is great, am I right? It helps us achieve our goals, feed our families and provide a roof over our heads. Who doesn’t want to save more, right? I know I do.

J and I have been doing great with budgeting and tracking our spending so far this year. Here our my 5 easy ways to save money that won’t make you go crazy.

ONE: Track Your Spending

This is a big one. Probably the most important way to save more money. You have know where your money is going. By realizing how much you’re spending on your favorite Starbucks drink can really put things into prospective. First, you need to create a budget to see how much you should be spending. Creating a budget doesn’t have to be difficult and should only take about 10 minutes. Next, you need to switch to the cash envelope system if you overspend. Using cash, instead of swiping your debit card, can really help you stay on point each month. When you run out of cash then you can’t spend anymore money. Simple as that.

TWO: Cook at Home More

I love this piece of advice. Eating out has become so easy that it’s not longer fun, but it has become expensive. Even fast food is way over-priced. You can spend $20 at Taco Bell for your family and at the end of the night you’re probably hungry again! I love cooking dinner at home. That $20 we would have spent eating out could feed us for almost the entire week at home. Plus, J and I get to spend time cooking together and eating as a family. We are getting more quality time while saving money.

THREE: Audit Your Bills

You should be spending some time each month looking over your bills. Making sure the charges are correct and seeing if there is any wiggle room. Maybe you’re not anywhere near your data limit for your cell phone. There is some room there to downgrade and save a few extra bucks. Also, you never know when something is going to sneak in. I remember a few years ago (might even be more recent) AT&T getting busted for charging people for bogus services. They had to refund money to those customers, but it took time. If you spend just a few minutes with each bill then you can catch overages and get your money back.

FOUR: Shop Smarter

I like to think of grocery shopping as a game. I like to see how much money I can save and earn back. There are so many ways to save money on groceries – you can use coupons and you can use some great money saving apps. Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be a big budget sucker. You could really leverage your meal planning with what’s on sale to really add up the savings.

FIVE: Entertain for Less

Getting together with friends doesn’t have to be costly. Don’t meet at a bar for drinks that cost upwards of $7 per drink, instead opt to go to a friends house. Decide on a signature drink for the evening and everyone bring an ingredient. Host a potluck where everyone brings a dish to share. When my parents were younger they were in a club that would travel to a member’s home each month. The host would make the main dish and everyone else would bring a side dish, dessert and drinks for everyone.

Another great way to save more money is swap babysitting. J and I don’t have any kids yet, but when we do this is what we’ll be doing. Instead of paying a babysitter to watch your kids just find friends with some kids. Then you guys can swap babysitting needs. Saves you money, saves your friend money and lets your kids be around their friends.

I also like have a date-in night. Preparing dinner together, watching a movie from Redbox (which you can get for free by using online codes), and just spending time together.