My Favorite Money-Saving Hacks
I keep hearing people complaining about the price of gas (along with everything else) going up. I feel the pain, too, but it’s made a little easier with the ways I work to save money.
I’m not into clipping coupons because I too easily forget to use them. Sure, I’ll keep the 20% off coupon I get in the mail and hope I remember to use it, but my main tactics are easier for me to implement on a more regular basis, which also makes them more consistent sources of savings.
I’m really just here to simplify money saving for you! And for me. For us all.
Of course, take what you like and ignore what you don’t— do what works for you!
Apps
One of the most popular ways to save money these days is with cash-back or point-earning apps. My sister is truly the queen of these, but I can’t manage more than a few without feeling like they’re kind of soul-sucking. They definitely become time-draining at a certain point, so I’ve declared a limit for myself. You can add as many as you like or pick just a couple to try out.
Swagbucks— I’ve been using this app for years, and I do really like it. I’m pretty minimally involved with it currently, though I have used it for more in the past. It rewards you with points “Swagbucks” for various activities like taking daily polls, answering surveys, and uploading grocery receipts with specific items on them. Depending on how many activities you engage in (and how much you participate in other promotional activities), you can earn quickly or build points slowly. I answer the daily polls and upload grocery receipts, earning $25 gift cards a few times a year. It might not seem like a lot, but it takes little effort, gives me credit for purchases I’m already making, and feels like a bonus to buy something that cost me no real money.
Paceline— My sister introduced me to this app that rewards you for exercise, specifically exercise that elevates your heartrate. You just connect it to a fitness tracking app that can read your heartrate (mine is connected to my FitBit), and it tracks the minutes of elevated heartrate throughout the week. If you meet the 150 minute benchmark (with no more than 50 minutes counted in a single day), you get to take advantage of a deal. There are discount codes for a wide variety of websites, along with gift cards. I usually opt for an Amazon $1 gift card or Target $5 gift card when they’re offered (between the two options, I can choose either Amazon or Target every week). (Get $5 with my code: YTPWG7)
GetUpside— I just started using this app about a month ago, but I’m really liking it for my gasoline purchases. I live a little farther out in the suburbs, so there are fewer options for groceries on the app, and the stores I frequent are not (yet) on there, so I just use the app for gas. Depending on where you live and which gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants you frequent, you could get cash back in lots of places! Again, I like the app because I get cash back for something I’m already doing. I just have to look up an offer, “claim” it, check in when I get there, and select the card the charge will be on. (Get an extra 15 cents per gallon in cash back with your first purchase with my invite code: JESSIE83452!)
Honey— Okay, so I use the Chrome browser add-on, not a phone app, but it works very similarly. It’s a free add-on to your browser, and it looks for deals for you. It’s like hunting for coupons, but better, because you don’t actually have to do the hunting! There is an app version, too.
Other apps that I’ve heard about but don’t personally (currently) use include: Ibotta, Receipt Hog, Fetch Rewards, and Shopkick.
Buying secondhand
I’m a big proponent of buying secondhand for a few reasons.
It saves money because secondhand items are cheaper than their brand-new counterparts.
It saves items from going in the trash when they still have life left in them.
It encourages us to participate less in fast fashion.
It allows you to shop a wide variety of items from one place (or fewer places, if you still frequent multiple shops or websites).
My personal favorite is ThredUP, and I use it for the majority of my clothes (the rest I am trying to source from sustainable and ethical small boutiques; it’s a work in progress). I love that you can save your sizes, search by brand, peruse new styles and seasonal features, save favorites, and earn points! I earn points with every purchase, and then I redeem them for coupons to use on future purchases.
I also send in my clothes that no longer fit (whether that’s a fit for my body, my taste, or my lifestyle) in a closet cleanout bag, and I earn commission on any items that they take and resell. Then I turn around and use those funds to buy new clothes— it’s like getting an upgraded version!
Buying nothing
My friends just told me about Facebook’s Buy Nothing groups, and I wish I had known about them sooner! I had to download the Facebook app again just for the purpose of joining and perusing my local Buy Nothing group! It’s also great because it builds community near you, and we can all use more of that, right?
My one friend furnished two entire guest rooms in her house with items from her local Buy Nothing group! Of course, there are a lot of factors at play here to consider:
Are you looking for something really specific, or can you be flexible?
Are you looking for something in brand-new condition, or is used okay?
Are you comfortable accepting secondhand items that are upholstered and would need to be cleaned, or not?
Are you willing to repost or find a way to get rid of items if they don’t turn out to be a good fit?
Affiliate programs
I love affiliate programs! It’s like making money just by telling people about your favorite things! It also allows your friends to find good-quality items from trusted brands without having to do all the legwork to find them. I love sharing things I love! Here are some of the companies I’m an affiliate for:
Grove Collaborative — for household cleaning products, skincare products, and cleaning tools
ThredUP — for secondhand clothing, shoes, and bags
Amazon — for literally anything and everything
buying practices
Regardless of ways you might endeavor to save money on your purchases, the biggest way to save money is to simply not buy as much stuff. I know that’s oversimplifying things, and I struggle with it, too, but it does help! Whether it means borrowing things, going without, or simply delaying purchases, we can lower our expenses by approaching our buying in a thoughtful way.
I don’t shop without a list. I am so much more focused when I know what I’m looking for— whether it’s groceries, office supplies, furniture, or clothing. I know my own inclination to add extra things to my cart, so I create a list and do my very best to stick to it.
One of my favorite ways to do this is to utilize a shopping list to write down the bigger things I’m planning to buy. I use Trello (aka Atlassian) for this, keeping a constant list that I can reorder items within at any time. I include the approximate price of each item and a plan for when I intend to buy it. This gives me a good visual for my spending plans, and it helps me save money now (by not giving in to impulse buys) to save it for another goal later. And the goals don’t have to be huge! I include things like a nice pair of boots, or a new dress, or items to update our bathroom in mine. It’s up to you if you want to follow the same sort of plan, and up to you what to include! But having a more concrete saving goal makes saving that much easier! It also helps even out purchasing habits so that expenses are spread out and budgets are easier to adhere to— all good practices to aim for!
Do you have other ways you like to save money? I’d love to hear them! Drop a comment or send me an email at jessietrebesch@gmail.com!
[This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I never promote products I don’t love! Thanks for supporting my work!]
