KateSaving money doesn’t always mean painful sacrificing. Here are 8 Baby Steps to Start Spending Less right away!
8 Baby Steps to Start Spending Less
Ok, let’s be real. When you decide you really need to save some moo-la, it can be overwhelming…and sometimes seem downright painful. Giving up cable? Creating a budget for every single penny? Grow your own vegetables? Badger your Spendy-McSpenderton partner to stop spending frivolously? Yikes! So let’s start with some small baby-steps. When I first got serious about saving money, these are the first steps I took so I know they make a big impact!
1: Use less
I don’t know about you, but I used to use wayyyy too much shampoo, body wash, household cleaner, dish soap, etc. I didn’t even really think about how much I was wasting but wasting product equals wasting money. Simply use less. Your hair, bod, home, and dishes will be just as sparkly clean.
2: Swap store brands for brand names
This isn’t really ground-breaking, I know. Anyone shopping at the grocery store, Wal-Mart or Target has seen the store brand options offered there. Most options are seriously just as good as the brand name! Why spend an extra $3 on lotion for a name? Nah. I’d rather save that money for something else.
4: Check out the Dollar Store first
I love the Dollar Store. So many chances to save! Holiday decor, cleaning, organization, kitchen gadgets, and inexpensive doodads to entertain your kids for five minutes. Yes please.
5: Skip the gym membership
There are a TON of fitness gurus sharing their secrets for free on Youtube. No matter what kind of workout you are into (strength training, pilates, prancing like a horse. Seriously. Have you seen that lady? It’s awesome) you can find it and save a huge chunk of cash. All my friends work out at the local gym. Does it feel weird being the odd girl out? Sometimes. But I don’t NEED to work out at a gym and I have an extra 30 bucks in my pocket at the end of the month.
6: Shop at Aldi
Oh Aldi. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… I slashed our grocery budget in HALF just by entering this magical realm of deliciousness. I can find almost all my basic grocery items there at a fraction of the cost. Do they carry fancy schmancy items for a gourmet meal. No. Is every item in the store a winner? No, but most things they carry are pretty great. So grab yourself a quarter and head to your nearest Aldi to save big bucks.
7: Score free e-books
Do you like to read? I do. A lot. I’ve seen other frugalistas suggest purchasing books at the thrift store. Such a great idea! You get a cheap book and someone else’s clutter stays out of the landfill.
But..but…that means I have to put real pants on and leave my house. Sometimes that’s just too much work!
If you need to crush that binge-read craving asap and you have a smartphone, computer, or tablet, then you can “purchase” free e-books from Amazon. Authors sometimes put their books on “sale” for $0.00 to increase their reach to new readers. Smart! Log in to (or sign up for) your Amazon account and type “free e-books” in the search bar. You can then filter your results by genre on the left hand side. When you find something interesting, just click “Purchase” and your freebie will be available for download!
The next one is the hardest one. It can be a real challenge. Are you ready?
8. Adopt the “Spend Less” mindset
I know, I know. This is difficult but you can’t expect to save money while nickel and dime-ing (not a real word, right?) yourself to death. Do I need this item or do I want this item? It can be difficult to tell the difference. But take a moment each time you reach for something at the store, whether it’s extra impulse buy groceries (hello box of chocolate chip cookies), a cute picture frame at Target, or that wonderfully delicious $6 latte at Starbucks, and ask yourself: Do I really need this? Answer honestly and you will quickly realize that many times, the answer is actually NO!
So there we go. 8 crazy easy ways to spend less while not feeling totally deprived. Switching from being spendy to thrifty can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be painful!