We asked the members of BuzzFeed Community to share with us their best saving tips and hacks. Here are some of the ways you can save a buck.
1.
"Making a grocery list and planning meals. We give ourselves a certain weekly budget for food, so we plan what we want for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks for the week. We make a list of groceries, and pick up only what's on the list (we are very strict on this). If there is any money left over from the weekly grocery budget, it goes directly into savings."
2.
"Pay yourself first: Subtract your monthly bills from your monthly take-home pay--including what you plan to spend on necessities like gas and groceries. Then figure out how much you want to save each month, and whatever is left over is what you can spend on fun, extra stuff. I'm on track to save over 10k this year."
3.
"Easiest money saver I know of that includes NO sacrifice: Put all your home appliances and chargers on surge protector/power strips and turn them OFF when not in use. This cut my power bill in half."
- SharktopusMilk / Reddit
4.
"Try the 52-week challenge! Start saving at $1 for the first week then go up a dollar each week for the rest of the year. By the end of the year, you'll have over $1300 saved! I do this and it's really a great and easy way to save. You can also start at $52 and go down a dollar each week."
- Lyndzee
5.
"I leave my credit card and cash at home so I won't be able to spend any money. If you have to buy something, plan ahead and only take the amount you need, in cash. This way you won't be able to splurge on things you want and only buy what you need."
6.
"My husband bought an espresso maker a couple of years ago, a cheap one, maybe $60? It lets him steam milk. He was buying $3 coffees every weekday morning. That's $780 a year."
- slugposse / Reddit
7.
"Bring your own tea bags to work/class, and just ask for hot water at coffee shops. That way you save around $3 every time you are craving a caffeine or energy boost."
8.
"When I go grocery shopping I try to buy (cheap) fresh things that have a set expiration date not too far in the future. That way I know I have to eat it all by then, or I'll end up wasting food. This stops me from eating out, because I feel guilty buying extra food when I have enough at home that will go bad if I don't eat it."
9.
"I pay for things in cash. I used to pay for everything with cards and it's amazing how little you think about the money you're spending when you're just swiping a piece of plastic. Having to hand over actual cash makes you feel the pain of the money you're spending and will make you think twice about the purchases you make!"
10.
"Swap out half of your meat budget with grains, beans, and potatoes. Just as healthy, if not healthier, plus it's larger quantities and a fraction of the cost."
11.
"Every time I spend money I always save the coins I get back in change. That way you're almost forced to save money, even though you're spending. I give the cashier $4 for a $3.05 coffee and never see the $0.95 again - it goes straight into a coin bank of some sort so I'm forced to save a little each time I spend."
- barretti
12.
"Open a savings account at a different financial institution than your checking account. External transfers take a couple of days to land in your account, so you're less likely to impulsively spend your savings on everyday purchases."
- mmhales
13.
"Every paycheck I take out $100 cash and use that until it's completely gone. Using physical money rather than just swiping a card has made me think a lot more about where my cash goes. Also, every $5 bill I get I put into my savings. Seems like a lot but now that it's become a habit I don't even miss those extra bills! Both of these hacks helped me save almost $7,000 for my trip to Europe last summer."
14.
"'No spend days' are the best for feeling like you've accomplished something daily (Not spending money other than gas or transportation tickets to get to and from work/school). I challenge myself to go as many days as possible. I check my bank account daily and it's such a good feeling to see it stay the same for more than a few days."
15.
"Cooking large quantities and freezing portions so that I don't get takeout.
Having your tea/coffee at home, and sneaking your own food to the movies!"
16.
"If you live alone or as a couple, you can waste a lot of money cooking for one or two. Cook in bulk and save the extra. I made a lasagna last week, my partner and I had a third of it and I froze the other two-thirds. It's a lot cheaper than separately making three smaller lasagnas. You can do the same with soups, stews, and baked goods. Roast a whole chicken one day, make chicken tacos the next day with the leftovers. Meatloaf on Tuesday, spaghetti and meatballs on Wednesday."
17.
"At the end of the day I take any $5 bills out of my wallet and stick them in a container that I keep in the freezer (no one but me goes in there). Plus I cook. The amount of money you can save by cooking from scratch is AMAZING! Learn to cook rice, bake bread, a big pot of chili/stew (then parcel and freeze), etc. And get a freezer, even a little one can let you shop meat sales or freeze leftovers for later."
18.
"After I pay the bills and put money into savings I add the leftover into a sub account. I divide what's left by how many days until we get paid again, and that is our daily budget. You can buy whatever you want each day, but know that you have that limited budget seems to help"
- Danni Davies, Facebook
19.
"I pull out my weekly earnings in $20 notes. Every single transaction I use a $20 note. If I buy $50 worth of goods I use three $20 notes. If I buy something worth $2, I use a $20 note. I don't use anything else but $20 notes. All the money I have left over goes into my savings account. Honestly, it's like Christmas every three months."
- KIRBYTIME / Reddit
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Not all submissions are from BuzzFeed Community.