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It can feel impossible to start or maintain a savings account. I’ve found that some little steps I’ve taken haven’t minimized my quality of life and bring more of my money in savings. Although everyone is in different situations, I hope some of my money saving tips will benefit you.
1. Costco is your friend: Warehouse clubs, like Costco, can be a great way to save money on groceries, furniture, and experiences. For larger families, I highly recommend getting a membership. Even Joe and I have a membership and buy mostly non-perishable items. Paper towels and toilet paper are much cheaper to buy in bulk. Gas is often cheaper at Costcos with gas stations. Joe has gotten new tires from their auto center. We also used to buy discount movie tickets [before joining AMC Stubs A List]. I’ve also gotten gym memberships at Costco – it was a serious bargain. Oh and you can save on some restaurant gift cards!
2. Get cash back and discounts on regular purchases: Ebates is a cash back website that gives you a rebate on tons of online stores. They even have a Chrome extension so you won’t forget to activate your cash back on approved retailers. Honey is a Chrome extension that notifies you of active promo codes and can enter those for you to get you the best deal. Both services are 100% free to use!
3. Be smart when eating out: Take advantage of discount restaurant gift cards at Costco or purchase Groupons to bring down the cost. Also hit up happy hour when you can. Joe and I love to do this to get cheaper drinks and food, especially knowing how expensive New York City restaurants are.
4. Split services with family and/or friends: Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, HBO Go, and even phone plans all pile up quickly but when we get accounts/plans together, we can save a bit each month. This will really add up over time!
5. Sell things you aren’t using: Whether it is selling clothes [I like Crossroads and ThredUp] or listing furniture on Craigslist, it can feel great to declutter and make some money.
