Looking back at the end of the month and reflecting on where your money has gone over the past 4 weeks can be a little sobering. Did you spend too much? Were you eating rice and beans at the end of the month? Were you leaning on your credit cards for your necessities? Here are some ideas that may help you out in finding money.
Sell Unused Items
This could be clothing, furniture, decor, or anything that’s not being used. You can go about this in multiple ways. You could have a garage sale, post the items for sale to your Facebook friends, post the items on Facebook marketplace, etc. Not only does this help to put an extra little jingle in your pocket, but it also helps to declutter your home as well.
Cash Back Apps
There are quite a few mobile apps out there that will give you free money by simply scanning your receipts, scanning a code, etc. If you aren’t using these apps, then you are simply leaving money on the table. I have paid for Christmas by using apps like this. I’m listing several of my favorites below:
- Ibotta referral code: jbzqyp
- Rakuten
- Fetch Rewards referral code: TVD7R
- Upside referral code: Y8D3BM
Shop in Bulk
This one you have to be careful about. Not everything in bulk is a good deal. There are 3 questions I recommend asking yourself before buying something in bulk. There are 4 main places that I look for bulk deals, Sam’s Club, Costco, Boxed, and Amazon.
- Do I need this?
- Is it a better deal than buying it at the grocery store?
- Can I use all of this product before the expiration date?
Do Your Research
As I alluded to in “Shop in Bulk”, doing your research is so very important in saving money and finding the money that you are leaving on the table. Compare prices. Do the math. Shop multiple places. Let me drop a bombshell on you… Amazon does NOT always have the best prices. Where Amazon gets us, is that they are the most convenient.
Another example is gas prices. The gas stations can vary widely in the same town. I suggest using an app like Gas Buddy to look for the best prices. The Upside app, which I have mentioned previously, is great for getting refunds back on gas purchases.
Do It Yourself
Instead of picking up coffee every morning on the way to work, make your coffee at home. If you’ve been around here for any time, you’ve seen that I love to share my homemade versions of my favorite coffee shop concoctions. Do you eat lunch out every day? Consider packing your lunch instead. Those 2 items alone, if done daily, could save you $400 per month.
No-Spend Month
Twice a year, our family has a No-Spend month. The rules are simple. We spend no money on anything other than groceries, gas & bills. A No-Spend month is a great way to have a financial reset. January is one of my chosen months to do this. How often does it seem that December just kind of gets away from us? With the holidays, parties, and travel, money just seems to flow a little more than usual.
Work from Home
I realize not everyone has this option, but if you do, it’s a great way to help you save money. By working from home, you are saving on gas, lunch, coffee, and most importantly, commute time.
Save on Subscriptions
Make a habit of reviewing your subscriptions frequently. Figure out what services you are using and what services you are not. Cancel those that you are not using. Even for things that you want to keep, look to see if there is a way you can save money on them. Can you pay for the year for a discount instead of paying monthly?
Reevaluate Your Insurance
Do you feel like your insurance is going up every 6 months or every year? Take those renewal times and mark them in your financial planner. If the renewal notice comes in and the price is higher, take some time to call around and see if you can lower your rates. Keep in mind that your credit score influences your auto rates.
Create a Budget
I cannot say this enough. Create a budget and track your expenses against it monthly. You need to know what you are spending. Creating a budget helps you to find things that you need to trim and helps you to identify patterns that will help you in finding money in your budget.
For an even more detailed look into finding money, get our Money Finder Guide! It’s only $5.00
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