There are so many things that we pay for every day that we could be getting for free. Some of them are more obvious, while some things we don’t even give a second thought to. Convenience plays a huge part in this, obviously because it’s easier and sometimes faster. Take the time to figure out where your money is going and you’ll find ways to save a little extra cash every month. Below are just a few of the most common things we spend our money on, sometimes because we don’t know there are better options. Try making a few switches and I bet you’ll see a change in your budget. No matter how small that change might be, it’s still more money in YOUR pocket!
- Water – Don’t waste money on bottled water. Invest in a good filter and some reusable bottles. If you keep a couple filled and ready to go in the fridge, they’re just as easy to grab on your way out the door.
- Books – I thought I was being thrifty by buying used books on Amazon, but I felt like I was wasting a lot of money on shipping (which usually ended up costing me more than the book itself). I also typically only read books once through, so it almost seems wasteful to spend money on something I’m only going to use once. My husband frequents our local library, and he let me know that they offer a free shareable eReader program that allows me to borrow books and have them delivered directly to my iPad. This was a win in my book!
- Cable – I haven’t hopped on this bandwagon yet, but a ton of my friends have. It’s not quite free, but paying for streaming services is a lot cheaper than just about any cable package (think Netflix and Hulu), and you can get almost all of the same shows as you’d watch on TV, some of them available as soon as the next day after airing. Bring your costs down even more by splitting the bill with a friend!
- Texting Plans – There are so many ways to save here! Start by choosing a provider that offers free texting within your network. I’m an iPhone user, along with most of my friends, so I was able to reduce the number of texts I pay for every month since many of my messages are sent via iMessage (free texts between iPhones). There are also a ton of free apps available that allow you to text anyone on any phone at any time, as long as that person has also downloaded the app.
- Cleaning Supplies – The popularity of Pinterest has made it really easy to find cheap and eco-friendly ways to keep your house clean. You can often create things like detergent and soap from things that you already have around your house!
- Getting Fit – Speaking as a former gym rat, I’ve found a ton of free ways to stay in shape. Running is probably my favorite out of all of them, but I’ve also taken free fitness classes offered in my community, and I’ve also streamed workouts at home on my computer.
- Shipping Charges – As mentioned above, shipping charges for online orders can start to feel like a waste of money. Before you check out, do a quick Google search for coupon codes for where you’re shopping, and you have a good shot of finding one that’ll get rid of those shipping fees. Another tactic that’s also worked for me is leaving items in my shopping cart until a free shipping special pops up on the site I’m browsing.
Can you think of more daily ways to save? Share them with us in the comments below!
