Welcome to my 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month series. We’re serious about saving money in 2016. Sometimes it’s the little things and sometimes it’s the big things. I’m here to walk you through some little things that can add up to BIG savings. 52 little things to be exact. Every week, join me back here for another small money saving tip or idea that might not seem like significant savings until you see the overall yearly savings. It might just blow your mind. So pop in each Tuesday and read a new tip that will help you on your way to save $100 a month!
Well, we’ve reached the end. Next week, I’ll let you in on a fun little money-saving project I’ll be doing next year. I’m excited about it, and I’m excited to see who will join me for it. BUT, that’s next week. This week, we’re still focusing on ways to save $100 a month.
This year we’ve covered bartering, changing your own oil, coupon clipping, hand-making things, skipping meals and and more; a total of 50 things that had the potential to save you BIG! I’ve shared all of my very best money-saving tips and tricks, and now I WANT TO HEAR YOURS!
How do you trim your budget? What things do you do to cut expenses? How do you save? How would YOU save $100 a month?
Have you done some of the things I’ve done this past year, but adapted them to fit your lifestyle? I want to hear about it. Are there things your parents or grandparents have passed down that save you money as an adult? Spill the beans! Do you consistently strive to find news ways to save? Share them with us!
I’m always eager to hear new ways to save. I look forward to implementing as many of your ideas as I can. So now I turn it over to you. Let’s hear those ideas…
~Mavis
How Much Can You Save: You tell me? How much do YOUR ideas save you a week/month/year?!
More Ways to Save:
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clean Out Your Closet {Week 1 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Break Up with Cable {Week 2 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Barter Better {Week 3 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Change Your Own Oil {Week 4 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Adjust Your Thermostat {Week 5 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Take Advantage of Your Perks {Week 6 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Pack Your Lunch {Week 7 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make It Yourself {Week 8 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Preserve Your Bounty {Week 9 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Keep the Change {Week 10 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | The Art of Borrowing {Week 11 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Ditch the Gym {Week 12 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Clip a Coupon {Week 13 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Start Your Garden From Seed {Week 14 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Learn to Cut Hair {Week 15 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Become a 1 Car Family {Week 16 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Phone Call {Week 17 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Shop Christmas in July {Week 18 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Grow a Garden {Week 19 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Just Say No {Week 20 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Go Generic {Week 21 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a Budget {Week 22 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Use the Library {Week 23 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Kick the Soda Habit {Week 24 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Improve Your Credit Score {Week 25 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Shop Online {Week 26 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Save on Lodging {Week 27 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Play for Free {Week 28 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Save Big on Birthday Parties {Week 29 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Back to School Clothes on the Cheap {Week 30 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Inexpensively Entertaining {Week 31 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Buy Used College Textbooks {Week 32 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Buy Used {Week 33 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Buy In Bulk {Week 34 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Skip a Meal {Week 35 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Save on Medical Expenses {Week 36 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Save on Christmas Spending {Week 37 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Reduce Convenience Foods {Week 38 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Stop Paying Interest {Week 39 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Eat Less Meat {Week 40 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Curb Impulse Buying {Week 41 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Do Holiday Shopping AFTER the Holidays {Week 42 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Make a List {Week 43 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Cook in Bulk {Week 44 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Dress Minimally {Week 45 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Use Less Product {Week 46 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Take Advantage of Free {Week 47 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Turn Off the Lights {Week 48 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Keep an Idea Journal {Week 49 of 52}
52 Ways to Save $100 a Month | Avoid Stress Spending {Week 50 of 52}
emily says
Is that your husband? I don’t think I’ve seen a picture of him before!
Amanda says
One of the ways we save is on phone service – I am a SAHM, so not a huge need for a cell phone. For our home phone service we use Ooma, which is less than $5 per month after purchasing the box for $100 with no long distance charges or usage limits. This saves us over $40 per month, so the box paid for itself quickly. Secondly, neither of us are into the cell phone craze. Cheap phones save us hundreds per year. I’m still using the $40 phone that I bought 4 years ago. Hubby has a work cell that he uses during the day, so only needs minimal cell usage on nights/weekends. He also has a cheap phone. We pay about $40 per month for both of our cell plans – Keeps life simple and affordable.
suzanne says
Amanda, you are probably saving thousands a year. Cell (smart) phones are expensive as is there service.
Margie Hudgins says
Have you looked into Consumer Cellular? I’m a widow, & my bill runs me about $17 a month.
Laura Z says
I resisted getting a smart phone for years, but used gift money to get an unlocked Amazon prime Moto Smartphone. Because it’s unlocked, I can use a smartphone tracfone smartphone card. It’s about $130 for the entire year’s usage. I don’t do a huge amount of texting or calling, so the minutes are plenty for me, and I tend to use the phone when it’s on WI FI either at home or at a store or restaurant, so I seem to be doing fine on data usage. They have individual data cards that you can purchase if you are getting low. It’s been the cheapest smartphone setup I can find, and I think the money I save my smartphone coupon apps are going to more or less pay for the phone plan each year. Because the phone is an Amazon prime phone, I can stream Prime Music, read from my cloud etc. quite easily. I love it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Do you have maps on there? I’ve wondered how I would get around unfamiliar places without Google maps.
Sarah B says
I use Republic Wireless (which is on a Sprint/Wifi network) and for $10/ month it is no data, but $18/month you get some data (that I use for maps etc.). I checked coverage maps first, though am almost always able to connect to home or work wifi
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks!
KC says
A way, suggested by your picture, to save probably substantially more than $100/month: be cool with not remodeling even if all your friends are. (are the choices in our kitchen ones we would have made? nope. Does it annoy us enough to be worth the costs of remodeling? nope. Given the other limiting factors on our house’s value, would it add to the value of the house? nope.) I mean, sometimes things will get under your skin, and I get that, and then it might totally be worth it. But a lot of people go in with the default of “replace everything that isn’t what we would have chosen” instead of “are we okay with it? leave it alone” and that is Not Cheap, even if you do things yourself and get materials on sale and do every other remodeling cost-saver.
But really, the biggest thing, probably, is to figure out what you really do care about and what you can afford, and spend your money on that (whether that’s house space or convenience or art or travel)(or retirement savings and such!) and not spend your money on the things that the people around you are spending money on that you *don’t* care about (whether that’s house space or convenience or art or travel). There are ways of making most things cheaper, but just abstaining will generally beat out reduction-based savings tricks. But money isn’t supreme; there are a lot of things that are worth a lot of money; but figuring out which things are indeed worth it to you (instead of just accepting the use/spending/expenditure patterns foisted on you by your peers) can help a lot with saving.
Carrie says
I agree. I have many friends that spend money on things that I would never dream of – $3000 for a mountain bike, $50+ winery tours a few times a year, new clothes, eating out 4 times a week. I like paying extra on my mortgage so I can pay it off early. I spend money on plants and gardening supplies which my friends never do! We are all different.
Amy P says
Thank you for saying this about saying “NO” to remodeling. Please have been brainwashed!
Maria says
I joined Ibotta and just redeemed $23.66 into my paypal account. I’ll use that money to buy more groceries with more Ibotta rebates and try to keep it going. When combined with coupons and the Ibotta rebates, it makes a good savings
Rebecca says
Many of the ways we save money you have covered in your articles, such as growing some of our food, canning some of our harvest, packing my lunch (husband is retired), and shopping online (saves gas & money).
I also use Ebates so I get cash back on what I do buy. I also use a credit card with 2% cash back on purchases for all monthly expenses (mostly gas and groceries) so that saves me money.
We moved to a smaller house and that has saved us on utilities. The old house had oil heat and that was very expensive. We now have propane heat and it is much more economical. We just got here in March so I am looking forward to comparing this winter’s heating expense with last year. Our electric bill is also smaller.
We paid off the mortgage and all of our debt in 2015 – – – so we are going to be saving lots in interest. Although, for years I have tried to only take on debt if it was interest free. I bought my car with 48 months no interest, appliances 12 months no interest, and even hardwood flooring with 24 months no interest. All those things are paid for now. It’s amazing how fast you can pay something off when there is 0 interest.
In the upcoming year we are cutting the cable and changing to SlingTV. It took me a long time to convince my HH to do this!
I am also going to try shopping at Aldi in the New Year.
Mavis Butterfield says
I Love it!!! Why is it always so hard to get the husbands on board with getting rid of cable?? 🙂
M says
At our home, my HH had to convince me of letting go of cable. Best thing we did though.
Sharon says
How did you get an interest free car loan?
marie says
We have used all of your suggestions and would like to add our “neighborhood tool bank” to the list. Everyone seemed to be borrowing from us at one time or another and we have morphed into a process where we purchase something, say over $300, then our neighbors purchased the next tool and so on. Without a petty cost scrutiny or ownership claim, we have been able to have the use of a power washer, a gas powered post hole digger, a wood splitter, chipper, electric saws (purchase your own blades) and others I can hardly keep track of.
This has been a huge help to all of us and the excitement of having a new toy (tool) with the added advantage of letting everyone know that we could use some help too has been rewarding beyond words. Only rule is that “if
you break it – you buy it”. Has saved us thousands!
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE it!!!
Tristen says
It amazes me how much we saved since I switched to making my own detergent, cleaning products, etc. My wallet and my lungs are much happier.
I also save a bunch of my vegetable scraps in the freezer, then once a month I make and can my own vegetable broth. Cheaper, lower sodium and I love the flavor variation that comes with the seasons (broth with mushroom and butternut squash flavors in the winter, tomato and pepper in summer, etc). Also, canning my own beans using dried beans!
Knowing basic sewing skills is also a wonderful money saver…being able to hem pants, mend a little rip, sew on a button, etc. My husband wanted some warm pants with zippers on the legs for walking to the car from the gym. Those things are around $50! $5 sweatpants from Walmart and 2 $2 zippers + an hour or so one evening and hubby is thrilled!
Okay, I should probably stop now.
Pam says
Up here in the NorthWoods we hunt. Filling the freezer with game meat really helps the food budget! An example would be harvesting 150 pounds of venison for about $150 (processing, tags, ammunition, etc). If we processed our own it would be even cheaper!…. I just haven’t worked my way up to that yet. 😉
Amy says
We hunt for our red meat too. The initial output to get started with hunting is a little expensive but to have a full freezer every fall is priceless. I also enjoy the taste of moose and deer more than cattle and chicken 😉 We also feel more connected with our food, having been so heavily involved in the processing, so we value our meat more as a family and certainly waste less. We also have been raising a couple of pigs each summer lately but since we can’t grow our own feed we are not saving any money compared to just buying a grown pig from a farmer. We do it for the enjoyment and connection. Which leads me to: I recommend people buying their meat in bulk, like sharing a cow with another family. Or just purchasing the whole cow or pig yourself. It’s a cost effective way to purchase meat closer to the source (from the farmer or local butcher) and you get to enjoy cuts you would not be able to afford otherwise (hello tenderloin!!). Just invest in a really good freezer- ours broke in July a couple of years ago and we lost half of the meat. The good news was that I caught it before we left for vacation, the meat was thawed and not spoilt, and we were able to give a bunch of our friends a lot of meat and they were really blessed by it. Now we have a freezer that reads the interior temperature on the outside of the door. Yay!
Hawaii Planner says
We use business travel points/mileage combined with credit card rewards to fund our vacations. I also use my business travel status to match on our local regional airline, which saves money on checked bag fees, premium seats, upgrades, etc.
janet in woodway says
Hi Mavis,
You have had some really great suggestions for saving money. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned changing all your incandescent light bulbs to Led bulbs. We bought our Leds at Costco, spent about $110, (yikes!) and changed out our home. A few months later our electric bill (average plan) dropped $57. a month! It has been just over a year now. The only thing we had changed in our usage was the bulbs! I would never have believed something so simple would make such a difference.
Thanks for your great blog!
Mavis Butterfield says
Wow! That is a HUGE savings! Awesome. Thanks for the tip.
Brianna says
One of my accidental biggest cost savers this year was eliminating paper products in our house. I have been having contact dermatitis for awhile and the allergist finally figured out one of my allergies was to the chemicals (bleach, softners, etc.) used in paper products. I have gotten rid of the paper towels (I use microfiber clothes and wash them), facial tissues (clothe hankies), toilet paper (switched to the commercial 2-ply natural colored), coffee filters (unbleached), no more paper plates, napkins (use cloth), diapers and wipes (cloth and flannel wipes), etc. It was expensive at first to switch, but it has paid for itself now. I am no longer buying all that stuff at Costco and it has saved us a ton!
Kathryn says
This will sound extreme and it is. However, when we moved into our tiny house off-grid, we just use one soup bowl and one plate and one cup. Mostly, we just use the soup bowl. It cut down on the need to haul water to wash a lot of dishes! Now that we have an in-town studio and woodshop, we still just use our small stash of dishes. They never, ever pile up!
Shelle says
Excited to see what fun things you have planned for 2017!
I’ve really enjoyed this series. We pack our lunches, garden, raise our own eggs and meat, DH hunts, and I preserve by canning and freezing. We also rarely go out to eat. In the new year we’re planning a couple of small DIY house projects that would probably cost $1000+ if we hired out, but (hopefully!) will cost us <$200. We also thrift/consignment/hand-me-down for a lot of our kiddos' clothes and just don't buy many new clothing items for the adults.
Sarah B says
Might sound ‘out there’ but I cut my own and my husbands hair! We invested in good clippers (Wahl I believe) for the price of a haircut for him. 3 years later, still strong (shocking since his hair grows so quickly we need to cut it every 2 weeks…). For my own hair, I NEED it layered (so can’t just cut it in a straight line like you =) This is a simple diagram I use (http://khoobsurati.com/how-to-cut-your-own-hair-like-a-pro.html).
I have also switched to “No Poo” method and have loved it! (took me a while to understand and took my hair a while to get rid of everything gunky). I now spend pennies on the dollar what I used to spend and I used to be very frugal about my hair care prices!
Patty P says
A few years ago we got rid of cable and only get the local digital channels (plus we have Netflix and get movies from the local library). We also got rid of our cell phone plans (we went cell phone free for about two years…now we have tracfones…even the smart phone–which I picked up on clearance for $9 from the Dollar General–only costs me about $20 for three months service). I have a drying rack I bought from our local Mennonite store for $50 five or six years ago that I use in the winter months to hang my clothes on near the wood stove….I only use the dryer if I REALLY need to do more than one load in a day. My son gets hand-me-down clothes from cousins, which has saved us tons of money over the years…then we hand them down to the next one in line.
I buy many of my groceries from an Amish grocery store that has overstock/outdated goods. It’s rare that I find outdated groceries…most of it is seasonal overstock. I ONLY buy my cereal there…$1.35 for a jumbo box of cereal….can’t beat it! The only “problem” with the Amish grocery store is that the items there change due to whatever they get in their overstock/out of date shipments…so you can’t be picky on what kind of cereal you get….my son is delighted to get a box of Lucky Charms or Trix there once in a while! I also buy in bulk. I bought a 50 lb bag of flour (I make my own bread each week) and paid $10… I also buy many other of my cooking supplies in bulk.
We have started raising our own meat rabbits which has resulted in many, many meals for us. It’s been pretty interesting to go through the whole process and be able to realize that everything on our dinner plate was either raised or grown right at our place.
Finally, we love to feed our wild birds, and I just found an awesomely cheap, yet very high quality source of bulk bird food. We found this place by word of mouth…sometimes it pays to ask other people how they are saving and who their sources are! We found our bird food place through a penny pincher… Lots and lots of ways to save!