How to Save Money: The 1,001 List of Money Saving Ideas and Tips
One of the quickest ways to improve your finances is to reduce your expenses and find more ways to save money. This article is a compilation of various money saving articles that have been published over the years. A few tips are also highlighted from each article. Make sure you follow these links to see the full list or find additional resources.
Lists of General Money Saving Tips and Ideas
75 Painless Money-Saving Tips – The Dough Roller and his readers combined force to come up with 75 great ways to save money. Some ideas include:
- Combine your cable, internet and telephone service to take advantage of bundled services discount
- Refinance your mortgage
- Send away for and follow up on rebates
- Get a rewards card
15 Ways to Pay Less & Get More – Mrs. Micah offers a small but good list of money saving ideas. Her list includes:
- Shop at your local Farmers’ Markets
- Shop on the Internet
- Pay bills by direct debits to avoid late fees and finance charges
- Transfer your credit card balance
95+ Money Saving Tips – From the readers! – Gather Little By Little shares his money saving tips from his readers. The list includes:
- Surround yourself with like-minded people; specifically, frugal people
- Keep in mind that EVERYTHING is negotiable — ask for a discount
- Buy food in bulk and on sale, and separate packages into meal-size portions
- Buy less by subscribing to as many free samples and magazines as you can
25 Ways to Save Money – Cash Money Life shares a list of 25 things that Patrick and his wife do to save money. The list includes:
- Use ceiling fans, floor fans, and space heaters to help circulate the air
- Make saving automatic
- Keep minimum funds in checking account to avoid overdraft fee and late payment fee
- Use the library instead of buying your own books and DVDs
30 Money Saving Tips – My Dollar Plan and users share money saving tips, which include:
- Bring your lunch to work
- Challenge yourself to save every day
- Wait before purchasing
- Make savings a bill
75 Money Saving Tips For Surviving A Recession – Frugal Dad shares 75 tips to help you survive the recession. His list includes:
- When in the store, look high and low for deals, literally
- Have a no-spend weekend
- Carpool a few times a week
- Raise insurance deductibles
50 Frugal Things You Aren’t Doing – The Wisdom Journal share 50 frugal ideas that can help you save a bunch of money. His list includes:
- Paying off your credit card in full each and every month
- Budgeting your money
- Building a healthy emergency fund
- Opening an online savings account
100 Money Saving Tips – Bargaineering offers a few ideas on how to save some extra cash. The list includes:
- Water is cheaper than soda, beer, juice, coffee, tea, etc.
- Shop around for auto insurance
- Drop services you don’t really need
- Install a programmable thermostat
50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year – Squawkfox offers ways to help you save on average a $1,000 a year. Sounds good right? Her tips include:
- Lose the Extra Car
- Avoid Whole Life Insurance
- Rent Less Apartment
- Avoid the high cost of owning a pet
How to Save Money – 25 Ways I Save Money – Million Dollar Journey shares 25 ways he saves money. His tips include:
- Don’t smoke, do drugs, or drink (too much)
- Buy with quality in mind in the expectation that it will last a long time
- Try to separate “needs” and “wants” when buying consumer items
- Avoid banking fees and use a discount brokerage to minimize trading expenses
97 New Ways to Save Money (from DR Readers) – The Dough Roller offers another set of tips centered around frugal living and saving money. Some tips include:
- Pay your mortgage payments bi-weekly
- Check the lint trap and clean it weekly
- Buy a water filter and take your own water to the gym/sports etc.
- Use it up, wear it out, make do, do without, can you borrow? can you rent? then consider buying
101 ways to reduce your spending and keep more of your money – Blunt Money offers tips that span 8 categories. Her list includes:
- Do simple car repairs yourself
- Kick the coffee habit, or make your own & bring it with you
- Limit the number of drinks you buy when clubbing, or be the designated driver
- Exercising at home instead of at a gym can often be either free or very low cost
Smart Money-Saving Tips You Need Now – US News Your Money offers tips that include areas such as food, transportation, energy, budgeting, and entertainment. Specific tips include:
- Cooking for yourself
- Eliminating your landline
- Replacing your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents
- Cataloging every expense you incur in an average week
180 Money Saving Tips to Turn Your Financial Life Around 180 Degrees – The Frugal Law Student shares 180 money saving tips that can turn your financial life around 180 degrees. The list includes:
- Buy a used car
- Buy clothes at a thrift store
- Save money on movies by going to the matinée
- Use baking soda for toothpaste
Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started – The Simple Dollar offers 100 money saving tips ranging that includes ideas like:
- Turn off the television
- Make a shopping list before you go shopping – and stick to it
- Instead of throwing out some damaged clothing, repair it instead
- Exercise more
10 Unconventional Money-Saving Tips – Get Rich Slowly offers 10 saving tips that are geared more toward how you should think as opposed to specific tips. Some tips includes:
- Pursue short-term saving goals
- Don’t pay yourself first. Instead, pay yourself last
- Translate dollars spent into the hours you worked to earn those dollars
- Include income tax when determining how much it costs to buy things
16 Depression Era Money Saving Tips – Shrinkage Is Good takes us back in time to provide Depression-proof money saving tips. The list includes:
- Only buy what you truly need
- Pay yourself first
- Avoid debt like the Plague
- Discard catalogs and enticing advertisements
More general money saving tips:
- The Big List: 1,019 Different Ways To Save Money – My Two Dollars assembled a mega list of money saving lists from a wide variety of sources.
- 106 Money-Saving Tips for a Frugal Lifestyle – Zen Habits offers a list of money saving ideas list totaling 106 tips.
Money Saving Tips For Your Car
Money Saving Gas Tips – Drive Smarter Challenge offers specific saving tips for your car. Tips include:
- Drive sensibly
- Choose the right vehicle
- Consider other transportation options
- Inflate your tires
20 ways you waste money on your car – MSN Money lists things that you shouldn’t be doing with your car. The list includes:
- Use regular gas instead of premium if your car doesn’t need it
- Don’t follow the 3,000-mile oil changes rule
- Don’t use a car dealer for major services
- Don’t let a brake squeal turn into a brake job
34 Ways To Save Money On Your Car Costs – from here!
- Don’t spend money on paint protection, special coverages, and extended warranties
- Consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage on older cars
- Plan your route and combine your errands to save fuel and time
- Keep your distance and anticipate changes in traffic patterns
More gas saving ideas:
- Gas and fuel money saving tips at GasBuddy.com
- GasSavers.org is a community of fuel economy enthusiasts
Money Saving Tips For Your Home
General Money Saving Tips for Your Home
DIY Projects To Save Money At Home – Remodeling This Life shares some money saving tips from your home, which include:
- Build a clothesline
- Insulate hot water pipes
- Clean refrigerator coils
- Make a Rain Barrel
20 Inexpensive Ways to Lower Your Utility Bills – The Dough Roller helps his readers lower their utility bills by offering 20 tips. Some of his tips include:
- Get an energy-use consultation
- Consider a heated mattress pad
- Use power strips and stop the power sucking vampire
- Turn down your water heater
20 Ways to Save Time and Money in the Kitchen – Patrick at Cash Money Life works his money saving magic in the kitchen. His tips include:
- Plan your menu
- Buy produce in season
- Cook larger meals and eat leftovers
- Clean your kitchen with homemade cleaners
How To Lower Your Telephone and Cell Phone Bills
7 Ways To Save Money On Your Phone Bill – Some of Being Frugal tips include:
- Cut out caller ID
- Drop the long distance
- Use an internet phone service
- Cut the phone line protection
15 Ways to Save Money On Your Cell Phone Bill – Another set of great tips from Cash Money Life. His tips include:
- Mind your minutes
- Consider using a prepaid cell phone
- Take advantage of employee discounts
- Double check your invoice!
More ways to save money on your phone bills:
- How To Make Cheap Phone Calls and Lower Your Phone Bill at The Digerati Life
- Don’t purchase insurance, just keep your old phone at Rocket Finance
How To Lower Your Heating and Cooling Bills
9 Cheap And Easy Ways To Prepare Your Home For Winter – Caveman sharing home winterizing tips? Yes, and they are good tips too. Here are his tips:
- Install a door sweep
- Caulk around doors, windows, and baseboards
- Fill cracks and holes with spray foam
- Install weather stripping
7 More Ways To Cool Your House In Warm Weather – Caveman also offers some tips to keep your home cool.
- Plant a tree (or three)
- Relocate your air conditioner
- Give your air conditioner plenty of space
- Add insulation
10 Ways To Save Money On Heating Bills This Winter – My Two Dollars shares 10 tips to help you save money on heating bills. Here are his tips:
- Install your storm windows and doors
- Open the blinds and drapes during the day and close them at night
- Close heating ducts or rooms that don’t require much heat
- If you don’t use your fireplace to heat your home, think about sealing it shut for the winter
10 Inexpensive Ways to Slash Your Winter Heating Bills – Patrick at Cash Money Life shares more ways to lower your winter heating bills. His tips include:
- Change air filters
- Seal heating ducts
- Use humidifiers
- Install plastic window treatments
How To Lower Your Water Bills
6 Ways To Save Money On Your Water Bill – Lynnae at Being Frugal offers some water saving tips, which include:
- Take showers, not baths
- Turn off the water when brushing teeth
- Check for leaks
- Only run full loads when using dishwasher and laundry machine
More water saving tips:
- Use Low Flow Shower Head at Moolanomy
- How To Save Money And Gallons Of Water For Only $2.00 at My Two Dollars
- Seventy-Five Ways To Conserve Water at The Good Human
- Even More Ways To Save Water Inside Your House at The Good Human
More Money Saving Tips
Vacation
50 Ways to Budget Travel and Save Money on Vacations – Money Ning shares 50 ways to save your money on the go. These tips include:
- Travel Light
- Avoid Breakfast from the Hotels
- Fill up that Rental Car
- Avoid Taxis and Welcome Public Transportation
6 Ways To Enjoy A Romantic Weekend Getaway For Less – Caveman offers these low cost weekend getaway ideas. His list includes:
- Take a Mid-Week Vacation
- Negotiate, Haggle, and Barter
- Picnic in the Park
- Quiet Music, a Touch of Oil, and a Backrub
5 Ways to Vacation Without Breaking the Bank – Patrick at Cash Money Life offers money saving ideas for a vacation. His list includes:
- Plan your vacation
- Search for deals
- Skip the tourist locations for shopping
- Budget
More ways to save money on your vacation:
- Name Your Price With Priceline: Get A Bargain Vacation at The Digerati Life
How To Tame Your Health Care Costs
25 Ways To Save Money On Health Care – From here. Some tips from the list includes:
- Take advantage of perks offered by your health plan
- Be willing to ask your doctor about the cost and seek less expensive alternatives
- Wear helmet and protective gears
- Watch your hygiene. Wash your hands often
More money saving tips for health care:
- 3 Big Ways To Save Money On Medical Expenses – Being Frugal
Miscellaneous Money Saving Ideas
- Outfit A Complete Home Gym For Less Than The Cost Of A Year At The Gym at Amateur Asset Allocator
- 9 Ways To Save On Baby Costs at Free From Broke
- How To Save Money Like A Madman at Prime Time Money
- Utilizing Technology to Slash Your Cable Bill at My Life ROI
Websites That Save You Money
- Save money, reduce debt at Billeater.com
- Free weekly email newsletter features a number of money saving ideas and tips from our readers around the world from The Dollar Stretcher
- Save money when you shop online at Ebates
eBooks and Books About Saving Money
- Money Saving Tips for the Holidays Guide eBook
- Spend Less Than You Earn Free eBook via Being Frugal
- Frugal Food & Fitness: Get fab without spending a fortune eBook via Squawkfox
- The 7-Day Turnaround eBook via Frugal Dad
- 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget Book via Wise Bread
Things Not To Do When You’re Trying To Save Money
Here some money saving tips that have gone too far…into the realm of stupidity.
Dumb money-saving tips – Wallet Pop shares 8 ideas that are not so good when it comes to saving money. Ideas that made the list include:
- Stop using toilet paper
- Buy and re-use old calendars,
- Make your own clothes
10 Retarded Money Saving Tips (People Are Actually Trying) – Cracked.com made a crack at money saving ideas that include:
- Sleep in the Airport,
- Separate the Two Ply
- Make Dog Hair Sweaters
Do you have more money saving tips and ideas to add to the list above? If so, please leave a comment below.
PS: Also check out these articles...
Most Popular
- What is a Good Credit Score Rating?
- 40+ Passive and Extra Income Ideas to Help You Earn More
- Best Banks with the Highest Interest Rate for Savings Account
- 401(k) Rollover to IRA: What is it and How does it work?
- How to Get Free Credit Scores: TransUnion, Experian, Equifax, and FICO
- Best Discount Brokers: Lowest Stock and ETF Trading Fee
Browse by Subject
Income ManagementExpense Management
Asset Management
Debt Management
Miscellaneous
Recommended Articles
Add Your Question or Comment (57 Comments)
Leave a Reply
Disclaimer
The information on this site is strictly the author's opinion. It does NOT constitute financial, legal, or other advice of any kind. You should consult with a certified adviser for advice to your specific circumstances.While we try to ensure that the information on this site is accurate at the time of publication, information about third party products and services do change without notice. Please visit the official site for up-to-date information.
For additional information, please review our legal disclaimers and privacy policy.
Wow, what a list – I can’t believe I only came up with 1 measly idea!
Regardless, I really like the manual lawn mowing concept.
Nice job on the list, it’s going to take me a month to get through it all!
Glad to see my article about accelerated bi-weekly mortgage payments made the list, hopefully more people will follow this simple tip to pay their mortgage off sooner.
Great and useful links!
Wow Pinyo, this post is an instant classic. Delicious’d. Thanks for putting it together!
BTW, The Simple Dollar has a great new ebook available for free that would fit nicely in the books section.
“Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page”
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/onepage/
Great Job! What a list! In fact these tips not only help us save money, but also conserve the natural resources. For instance the section on reducing water bills – how many of us think of water conservation? While in reality, water levels in many parts of the world have dropped significantly. Southern California and many other places are facing water shortages. Hence water conservation is very important. To add to your water Saving Tips, here are some more: http://www.bewaterwise.com/tips01.html These will not only help you cut down your water bill by a significant amount, but also help protect the most precious resource on Earth!
Hey I just gave you a blog award! Check it out on my page here http://twinjackienurse.blogspo.....award.html
OH! You’re my new favorite blogger fyi
Pinyo, this has got to be the biggest list of ways to save money on the internet! I’ll be spending weeks on your site going through all the tips. Thanks for putting it together.
I also listed a “25 Ways That I Save Money” post on my blog at http://www.howisavemoney.net/s.....full-list/
This list is broken down into groups of 5 top ways to save money in separate posts.
My favorite money saving idea on how to be ridiculously cheap…hold the cheese. Yes I said it folks, a slice of cheese at a restaurant is at least .40 cents. Hold the cheese on your meals and (depending if you are a restaurant eating machine) you could save at least $100.00 a year.
Amazing article Pinyo, looks like it took a lot of time and effort to gather all the info. Thanks for the mention!
OMG! That should keep anyone busy for a while. Even though I really like posts that are collecting a lot of valuable information into one single place don’t you feel that the value of the individual posts will be diminished due to information overload?
This is a great list! My favorite is turning off the TV and eliminating the cable.
Great list! I’ve already learned a few new tricks that I can’t wait to try out.
Awesome list! I’m not sure I can turn off the TV but I’d be fine with free TV!
My household cut down our budget significantly over the last year — around 30%. We’re in much better shape now than we were a few years ago, especially since we’re living on less income these days. But necessity makes us all resourceful!
This is a crazy list! Looks like all the bases are covered here, too. I wonder if it’s even possible to add anything new that wouldn’t be considered silly by someone (like the don’t use TP tip -uugh). One creative idea I’m going to explore for helping my health and wealth is going on a day-long fast/no-spend day periodically. Not only can fasts be good for you sometimes, but couple it with a no-spend day and that can help cut back – of course, it’s only useful if it’s already in your plans to begin with. It won’t be for everyone.
Another money-saver for my family has been renting books instead of buying – my kids are avid readers (which is truly fantastic) but we don’t have the budget to keep buying everything they want and the library isn’t convenient to us, really. Using BookSwim has helped us with our budgeting, and the kids can go on the website and pick them out themselves. Has been awesome!
This is a really great list. I have a lot of reading to do! Thanks.
“Don’t smoke, do drugs, or drink (too much)” haha….love it. Great list my friend.
Thank you everyone. I definitely invested a lot of time into this one.
This article should be nominated for blog post of the year, really and should win of course. I don’t have words, just amazing. Great work!!! Congratz!!!
That’s a lot of information. Great..thanks. I’ve manage to pick up on a few tips. What I recently realize is if I shop at the health food market like MOMs for certain food items, I don’t have to restock my pantry as often compared to items from the regular supermarkets. Like for example, their cereals are so filling that I use less of it so it lasts me for a longer time. If I purchase one of the regular cereals, I would finish that in no time.
This is a great list !
Amazing list Pinyo. Good work. Stumble’d!
The ample list of money saving tips avoid would surely help me buy a jaguar if consistently followed for 5 years.
In fact, I able to devise my new strategy out of the ideas above.
My article recently wrote is entitle “How To Save Money In Smarter Way”.
See at http://www.incomemaestro.com/2.....r-way.html
A number of web sites are springing up which highlight goods for sale at five or ten cents, like the old nickel and dime stores. It is worth checking these out, it’s really surprising what you can find! An example is DimeBidder.com
The ample list of money saving tips avoid would surely help me buy a jaguar if consistently followed for 5 years.In fact, I able to devise my new strategy out of the ideas above.
75 painless money saving tips has been my favourite. Thanks for posting that and even the Smart money saving tips is a good article. Money saved is money earned, had heard some time back. It is applicable to all walks of life.
Nice blog. Would come to be check more things in future.
Have tweeted to my followers.
I’ve never seen such a huge list or long blog post! Wow. How long did it take to write this post???
I love the “10 retarded tips”, including:
* Sleep in the Airport,
* Separate the Two Ply
* Make Dog Hair Sweaters
LOL.
http://www.saving-money.net
Thanks for an excellent list of resources.
How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long — the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day. These often overlooked sources of energy loss and air leakage can cause heat and AC to pour out and the outside air to rush in — costing you higher energy bills. But what can you do about the four largest “holes” in your home — the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer?
WOW !!! what should come next: Shit in the lawn and save the price of manure?
Nice blog, like your sense of humour, saving money can be no fun!
Whoa, epic list-of-lists.
Here’s 50 more for you:
http://www.money-while-you-sle.....money.html
Wow, awesome tips here. And dang do the tips go on and on! Definitely something I’ll set some side aside and dig into.
One way to save money on phone calls is – Check out for the unlimited sms plans offered by your operator. This is particularly useful if you like to send a lot of text messages to your friends / business associates. Getting unlimited plans at discounted prices and thus can surely be counted among the list ways to save money on phone bills.
some of these are really great…i especially like the community-building ones…the other curious thing about not spending any money for the weekend is that you kind of get a lot of thinking done…a weekend like this might leave you with a different perspective.
Great post!
I’ve been looking for ways to economize and when my cell contract was up, I got a Net10 phone. I pay 10¢ a minute and 3¢ for texts. It’s a terrific value and there’s no contract or overages.
Check it out! You can get ‘em online at net10.com or at Target, Walmart, Best Buy etc.
I think most people would agree that saving money is something “easier said than done”. Personally, I believe it’s a mind-set that needs to be developed by creating good money-saving habits.
Here are some things I’ve done to help change my spending habits:
- Cooking more at home – Eating out is very expensive especially if you do it a couple times a week
- Shopping online – You can find better deals than in the store and you save on gas
- Paying the full balance on credit cards each month – Interest charge is like giving away free money
- Don’t forget to pay yourself – Set up an online savings account (they pay higher interest than a normal savings account)
- Setting a budget and goals – It’s good to have your goals written down so you see them everyday and don’t lose focus on your ultimate objectives
Again, saving money requires a lot of patience and hard work. However, you’ll thank yourself later on in life. Good luck everyone!! =)
Although it’s more of a way of making money on your car rather than saving it, the following sites offer peer-to-peer car rental which could fit into the ’34 ways to save money on your car costs.’
- US – Relay Rides – http://www.relayrides.com
- UK – Whipcar – http://www.whipcar.com
- US – Sprideshare – http://www.spride.com
But really enjoyed your blog Pinyo, keep up the good work!
save money by getting get a friend to cut your hair.
stop buying supermarket cleaning products and use natural
products like lemons and vinegar.
Excellent post, so many good ideas on this list.
Thank you Pinyo!
Excellent post – you write fantastically! Keep all old boxes and containers – they are great for the kids – for building things and also empty egg trays are great for painting. Thanks
World’s no. 1 miser pinyo
it’s awesome!! i would try this in ma day to day lifestyle………
very good tips. the most important I think is wait before paying
“Surround yourself with like-minded people; specifically, frugal people”. So true. If none of my friends are spending money, I don’t need to spend money to join them.
Wow! What an extensive list of ways to save money in every area of living a bargain stress free lifestyle. Thanks!
You could save money everyday on almost everything by negotiating. http://www.savings.com/blog/po.....Deals.html
Get your budget in place. No matter whether you’re an individual, family or couple, you need to have a budget in place to save money. Granted that no one becomes wealthy just by saving, but it is the first step on the way to building wealth.
In one point you mention, “Water is cheaper than soda, beer, juice, coffee, tea, etc.”, but then recommend not drinking (too much). Which is it?
That’s a huge compilation of some really useful tips to save money.I really like the one “50 Ways to save $1000/Year”.
That’s not a bad amount if you can save it every year.
Saving money can be a headache if not done properly. Its a long process and one only learns from previous experiences and mistakes.
Everyone cares for saving money hence this site is a gold mine for everybody
Here’s another one: disect your cell phone bill — you’d be surprised at how many ‘gliches’ you find in your bill. I found so many that I decided a contract cell phone was no longer worth it. Instead, I switched to a prepaid (TracFone) plan where there were no hidden fees because there are no contracts!
For those who are serious about saving money and planning for retirement money saving tips need to be applied sooner rather than later.
I wish more people would read this, they could save money and enjoy life a little more.