Small Money-Saving Habits You Might Not Have Thought Of

Saving money is so important. It probably feels more important now than ever. Have you seen the price of groceries nowadays? Or of houses? Rent? Mortgage? I could go on, but you get my point. Sure, it would be so ideal to fall into a huge sum of money and save that. Unfortunately, for most, that’s not reality. That’s why it’s important to start integrating some small money-saving habits into your every day routines.

This will help you pile up some extra cash, without much effort and without even really realizing it. It may just be a dollar here or a few cents there, but it all adds up. It’s better than nothing, right?

Easy Follow-Through Habits To Save Money

Follow these small, but smart, money-saving habits and you may just be happily surprised at the new additions to your bank account. Saving money can be a lot easier than you think it is!

Use Cash Back Websites

There are so many different cash back websites out there that give you money just for shopping through them. Some sites can even alert you if there is a cheaper price somewhere else for the same item you are looking at.

Most of these sites are free to use; you just have to remember to shop through them or activate them before making your purchase. Popular cash back websites you should consider enrolling in are Rakuten and Honey.

Use Cash Back Apps As A Small Money-Saving Habit

There are apps you can download to your phone that will give you cash back just for submitting a receipt! Some will allow you to upload a receipt from anywhere (restaurants included!) but others are just grocery specific. You can accumulate cents or points depending on the app that you can then cash out for cash or a gift card.

Some are super easy and just require you to upload a receipt, like Fetch, which also takes receipts from anywhere. Others have you adding different offers to your account before you submit the receipt, and if an offer matches an item you purchased on the receipt, you get that cash back, like Ibotta.

Open A High-Yield Interest Account

Do you even know the kind of savings account you have opened? For many, the answer is no. The type of savings account you have opened and you are keeping your money in is important.

Some savings accounts have much higher interest rates than others. This means that you will be making more money on the money you already have sitting in there. That’s right – you don’t have to do anything.

Just make sure there’s money in there, and honestly forget about it so you’re not spending it. If you open a high-yield interest rate, whatever rate they are offering you is what your money will grow by. You will literally see your account increase without needing to do anything!

Count Your Coins As A Small Money-Saving Habit

Dig up that childhood piggy bank. Go through all of the coins that you keep in your car or in that jar in your kitchen. Coins are money, and they add up. You can go to the bank and get free coin rollers.

Sure, it may take some time to sit there, organize, and sort through all the coins, but you’ll come out of it with some extra dollars. Once all of the coins are in the rollers, go back to your bank and they’ll deposit the money into your account.

Automate Your Savings

You may have heard to “pay yourself first” from your paycheck and rolled your eyes. Well… it’s true. You should be paying yourself from your paycheck. It’s a great way to build savings! We’re not saying to put half of your paycheck into savings and not touch it.

You can start small – automate it so $10, $20, $50 – whatever you are comfortable with -a paycheck comes out and goes right into a savings account. The money, even if small, will accumulate in that savings account, especially if you open a savings account with a high-yield interest.

Go Through Social Media Accounts You’re Following

Social media has become flooded with influencers trying to get us to buy things. A lot of times, they are things we really don’t need, yet we buy them anyway. Go through the accounts you’re following.

You may not need to be following all of the “discount” or “sale” accounts that you are following. You’re not really “saving” money if you are buying something you weren’t planning on buying in the first place, are you?

Leave Things In Your Cart Before Buying As A Small Money-Saving Habit

If you are shopping online, and it’s a purchase you don’t desperately need right away, leave it in your cart for at least 24 hours. Then, if you’re still thinking about it the next day, go for it (as long as you can afford it).

If you’re not still thinking about it, did you ever really need it? Plus, some stores will email you telling you that you “forgot something” and give you a percentage off to complete your purchase.

Review Your Email Subscriptions

Our emails are also flooded with stores showing off new products or telling us about a promo they have going on. It can be super tempting. Again – are these things you really need? Likely not.

Do a purge of your inbox and go on a mass unsubscribing spree. Or, if you don’t want to unsubscribe, create an email account where retail promos go in directly. Do not check this account daily, only open it when you need something from a store. You can then search this email inbox to see if there’s a promo on something you actually need.

Have A “No Spend” Day Or Week

Challenge yourself! Pick some days during the month, or pick a week during the month, where you don’t buy anything. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. It’s a good way to get competitive with yourself (or with others if they want to take part in the challenge!) all while keeping your money in your wallet/bank account.

Final Thoughts On Small Money-Saving Habits

Although it can seem daunting, saving money doesn’t have to be big money moves. We hope these small money-saving habits will help make shifts in your lifestyle that bring cumulative returns.

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