Money

We are living in times of uncertainty. Just when things were going good, everything flipped in an instant, and the world changed forever.

This current world event has completely opened my eyes to how I can improve my financial situation and cut back on unnecessary spending. If you’re in the same boat as me and want to find ways to cut back on some of your monthly expenses, then you’re in the right place. Listed below are over 50 life-changing ways you can cut back on expenses, save more money every month, and make money! Take a look at the tips below!

This post may contain affiliate links. Click here for the full affiliate disclosure or scroll to the bottom of the page. 

54 Ways To Cut Your Monthly Expenses In Half

1. Consolidate debt and lower your interest rate
2. Raise your insurance deductibles
3. Negotiate bills for discounts and payment extensions
4. Bundle cable and internet 
5. Buy generics/store brand products
6. Switch to a prepaid cell phone
7. Start couponing
8. Cancel subscriptions
9. Cancel your gym membership and work out at home
10. Consider downsizing to a smaller home
11. Bundle home and auto insurance 
12. Use your dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand 
13. Look for cheaper childcare options
14. Cut cable
15. Cook at home and pack leftovers for lunch
16. Install a programmable thermostat
17. Turn on the ceiling fans instead of turning on the AC. 
18. Only purchase items that are on sale
19. Find free entertainment 
20. Shop with cash only to avoid overspending
21. Set up automatic payments to avoid late fees
22. Create a budget and stick to it
23. Buy toiletries in bulk to save money (paper towels, tissue, etc. )
24. Go grocery shopping with a list to avoid buying things you don’t need
25. Look for discount codes, rebates, and coupons before making an online purchase. 
26. Prepare freezer meals to save time and money
27. Turn off the lights when you leave the room
28. Shop for a cheaper internet provider
29. Unplug electrical devices that are not in use
30. Wash clothes in cold water to save money on your energy bill
31. Switch to LED light bulbs
32. Air dry your laundry on a drying rack instead of using the dryer
33. Change the air filters in your HVAC system often
34. Fix leaky faucets to avoid wasting water and lower your water bill 
35. Start meal planning and meal prepping for the week
36. Shop from thrift stores and consignment stores
37. Stop eating out
38. Save your credit cards for emergencies
39. Have a no-spend weekend where you don’t spend any money the entire weekend
40. Find a new side hustle to bring in more money
41. Switch to a low-flow showerhead to use less water
42. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or washing your face
43. Collect spare change and keep it in a jar
44. Try a money-saving challenge to save money every week
45. Automate savings to a savings account that you can’t touch
46. Ask a family member, close friend, or neighbor to help you with child care while you work 
47. Sell your unwanted items
48. Sign up for free customer rewards programs
49. Stop smoking 
50. Create homemade gifts
51. Carpool to work or take public transportation 
52. Make your own homemade cleaning supplies instead of buying them
53. Air seal your home 
54. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

If you’ve been affected by this current world event or if you’re just tired of living paycheck to paycheck, then these tips will help you get to a better place financially. If you have any tips that you would like to share, tell me about them in the comment section below.

This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission for qualifying purchases. Click here for the full affiliate disclosure. 

“Your total is $125.79.”

I was at Wal-Mart on a rainy Wednesday night after work, and the cashier had just scanned and bagged my groceries. 

Payday had already passed the week before, and I had $100 to get me through another week. 

With sweaty palms, I cautiously slid my card in the debit card reader. 

I held my breath. 

EEER! EEER! EEER!

The debit card machine made an ear-piercing alarm sound. 

My card had been declined. 

Flustered with embarrassment, I told the cashier to remove a few items from my transaction to bring the total amount down. 

Luckily, my debit card was approved this go-round. 

I cried when I got to my car. 

I will never forget that day. 

It was on that day when I became fed up with struggling, fed up with being stressed, fed up with living paycheck to paycheck. 

My part-time job in retail was no longer enough.

I had to find a way to make extra money. 

If you’re here because you’ve reached your breaking point and need to find ways to make extra money fast, keep reading for 10 easy solutions. 

You’ll thank yourself in the end.

Get Paid To Take Surveys

You can make an extra  $200 a month completing surveys.

But, to reach this number you need to do two things:

• Sign up for survey sites that are legitimate
• Sign up for more than one survey site
  

There are tons of shady survey sites that’ll sell your information and waste your time. Plus, they will fill your inbox with spam emails.

To be on the safe side, create a brand new email and use it strictly for signing up on survey sites.

If you haven’t started your survey side hustle, get started with the sites listed below.

1 – Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is one of the highest-rated survey sites on the web. Earn money from answering surveys, watching videos, and browsing the web!

The surveys you complete can pay from $3 to $50.

Whenever you complete a survey, you’ll earn points.

Once you’ve accumulated enough points to cash out at the $10 threshold, you can get paid through PayPal or gift cards.

Signing up for Survey Junkie is completely free, and you’ll earn 50 points just for signing up and confirming your email.

Click here to sign up for Survey Junkie.

Make $200 fast by Selling  your stuff online 

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 

Old handbags, shoes, and clothes could make you a good amount of cash when you sell them online. Declutter your home, and make money selling some of your belongings on websites like Decluttr, Letgo, and Poshmark. 

Make $200 fast by selling your old electronics on Gazelle

When a new iPhone comes out every year, don’t let your old one sit in a drawer and collect dust. 

Sell your old electronics like phones, tablets, and laptops on Gazelle. 

People that have sold their electronics on Gazelle say that the process is quick, easy, and rewarding! 

Earn $200 fast with cashback refunds

Believe it or not, there are some major retailers that owe you money and Paribus will help you get that money that you’re owed.

Paribus is an app that will sync with your email account to scan for receipts of your most recent online purchases.

If Paribus detects that the price of an item that you’ve recently purchased has decreased, they will send you a refund.

There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain when you sign up and link your email to Paribus.

Click here to sign up for Paribus to get your refund.

Rent out your car to make $200 fast

Do you have a second car that just sits in the driveway all day? Does your car sit in a parking lot all day while you’re at work?

Renting your car out for an hourly rate with Getaround can be a lucrative way to make extra money.

Getaround is a car rental program that allows car owners to rent out their cars for cash. Hourly rental rates start from $5 and up. Getaround will give you 60% of the rental income, while they keep 40%.

Getaround will cover any damages or accidents that occur while your car is in the renter’s possession.

At the moment, Getaround is only available in select cities. Check here to see if your area qualifies.

Click here to sign up for Getaround.

Make $200 fast Test Websites

If a website isn’t working properly it will keep visitors from returning to the site.

Websites need to be tested to make sure they are working properly, and you can get paid to test them at UserTesting.

Each test takes 20 minutes to complete and you can make up to $10-$15 for each site you test. To qualify as a tester, you’ll need a computer, internet connection, and microphone.

You’ll be required to speak into the microphone and give your opinion on how the website can be improved. Once you’ve submitted the test, it will be approved and you’ll get paid. Payments are issued through PayPal.

If you already own the equipment needed to test websites, then head over to UserTesting and sign up.

Become a brand ambassador

Do you have a large number of followers on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook? There are companies that are willing to pay people to promote their products on their personal social media profiles. Most companies charge a fixed rate per post, so start using your social media for more than just selfies.

Become an Amazon Affiliate

If you sign up to become an Amazon Affiliate, you can make money promoting amazon products. Once you become an affiliate, you can create a tracking link for almost any product on Amazon, and earn a small commission for each qualifying purchase. 

I hope this list helps you out! Now start making some money.

This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission for qualifying purchases. Check out my full affiliate disclosure here and enjoy the post!

When I was a child, my grandparents taught me valuable lessons about how to live frugally. 

Some of the most valuable information that they shared with me was about money. How to save money, how to make money, how to build my credit, and other money-related topics that would impact my future. 

Back during my younger days, those conversations didn’t mean much to me, but now they mean the world. 

As an adult, I’ve come to the realization that saving money is easier said than done. Plus, saving money can be even harder when you live paycheck to paycheck. 

Luckily, we live in an era where technology has seemingly made saving money a little easier. There are tons of apps like Ebates, that’ll help you save cash and even give you cash back!

I love these apps, and I highly recommend that you try them if you haven’t already. I’ve had a lot of success with them, but I’m trying to do some SERIOUS saving! 

Some things are better the old fashioned way. 

Saving money is one of them. 

If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty of saving money, try these old school saving tips. 

1 – cut coupons

 My mother and I used to sit at the kitchen table and clip coupons. 

Coupons are still the holy grail for saving money on household products, and I still use them to this day. 

Check out coupons.com for the best coupons on all of your household needs. 

2- piggy bank

I had a piggy bank when I was six or seven years old. Of course, it would look extremely weird for me to have an actual piggy bank in my room, so I’ll just stick with a mason jar bank. 

3- Save your coins

Save all of your spare change. My grandmother used to say, “take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” Saving cents will definitely help you accumulate a nice amount of savings.

4- turn the lights off

Make it a habit to turn the lights off when you leave the room. I can’t remember how many times I got yelled at by my parents for leaving the lights on unnecessarily. Now, I understand that they were just trying to train me on how to live frugally by conserving energy. 

5- shop with a grocery list

As you wander down the grocery store aisles, you mindlessly fill your grocery cart with things that you don’t need. Before you know it, you’ve spent a couple hundred dollars on food that’ll just go to waste. Shopping with a list helps you concentrate on buying the things that they need. 

6- buy generics 

I’ve always preferred getting the generic over the name brand. It’s so much cheaper to buy generics and they’re just as good as the name brand. 

7- cook at home

Eating out every night adds up. Save money by cooking at home. You don’t have to cook every night; you can meal prep on the weekend. Meal prepping is when you prepare multiple meals to get you through the week. 

8- preserve food

Save your leftovers! Invest in some good plastic containers to store your leftovers in, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. 

9- rewear your jeans

Unless your jeans are obviously dirty, try to avoid washing your jeans after every wear. Washing your denim less frequently will help them last for years. 

10- wash laundry in cold water

Cold water cycles use less energy than hot water cycles. Plus, cold water is gentle on delicate fabrics. Keep your clothes from getting ruined and save more energy by washing clothes in cold water!

11- let your clothes dry on a drying rack 

Back when I was growing up, we hung our clothes on a clothesline in the backyard. You can still do that today, or you can let your clothes dry on a clothing rack like this one inside your home. Another option is to hang your clothes over the shower rod in your bathroom. Letting your clothes air dry around the house will save you more money than running the dryer. 

12- Make your own gifts

When it comes to giving presents, it’s the thought that counts. Handmade gifts are thoughtful and heartfelt. This holiday season, take the time to make DIY handmade gifts for your friends and family. Not only will you save money, you’ll put a smile on everyone’s face. 

13- Drink water

Drinking water in the place of sugar-loaded sodas and juices will keep you hydrated and save you money. Eliminate buying bottled water, and invest in a quality water filter container. 

14- use your credit card wisely 

Rule number one is to never spend more than you can afford to pay back. Secondly, pay your full credit card balance off way before the due date. 

15- cut the cable

Cable is a huge waste of money considering the fact that everything is on the internet nowadays. If you want to watch your favorite shows without a cable subscription, purchase a Roku box and a Hulu subscription for as low as $7.99 a month. 

16- stay in the house for the weekend 

Don’t get me wrong – we all deserve to have a fun night out on the town. But, going out every weekend can really be expensive. Save a little money this weekend by staying in the comfort of your home. If you don’t want to stay at home, search social media for free social activities to partake in. 

17- shop at thrift stores

I always think of shopping at thrift stores as searching for gold. If you take your time to search through each rack, you’ll discover some amazing items for dirt cheap prices!

18- stay organized 

You can lose so many valuables by being disorganized. We all know that organizing is easier said than done, but it’ll help you keep up with everything that you have. 

19- an apple a day

Getting sick is costly these days. A trip to the doctors office can create a high bill, and the cost of prescription drugs are constantly rising. To keep from getting sick, Maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly,  and stay clean. Wash your hands often and cover your mouth when sneezing to prevent the spread of germs. 

20- cut the bad habits

Old habits are hard to break. But, when it comes to saving money, cutting the cord on these bad habits might be easier than you thought. Once you kick your smoking habit to the curb, you’ll never have to worry about wasting money cigarettes again. 

Getting money wise and learning how to live frugally will take time. Start your journey to financial freedom by implementing these tips into your life today!