10 Easy Ways to Save Money

With back-to-school season in full swing, things like covering tuition costs and paying for extracurricular activities may be weighing high on your mind. Instead of worrying about all those extra fees, we have a few ways to help you save some money during back-to-school season and all year through.

Here are 10 simple money-saving tasks that you can get started on today:

Pack your lunch – Have you ever stopped to think about how much money you spend on going out to lunch each day? Instead of spending those dollars that can quickly add up on daily lunches out during your workday, take the time to pack your lunch in the morning. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll save in just a short amount of time.

Skip your coffee run – Speaking of daily expenses that can quickly add up, think about those ever-so-necessary coffee runs that you like to go on. Instead of grabbing a Starbucks latte each day, make your coffee at home. You’ll notice some big savings in a hurry.

Drop your gym membership – When is the last time you used your monthly gym membership? If you’re having a hard time answering, you should’ve already canceled that by now. Instead of wasting money on a monthly subscription to a gym, take a step outside, go for a run and breathe in the fresh air. You’ll not only feel better, but you’ll be saving money too.

Cancel your cable – Services like Netflix and Hulu have come a long way in taking the place of traditional cable packages. Instead of paying exorbitant fees to a cable service provider, consider picking up only local channels and utilizing web services to stream the TV shows that you want to watch.

Lose the landline – In today’s world, there really is no reason to have a landline at your home. Almost everyone conducts business solely from their mobile phones. If you’re paying a monthly phone bill for a landline, cancel it now and save that money.

Program your thermostat – Another way that smart technology can save you is through your energy bills. Instead of keeping your HVAC system running nonstop when you’re not around, program your thermostat to control the temperature during periods when you are not home or you are asleep. You’ll see monthly energy savings that can add up.

Ask for lower bills – Want to see more savings when it comes to your bills? Simply ask for them! Negotiating high cable or phone bills is totally acceptable. Call your service providers and see what you can do to lower your monthly fees.

Use auto-pay for more than bills – You may already have your bills set to be automatically paid each month. But why not do the same for your savings? It is a lot easier to save money when you don’t realize that you have it to spend. Have a set amount of money come out of each pay or stash away some cash each week, so that you are saving without even knowing it.

Shop around – You probably look for more than one price when it comes to large ticket items like TVs. Think about shopping around for everyday items that you purchase too. Instead of settling on the price of your groceries at one store, find out where you can get the best deals and go after them.

Stock up on some things – For items that you use a lot, you may find that even shopping the weekly specials isn’t cutting it. Instead of chasing after deals each week on items that you use a lot, buy in bulk. You’ll save nearly every time.

With just a few simple daily changes, you’ll find that saving money is a lot easier than you may have thought. So, forget about those looming costs that back-to-school season can bring and put a simple savings plan into motion today!