35 Ways To Save Money That Don’t Require A PhD To Grasp

Adjust what you think your zero is. Everyone has that "oh s**t I'm broke" number-- I just inflated mine so I think I'm broke when I'm not. If I have $1000 in my bank account, I treat it like $0. $1050 is treated like I have only $50. It's weird, but it's been working so far.

Don't spend money you don't have! It's a revolutionary concept, I know, but it really works wonders.

Every time you get a raise, hide it. Increase your 401(k) contribution, or put it into an IRA, or invest in stock, or just put it aside in savings.

In other words, don't get used to a higher level of consumption. This is especially important when you're young.

When you spend money think "Is this worth x amount of time that I spent at work?"

Small hack:

If you pay your car off, continue paying your car payment into a new account.

This payment is already in your budget, so you should be used to it.

This new account is handy if you have any car-related repairs you need to make, like having to replace your fuel pump.

When you need to buy a new car, you can either buy it out right or you have a substantial amount to use for a down payment.

Our biggest money saver is cooking our meals at home. We bake bread 3-4 days a week ($0.50/ loaf) and grow lettuce, peas, cucumbers, and herbs by a window all winter.

Feel great, more money in my pocket!

Banks are not your financial advisors, don't take their advices. They are a business and think about their profit.

I've found recently that I do better with my finances when I check my account on the app every day. It's almost addicting seeing my credit balances lower. I also notice that if I haven't checked it in a few days I've been making bad financial decisions. It's all mental at this point but it's helped since I started doing it last October

I started thinking of things in terms of hours worked instead of money. Let's say you make $15/hr. Eating McDonald's after work costs $10, doesn't seem like much. But thinking "I worked 40 minutes for this" has a different psychological effect on me. I'm less likely to buy things with my time than I am with my money, if that makes sense.

If you are good at sometime - don't do it for free.

I can plant gardens and mulch them. It's relaxing, fun, easy and rewarding. Some people want a nice garden with edges and mulch. Takes me a few minutes to pick out some perrenials, and order them, with a bulk load of mulch and soil. I can drive it to a house, unload, cut out a garden and install the new one within a few hours, then go to a spot and unload to scrap I dug out (grass usually).

I did this for free for a buddy. His neighbour wanted the same, and I said we could do it. They paid me $500 for a few hours labour and the materials. Now I charge $500 and walk away with $350 profit for a few hours, for the same work I was doing for fun on Sunday mornings.

Young people should not be ashamed to live at home for longer. It's crazy how much debt some young people are in, and they could be in a lot less debt if they just stayed home longer.

I know Boomers normalized bragging about kicking your kids out of the house at age 18 and leaving them with no support even though their own parents often helped them buy their first house (yes, that's actually true, and Boomers would prefer that you didn't know this), but that's really not OK.

PS. I'm 53 years old. This post was not made out of self-interest.

Eat before you go to the store and always make a list and stick with it.

Ask for small bills only, no dye packs or silent alarms.

Live below your means.

Just drink water.

Don't cosign anything for anyone.

Bringing pack lunch, or always have a snack in my bag.

I don't smoke or drink. Saves me a lot of money.

Use the library for books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books.

Pay your credit cards in full every month. Don’t overspend. No exceptions.

Uninstall grubhub and doordash from your phone.

Dont buy NFTs.

Always bring your own water bottle!! I've live off from refills for 6 months and saved a lot of money.

Make an actual budget and stick to it.

Cook my own meals....not eat out.

Don't spend money on bottled water and drive slower.

If you smoke cigarettes..QUIT!!!

Make your own coffee. Starbucks is expensive man.

Get a credit card with good rewards and route every purchase through it. pay it off in full each month and enjoy your free money while simultaneously giving credit card companies the middle finger.

Every time I want to buy something big or expensive, I ask myself one question:

Do I NEED this, or do I WANT this?

Both answers are fine, I think it's just important to know WHY you spend money. Beeing mindfull of things is always a good choice in life.

When you have a partner and share finances, but you have different styles of managing money, it’s a good idea to keep separate accounts.

When my wife and I got married, we agreed that any expense over a certain amount, we would have to discuss and agree to. That amount is fairly low.

Low-fee market index funds are the best investment.

When you are considering a purchase, give yourself at least 24 hours, if possible, before pulling the trigger.

Set up an auto transfer to your savings and forget about it. You'll have a savings account in no time, and it doesn't even have to be a big amount.

Buy better quality clothes but on sale. Shop at stores like TJMax and Marshall's, especially if you live in a bigger city next to large malls. They get all of the good stuff that they didn't sell in the mall that season. This way, your clothes will last longer.

Act like you always broke.