9 Everyday Ways to Save Money

1. Keep the heat low

My home is all electric. Just to heat the house during the four coldest months has the potential for being three times higher than all of the other months combined.

So, it’s really important for me to keep the temperature low. I keep it somewhere around 71 degrees, which, for some people may be comfortable but for my family and my house, that can be a little chilly.

I usually tell my family to put on another sweater and warm socks. Since we spend most of our time in the living room, we don’t heat the entire house all the time.

2. Say no

I do this daily. I have two young children and they are always asking for something. They have what they need, but they’re kids, so they always want more.

You have to say no to yourself sometimes, too. You may have a savings goal in mind and you know that money needs to go to a bill, not on a new dress.

It’s okay to say no because part of living frugally is planning ahead for some of the things you want. Your no can be no for right now, but may become a yes at a later date.

3. Open the blinds

Every morning, I open my blinds for natural light.

In the winter, it helps me cut down on electric costs because I don’t need the lights on and it helps to naturally increase the temperature of the house.

4. Dance

How does dancing save me money? Well, years ago I was locked into a gym membership contract that cost me over $1,000!

I went maybe 10 times in two years. Years later, I was paying month to month at another gym. After those memberships ended, I vowed never to pay for a gym membership again.

I will dance with my kids, to my favorite music, or with a free online class for 30 minutes a day for my workout.

5. Eat leftovers

Some people don’t like leftovers, but I think it’s just a mental block. The food has not gone bad! 

To me, eating leftovers means that you’re stretching your grocery money and you’re not creating waste. By definition, frugal people are not wasteful.

If you’re wondering how long something can stay in the fridge before it goes bad, there are online lists that tell you how long to keep things.

Or maybe you just don’t like having the same thing two days in a row. You can repurpose food. Cut up a chicken breast from dinner the night before and toss it in with stir-fried vegetables.

6. Use recommended serving sizes

This applies to food and to health and beauty aides. Use the recommended amount. If something says use a dime-sized amount, I try to use just that amount so the product lasts longer.

Sometimes it seems our food just disappears too fast but what’s going on is that we are eating too much of it at one time. If you go by the serving size, you’re also not overeating.

7. Repurpose something

Cardboard boxes, cereal boxes, glass jars, old socks, t-shirts, paper and plastic bags – these are all things that I reuse in some way every day.

8. Charge phones in the morning

Here’s another electricity saver: I have a phone with a quick charger so I do this in the morning instead of the nighttime.

The quick charger can charge the phone from just about zero to 100 percent in over an hour. This is better than plugging it in for seven hours overnight.

Plus, overcharging the phone (like overnight) can deteriorate the battery over time much faster than normal.

9. Do my own hair

I haven’t been to a hair salon in years. When I was going regularly, I was spending around $70 a month.

There came a time where our income was significantly reduced and I had to do it myself, but I got used to it. If you don’t mind a very simple hairdo, doing your own hair is usually not a problem.

Everyday ways to save money

I hope this short list of simple ways to save money everyday was helpful. These tips all add up to help you save money, live on less, and just make the most of the things that you already have.

Remember, it’s not about your resources, it’s really about your resourcefulness.

Is there anything on my list that you think could help you save money? Let me know in the comments!