5 Ways to save money in the next 30 days

Some of the links included in this article are from our sponsors. Read our Advertiser Disclosure.

The majority of Americans find that there is just a little too much month at the end of their budget. Just about everyone could do with some more money in their pockets, but most of us can’t simply walk into the boss’ office and ask for a raise. Luckily, there are a few ways to save money on your monthly budget without making any lifestyle changes.

There are dozens and dozens of different ways to save money, some of them are more extreme than others. In this article, we are going to explore some of the simplest ways to save money that can add up to an extra $100 in your bank account at the end of the month.

Go Generic

One of the easiest ways to save money is by just buying generic brands instead of buying brand name options. In most cases, simply buying the store brand can save you a dollar or more on each item that you buy. If you buy the generic version of all of your groceries, you can easily save $20 or more on your grocery store trips every time that you go. If you’re going to the store several times every month, you can easily save $60 a month just by switching brands. Additionally, you can experiment with other grocery stores and see how expensive their brands are. You may find that you can save even more money on your grocery budget.

Skip the Meals Out

Cooking your own meals is a great way to save money (and calories). While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a night at a restaurant, it can put a strain on your monthly budget. If you and your spouse go out for dinner, you can easily spend $40 on dinner versus the $20 or less that you would spend on groceries to make dinner.

Deciding to stay in for dinner a couple of times every week can save you around $80 on food. If you aren’t an experienced cook, there are millions of simple recipes that anyone can make on Pinterest. You don’t have to cook any fancy meals, but it’s easy to make delicious meals that your family will love.

Car Pool

If you haven’t made friends with any of your coworkers, now is a good time to start. If you’re looking for a simple way to save on your transportation expenses, carpooling is a great way to do that. If you can get two or three coworkers or friends that work close to you, make a schedule and rotate drivers every week. This can easily cut your gas budget in thirds.

Coupons

Most people think that clipping coupons are a thing of the past, but those people are the ones that are running out of money at the end of the month. Spending an hour clipping coupons on Saturday can save you around $10-$15 on your grocery bill. While that may not seem like a lot, that money is going to add up quickly.

If you want to add even more savings, you can use cashback apps like Checkout 51 or Ibotta. These apps work similarly to coupons, but you don’t have to spend the time clipping the newspapers every week.

Compare Insurance

Looking at your insurance plans isn’t exciting, but it’s a great way to save money every month. If you’ve had the same auto insurance or life insurance policy for several years, there could be much more affordable options in the marketplace. Luckily, you don’t have to spend hours on the phone calling different agents to see which company has the best rates. If you want to get the cheapest insurance plans, working with an independent insurance agent is the best way to do that. They can give you dozens of quotes instantly.

Another way to save money on your insurance policies is to bundle your coverage with one single company. The more plans that you have at one company, the lower premiums that you’ll offer. Making a simple company change can help you save hundreds of dollars every year on your insurance coverage.

Ways to Save Money, a $100 or More

While you can’t demand a raise from your boss, you can trim up your budget and give yourself more money. You won’t have to make any huge lifestyle changes to get more money in your pocket in every pocket. These are only a few ways to save money every month, if you use one or more of them, you can find yourself with several hundred dollars leftover in your bank account every month.

What are some of your favorite ways to save money each month?

17 thoughts on “5 Ways to save money in the next 30 days”

  1. I buy generics a lot, and it does save. Surprisingly, sometimes I even save more at the “nicer” grocery store on generics than I do at the basic one, but I do notice I tend to spend less money at the basic store because I tend to give in to less “specialty food” temptation. Sticking to Food Lion instead of Trader Joes and Harris Teeter most of the time probably saves us $100 a month.

    • That’s a great point Emily. We do most of our shopping at Aldi because it gives us great prices, but also limits the options to only one per item. Not only do we save money, but you can stay more focused on only the items you need.

    • I’ve never really considered “limited my options.” I need to give Aldi a try I haven’t been into one yet, but keep hearing good things.

  2. I’m on the same page as both Emily and Paul. I buy the generics and I shop at Aldi. The funny thing is that some generics taste better than the more expensive name brands.

    Before I became an Aldi disciple, one of the places I found milk the cheapest was in drug stores. A manager of a RiteAid once told me it’s the same as the supermarket brands but in a different package.

  3. All fantastic ideas! I’d also recommend DIYing things whenever possible. I learned how to bake my own bread and cook our own sauces. I also make my own detergents and soaps. It’s a fun hobby that also saves a TON of money.

  4. I buy generics, not only food, but medicines and prescriptions. When comparing insurance rates, don’t forget homeowner’s/renter’s insurance, and be sure to check whether bundling will help you or cost you more. For coupons, I like SavingStar because it works automatically with your loyalty cards…no need to scan receipts or anything like that. And I’m past the point of carpooling, but my wife and I share one car, so we save lots there. It’s always good to review what you’re spending and find some creative solutions to saving more.

    • I’m with you on the RX Gary. I’m not sure when more stores don’t follow Costco’s lead and go with automatic “clip-less” coupons.

  5. Checking your insurance every six months or so is such a great way to lower your bills. I found out that I was overpaying our home owner insurance by $100 a month. So now we call every six months to a couple of different insurance companies. Well worth the hour or two 🙂

  6. Thanks for the actionable tips Brian! It’s a good reminder that getting started on the right path doesn’t have to be hard. Plus, making a few small changes can really add up over time if you can keep it up month-after-month. Cheers!

  7. Very good tactics to save some money. It takes focus and dedication to continue the savings cycle month after month. I like to do spending freezes at times and this really helps out.

    • I like the spending freeze idea. It helps you realize how much you have the ability to cut back or see how far you gotten off track.

  8. Brian,

    Good subject matter. One area that my wife and have found big savings… prescription glasses. Just ordered 2 pair week

    We use the glassesshop…yes they are in China. All work is guaranteed. In the last few years we have ordered about 10 pairs as prescriptions change etc.. Regular and sunglasses as well with ever changing frame selection. Only once did we request a replacement due to our error. They replaced promptly.

    I have no affiliation or receive any benefits from them. I have been very satisfied with customer service and quality of the glasses…so they worth recommending. Several reviews on line

    Truly a great way to save 1 -2 hundred dollars if you need prescription glasses

    Judge

Comments are closed.