Saving money is a priority in many households (as it should be).

Fortunately, there are countless ways to cut monthly expenses and help you top off that savings account!

Anyone looking to build a nest egg or simply save for specific purchases understands the importance of saving part of each paycheck.

Setting funds aside each month can be quite challenging though, especially if you live on a low income or are used to spending.

There are, however, many ways to easily save money and still enjoy that YOLO attitude everyone’s afraid of missing out on!

15 monthly expenses to cut and save money

 

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Downsize

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Needless to say, downsizing is a huge money saver! Saving even $100 a month on rent can add up at the end of the year.

You can downsize even if you own your home. Simply moving into a smaller place and renting your home to help pay the mortgage could work out well in your favor.

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Save on utility bills

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Utility bills are probably the biggest household expense families have to deal with.

Using a few simple tricks and common sense, you can significantly reduce your utility bills month after month!

You can save money on electricity, slash your water bill, pay less for gas, etc. It all adds up, even if you think turning off the lights won’t help that much!

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Behold: public transportation

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The best way to save money on driving is to.. not drive at all!

In some places, public transpiration is actually preferred by many! Instead of wasting time in traffic and money on gas, many prefer to just take the subway to work!

Alternatively, you could walk or ride your bike, but that only works if you live close enough to your place of work.

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Save money on car expenses

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Public transportation is great, but an overall generalization may not apply in certain cities.

If you’re required or prefer to drive everywhere, there are plenty of ways you can save money on your car expenses!

Using it less is one idea. Learning how to drive efficiently can also help in the long run. The little things add up and can help save quite some money at the end of the month.

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Shop for better premium rates

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Want to know how we personally saved 50% on our car insurance? We switched to a different company!

Not only do we now pay half, compared to the old policy, but we actually got extra insurance perks we didn’t have before!

So the best way to save money on insurance, any insurance, is to take some time to shop around. I personally found our car insurance company online. Didn’t even have to get out of the house.

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Work out without a gym membership

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Staying healthy is essential and working out plays a great part in it.

However, often times we pay for gym memberships we either don’t use or don’t really need.

I personally save $50 each month by working out at home.

There are plenty ways to work out for free: jogging, aerobics or other exercises you can find online, making a small investment in gym equipment and using and re-using it for years on end.

If you’re not into team sports or looking to skyrocket your performance as an athlete, then motivation is all you need to work out for free!

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Cut your cable bill

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Downgrading to basic cable can save a lot of money. So does giving up on cable altogether, but not everyone is willing to do that.

Watching less TV, however, can be quite helpful.

First off, you use less electricity. Second, you can use your free time to do something productive!

I’m not saying TV is for dummies, but watching too much of it is seriously unhealthy!

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Reduce your cell phone bill

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Another great way to save tens of dollars each month is to reduce your cell phone bill.

Look for a different provider or simply call yours up and explain you’ve been a loyal client, you may deserve a discount.

Also, you could ponder on ditching the landline, especially if you never use it! Alternatively, see if your cell phone provider could offer you a free landline.

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Cook at home

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Of course you might have already heard, cooking at home is a colossal money saver!

By cooking at home, you can prepare meals for less than a couple bucks per person! That same meal might cost you a few times more if someone else brings it to you.

Home cooking is not only economical, but healthier as well.

And you can even save money when grocery shopping! Win-Win!

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Save money when eating out

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Of course, cooking at home doesn’t mean you should forever give up on eating out!

Eating out less is a big money saver. Instead of going to a restaurant or food joint a few times a month, you could cook more at home and just go out on a special occasion. Or once a week instead of 3 times.

Luckily, even when going out, there are still a few ‘tricks’ you can adopt to save. Check out how you can save money when eating out.

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Embrace frugal fun

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I’d hate to suggest having less fun to save money. That’s just not OK!

However, fun can be frugal too!

For instance, before a night out, why not invite friends over for drinks? No one’s suggesting you get drunk at home! Just start the night by spending less on beer!

Movie or game nights nights are also a great way to enjoy your loved one’s company and not have to spend a fortune. Host one yourself, hint the idea to one of your friends, either way you get to spend quality time together and save money at the same time.

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Save money on getaways

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Although not a typical monthly expense, in order to afford a short getaway, you’d have to set enough money aside ahead of time.

Millennials are travelling more often than they ever used to, especially since low cost airline companies entered the market.

In order to worry less about what happens to your budget, you can look for ways to cut costs on city breaks!

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Cancel unnecessary subscriptions

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What better way to save money than to literally stop spending?

Certain paid subscriptions might have been useful in the past, but nowadays you can pretty much find anything you need, online. For free!

So if you still pay for magazine subscriptions or newspapers that end up in the trash can, cancel your subscriptions.

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Stop buying ‘stuff’

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Unless you actually need an item, avoid buying ‘stuff’ just because you can!

Seriously, most of the stuff we own is probably just sitting around the house, gathering dust.

Knick knacks or small gadgets you just ‘had to have’ might have seemed like a good idea at one point, but if they’re now part of the ‘clutter’, you probably could have saved that money when you had the chance.

Whenever you feel the urge to splurge, take a second to think if you actually need the item or if you’re spending money because “you can”. That’s never a healthy attitude. Think twice before you buy or sleep on it and find out the next day if you miss the stuff or if you forgot it even exists.

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Eliminate bad habits

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Last (yet should have been first), you can save hundreds a month just by eliminating bad, unhealthy habits.

Smoking and excess drinking are among the worst of all. Eliminating them would help you become healthier and save a ton of money in the long run!

I’s difficult, indeed, but not impossible. Many have managed to quit bad habits, self included, and it led to hundreds in savings each month!

Reducing or downright eliminating some of these monthly expenses can save a lot down the road.

If you have any other ideas that personally helped you save, don’t be shy to share them 😉