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It’s a big day at Savings and Sangria, y’all.
We’ve hit our 100th blog post! To celebrate the big 1-0-0, we have an epic post today: 100 insanely powerful money hacks to change your life. Use these tips to save money, invest it, get rich, and build a super fulfilling life!
No preamble. Let’s get straight to it!
100 Insanely Powerful Money Hacks to Change Your Life
Here are our 100 insanely powerful money hacks in countdown form:
100. Use coupons.
You can save a fortune using coupons. If you have the patience to sort through them. Which I do not. At least try couponing and see if it’s for you.
99. Shop with a list.
Otherwise you’ll buy whatever strikes your fancy in the moment.
98. Never store your credit card numbers on shopping sites.
If you have to get up and go find your credit card to make the purchase, you might think twice.
97. Scan your bank account statements for subscriptions you’re not loving.
And cancel them.
96. Make December 27th your new traditional Christmas shopping day.
On 12/27, stock up on gift wrap, decorations, ornaments, cards, baking molds, etc for next year. Stash them in a closet and they’ll be brand new to you the following Christmas. And you’ll save about 50%!
95. Shop in the offseason.
Actually, just make all your purchases in the offseason. It’s August right now, and fall/winter collections just came out. Those are full price. And you can’t wear them for probably at least a month anyway. Just give em a little time and watch the prices drop.
94. Travel in the offseason too.
Traveling in the offseason works the same way. It’s my single fave travel hack to save HUGE money (while avoiding the heat and crowds). This hack is how I was able to afford trips to London, Paris, Tokyo, Kyoto, Venice, Amsterdam, and (this fall!) Santorini!
93. Put air in your tires once/month.
No joke, low air pressure could be costing you about $100/year. You can find other uses for that hundred, right?
92. Learn how to change your oil.
While we’re on the topic of cars, try learning to change your own oil. For many people, this is an easy way to save a couple hundred bucks/year
91. Make your own lunch.
Not ready to change your own oil? How about just making your own lunch? Whip up a healthy turkey on wheat with some veggies to save about $5/day and a crap ton of calories.
90. Also, make your own coffee.
Home brewed coffee is just cents per day compared to about $5 at Starbucks. Maybe save the Starbucks for special occasions.
89. Consider gym alternatives.
If paying your gym membership is the only thing motivating you to get some exercise, by all means, stick with it! But maybe try a DIY solution. There are a bajillion workout videos on YouTube. Or how about signing up for a 5K, 10K, or even a marathon to motivate yourself to run? Or get a Fitbit to keep yourself accountable?
88. Exercise!
Speaking of gyms, exercise regularly now to save a fortune in medical bills later.
87. Unplug whatever you’re not using.
Have you heard of vampire power? It’s all the energy your plugged-in appliances and chargers suck up while doing nothing. If you’re not using it, unplug it.
86. Put on a friggin sweater if you’re cold!
Cold? Don’t touch that thermostat! Just layer up.
85. And turn on a friggin fan if you’re hot.
Air conditioning can also cost a small fortune. Try a fan before you jump straight into the AC.
84. Change your light bulbs to LEDs.
If you don’t already have LED light bulbs, get them! They cost a little more upfront, but you’ll save money in the long run. If you’re on a tight budget, just go LED on the lights you use most often.
83. Skip the shopping cart.
Here’s a novel idea. When you run into Target for eggs and LED bulbs, don’t grab a cart. Don’t even grab a basket. If you can only buy what you can physically carry to the checkout, you’ll save yourself from a bunch of impulse buys.
82. Book cheap, then ask for an upgrade.
If you don’t need an upgrade for hotel rooms, rental cars, airline seats, etc, just book the cheapest workable option, and ask for an upgrade later. You’ll often get a little upgrade simply because it’s available and the company wants you to have a good experience.
81. Skip the extended service plans.
Extended service plans are almost never worth the cost. You’re better off skipping them every time. If something goes wrong, you can dip into your emergency fund for the unexpected expense, but your lifetime savings from passing on these plans will statistically always cover the cost in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.
80. Store brand is fine.
With the exception of cereal, store brand stuff is almost always just as good as brand name stuff.
79. Fill your Amazon cart. Then just let it sit for a day.
Little Amazon hack for you. If you fill your Amazon cart, then walk away, Amazon might just entice you back by lowering the price a touch!
78. Cut your cable. It’s time.
You don’t need cable. There’s nothing on anyway.
77. Borrow and lend.
Need extra seating for a get-together? Don’t buy…just borrow. And always return the favor by lending stuff out as needed.
76. Make gifts.
If you’re strapped for cash, try making gifts instead of buying. Just head to Pinterest several weeks before you need the gift since it will probably take a little time to make something cool.
75. Stop replacing perfectly good stuff.
I have watched friends replace jackets because a button came off. OMG, even I can sew on a button! If something “breaks”, YouTube ways to fix it before you give up on it.
74. Buy classic, not trendy.
On a similar note, if all your clothes and all your home decor is trendy, you’re gonna wanna replace it every season. Ditch the trendy and go for classics that will be in style year after year. Then just accent with a couple trendy pieces.
73. Get Maybelline.
You might want to go fancy for foundation cause that’s hard to get right. But for everything else, just go Maybelline. I’m no makeup expert, but that $4-ish Great Lash Mascara is still the best mascara I’ve ever used.
72. Try a period cup.
Nobody likes to talk about periods. But, daaang, they are expensive! Say you just need 1 box of tampons + 1 pack of pads per period. You’re probably spending about $120/year on having your period. And reeking some kinda havoc of the environment. So maybe give a period cup a try.
71. Shop the Victoria’s Secret Semi-Annual Sale.
Speaking of unmentionables, bras are expensive! And you can’t skimp here. You need good bras to keep your back happy. Victoria’s secret is my go-to. Their bras look great, feel great, and have some staying power. But I can’t bring myself to drop $60 on a single bra. So I wait for the Semi-Annual Sale and get them in the $20-$40 range.
Just shop the sale early cause stuff gets picked over quickly.
70. Celebrate Meatless Mondays.
Meat’s expensive. Skip it entirely once/week to save a little cash.
69. Get a Britta pitcher.
Don’t leave a million water bottles in your wake. Buy a Britta pitcher instead to save the earth and your money.
68. Use a killer credit card.
As long as you can trust yourself with a credit card, get one with a great rewards plan and use it for everything. I average about $918/year in rewards, which I always use for travel. You can take a pretty nice trip every year with that!
67. Get married.
Queue the controversial opinion puffin meme.
But no joke, if you can get married (and stay married!) to someone with a similar financial philosophy, you’re golden. Hubby and I were both broke kids when we met. Then I worked so he could go to college for a few years. Then we had dual incomes, which is amazing, especially since you get to split some expenses. And then he worked while I launched my content writing business.
We wouldn’t have gotten where we are today without the financial support we’ve been able to offer each other.
66. Optimize your tax refund.
I believe in paying taxes. It’s how we support our country. But I also believe I shouldn’t have to foot everyone else’s bill. I have a tax guy to make sure I’m paying my fair share, and only my fair share. Then if I want to give more to society, I can donate it to the causes I believe in instead of handing it to the government and trusting them to spend it wisely.
65. Get cheap gift cards.
Sites like Gift Card Granny buy and sell gift cards. Sell the ones you won’t use and buy gift cards you will use at a discount!
64. Snag a scholarship.
Don’t pay full price for college! Snag a scholarship to save anywhere from a couple hundred bucks to a full tuition.
63. Don’t pay full price for textbooks.
Don’t pay full price for textbooks either. There are tons of sites to help you get deeply discounted (or even free!) textbooks. Google it!
62. Move.
If you’re spending more than 30% of your gross (pre-tax) pay on rent, seriously consider moving to something smaller or in a cheaper neighborhood. Moving could be the quickest way to dramatically lower your cost of living.
61. Or don’t. Moving is expensive.
On the other hand, moving is expensive. Don’t do it unless it will make a giant difference in your life.
60. Get a roommate.
Struggling to pay rent on your own? How about getting a roommate? You’ll have a built-in friend and you’ll learn the art of compromise.
59. 2 words: Family planning.
Birth control is way cheaper than an infant.
58. Comparison shop.
Don’t buy anything expensive until you’ve compared the cost from at least 3 sources.
57. Skip the cinema.
I have been to see maybe 5 movies in the last 5 years. Just can’t justify the expense. Don’t worry about the film industry. They’ll adjust.
56. Ask for your fees to be waived.
Whenever you’re ever charged a fee (annual credit card fee, processing fee, convenience fee, whatever), politely ask if there’s any way the fee can be waived “just this once”. Even if that only works 20% of the time, you’ve saved yourself some money.
55. Get a new insurance provider.
Insurance companies like to offer low discounts to entice new customers. Then they’ll quietly raise your rates while you mindlessly renew. Compare insurance provider prices every 6-12 months to see if you can save 15% or more.
54. Outlet stores.
Brand names at deep discounts? Yes, please.
53. Snag some European clients.
If you do any freelancing, get yourself some European clients. They’ll probably pay in Euros which are worth more than US dollars.
52. Don’t play the lottery for the love of God.
You’re not gonna win. And even if you do, statistics show your life will be worse off because of it. Seriously, look into stories of lottery winners. It sounds miserable.
51. Pay your friggin bills on time.
Is there any bigger waste of money than late fees? Plus you risk taking a hit on your credit score, which means you’ll have to pay more money in interest for all future loans. Set auto-payments if you need to. Just make sure your bills get paid on time!
50. Never carry a credit card balance if you can help it.
If you use your credit card to pay for things (to rake in those rewards points!), pay your bill in full every month so you don’t ever have to pay any interest. Credit card interest is stupid high and should be avoided at all costs.
49. Don’t ignore a 401(k) with contribution matching.
Contribution matching means if you deposit money in your 401(k), your employer will contribute some money to your 401(k) too. This is free money people! Don’t ignore it. Learn more at 3 Easy Steps to the Retirement of Your Dreams.
48. Happy Hour!!!
Want a $12 margarita for $5? Happy Hour makes that happen.
47. Transfer your credit card debt to a 0% APY card.
Credit card hack: if you have a bunch of credit card debt, consider transferring it to a 0% APY card to avoid paying interest. Just do your researching before making the move. If you have debt you can consolidate it into a single monthly payment, but make sure you understand the disadvantages of debt counseling before you take this course of action.
46. Invest in real estate.
Here’s why you need real estate:
- You have a place to live (or sell off) when you’re too old to work and you can’t afford rent.
- Real estate can skyrocket your net worth.
- Your investment property makes you money in 4 different ways.
45. Start investing small, but often.
Don’t wait until you have “enough money” to start investing. Because that will never happen. Start now, where you are, with as little as $5.
44. Use debt to your advantage.
Debt doesn’t have to be a 4-letter word. Check out our ways to use smart debt to improve your life.
43. Give yourself a financial check-up once/year.
It only takes a couple hours once/year to make sure you’re financially healthy. Here’s how to run a financial check-up.
42. Take advantage of community college.
If I had a nickel for every time someone told me they wished they’d gone to community college before transferring to an expensive university…
41. Skip college completely!
Speaking of college, do you even need it? We’re big fans of higher education, but university isn’t the only way to educate yourself. Maybe consider an alternative.
40. Don’t watch your investment portfolio too closely.
You can make yourself crazy following the ups and downs of the stock market. It’s totally unnecessary. In fact, it’s one of the 5 biggest mistakes new investors make.
39. Get a Crock-Pot.
If you struggle to cook for yourself, get a Crock-pot. You can make delicious, inexpensive meals at home instead of running to Souplantation again.
38. Talk to your creditors if you’re struggling.
Not sure how you’re going to pay your bills this month? Talk to your creditors. Most will want to work with you to find a doable solution because they really don’t want you to default on your debt.
Check out Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills! for a full game plan.
37. Never buy a new vehicle.
The moment you drive a new vehicle off the lot, it loses something like 20% of its value. Let someone else take that hit. Then you can buy the car from them after a year or two for a fraction of the price.
Full disclosure: I once purchased a new car because I just wanted a never-before-owned car. Hubby and I agree it’s one of our biggest financial regrets.
36. Get motivated.
Need a little money motivation? Take a look at our 16 Motivational Money Quotes!
35. Avoid Mutual Funds.
Mutual funds sound like a great idea because they are actively managed by professionals. But the fees outweigh the benefits nearly 100% of the time! You’re much better off sticking to Index Funds. We wrote all about it after Freakonomics called mutual funds “the stupidest thing you can do with your money”.
34. Check for unclaimed money.
Have you ever checked your state treasurer’s office to see if you have unclaimed money (also called unclaimed property)? If you don’t claim it within a certain time frame, the government is entitled to it. That’s how California makes about $400 million every year.
Google your state treasurer’s office and see if you have any unclaimed money.
33. Plan ahead.
We talked about how you can save money simply by planning ahead in our post about stretching your vacation budget. Little things like knowing which days museums offer free admissions and which days travel and hotels are least expensive. Yay for planning!
32. Make a Will.
You’re probably not going to die for a very long time. But just in case, make a Will now to make sure your loved ones are cared for financially and don’t have to deal with a long probate process when you’re gone.
31. Rent out unused spaces.
If you have space on your property for a renter, rent it out! How about just storage or parking? Rent them out!
30. Don’t buy individual stocks.
Individual stocks are too volatile. Stick with index funds to instantly diversify your portfolio and mitigate your risk.
29. Eat leftovers for breakfast.
Not for tomorrow’s dinner. For breakfast. Every hour leftovers sit, your chances of actually eating them plummets. Eat the leftovers for breakfast while they still seem semi-fresh in your mind.
28. Use water wisely.
Take shorter showers, turn down the temp on your water heater, and keep your yard lush with plants indigenous to the area.
27. Protect yourself with insurance.
The older you get, the better insurance you should get. Pay small premiums now to avoid debilitating bills later.
26. Build passive income streams.
If you want true financial independence, build passive income streams so you can make money even in your sleep.
25. Reinvest those dividends.
To really see your investments grow, reinvest your dividends.
24. Make your debt payments bi-weekly.
Want a sneaky way to save money? Try making your debt payments every two weeks to trick yourself into making an extra payment every year and save on interest!
23. You don’t have to rush to be debt free.
I’m over $800,000 in debt, and I’m fine.
22. Eat seasonally.
Fresh foods are cheapest when they’re in abundance. So eat seasonally to reduce your grocery expenses.
21. Enjoy free entertainment.
Take advantage of local festivals, free museum days, and parks.
20. Save your change.
With Acorns, you can automatically round purchases up and dump the change in a savings account. You’ll be saving money without feeling any pinch.
19. If you don’t use it, sell it.
De-clutter your space and your mind. And make some extra cash while you’re at it!
18. Meal plan.
Planning out your meals will keep you from paying high prices eating out, will let you take advantage of grocery store deals, and will prevent a bunch of wasted produce.
17. Negotiate your salary.
We need to normalize women negotiating for higher pay. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts when asking for more money.
16. Diversify your income.
Don’t just count on your salary to always be there for you. Jobs come and go. Diversifying your income protects you against job loss. Try one of these high-paying side hustles.
15. Consider a student loan re-fi.
If you’re paying over 6% interest on your student loans, you might be able to reduce your bills by refinancing your student loans.
14. Get Amazon Prime.
No joke, I save about $80/month thanks to my Amazon Prime Membership.
13. Buy assets.
Don’t just buy a car. Buy an asset that will generate enough money to buy a car and put more money in your pocket.
12. Use your hobbies to make money instead of spend it.
Your hobbies can consume your money or make you more money. How about using your hobbies to generate some cash?
11. Focus on manageability, not perfection.
You don’t have to create the perfect savings and investment plan. The best savings and investment plan is the one you’re gonna stick with. So prioritize manageability over perfection.
10. Get your vices under control.
If you can curb your drinking, smoking, and fast food habits, you can save a fortune!
9. Create a debt payoff plan.
Check out this debt case study. It looks at $93,600 in debt between student loans, car loans, and credit cards. You could pay the minimum amount due every month and take about 21 years to pay it off (costing a whopping $157,480 thanks to interest!). Or you could use our Champagne Waterfall to pay off your debt in 7.5 years, spending just $118,895 total.
No brainer, right?!
8. Boost your credit.
Wanna know how having good credit can save you $91,682? Read this.
7. Call all your providers and negotiate lower rates.
Have you ever tried to cancel TV or phone service? You have to talk to 27 company reps first to make sure there’s nothing else they can say or do to make you stay. Use this to get a lower rate on your services!
Just call and let them know you’re thinking of switching providers or downgrading your service. See what they can offer to convince you to stay.
6. Make your dream a reality.
Wait, you don’t have a dream fund?! OMG, get on that!
5. Start saving for retirement today.
Need a great reason to start saving for retirement now while you’re young and broke? Here’s an $831,751 reason.
4. Build your emergency fund.
Ok, without an emergency fund, you’ll experience financial set back after financial set back all life long.
Get ahead of life’s inevitable emergencies by building your own emergency fund. This is top priority.
3. Make a budget
Budgets are beautiful! They show you how much you can afford to spend so you never have to feel guilty about buying something you love or feel anxious about your ability to pay your bills.
If you hate the idea of budgeting, try our Budget Calculator for Budget-Haters.
2. Don’t spend more than you make.
I mean, duh.
1. Automate
This is the single best thing I’ve done with my finances. All my contributions to emergency savings, dream savings, and retirement are automated, so my financial plan literally can’t fail. Learn how to automate today to guarantee your financial success!
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