There are many ways to cut costs and save money. This is a list of real things you can do right now to reduce your household costs!

This post does contain affiliate links and I receive a small commission if you use them.

BONUS TIP #1 – Use affiliate links! You probably have a few in your emails right now, these are often advertised as “refer-a-friend” and can be used strategically. If we need to sign-up for something as a family, I sign-up for perks first, then use the referral link to sign-up the rest of the fam! Depending on the program, the reward can be cash in your account, a free month of service, or extra credit card points.

1. Switch to Mint Mobile

Yes, this might sounds like an ad, but this is by far the most impactful thing I have done to reduce our household costs and I save money EVERY MONTH.

Mint Mobile has Unlimited Talk, Text and 5GB Data plans starting at $15/month and usually run specials for crazy cheap unlimited data plans or combo plans. You will need an unlocked phone to use the service, but it is worth it. You can unlock your own phone or they sell them as well. For comparison, Verizon’s cheapest plan at the moment starts at $60 for a single line, compared to $15/mo. this is a $540 difference a year, per person!

2. Get rid of unnecessary subscriptions

Cancelling unnecessary subscriptions is a very quick way to reduce monthly bills. We have all been there, we sign-up for a free introductory period and plan to cancel before the 30 or 90 days, then BAM…we completely forget about it. Check your credit card and bank statements for any rogue subscription charges. Also, evaluate what you really need. If you haven’t used the service in a month or two, it will probably save you money to cancel and restart if you will use it again in the future. Now is the time to cut those bills!

3. If you have an Aldi’s – Shop there!!!

Growing up the Aldi’s near us was not the nicest, but my neighborhood Aldi’s in amazing! Be warned, they have a limited selection on things, but you can 100% shop for “typical” items and save a lot.

For example, they sell their private label tortilla chips for $2.05 (on instacart, less in store but I wanted to show the proof) while our local traditional grocery store sells a smaller bag for $5.29!

This may not sound like much but it really adds up each month. The limited options also prevent me from splurging on things that look good but I will regret at check-out.

BONUS TIP #2 – Shopping yourself will also save you money. Online food costs are often higher than in store, fees and tips also add costs to your usual grocery bill.

4. Cook at Home

I am sure you have heard this one, but the numbers really support it. Eating out is a cost that creeps into and explodes many budgets and won’t even realize it until that credit card bill comes. I am not saying you must cut it out completely, but be more conscious and budget for restaurants.

A simple brunch of eggs and toast is a good use case:

• Local Diner: $2.95
• Trendy Brunch Place: $10 (a la carte)
• At Home: $3 (rounding up for a fraction of butter and utilities), $1.35 (Dozen Eggs), $1.45 (Loaf of Bread). For the cost of a meal out, you can eat all week or even host brunch at your place 🙂

Pinterest is a great place to start for meal inspiration!

5. Pay-off High Interest Debt

This one is easier to do when you have some money to pay bills and should be where extra savings go. High interest debt, from things like unpaid credit cards or payday loans can destroy your budget and any hopes for saving money. Debt interest rates are usually higher than any investment options. Paying down debt should be step one. Paying off debt will mean that this bill stops coming in every month and will save you a lot in the long run.

Are you already struggling with this? You may be able to take action now. Some credit cards, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, have an introductory 0% interest period and no balance transfer fees, plus no annual fees. Getting a new credit card with these benefits, will let you transfer your high interest balances and prevent the debt from growing. Just make sure it is 100% paid off by the end of the 0% interest period to avoid back interest! Doing this is temporary, but can buy you some breathing room. Your monthly payments switch from just paying interest to actually paying down principal. This helps pay down your debt.

6. Cash in those reward points

Speaking of credit cards, if you are like me, I am a member of what feels like a million award programs and while many don’t have enough points for anything BIG, many offer lower dollar gift cards. If you plan ahead, you can order enough of these to make a dent on you budget.

Before the holiday season, I usually take a look through the reward offerings. My Chase Credit Card alone has given me enough gift cards to cover several Christmases and I even gifted myself a new laptop! Travel cards often have a travel redemption bonus, which can help pay for a few 1-night stays while crossing the country to see family!

These can also be used to cover more day-to-day costs such as groceries, clothes, and school supplies.

7. Re-quote your insurance rates

When we added a second car to our family, it was painful. It was a huge expense, but necessary to get to/from work and daycare. I had budgeted for the car costs, gas, and a reasonably priced insurance. What I didn’t expect was an actual insurance quote double our current rate and that was just for my car!

After talking with an agent and looking at a new insurance provider (clearcover), we got a price over $100 less per 6-months for both cars combined! This meant an annual $2,600 vs. the previous quote.

Having lived this, I always recommend cost comparing insurance, whether it is Home, Renters, or Car. Sites like Insurify act as a market place and let you compare coverage and rates to find the best plan for you.

8. Start a weekly “no spend” day

It feels like these days our phones are glued to our hands and this makes it so easy to just click “buy” as soon as we see something. Stopping this instant buy habit will help you save.

Blocking a day a week as a “no spend” day has helped me. It makes sticking to the rule simple and puts you in the mental state to save money all week long. You may even find you have already forgotten about that “must have” item in your cart when you re-open it a few days later. Give it a try and at least 1 day a week, you will definitely save money!

9. Capsulize your wardrobe

Capsulizing your wardrobe is a great way to save money and will help fill your wallet instead of your closet! Clothing can be another risky spend category, where you leave the store spending far more than you planned.

If you aren’t familiar with capsule wardrobes, Google it, but essentially, you have core clothing pieces that can be mixed and matched to vary your look.

Choosing pieces that can be worn both at work and at home gives you a big opportunity to save money. I keep a mix of jeans, trousers, blouses, and dresses that can be dressed up or down with a sweater vs. blazer, or swapping my accessories. You buy fewer clothes, which saves initial costs, then compounds, since there are fewer pieces to replace.

Putting this extra thought into what clothes you buy also helps prevent splurges on things you only wear once.

10. Move to the Midwest (or other lower cost of living location)

Now this can make a huge difference, but may not be possible/make sense for you or your family.

I hadn’t realized this was so impactful until college graduation. As me and my friends compared start-up costs for our new lives, I was astounded at the difference in costs! My 2-Bedroom midwest apartment was the same cost as a room in a big city with 2 Roommates and half the cost of a small Studio.

It is a big decision, but really can make a difference. This one takes planning and this might not be for everyone. Since it isn’t quite a “right now” option, it is at the bottom of the list. If you are interested, Salary.com has a fun calculator to compare cost of living by location, check it out here.

Conclusion

There are many thing you can do to save money! These should help you get started.

Budgeting is also critical for saving money, if you need help making yours, check out my other post 10 Steps to Build Your Budget.