9 Ways We SAVE Money With Rising Costs

With costs of almost everything rising, I’m always focused on saving money where I can.

It just makes sense to spend less on some things. In this video I’m sharing the ways I have cut expenses to save our family hundreds of dollars per month. Some of these might be controversial but stick with me because they save our family lots of money.

Create A Streaming Service Limit

We canceled cable and just pay for one streaming service at a time.

Right now we are paying for Netflix, but we will cancel when we are bored.

We also sometimes get extra services like Prime video when we are paying for Amazon prime or a special free trial of HBO or things like that.

But just paying for one streaming service at a time means we spend less than $20 per month instead of the previous $80 for cable. Saving $60 per month and still being entertained works for us.

Change Cell Phone Plans

We switched our cell phone plan to prepaid plan to save on our cell phone bill. I’m super excited that the service that we use – Mint Mobile – sponsored the video on this money saving topic!

Mint Mobile offers premium wireless for as low as $15/month and you don’t have to sacrifice any the things you need because they are built on the nation’s largest 5G network. They cut out salespeople and retail stores to save money and pass on the savings to you. I love services that do this model so you aren’t paying for things you don’t really need.

I’ve used Mint Mobile for over two years now and any time I share my budget updates I always get people commenting on my very low phone bills. Every month I save $50 per month into a sinking fund for cell phones.

We went from paying $180 per month for 2 phone lines on a large carrier I won’t name to just $45 per month with Mint Mobile. If you switch to Mint Mobile their website shows you what plan you can use based on your actual usage. It’s a prepaid service so you have to pay for a few months at a time and the longer you pay for the more you can save.

This has saved us at least $135 per month on this bill and service has been comparable to what we had before.

Want to slash your phone bill? You can use my link https://mintmobile.com/pennies to get premium wireless starting at $15 a month.

Saved On Car Insurance

Another way we saved money was by switching our car insurance to a cheaper plan at a different company.

I also paid for 6 months up front to get a discount which was possible because we have a sinking fund for car expenses. Sinking funds are so helpful, they cover our bills for car insurance, phone bills, and other big expenses. Learn about what bill categories you should use for sinking funds.

Making these changes to our car insurance saved us $150 per month on our car insurance while keeping the same level of coverage.

Bought A Sewing Kit

One random thing that saved us a lot of money is my sewing kit. Yep, I bought a $10 sewing kit on Amazon and it has saved us hundreds of dollars.

Honestly this is something I have been meaning to do for years but I got really into fast fashion and just abandoning things in my closet if they had issues. I recently ripped a couple dresses in the same spot and decided to buy a sewing kit for $10 on amazon so I could repair and keep using the dresses.

Since then I’ve also sewed up several of my daughters clothes and saved us all money by not replacing those items.

Shop With Cash Back Apps

Using apps when I’m shopping in person or online has saved us a ton of money. Cash back and coupon apps make things so easy to save money these days.

I always look up what I’m buying on Ibotta, scan my receipts with Fetch Rewards, and use Rakuten when I’m shopping online. If I can save a few dollars here and there with very minimal effort I’m all for it.

Want to get started using cash back apps? Check out these posts:

• Best Cash Back Apps To Save Money
• How To Use Fetch Rewards Tutorial & Review
• Referral Codes To Make Money

Cut Out Expensive Drinks

I only drink water. It’s almost comical how much money this choice has saved us over the past year.

When I was working at my in office 9-5 job, I got very addicted to drinking sparkling waters and other pricey beverages. Part of the reason was that it gave me a break and something different to look forward to but it also cost me $5-$10 a day. Those trips to escape added up in our budget!

Since quitting my job I’ve since cut that expense out and I no longer drink anything in a can so it’s only water or coffee for me. If I could cut coffee I’d save more but I also don’t think my family would like me without my coffee.

Spending less money on drinks during your day can save a lot every month.

Shop With Lists

I use a list when I shop at stores. I used to go in and spend without thinking about it but now I always use a list.

Grocery spending is one area that can easily spiral out of control in our budget so we have to be very intentional about our shopping trips. Saving money on food is very important to keeping our monthly budget on track.

Impulse spending is killer and it’s definitely something I turn to when I’m stressed. Using a list is one habit I put into place to stop impulse spending.

Having a list and using that list to order online prevents me from spending money on unnecessary items. I no longer add a last minute impulse buy for myself or my kids just because I’m wandering around the store aimlessly.

Being more intentional with your shopping can help save a lot of money if you are a spender.

Removed Sales Temptation

Online marketing is designed to make you spend more money. Sales letters use psychology and proven sales tactics to get you to spend money.

The best way to avoid this? Remove all the emails, accounts, and ads you can so that you are not tempted to spend when you don’t need to.

I unsubscribed from things that made me want to spend. I’m not on Instagram anymore and one of the reasons is because I found myself buying things I came across when I hadn’t considered purchasing it before. I also took a couple hours one day and unsubscribed from all the store mailing lists I was on.

I love a good deal so I’ll often sign up for a coupon but do I need constant emails reminding me of sales and urging me to buy this new thing? Nope I don’t. Unsubscribing has saved me a lot of money by avoiding those purchases.

Changed The Thermostat

One of the bigger savings this past summer came from keeping my thermostat on 78 degrees (or even higher) during the hot months.

This isn’t for everyone and some people will write this money saving option off immediately. I called it “controversial” in my video because people always have strong reactions to this suggestion.

I admit it wasn’t fun at first. I was hot and uncomfortable for a few days. But I adjusted after about two weeks and now prefer it to be a bit warmer than before.

Since I work from home this keeps our electric bill lower and with the rising electricity rates it’s almost a necessity to keep our bill $50-$100 less than it was when I kept the temperature on 72.

This is very important for areas where energy costs have risen dramatically. Our own area had rates rise about 40% since last year and this trend has echoed across the world. Living in a less comfortable temperature can save you money and might even be necessary.

Saving Money Every Month

All of these things have added up to a good chunk of savings that we’ve been able to put towards paying off debt, buying a home, and other financial goals.

If you’re looking for more money saving content, check out these posts with more tips:

• 25 Frugal Living Tips
• 33 Money Saving Tips For A Frugal Christmas
• 22 Cheap Ways To Have Fun