7 Simple Hacks To Save Money Every Day

We all know saving money is important, yet many of us struggle to make consistent progress. But if you can finally get in the habit of saving on the small stuff, you will certainly be surprised with the long-term benefits.

The truth of the matter is that we need to save money to grow and allow us the opportunity to live how we want to live. Here are seven simple hacks to help you start saving more today.

1. Keep every $5 bill that you have.

Whenever a $5 bill comes into your possession save it and put it away. Once or twice a year cash it into a savings account.

2. Evaluate your bills

A lot of us wind up our bills and then don’t pay attention to them. You may be paying for services you don’t need. Don’t go on autopilot and pay for monthly expenses you don’t use or need.

3. Give yourself at least an hour to think about purchasing something.

Anthony Badillo, a certified financial planner at Gen Y Planning, said:

“For those of us that are online shoppers, I recommend adding items to your online shopping cart and then walking away from the computer for at least one hour … When you come back, you’ll likely realize that you didn’t need that item.”

4. Make sure you clear your cache and browser history.

5. Bring a packed lunch to work.

Dining out can add up quickly. The more food you can prepare at home, the better off your food budget will be.

6. Stay out of your temptation zones

We all have stores or websites that cause us to spend more than we planned on spending. Identify those destinations and then avoid visiting them. Did you know that typically the longer you spend in a store or on a website, the more money you spend, too? We don’t want that.

7. Pay yourself before you miss the money.

Stefanie O’Connell, a financial advisor for millennials and author of “The Broke and Beautiful Life,” said:

“Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account whenever you get paid … When you don’t see money just sitting around in your checking account, you’re less likely to think of it as money you have available to spend, circumventing yourself in service of your savings.”