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100+ thrifty living tips to save money

Are you looking for practical money savings tips?

In today’s economy, it makes sense to always find ways to save money, but at the same time, we probably don’t want to change our lifestyle substantially either.

You don’t have to stop buying Starbucks coffee to start seeing a big impact on your savings.

I am a firm believer that you can be frugal, yet still, enjoy life. You just have to compromise on the things that matter the least to you.

Back in college, I still remember how much stressed I had when looking at my tuition bill. I felt that I was going to cry 😭.

I started doing research and made a plan for myself to pay off my tuition debt quickly.

No matter where you are on your financial journey, it is still possible to turn things around. It may not be easy but it can be done for sure.

Here are 100+ ways to save money that I personally use and recommend. Just go through the list and pick two or three that are applicable to your situation.

Some might just take a few minutes to implement, others require more regular efforts. Yet, they are all simple and easy to implement.

Try implementing a few of these tips today and you may quickly find that you’re saving more money than you ever thought possible!

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Save on coupon

  • Use Rakuten (Ebates) to get cashback when shopping online (you’ll get $20 after spending your first $20). I know, I hesitated too at first, but it is not a scam. It basically pays member cash every time they shop online and provide them with coupons and deals. 

    Rakuten gets paid when referring you to be a customer and splits the commission to you. It is free and all you have to do is installing the plugin in your browser and clicking an activate button.

    On top of online shopping, Rakuten also offers cashback for in-store transactions if you are making the purchase through its app. Once the purchase is made, both Rakuten and you get paid. It is a win-win for everyone.



    This is a no brainer since it almost requires no work to get cashback. On top of that, you can also get cashback when you refer a friend (at the time of this post written, you’ll get $20 for every referral).

    I have received $196.28  as of today and I use it particularly almost every purchase affiliated through Ebates. The cashback varies depending on the deal but it is especially significant through major purchases such as electronics.
  • Install Capital One Shopping (Wikibuy)  web extension. It is fairly similar to Ebates and I use both interchangeably. Unfortunately, you can’t use both at the same time but you can compare and activate the offer with bigger cashback, though. If you install both plugins, you can only activate either one.

It is worth mentioning that wikibuy can track prices, gives you a cheaper listing recommendation on amazon.com and automatically applies coupon code at check out. The last two features are very helpful.

Sign up for Rakuten(Ebates) (You’ll get $20 after spending $20) and Capital One Shopping (Wikibuy) to get free cashback when shopping online. Don’t leave the free money on the table!

Save on services

  • Find a more affordable cell phone plan. I really recommend Tello and have saved over $400 annually after switching from T-Mobile. T-Mobile charged me ~$90 before tax for my mom and me. After switching we both get a $10 and $20 plan – so this has saved us over $700 a year. Note: you need to have an unlocked compatible phone and order a new SIM card that works with your phone. Check on Tello’s site to find out if your current phone is compatible with their sim cards. This is a hassle but it is worth it.
  • Shop around for cheaper internet plans. If it makes sense, sign up for new customer deals. Personally, I did this, I cancel my account because Comcast has increased my bill to almost $130 a month. I signed up using my mother’s name, and with a new customer deal, we only pay $35 a month, at least for the next two years.
  • Cancel/pause your unused subscriptions and membership.
  • Use free tax services to file your tax. I personally use freetaxusa.com. Who does not like free stuff, right?
  • Consider splitting the bills with your neighbor instead of signing up for a new internet plan. I forced myself to knock on my neighborhood door and ask if I can join his internet plan, and I am glad I did because I paid the half price and saved on getting a new router.
  • Consider cutting your own hair (or have your family member/friends do it). I have been doing this since not only a haircut cost is expensive, but, I don’t really see a big difference in going to the normal stylish vs cutting them myself.
  • Share amazon prime membership. Amazon membership is $99 a year, if you split this in half with a friend, you’d pay only $49. Better yet, find a friend who is still in college student and you can get it even cheaper. Prime membership for a student is $49 annually.

Save on credit card

  • Pay bills on time and in full whenever possible. Automate your credit card payment so you won’t have to deal with late fees.
  • Take advantage of credit card bonuses and credit card rewards. However, I would not recommend signing up for a credit card if you are not able to control your spending.
  • Review your investment and bank fees. Make sure you can justify the fees with the benefit you are getting. I was charged $2 simply because I did not sign up for online statement delivery.
  • Call the credit card company to get your fee waived. If the customer service is not able to fulfill this request, ask to speak to the manager. I’ve done this a few times and they were willing to work with me. Always ask for fees to be waived.

Save on food

  • Bring lunch to work. Prepare your lunch the night because you most likely won’t be doing it in the morning.
  • Consider switching to a cheaper grocery store. I personally do my grocery shopping at Aldi and a few Asian markets.
  • Check your fridge before grocery shopping.
  • Make a grocery list and stick to it. This will save you time in the grocery store as well.
  • Don’t buy something just because it is on sale. Stick to your grocery list 😊
  • Try your best to use up your groceries.
  • Don’t grocery shop with the overspenders. Perhaps your kid or your husband tend to go over budget? Maybe just let them stay at home.
  • Don’t go to the grocery shop when you are hungry. I am guilty of this, I definitely tend to overspend with snacks when I starved in the grocery shop.
  • Leftover is great – if you don’t finish your food when eating out, take it home for your dinner or lunch tomorrow.

Save on money management

  • Track your expenses to identify where you spend the most and justify if you would need to cut the spending.
  • Spend a little bit more on things that really matter is ok. Personally, I decided to purchase a high-end laptop because I know I will use this every day.
  • If the purchase is not super urgent, try to wait a day or two before buying it. This is a good way to prevent impulse buying. Ask yourself if you will actually use the item and you may come with a different perspective.
  • Use cash only if you have a hard time controlling your spending.
  • Make a mental calculation before buying anything. For instance, calculate how many hours of work it will take you to buy something. Ask yourself if it is worth working X amount of hours to get it.

Save money on entertainment

  • Have fun for free. Some ideas are going for a walk, visiting local libraries, having a picnic, going for a hike, attending local art shows, having potluck dinner with friends/families, inviting friends over, listening to an audiobook, and visiting animal shelters to see cats and dogs. Check out free attractions in your city (google “free events” + city name or check out eventbrite.com).
  • Attending local free events or volunteer to meet more people and expand your skillsets.
  • Try out different activities and find the ones that bring you happiness – It can be painting, writing, drawing, knitting, or playing a video game at home. Perhaps you can turn your hobbies into income –  for instance selling your product on Etsy and eBay.
  • Take on interesting classes on a free online platform such as Coursera.
  • Check out movie night discounts in your area. In my area, some movie theater offers a $5 ticket on Monday night.
  • Check out your membership benefits. For instance, AAA offers discounts on movie tickets, hotels, and shopping. In addition, seniors, students, and members of the military often qualify for discounts at restaurants, retailers, and national parts. It is worth asking.
  • You can also share membership with a friend or relative. For instance, I shared Blinkist and Netflix membership with my fiancée.
  • Check out your credit card perks. It might offer some cashback or points on entertainment-related transactions.
  • Visit your favorite store without bringing cash or credit cards.

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Save at home

  • Declutter your home for your sanity and sell your used stuff for cash. Personally, I sold things on Letgo (make sure you do the transaction in public) and eBay.
  • Buy generic items for things that don’t matter to you. Although the difference might seem small, if those are the items you use regularly – it can really add up and you may discover that the store brand is just as good as the name brand. For me, I buy supplies on DollarStore (e.g. paper products, scotch tapes, batteries, stationery items, cleaning supplies, and trash bags)
  • Buy in bulk when it makes sense. Ask yourself if you have the room to store it and/or use all of it on time. I personally buy items in bulk for cleaning supplies because I have some spaces and I’d like to save trips to the grocery store.
  • Install a programmable thermostat. This will regulate your temperature in your home so your utilities are not being wasted while you are at work or asleep.
  • Consider canceling your gym membership and buying at-home workout equipment. I canceled my own because I never ended up using it. It requires me to drive for 15 minutes and I am just too lazy to do that, unfortunately. I bought this treadmill instead and I’ve been loving it.
  • Make a habit of turning off the lights when you leave a room, and the water if you are not using it (I had to build this habit too 😊)
  • Get a good water filtration system instead of buying bottled water.
  • Consider getting rid of your expensive TV cable. Get a Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu subscription.
  • Consider getting a roommate that you can trust and get along with to save money on rent.
  • Similar ideas, consider rent out unused space at your home or put your spare room on Airbnb.

Save on medical expenses

  • Take advantage of the local AARP directory if you need financial assistance or other types of assistance (e.g. food, housing). There are tons of assistance programs and this may take a bit of research to find a program you are eligible for.
  • Exercise and eat healthy. This will save you money in the long run.
  • Drink water instead of sodas.
  • Pick the right medical facility. Don’t go to the ER unless it is absolutely necessary. It pays to see if there is an open clinic or an urgent facility instead.
  • Quit smoking. You can learn to change a habit in this flowchart.
  • Often, you can get free contact lenses samples by visiting an eye doctor. Take advantage of this to evaluate which contact lenses work best for you.
  • When buying a prescription, compare the GoodRx coupon with how much you save using your health insurance.
  • If you get a huge bill and have no insurance, do not pay it right away. Call the hospital and speak to the billing team. Tell them that you cannot afford the bill and ask them to discount it. In a lot of cases, hospitals give patient discounts for those who pay in cash.
  • Make sure you don’t go through unnecessary tests or procedures. Doctors may have their patient’s best interests at heart. Sometimes this means ordering expensive tests and procedures, and if this translates into out of pocket expenses, you may want to question your doctor before jumping in.
  • Get generic drugs instead of brand-name drugs. Let your doctor know so he/she can prescribe you the generic version.
  • If you are quite healthy, consider signing up for a high deductible plan, open an HSA account, and invest in it. Often, the employer will contribute some amount to your HSA. For me, my employer contributes $800 annually and I put at least 50% of my HSA in the investment account. With HSA, you get a triple tax break (the funds are not taxed when put into an HSA, any earnings through interest are not taxed, and the money is not taxed when it is spent on qualified medical expenses)
  • Let your HSA grow for future medical expenses. You will be able to withdraw this once you reach age 65, although the withdrawal is taxed like regular income (unless it is used for eligible expenses).
  • Take good care of your teeth. Brush your teeth in the morning and at night. I learned this in a hard way – I love chocolates and there were times where I did not brush my teeth before going to sleep. I ended up spending over $400 to get two of my teeth pulled out without dental insurance.
  • Get a free dental cleaning at your university or using the ADA search tool to find a dental clinic nearby. One catch is the waiting time is usually a bit longer.

Save on education

  • Apply for a scholarship. I was able to save ~30k by working as a graduate/teaching assistant in my undergraduate and graduate program. Checkout scholarship programs on your school sites, local libraries, and scholarship search sites such as scholarships.com and fastweb.com.
  • Consider to take community college and transfer the credits to your school.
  • Don’t pay full prices for the conference. Ask if you can attend the conference for free by volunteering, applying for a scholarship, or asking your employer to pay for it. Personally, I was able to attend an event for free by being a room monitor.
  • Buy used books instead of new books. I personally use abebooks.com pretty often.
  • Checkout Libby apps to rent audiobooks/e-books for free with your library card.
  • For online classes, I really recommend udemy.com and skillshare.com. Those two are of the most affordable online platforms I have used and they offer a variety of classes.
  • I personally found audible membership is valuable. Not only you can be more productive during your commute, but it also has a really generous return policy where you can exchange the credit within 365 days of the book purchase.

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Save on travel

  • Create a saving bucket for vacation (e.g. if you put $25 every week, and that will be $1300 at the end of the year) and fly offseason. It is a good idea to set up price alerts too. Then, you can spend this money on your trip guilt-free!
  • Checkout hotwire mystery deals. Often times you can save up to ~60% and you can also predict what the mystery hotel is. Shop around on airbnb.com too, you may find better deals.
  • If you are a student, check out studentuniverse.com when booking a flight. You may be able to get up to 30% off flights.
  • If you have a big purchase, you can consider applying for a credit card to earn a bonus e.g. chase card sapphire, and use the credit card to meet the minimum spending. I did this to travel to Japan and I was able to get at least $500. (do not use this as an excuse to spend more money though 😊)
  • Consider traveling with a group so that you can split the cost of accommodation and transportation.
  • Stock up some instant noodles and snacks in your bag. You can switch things up, for instance, noodles for dinner and eating out for lunch.
  • Use a credit card that does not have transaction fees.

Save on transportation

  • Ride a bike to work or do carpool with friends or neighbors.
  • Get a fuel-efficient car and do thorough research before purchasing a car. This will pay you in the long run.
  • Shop around before signing up with new car insurance and learn how the insurance plan works.
  • If you can afford it, pay your car insurance in full to get a discount. You can also call the car insurance company if they offer a discount if you are paying six months or a year in advance. For me, I was able to save ~$50 by paying in full.
  • If possible, ask your employer to work from home once or twice a week. This will save you transportation costs and possibly the time to do the things you always want to do.
  • Think twice before filing insurance claims. See if the fixing cost will be less than your deductible and consider if it is worth to report the incident and have your premium increased. When I was a new student in the US, I did not know any better so I reported a small accident and the company ended up increasing my premium without even covering the cost 🤦

Save more by making more money

  • You can get paid to share your opinion and experiences. Check out usertest.com – you can make $10-$60 per test. This takes 20-60 minutes depending on the test. I personally have earned more than $100 and some of the tests are actually quite fun to take (for instance, I provided feedback on a new UI design on expedia.com).
  • Switching to a high-interest online savings account. My recommendation is Discover Online Savings account as they have comparably high interest and excellent customer service. If you can go even longer without withdrawing funds, consider CD (Certificate of Deposits) that might pay better rates than savings accounts.
  • Always try to negotiate your salary when you get a job offer. It is always worth asking. The worst-case scenario is the company will say no.
  • Take advantage of your 401(k) matches.
  • Don’t invest your money in a whole life insurance policy, instead, buy a term life insurance and invest the money in index funds.
  • Get a side gig. For instance, my fiancée becomes a GrubHub driver on the side. If you like to make things with your hands or make printables, you can start an Etsy shop. If you like to teach, you start a Youtube channel or create courses on skillshare. Check out 99designs.com if you’d like to sell your graphic design skills.

Save on shopping

  • Shop around online to find a better deal. Compare prices on Amazon, eBay, and other sites. Use Wikibuy to get cheaper recommendations.
  • Spend 1-2 minutes to look at coupons before making a purchase. You can google “[site name]” + “ coupon code”. You can also check retailmenot.com
  • Consider buying used stuff. I personally bought used clothes, shoes, and housewares at the thrift store (e.g. Good Will, Salvation Army). Sometimes they have new items with a label at a really affordable price. Some stores have a weekly discount day, so it is worth call them and find out.
  • Learn about all of your employee discount benefits and program. You may be surprised to learn the deals your employer offer.
  • I also like to compare Rakuten cashback and a list of merchants in my credit cards and see which program offers the biggest cashback.
  • Consider DIY gifts for Christmas. if you love to craft, this can be an enjoyable activity to do, and it allows you to save money too.
  • Wait a few days before making an expensive purchase.
  • Ask yourself these questions before buying something.
  • Use price tracking services alert. For instance, I use Camelcamelcamel.com to track product prices on Amazon and eBay for a specific item that I have researched.
  • Check out NextDoor.com (it is a social networking service for neighborhoods) for sale and free section. You may be able to find decent used furniture or items for free or cheaper prices. I personally found a more quality item than the free stuff section on craigslist. For instance, I found a free pet carrier and cat litter box in a good condition for free on this site. I also noticed people give away quality stuff from the piano, bookcase, coffee table to a treadmill (this might depend on your neighborhood). You could definitely sell these items and make money if you like to spend time flipping stuff.
  • Join freecycle.org. Many people use this site to give away things for free because they care for the environment. Consider joining this group in your city.
  • Consider workout online or leverage your local park instead of paying for a membership class every month. If you don’t need too much equipment and have some space, you can also consider buying home gym equipment. Check out also your employee benefit or health insurance to see if they offer gym membership discounts.
  • Take advantage of student discounts, senior discounts, or military discounts. For instance, I was also able to save $35 when purchasing my Samsung phone through the site above. I found some Goodwill shops also offer 10% discounts for students. It is worth asking!
  • Buy gifts for Christmas decorations after Christmas. Usually, Christmas trees, wrapping paper, gift bags, and décor are discounted heavily a few weeks after Christmas.
  • Turn off your push notifications from your online shopping apps. This will do two things; it will save your phone battery and most importantly prevents you from buying unnecessary stuff.
  • Seriously, there is no need to buy the latest gadget unless perhaps your profession requires it (I was so tempted to buy the latest Ipad pro too 😳)
  • Control your emotional spending. If you tend to impulse buy when you are stressed, sad, or angry – write things you can do easily when you feel this way. For instance, going for a walk, meditating, watch movies, or taking a shower. Spending money might make you feel better at the moment, but this will drain your wallet and enforce your bad money habit. Check out my post about a no-spending project.
  • No need to buy expensive gym clothes such as Lululemon or Gymshark brand (unless it does really motivate you to work out). I personally use a regular t-shirt and store workout pants.

Save on others

  • Consider having an intimate and small wedding with the people that matter most to you.
  • Checkout birthday freebies or google “birthday freebies” + “[local city]”. You will find tons of ideas.

Building a saving takes discipline and patience. But with the right mindset and approach, you will be able to strengthen this muscle and increase your savings.

No matter where you are on your financial journey, I believe it is possible for anyone to start saving money and achieve their financial goals.

Please share these tips if you find it was helpful!