13 Ways to Save Money Throughout the Year to Get Ahead

Whether it is a new car or a nice vacation, everyone seems to be saving for one thing or another these days. I, for one, love any chance I get to travel, and that requires saving ahead. I’m always looking for ways to save more to be able to go on adventures and knock off items from my bucket list.

With the new year in full swing, now is the perfect time to implement some changes and reap the rewards at the end of the year. Everyone has to start somewhere, so I wanted to share with you some tips and tricks for saving money throughout the year to help you save and get ahead.

1. Eat at Home More

Eating out can get to be expensive. Even if you’re careful and try to pick cheaper places, it all still adds up. You can buy most groceries (including frozen meals) for the price of 1 meal eating out, and it typically lasts multiple meals. If you plan ahead and map out your meals, it can save in the long run. I like to buy frozen fruits, veggies, meals, and items such as packs of chicken patties/nuggets, etc., and they last a few meals depending on your portion sizes.

2. Eat Everything at Home Before Grocery Shopping Again

This is a big one I started implementing recently at my house. I am the queen of saving money and really making food last whenever my husband is gone for work. However, when he is home, we have a bad habit of, when we run out of one thing, running to the store to get more (and getting other things we didn’t need). This, in turn, keeps us eating the same stuff over and over and not always finishing other items we have purchased.

So I recently made a rule that after grocery shopping, we would not grocery shop again until we had eaten everything. Now we do still get essential items like milk and bread that run out faster, but bigger items like frozen foods, meat, etc. We eat all that we have in the fridge and freezer before going and spending a bunch more on grocery bills. This has kept us making sure we eat everything so that nothing goes to waste and we really get our money’s worth.

3. Save Loose Change

I rarely use cash nowadays. I prefer using my debit card; it’s just easier. However, some things are cash only or easier using cash. So on the occasions that I do use cash for something, I save all my change. When it gets to be too much in my little wallet, I empty it out into a jar.

I save all the change until my jar gets full, and then I turn it in for dollar bills. Since it’s such a small amount starting out, I don’t miss it–so I designate it for special trips, etc. Every little bit adds up, and when I do cash it in for bigger bills, I put it aside for a special event or trip.

4. Save a Set Amount Each Paycheck

From a very young age, my dad instilled in me the importance of saving and trying to live debt-free. When I first started working and still lived at home, I would put half (sometimes more) of all my paychecks into savings. I’m so glad I did! This is how I was ultimately able to buy my first car at age 17, move across the country from Virginia to California at age 19, and live in California for 6 months until I was able to get a job.

To this day, I still try to save some of every paycheck. As a stay-at-home mom, I’m not currently bringing in extra income, but thankfully my husband believes in saving like I do, and he saves a set amount every paycheck. We put that amount directly into savings from every paycheck so that we don’t touch it. It may not seem like a lot at first glance, but it adds up. Even if you have tight means or are living paycheck to paycheck, I encourage you to try to save a little, even just $10 or $20 each paycheck. It is a huge help in the long run.

5. Save a Set Amount Per Day

There are so many cool ideas on Pinterest to save money by saving a set amount per day. It can fluctuate or stay the same. It doesn’t have to be a big amount. Even if you saved $1 a day, by the end of the year you’ll have saved $365. And if you save just $2 a day, you’ll have doubled it to $730 by the end of the year. If it’s your dream to travel more but it’s hard to fork out a big amount all at once, this is a good way to save a little at a time to reach those bigger dream destinations.

6. Buy Things on Sale

My mom has always been a huge couponer. I’ve never gotten into paper coupons, but I always look for a good sale. I personally only buy clothes on sale. It’s just not worth it to me. Sometimes that means buying items at the end of a season for the next year, but if it saves me money, I don’t care. There are so many apps and options nowadays to help save you some money or get a percentage of cashback on certain purchases.

I like to stock up when there are good 2-for-1 sales, especially on bath products. It may be more out of pocket initially, but if it’s something you’re going to use anyway and doesn’t go bad fast, it can actually help you save in the long run by buying in bulk. Always double-check to make sure it is actually saving you, though! Stores like to try and sucker you in sometimes with a “buy 2 for ____ price” sale when in reality it’s the same price as if you bought them separately. By throwing on a sale tag, people automatically think it’s cheaper and usually don’t double-check the math.

7. Shop at Consignment Stores

Another one of my favorite places to shop is thrift shops or consignment stores. I get most of my kids’ clothes from places like this. One, the prices are typically way lower than at a retail store, but the quality is just as good. With baby and kids' clothes in particular, this has saved our family so much! Because kids grow so fast, they don’t wear one size for long, especially as babies. So you can find a lot of amazing clothes in brand new condition (sometimes with the original tags still on) for a fraction of the price of brand new. Kids aren’t picky, so it’s a win/win.

8. Make a Budget

This is something my parents have always done. When I lived paycheck to paycheck, I had a budget, so to speak, of what bills needed to be paid and where my money would go each paycheck. My husband and I don’t have a set budget, but we do keep track of bills and all other expenses to make sure we stay within our means. Making sure you don’t go overboard with spending and that you know where your money goes every month is a huge aspect of saving and not going into debt. And the key to any successful budget is just sticking to it.

9. Make a Grocery List & Don’t Impulse Buy

My husband is a huge impulse shopper when it comes to buying groceries. I have my moments too, but overall I’m good at sticking to my list. This is why making a grocery list is huge for me! Making a list of what I need ahead of time really helps me to shop with purpose. I go into the store knowing what I need and grab only those items and don’t dilly-dally looking at other things that aren’t on my list. This really helps me to not impulse buy and grab a lot of items I don’t need, which in turn helps me save more.

10. Downsize Current Bills

Something I’m starting to do this year is going through our current monthly bills and seeing what we can downsize and how. For example, we pay for monthly cable, which is kind of expensive. I’m researching streaming services right now to see if we can still get the channels we like for a lower price. If so, we’re going to make the switch. Some bills you can’t do anything about, like water or electricity, but other secondary bills you can always review to make sure you’re really saving.

Has your car insurance seemed to be a lot lately? Is your cell phone bill too much? Are you spending money on things you don’t use, like a gym membership or something else? Going through your monthly and recurring charges and shopping around to make sure you’re getting a good price every so often can help you save. There are so many cell phone providers that maybe you can switch to one that doesn’t charge as much. Maybe you can downsize from cable to a streaming service and save. Just take a look at what you have right now and try to downsize where you can to save money.

11. Spring Clean & Sell Items

Something I’m currently doing is going through all our belongings and downsizing. Most people call this spring cleaning, but I don’t do it every year. I usually do it whenever we move. Back in October, we finally moved all our belongings back home after being in storage following a hurricane and home repairs.

I am still slowly but surely going through everything and making lots of piles of things to get rid of. Things we don’t use, things that don’t fit, and quite frankly, things we just don’t need if we don’t use them. I don’t like stuff sitting and just taking up space, so I am downsizing. It’s also good prep to get things cleaned out before our next move.

I plan to try to sell these items first with either a yard/garage sale or online. This is a great way to both make more room and make a little extra money. Whatever we don’t sell, I’ll probably either try to consign or just donate somewhere.

12. Do Homemade Things Instead of Store-bought

I love making DIY projects and making things at home as opposed to buying. If I can, then why not, right? Doing things yourself can help you save money too. I like to do homemade gifts versus store-bought to help save. It’s also more thoughtful that way too, which can make it that much more special. I have just started making my own foaming hand soap at home. The upfront cost of some of the items to make it seems like a lot, but it is actually going to save us money in the long run.

As with anything, when comparing costs, make sure to do your research. When I wanted a shelf for my daughter’s nursery, my husband wanted to make it, so we found prices for what the material would cost and compared it to the store-bought version I was looking at. It ended up being more expensive if we did it on our own (plus then you have to factor in the time it would take to make it), so we ended up just buying it. Depending on the item you want to make, sometimes it’s not cheaper to make it yourself; however, a lot of times it is. You just have to do your research ahead of time.

13. Find Alternatives to Things You Use Regularly

I have been trying to live a more natural lifestyle with some of my beauty products recently, so I have been finding alternatives to items we use regularly. I love doing this. For example, I was looking at ways to cut out dryer sheets after finding out how harmful they can actually be. So I started giving 100% wool dryer balls a try. I am now hooked! It has been a huge win for my family! Dryer balls are more eco-friendly and natural. They cut out the harmful ingredients of dryer sheets, and they last for many loads of laundry, which actually saves us money from having to buy dryer sheets constantly.

Something my husband has done is switch from buying sweet tea out all day and just making it at home instead. It has been saving us quite a bit! Take a look at what things you regularly buy outside of the home or things that you do on a daily basis at home and try to find alternatives that can help you save. Instead of always buying Starbucks, why not make coffee at home? Finding alternatives to save money is one of my favorite things.

If you’re looking for ways to save, there is no time like the present to start. By implementing some of these everyday ideas, you can save more and work on getting ahead too. Let me know in the comments below what tips work best for you when it comes to saving!