Often the best money savings tips aren’t the ones you read in personal finance columns, but the insights discovered by real people.
That’s why I recently asked my clients to share their top tips.
I was inundated with entries which drew inspiration from many aspects of life, from budgeting and goal setting to negotiation, lifestyle and shopping.
Here are our top 17 money saving tips from my clients:
Budgeting and goal setting
- Start a budget and stick to it! I have barely noticed a difference in my lifestyle but I’ve gone from 0% to 30% income saved.
- Set a monthly “side-hustle” goal and meet it by doing a freelance job online, rideshare driving or Airbnb’ing your house for a weekend.
- Set up your payroll to get paid into multiple accounts; one for savings and one for spending so you automatically save money every payday.
- I use an app to record every dollar I spend. I know where my money goes and it helps me set smart and realistic goals.
- I’ve boosted my investing by setting new goals, cancelling unneeded direct debits, and re-channelling funds with regular payments into investment vehicles and high interest savings accounts.
Lifestyle
- Don’t pay for things you enjoy when there’s an alternative – run outside (not in a gym), learn to cook pizza from scratch (versus take out).
- Batch cooking! We spend a few hours each weekend cooking our lunches and dinners for the week ahead, this saves us money buying at work!
- Buying one less coffee per day will save me $700 per year and one less night out per month will save me about $2,500!
- Get fit for a cause! Since registering for the 2016 Whitelion Three Peaks Challenge, I spend more time hiking and less money in bars!
- Ride your pushbike! Avoid car running costs and even (mostly) public transport – an easy and healthy way to save a few thousand!
Negotiation
- Always remember that ‘everything is negotiable’. Negotiate win/win discounts on things you need to buy from private school fees to washing machines. Just ask.
- Contacted my bank and asked for a better mortgage rate. Now 0.18% better off I have an extra $900 to invest each year!
Shopping and purchases
- Use a credit card for day to day expenses and earn points. Use points in exchange for flights/services and save money. I’ve saved over $4,000.
- Cheaper is not always better. Sometimes higher quality more expensive products end up being cheaper in the long run.
- I only need three words: refuse, reduce and reuse. I’m refusing what I don’t need, reducing overall consumption, and reusing to avoid buying new.
- Avoiding instant gratification and master the 15-day rule to wait and decide on a purchase thereby giving me better perspective on whether it’s truly necessary.
- Stop buying and eating so many burritos!
Final thoughts
As well as moderating your Mexican consumption, you can also save money by reducing the fees you pay for financial products, by knowing some tips and tricks for your next holiday and by using budgeting apps to help you manage your spending.
