How to Save Money During These Crazy Times

How to Save Money During These Crazy Times

The world is getting crazier and crazier. I spoke to friends in Australia and New Zealand and things are terrible down there. The price of a cauliflower is $15. People are looking for a secondary job to make ends meet. Gas is $10 a gallon.

I have friends in Europe who are telling me about the high gas prices there. The odd thing is, many European countries actually have cheaper gas prices than we do here in the US. That has to be a first EVER!!

How are YOU doing? Are you able to make ends meet or are you sweating every time the cashier rings you up at the grocery store? If you’re struggling financially right now, I get it. We’re all in this together fighting the good fight.

I have spoken with many people over the last few months and picked their brain about how they are saving money these days. Some strategies I have heard before and some I would never come up with in a million years! I hope that you can use these to help your family save some money.

Use Cash

This is one of the ones I would never have thought of but I’ve had quite a few people tell me they are doing this! It turns out when you use cold hard bills and coins, you pay more attention to what you are spending than if you simply swipe your debit card through the payment processor. It does make sense. If you have a set budget each month, go and get that amount in cash and spend that instead of using your debit or credit cards.

Leverage Coupon Apps

Apparently there is a cool app named  Flipp  that will find coupons from all of your local grocery stores when you enter your ZIP code. This can save you time so you don’t have to go through your circular. I recently learned that big box stores like Target and Walmart also have their own apps you can use to easily find out about weekly deals and savings. I’m sure there are other apps out there as well that can help you save quite a bit each week. I have personally signed up for the rewards programs of a few local grocery stores and this is how I get some pretty sweet coupons each week. Check to see what rewards programs are in your local area.

Have More Free Fun

I know many people who are saving money by cutting out expenses like cable and other streaming services. I’m all for this and feel like it can actually help bring families together. Forget everyone being on their own device watching TV shows and movies. There are so many things we can do together to have fun that are totally free. Play charades or a game of Uno. Do a puzzle together or take turns reading a book out loud.

You can also look in your local area to find what events are going on that are free to enjoy. For instance, many museums and art galleries offer free days, as do many national parks. You may also find free concerts and more just by looking at your local calendar.

Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions

When the economy was strong, many of us were signing up for monthly subscriptions to… you name it left and right. Now that the proverbial sh*t is hitting the fan, we’re all still signed up without even realizing it. It’s time to CANCEL. Take a bit of time to find out what auto-renew monthly subscriptions you have. These could be to subscription boxes or magazines. Review your credit card statement to help you identify what needs to go. And in the future, avoid signing up for any “free trials” that require payment information.

Get Creative with Gift Giving

For most people, it really is the thought that counts. Maybe back in the day when it was your friend’s birthday you had no problem spending $100 on a gift and dinner. But now you need that $100 for gas. Maybe you used to lavish your kids with multiple expensive gifts each year for Christmas, but now, that money is going toward your car payment.

Are you crafty at all? I bet your daughter would be so happy to have a sweater you took the time to knit her that she can cherish forever. Your friend will love a piece of art you painted for her or a home-cooked meal and a used book you bought that you know she will love. If we’re all honest, most of us don’t mind buying expensive gifts because they are simple and we’re always busy busy busy and we don’t have to really put in the thought. But it IS THE THOUGHT that IS THE GIFT. Spend less and show your love more!!

Let’s help each other. Tell us how YOU save money each month in the comments below.