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A new year is always a good time to reevaluate your budget. Are you spending too much? Are you saving too little? Do you have a vacation planned in the new year that needs a savings plan? Whatever your reason is, if you are looking for some ways to cut expenses this year, I’ve got 20!
You could still be on a Holiday hangover and aren’t even thinking about it! If that’s the case, join my 30 Days to a debt-free Christmas Challenge now, and you’ll be all set once the Holiday season rolls around.
But in any case, if your budget could use a bit of tweaking, Here’s…
20 things to cut from your budget to save you $10,000!
Now, I understand some of these might be tough to forgo. But sacrificing a little now to save thousands over the year could be the big game changer in your fight against paying off debt, building that emergency savings, or having that affordable family vacation. Remember to think long term.
1. Expensive haircuts
Depending on how often you get your haircut, switching to a less expensive stylist could save you $250 a year. You’ll save even more if you ask them to skip the styling and head out with just a quick blow dry.
2. Professional salon services
If you regularly get your eyebrows waxed, your hair dyed or another professional service done at the salon, skip it and do it at home. This could save you $75-500 a year.
3. Gym membership
This might be a luxury that you want to eliminate this year. Download workout videos off Youtube, run or walk outside or try yoga at home. You’ll save yourself $400 or more this year.
If the only reason you’re keeping the gym membership is to motivate you to work out, try using the gym membership as a reward. Cancel it, and if you can work out at home consistently 5 or 6 days a week for a month or two, then spring for the Gym membership… If it’s in the budget.
And there are a TON of apps designed to help you workout for free.
4. Dining out
How much do you spend when you eat out? The average family of four spends $75. Eliminate one trip a month and you’ll save $900 this year! And when you do go out to eat, you can eat out on a budget to save even more. Better yet, make sure to grab these restaurant freebies before you go!
5. Expensive entertainment
The amount you save really depends on what your idea of fun is. If you drink on the weekends, stop and you’ll save yourself $2,500 a year. Skip the Saturday night movie trips and save $400 this year.
Look for cheaper ways to have some fun. Try something fun and free for date night.
6. Bottle water
If you are picking up a bottled water each time you head out, try filling up a reusable bottle at home first. You’ll easily save $300 this year and be kinder to the environment.
7. Newspaper/magazine subscriptions
Still getting your news delivered to you via newspaper or magazine? See if your Magazine or newspaper has a cheaper electronic version, or honestly consider if you even are reading the magazine or not. Maybe just cancel it and see how to do. It could save you $200 this year.
8. High-speed Internet
Dropping down to a slower but still manageable speed will save you $500 this year! Just try it out. If you find that your streaming and buffering times become unbearable, you can always bump it back up a little. But give it a try. It could work just fine.
9. Cable
Cable can be Expensive! You could save $1,000 this year if you turn off the cable. Borrow movies from the library (and books, too)! HD antennas are really affordable, and you can pick up most broadcast stations for free!
You could also try SlingTV or DirecTV NOW, or these other alternatives to cable.
10. Morning coffee
Buying coffee from a coffee shop is expensive! Brewing coffee at home can save you $1,000 a year!
OR.. for even better and cheaper coffee at home, learn how to roast your own coffee at home! It’s easier than you think.
11. Prepackaged meals
Without cable and expensive weekends out, you’ll have more time cook. Skip the packaged dinners and make them from scratch. You’ll shave hundreds of dollars a year off your budget. Better yet, make meals ahead of time using with an ALDI mean plan! Now, if you don’t have an ALDI near by, don’t sweat it. Any grocery store will do.
Heck, here’s one for free so you can give it a try!
12. Meat
Your budget and your waistline will be leaner if you minimize meat in your budget. Add in more beans, rice or lentils and you’ll save $1200 this year! *Disclaimer* – I will definitely NOT be doing this one.
Or another option is to look into buying farm raised beef. We started doing this and the quality of the meat was so much better and so much cheaper!
13. Lawn care services
Stop paying someone to take care of your lawn and save yourself $600 this year.
14. eBooks/Music downloads
Try free books from the library and enjoy the music you already own for a savings of $250 this year. Or, if you already have an Amazon Prime membership, they have a ton of Kindle books, movies, shows, and Music that are already included in your membership!
15. Extra services on your cell phone
Make a quick phone call to your provider and cut expensive services you don’t need. You could end the call with $250 or more in savings this year.
Check out Republic Wireless. I switched to them and we cut our phone bill in half! Here’s a coverage map to see if they could work for you too!
16. Interest
Make your payments really work for you by moving debt to a lower or no interest credit card. Keep paying the same amount each month and you’ll see your debt disappear faster saving you $100s this year!
If you’ve wondered about how to consolidate credit card debt, there are some (not all) options that could really work in your favor to cut that interest.
17. Snow removal
Do you pay someone $20 to remove the snow from your driveway every time it snows? Save yourself $100 (or more if you live somewhere with lots of snow) this year and do it yourself… you might be getting sore just thinking about this.
Believe me. I know. I can empathize. Where we live in Upstate NY, we KNOW snow!
18. Landline
Still not sold on eliminating the landline? Drop it and you’ll save $550 this year! That savings could go right into a vacation fund!
Since we still wanted a phone at home, we actually got another Republic Wireless phone for $20 a month and it just stays in the kitchen and is our home phone. Now I still have that peace of mind.
19. Treats for the pets
They don’t actually need those rawhides and treats meant for them. Give them a wholesome treat and save yourself $250 this year.
20. Extra gas
Make a deal with yourself to walk anywhere that is less than a mile away (at least when the weather is nice). You’ll put less gas in your car and save $250 or more this year.
The biggest thing to cut from your life and your budget is our habit of comparing ourselves to others. This year, make a resolution to live your life different than everyone else.
If you want more help knowing how to budget in general, or maybe some ways to make a little extra money on the side, I’ve got your covered.
What are some other ways you save money throughout the year?
COMMENTS
Fabulous ideas, I will be trying many of them.
I love these… problem is….we’re already doing all of them. We could eat out less and walk more but otherwise, we’re doing them all.
I have an issue with 1 and 2 because that is my profession. I’ve had to charge almost double to fix what people have done at home. There are other options. Good quality salons usually have a training system in place and they always need models. This is a great way to to great service and little to no cost.
These ideas are great for people that have a lot of money, but I seriously do none of those. OK so once a month I buy a coffee, once a month I buy one pre-packages meal, I get my hair cut for $20 every 3 months. I wish I had things I could cut! Lol.
I think these are definitely great, especially for those that are just getting started reigning in their expenses. Many people do not realize that the reason they are in debt is because of these simple lifestyle choices.
I really feel for those commenting that they do most of these and are still broke or don’t even have these luxuries in the first place. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve your finances! The alternative to cutting your budget, as I’ve recently realized, is to increase your cash flow. Lauren has a great list of ways to make extra money- have a look!
I don’t know. It seems like you are saying if you sell your yacht and your Mercedes you will have more money when we don’t have those things to cut out. Also a lot of the money making suggestions aren’t really feasible.
We don’t even eat out. Our bimonthly splurge is pizza. No entertainment cost so I can justify DirecTV, just basic channels. We don’t have pets or snow, never buy bottled water, wouldn’t dream of paying for coffee shop coffee, never had a gym membership, we cook from scratch most every day, I’m bald due to an autoimmune disease, I can’t eat all carbs due to diabetes, my son mows the lawn, never downloaded anything unless for free, I have a dumb phone, the only interest we pay is on the mortgage, no landline and no place I go to is less than a mile away. And our meals at home are very simple, no expensive ingredients ( I don’t pay more than $5 per pound for meat and $8 for fresh fish.. Needless to say, the starting point for the weekly menu is the store flyers. And I know what’s really a bargain and what isn’t due to my black book. My only vice is my spice rack; I’ve got almost every spice/herb known to man and I use them – since I have all that I don’t have to buy expensive spice mixtures, I just google a recipe when I need garam masala or some such thing.
When we got rid of our landline phone we went with Ooma voip phone which only costs $4.50/month and has unlimited long distance.
We only eat out when we have a coupon. Average for 2 people is less than $20. Otherwise, the internet and cable are the only two we have, and we aren’t willing to give them up.