Save money fast when you start slashing expenses and adding extra streams of income to your finances!

After personally living through job losses and a lot of financial uncertainly, I’ve learned so many creative and unique ways to save money fast. I want to share with you some clever ways to save money fast. But I also want to show you how to save money every month!
Once you start saving, it gets contagious and you just want to find more ways to save. Saving money is like investing in our future, so lets create the highest retirement savings rate possible!
The key is to take a hard look at everything you spend money on, and try to spend as little as possible. Trust me… this will ignite your savings rate immediately!
Are you ready to start making your money work harder for you? Would you love to even retire early? Let’s get started…
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How to Save Money Fast
Tip #1: Cut Your Cable TV – save $65/mo.+
Want to know how to watch TV for free? Start using my easy tips for Cutting Cable TV and you’ll wonder why you didn’t pull the plug on cable years ago!!
My local cable provider charges $64.99 per month for basic cable, and that’s just the promotional “deal” for the first 12 months. After the first 12 months the price goes up! Cutting Cable TV is seriously so liberating!
Get More Tips Here >> Cutting Cable TV Tips
Tip #2: Slash your Food Bill – save $200/mo.
Now, tackling your food bill is a biggie! Slashing your food bill really is as simple as not eating out and cooking more at home. The price difference for just one meal is significant, but if you skip eating out 2 times per week for a whole month, the savings really start adding up FAST!
I regularly make a Crockpot Chicken Dinner for $12 or less, including sides. But to take my family of 4 to a typical chain restaurant, dinner can cost $37 or more, and that is excluding drinks, appetizers and sides. That means eating at home on average will save me $25 per meal. If I skip eating out just 8 times per month I will save $200 on that alone… and so can you!
Now if you already have cut back on eating out… let’s tackle that creeping Grocery Bill! Grocery bills have a way of getting wildly out of control, don’t they? But the good news is… they’re really easy to trim back, too!
Go check out these EASY and PAINLESS ways to cut your grocery bill in half!
Get More Tips Here >> How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
Got spare change around the house? Here’s another fun tip! When shopping at the Grocery store, use your spare change to help pay for your groceries using the self checkout lines. This is such an easy way to use up a lot of spare change all at one time, without paying those high Coinstar fees.
Now that you’ve got a plan to slash that grocery bill, you can save even MORE money when you grow your own food! Check out these Vegetable Gardening Tips, and start eating straight from your backyard!
69 Best Vegetable Gardening Tips to Start Growing Your Own Food!
Then, to slash your food bill even more, be sure to also check out my tips for how to get Free Grocery Gift Cards and my Couponing for Beginners tips.
How to Get Free Grocery Gift Cards
Tip #3: Cut your Clothing Budget – save $100/mo.+
Saving money on clothes for a short period of time is one of the very easiest ways to save money. If you need to save money fast, simply don’t buy any new clothes this month.
Then, before you go clothes shopping again, take an inventory of what you already have at home. This way you will know exactly what you need, and avoid buying items you already have.
Before you head out, be sure to follow some of these simple money saving tips:
- Buy items marked down at the end of the season.
- Avoid shopping right before Back-to-School and Christmas, as retailers will often mark up prices, making even sales prices higher than normal.
- Shop at discount stores like Ross, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Nike Outlet, and online at Amazon.
Extreme Shopping Hacks to Save You More Money!
Tip #4: Cancel your Home Security Contract – save $38/mo.+
My local name brand home security company charges $37.99 per month. Save money fast when you cancel your Home Security Monitoring System contract and opt for these DIY Home Security Tricks instead!
Sometimes the best home security is simply making your home less convenient for potential burglars. Are you ready to implement some simple deterrents to make your home more secure with these DIY Home Security Tricks?
Tip #5: Make Extra Money with Paid Surveys – earn $50/mo.+
Take online surveys in your spare time and get paid for your opinions with these Top Survey Sites!
You’ll earn points from each survey you take, points you can cash in for free gift cards. Free gift card options include: Amazon, Visa Prepaid, PayPal Cash, eBay, Target, Walmart, Sephora, Starbucks and more.
The key is to sign up for as many of these Survey Companies as you can, so you have the most opportunities to earn money!
I love taking surveys to earn extra money on the side!
Just remember… the more companies you sign up with, the more opportunities to earn!
Get Started Here >> Top Survey Sites to Make Money Online
Tip #6: Switch to Homemade Cleaners – save $15/mo.+
Use my 47 DIY Homemade Cleaners Recipes for easy cleaning recipes and cleaning tips. Not only will you save money fast, but you’ll also know exactly what’s in your cleaners!
Here are some of my favorite homemade cleaners…
- Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Homemade Fabric Softener
- How to Save Money on Dryer Sheets
- DIY Wrinkle Release
- DIY Homemade Febreze
- Homemade Glass Cleaner
- Homemade 409 Cleaner
47 Homemade Cleaners Recipes That Actually Work!
Tip #7: Slash your Electric Bill – save $55/mo.+
There are so many creative ways to slash your electric bill!
Just for starters, installing a programmable thermostat can save you up to $15 per month. Then, fixing air leaks by replacing door weather stripping and caulking windows can save you another $40 per month.
That’s just the start. Find even more money saving hacks with these simple ways to Save Money on Electricity!
46 Ways to Save Money on Heating Costs and Electricity
Tip #8: Cut your Water Bill – save $10/mo.+
Cut your water bill and start saving money right now! First, inspect all of your outdoor hose bibs and if leaking, install an inexpensive Hose Cap with a rubber gasket to stop the leak.
Next, install Low Flow Shower Heads, threading them on with some Teflon Thread Seal Tape. Low flow shower heads will save about 1 gallon of water per minute of usage, or 15 gallons of water for a 15 minute shower.
Swap out plants in your yard that require a lot of water with hardy, drought-resistant plants.
Fixing water leaks and reducing your water usage WILL save you money on your water bill. But the more you do, the more you’ll save, so be sure to try all of these Ways to Conserve Water!
15 EASY Ways to Conserve Water
Tip #9: Skip the Coffee Shop – save $60/mo.
Skip the Coffee Shop and make your own gourmet coffee drinks at home and watch the savings add up.
If I make my favorite Coffee Shop cold brew coffee at home, I save more than $2.00 per drink. I drink at least one coffee a day, so that means I can save at least $60 a month by simply making my cold brew coffee at home!
Get more inspiration for making your coffee at home with these 17 Easy Coffee Recipes!
And… if you just can’t give up that Starbucks, check out these popular Starbucks Money Saving Hacks!
Tip #10: Pay off High Interest Credit Cards First – save up to $700
One of the easiest and fastest ways to cut your monthly expenses is by working to eliminate high interest rate debt as fast as possible. If you carried a balance on any of your credit cards because of Christmas gifts and expenses, pay off the credit card with the highest rate first.
First, check your credit card statements and find the interest rate you are being charged. Next, pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. If Card X is charging you 15% and Card Y is charging you 26%, pay off Card Y with the 26% interest rate first!
Here is an example of how much you can save. If you carry a $1000 balance on your Card X with the 15% APR, you could end up paying as much as $350 in interest! But, if you carry that same $1000 balance on your Card Y with the 26% APR, you would end up paying as much as $1,050 in interest. By paying off the highest interest rate card first, you could save as much as $700!
The best advice I can give you is to never have any debt to start with. Always pay the full balance of your credit card each month and never spend more than you have in the bank right now.
One easy way to avoid credit card debt is by creating an emergency savings fund that will cover your average monthly expenses for 3-6 months. I love having an emergency savings fund, it really takes the stress out of unexpected expenses. If that “unexpected expense” does happen, I know I am already prepared and won’t need to use a credit card to pay the bill!
Tip #11: Save on Hair Expenses – save $100/mo.+ {family of 4}
With the average price for haircuts ever increasing, the total cost of haircuts for your family can really add up.
For example, women’s haircuts average more than $40, men’s haircuts average more than $25, and hair coloring can cost on average more than $80. These conservative price estimates don’t even include tips! Then, don’t forget the kid haircuts at about $12 each!
When you color your own hair and cut your family’s hair, you can easily save more than $100 per month. You’ll need to invest in some good quality haircutting products upfront, but they’ll pay themselves off so fast. It’s incredible how much money you’ll start saving!
I started cutting my kids’ hair from the time they were about 2 years old, and have been cutting it ever since. I also cut my hubby’s hair, and yes… he cuts mine! I know, I know… it was scary at first, but he does a great job, and I add in some quick layers when he’s done.
What You’ll Need to Get Started:
- Haircutting Scissors {I’ve used Goody Shears for years and LOVE them!}
- Hair Clippers with guards for the guys + a Comb
- Small Spray Bottle
- Hair Cutting Cape
- Optional: Hair Color {I’ve been using John Frieda Foaming Hair Color for several years now, and it’s my favorite!}
Now you’re ready to go! If you haven’t cut hair before, I’d suggest watching a few youtube tutorials for tips, and then just jump in and start. The more you cut it, the easier it will get, and the better your techniques will become. Practice, practice, practice… and you’ll be AMAZED at how much money you’ll save each month!
I like to purchase my haircutting supplies and hair color on Amazon.
How to Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards
Tip #12: Slash your Medical Insurance Bill – save $400/mo.+ {family of 4}
One of the best ways to save money fast on any kind of insurance, is to routinely shop around and get quotes from as many insurance companies as possible to get the best rate.
Not happy with the quotes? Don’t forget to check out health sharing plans as well, to see if this option would work for you.
I have even more Frugal Money Saving Tips to help you save money fast! Spending less and keeping more cash in your wallet is fun, so let’s keep on saving money…
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What are YOUR favorite ways to Save Money Fast?
Share with us in the comments below!
Carolyn says
Some great tips, but as for your advice about the haircutting kits, avoid the bundles. I read the reviews and went with a better quality hair clipper. The cheaper ones are noisy, heat up, vibrate excessively and don’t last as long. I have had a Wahl clipper for six years and it works great, paid for itself many times over. We bought the nylon capes at Sally’s as well as hair clips and neck strips. My chldren get monthly haircuts and I take a seat every other month for hubby to trim and shape my tresses. Saves me hundreds a year with great results. Well worth the effort to do haircuts at home.
Heidi says
Hi Carolyn ~ great tips! Isn’t it amazing how much haircuts at home can save per month? Like you, I cut hair for my kids and hubby each month, and he cuts mine too. It was scary at first, but after all these years I can’t imagine paying for it ever again! 😉
Brenda says
There’s lots of great money saving tips in this post. I like how you showed how much money you can save with each one. I’m going to add this to my list of posts to share with my FB audience this week, since I also blog about saving money.
Heidi says
Thanks so much for sharing, Brenda! I’m glad you found the money saving tips and tricks helpful!