A Mess Free Life may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
How much money can you save in a month? Think saving $1,000 is difficult to do? Here are nine ways to save $1,000 a month or more!
I’m not doing anything crazy at all. I’m just realistically looking at all the ways in which I could cut my budget and save $1,000 if I needed money fast.
I’m not saving for anything special, but if you are looking to save money for a down payment or a trip or if you need to fund your emergency account, these are all practical ways you can save money right now.
Here are my best money-saving tips that could have you on the road to save $1,000 a month and put more money in your pocket!
Easy Ways To Save $1,000 A Month
Eating Out Less
We just finished the 28 Days of Spending Zero, and one woman wrote me and told me she saved over $2,200 by not eating out at all. When I saw this number, my mouth dropped, because I didn’t think it was possible to save that much. But if you eat out every day, multiple times a day, just stopping this one habit will save you boatloads of money.
My average eating out bill comes in at approximately $200 a month, so by cutting out eating out, I’m already saving 1/5th of my goal of saving $1,000.
If you’re going to eat at home, make sure you do proper meal planning and use money-saving apps like Ibotta so that you maximize your saving and don’t end up throwing money away on wasted food.
There are several ways you can save money on food. Here are a few articles that will help you make sure you’re getting your money’s worth and maximize your savings.
Take Charge of Your Food Budget and Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
The Secret to Successful Meal Planning and Food Budgeting
Food Shop These 7 Weeks And Transform Your Grocery Budget
I also took the course, Grocery Budget Makeover and was able to reduce my grocery budget from $1,200 per month down to $700 a month by following Erin’s program.
**Total Saved from Eating Out: $200
**Total Saved by joining Grocery Budget Makeover: $500
Eating From Our Pantry
Most of us have a lot in our pantry’s and freezers that we just forget we have. The best way to save even more money this month is to shop at your own house and eat up all that food that is just sitting in the pantry calling out to be eaten.
When I did the no spend challenge back in February, we did just that. We used up all the food that was sitting in the pantry. I got creative with my meal planning and found new uses for items like peas and beets.
Plus, now that my pantry is cleaned out I know that I had used what I have on hand before it expired.
My pantry is super organized and clean and is ready for me to begin my stockpiling system again.
I saved over $100 dollars by using what I had on hand in my freezer and pantry.
Related: Day 5: Meal Plan By Using What You Have On Hand
**Total Saved from Eating from My Pantry: $100
Cut Cable and Land Line
When we moved to New Hampshire, we got the complete home package from our cable/internet provider. But what we quickly realized was no one was watching cable at all. We already had Netflix and Sling in place, and so we realized that we were wasting of money on something that we just didn’t need.
So we cut the cord.
We ditched cable and home phone service and are saving $120 per month.
If you want to save money, I highly suggest you look at cutting cable and look for more affordable options. Netflix, Sling, and Amazon (I’m a Prime Member) give us enough options that everyone in the house is satisfied.
**Money Saved By Cutting Cable: $120
Stop Shopping for Items You Don’t Need
Most of us shop in a haze without any real awareness of what we are doing. It’s like we walk into the store and we are in awe of all the beautiful and pretty things at our disposal.
When you stop shopping in a haze, it’s amazing to see how much money you can save. There are a few ways to accomplish this tasks but here are a few pointers:
Use a list: Don’t go into a store without a list. Make sure that whatever is on the list is a NEED and not a WANT.
Wait: If you find yourself wanting something really badly, wait a few days and see if that feeling passes. Often when given space from our desires, we find we don’t really want something as much as we originally did.
Stay out of the stores completely: Just say no to shopping. Don’t even put yourself in the line of temptation. Refrain from shopping altogether. That goes for online shopping too.
During the no spend challenge when I refrained from shopping I was able to save an additional $200
**Money Saved from Not Spending: $200
Related: Why Shopping With Purpose Will Save You Money
Here are some additional ways you can save money!
Negotiate Insurance
Many of us have items on our insurance that we don’t use but are costing us each year. For example, many people have too much insurance.
Take a look at your car, and it’s worth. If it’s paid off, do you need as much coverage on it as you did when it was brand new? Often we just renew our insurance each year with little thought to the value of what we are paying for.
Shop around and evaluate whether or not you should change your deductible, lower some of your coverage amounts, and see if you’re able to reduce your insurance costs significantly.
I also recommend simply calling your insurance agent and asking for a discount, many times they will offer a discount that will allow you to save money just because you asked.
Many of these same tactics can be applied to your home insurance bill as well.
Look For More Affordable Cell Phone Plans
The cell phone company’s love it when we overpay, but if you’re tight on money, start looking for a plan that can save you money.
If you are looking for a cheap cell phone service, check out Republic Wireless. They have monthly cell phone plans as low as $15 per month.
Use Ebates When You Do Shop For Something You Need
Sign up for a website like Ebates where you can earn CASH BACK for just spending like how you normally would online. The service is free too!
Automate Your Savings Strategy
With the Digit savings app, you link up your bank account to Digit and every few days Digit looks at your income and spending habits to see how much you could possibly save. Digit then automatically moves money from your checking account to a Digit savings account.
Each transfer averages around $18, but it could be higher or lower depending on your individual situation.
Refinance Student Loans
I highly recommend Credible for student loan refinancing (they are the top student loan refinancing company and have great customer service!). You can lower the interest rate on your student loans significantly by using Credible which may help you shave thousands off your student loan bill over time.
Other Tips
Start a blog. Blogging is how I make a living. I earn a full-time income through my blog, and my income keeps getting higher and higher. You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $5.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.
There are so many ways to save a $1,000 a month. Use these tactics and see how much money you can save this month!
What other ways have you saved money? I’d love to know!
