| Banking, invoices and payments |
| ■ Set up an automatic transfer of money from each paycheck to a savings account. |
| ■ Avoid ATM withdrawals which will cost you fees. |
| ■ Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees. |
| ■ Save windfall and refund money instead of spending it. |
| ■ Declutter subscriptions and memberships often. |
| ■ Cancel subscriptions and automatic memberships. |
| ■ Round off your purchases to the nearest dollar and add the difference to your savings. |
| ■ Shop around for the best deals on broadband, credit cards, insurance, phone plans and streaming subscriptions. |
| ■ Refinance your mortgage and auto loan. |
| ■ Switch to a high yield savings account. |
| ■ Pay your credit card fees in full every month to avoid paying interest. |
| ■ Switch from monthly insurance payments to semi-annual or annual payments to avoid unnecessary fees. |
| ■ Look for hidden charges on every purchase. |
| ■ Watch out for incorrect charges on invoices so that you can dispute these invoices. |
| ■ Get multiple quotes for services to get cheaper deals. |
| ■ Find ways to save tax on your earnings. |
| ■ Sign up for customer rewards programs. |
| ■ If possible, eliminate overdraft fees. |
| ■ Turn off overdraft protection (and keep a close watch on your account balance.) |
| Home |
| ■ Get an energy audit of your home. |
| ■ Switch to energy efficient lighting and appliances. |
| ■ Develop energy-efficient habits, such as turning off the light when leaving a room. |
| ■ Unplug inactive devices or plug them into a power strip so you can turn everything on and off with the push of a button. |
| ■ Switch to solar gadgets when possible. |
| ■ Keep your cars and electronics in top condition. |
| ■ Avoid electronic and automotive upgrades for their novelty value. |
| ■ When buying a phone, buy one or two models older than the last one. |
| ■ Drop your landline. |
| ■ Lower the temperature of your thermostat. |
| ■ Switch to a programmable thermostat. |
| ■ Do not heat unused rooms. |
| ■ Insulate your home well. |
| ■ Use fans instead of air conditioning. |
| ■ Install faucet aerators to reduce water costs. |
| ■ Fix leaky faucets and other broken items around the house. |
| ■ Collect household items from yard sales. |
| ■ Move furniture around to give your home a simple makeover. |
| ■ Prepare meals at home. (But ignore recipes that require the purchase of ingredients you probably won’t use again.) |
| ■ Carry water and coffee from home. |
| ■ Eat seasonal foods. |
| ■ Eat local foods. |
| ■ Buy staples in bulk and during sales. |
| ■ Cut back on one trip to the supermarket each month and buy from your pantry instead. |
| ■ Don’t shop when you are hungry. |
| ■ Be creative with leftovers. |
| ■ When possible, choose potlucks rather than prepared meals for events. |
| ■ Make meal planning a habit to avoid ordering takeout. |
| ■ Buy a slow cooker to fill even inexpensive meals. |
| ■ Make your own cleaning supplies. |
| ■ Declutter your stuff and stop paying for storage. |
| ■ Use cold water to do the laundry. |
| ■ Switch from a tumble dryer to a clothesline to dry clothes. |
| ■ Adopt an animal instead of buying one. |
| ■ Look after your pet yourself. |
| ■ Buy locally made pet food. |
| ■ Swap animal viewing duties with another owner. |
| Entertainment and lifestyle |
| ■ Cancel expensive packages and add-ons from your cable TV subscription. OR Switch from cable TV to streaming services. |
| ■ Reduce your cell phone bill by getting rid of the extras. |
| ■ Borrow books and DVDs from public libraries. |
| ■ Play board games instead of going to the mall. |
| ■ Swap clothes, books, games, music, sports equipment, and other supplies with friends and family. |
| ■ Make your next vacation a stay. |
| ■ Choose AirBnbs over hotels when traveling. |
| ■ Home exchange with friends and family for vacations. |
| ■ Plan a vacation to coincide with the end of a work trip and in the same location. |
| ■ Travel hack. |
| ■ Build a minimalist wardrobe. |
| ■ Avoid buying clothes that need to be dry cleaned. |
| ■ Cut your own hair. |
| ■ Volunteer as a model in a beauty school for free / discounted haircuts and other beauty treatments. |
| ■ Use toiletries and cosmetics before buying new products. |
| ■ Switch to inexpensive / drugstore brands for toiletries and cosmetics. |
| ■ Make your own shampoo. |
| ■ Buy from duty free stores when traveling abroad. |
| ■ Pay in cash as much as possible. |
| ■ Choose free online tutorials over paid courses when you can. |
| ■ Find free / inexpensive hobbies and activities for you and your children. |
| ■ Keep an eye out for free local events, classes and workshops. |
| ■ Create a shopping list and stick to it. |
| ■ Buy with reward points. |
| ■ Run the household on one person’s paycheck and save the rest. |
| ■ Walk where you can. It gives you a free workout and saves on transportation costs. |
| ■ Reduce the number of cars you own. |
| ■ Wash your car yourself. |
| ■ Obey the speed limit to avoid fines and inefficient use of gas. |
| ■ Ride a bike instead of driving a car. |
| ■ Take public transport more often. |
| ■ Carpool more often. |
| ■ Work from home more often. |
| ■ Get closer to work. |
| ■ Move to a cheaper neighborhood. |
| ■ Move to a small house. |
| ■ Cut down on smoking and alcohol. |
| ■ Reduce meat consumption. |
| ■ Split restaurant meals. |
| ■ Ask for a doggy bag to take leftovers home. |
| ■ Empty coins into a piggy bank. |
| ■ Buy used, refurbished or opened electronic devices. |
| ■ Use free and open source software. |
| ■ Watch free movies online instead of going to the theater. |
| ■ Buy thoughtful, but inexpensive gifts. |
| General |
| ■ Replace disposable items with reusable items. |
| ■ Sell items that you are not using. |
| ■ Rent instead of buying, if possible. |
| ■ Buy versatile items. |
| ■ To save money in the long run, don’t skimp on quality. |
| ■ Buy used items when you can. |
| ■ Choose generic brands rather than named brands. |
| ■ Shop around for offers, discounts and coupons. |
| ■ Use payment cards, apps, and sites. |
| ■ Coupons coupons. |
| ■ Avoid impulse buying. |
| ■ Downgrade your subscriptions. |
| ■ Reduce your orders. |
| ■ Remember to do without. |
| ■ Learn DIY skills using free online resources. |
| ■ Exchange goods and services with friends and family. |
| ■ Join local freecycling groups to donate / request useful items. |
| ■ Look for free solutions (if possible) to replace the items and services you are paying for. |
